FINISHING UP THE YEAR, 2018, SICK

HEADING INTO 2019... the same..  be back when I know I can type and cough at the same time

Mom, I am so sorry.. really I am…

Mom, I am so sorry.. really I am…

These are the words that we hear from our adult daughter who has just entered the tunnel of having her daughter become a teenager.  And that sweet teenager has become a grandmother’s revenge on said adult child.  

Some words of wisdom, she is asking you.  Oh, I wish there was a handbook on raising a teen, especially a girl teen.  See I always said I rather raise 5 sons than one daughter. Sons can be asses… but daughter.. OH GOD.. the hormones rages, the slamming of doors, the OH, MOM..  is just the light side of it all. 

She, that teenage daughter of sweetness, becomes an unknown human, that was bottled up in a sweet little girl growing up.   That sweet child.. will push your buttons, she will not only push them, she will play it like a wild organ,  IN FACT, she will push buttons that you didn’t even know you had. Your emotions and sanity, will be flinging like a racket ball on the walls of a racket court.

There are some good parenting classes out there, that may come in handy.  It isn’t that they give you all the answers, as there isn’t the perfect answers.  But they can teach you self control.

They teach you to keep calm on the outside, while you are a raving manic on the inside.  You don’t fly off the handle, screaming ….ARE YOU OUT OF YOU F-ING MIND?  WHY IN HELL DID YOU DO THAT?  WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING OF?   No, they teach you how to pull yourself together.. And say calmly, What ever made you think that was going to work?  How is that working out for you now?  You do know there are consequences for actions. Guess you didn’t think that out very well did you? So tell me again how is that working out for you now?

This is not easy…The first couple of times.. well, maybe the first 20 times..  But after a while you get a rhythm to it. 

You have to get thru to them… that while lying, to protect yourself from trouble.. brings more trouble. One, you have to remember the lie. Second, once your parent finds out you lied, you have blown their trust in you.  And trust is a heavy tool in life. But once you have blown it..it is hard to get back. Can take months or even a year or so. Depending on how bad the lie is.  You have to tell them…always tell you the truth. It is hurtful.. If they tell you the truth, you can work thru it.  That you promise to do your best, not to go crazy when you hear the truth. And if you do go a little crazy, to give you 5 or 10 minutes to calm down, and then you will work with them.  That if it is bad enough to involve the law… that you will go thru it,  WITH them… NOT FOR THEM, because that is part of growing up, taking responsible for your actions.. but you will be there for moral support.  And it won’t be financial support, because once again.. you are responsible for your actions. That is part of growing up.  We all have had to do it. And you too will  survive it.  It is a learning lesson.

Also explaining that the world has changed since you were a teen.  That you made mistakes, like everyone has.. but the world is vicious now.  Women should never walk alone. Safety in numbers.   I can also tell you, that you should invest in the best self defense classes you can find. EVERY GIRL NEEDS TO KNOW HOW TO DEFEND HERSELF!

Also telling the parents is easier on you, than them finding out from someone else.    

Sports is a good idea for all teens.. male as well as female. It helps keep them busy… expensive maybe, but cheaper than bail money. 

So good luck.. Keep calm.. talk, but don’t lecture.  Remember every teen has a short attention span when it comes to parents..  Because after the 5^th word, all they hear is blah, blah blah, like in the Charlie Brown cartoon with the teacher.  And if they are yelling or talking while you are, remind them, it is hard to listen  while you are talking.. (remember that when they are talking)

When deciding to be your kids best friend.. or a parent.. pick the parent.. they got lots of best friends.. they only have one set of parents, who love them unconditionally and will guide them, protect them, forever.

The immigration problem.

The immigration problem.

I hate the media… there is so many stories.. flying thru the air… with 1% of them true..  5% with maybe some truth to it.

That being bad enough…  but the rest of the nation thinks they have the problem solved…  and it is easy to say for them.. because not one of them is going to be dealing with the problem personally… It is easy to sit behind the screen like me and make judgment on how things should be taken care of..   Lots of feel good ideas, that are no way possible.

Let’s take the little girl who died on Sunday… for lack of food, for lack of water they say…  some say she was sick on arrival… Heck some say she didn’t make it to the border.  And who she came to the border with.. One story is family, one story is just her father and her mother stayed back in their country.  How is this the USA fault… I don’t understand. She had not crossed the border.. she was in a camp site on the Mexican side/or a camp site on the way… at least that is the general information. At this date.. who knows what the truth is..  But still it is not the USA’s fault, just because we didn’t let her father and her across the border.  Maybe the people should be mad at the Mexican border for not having nurses and doctors there to check the people..  who knows.. if they would be overwhelmed, then maybe ask Dr’s without Borders to help. 

I don’t have the answers..  Just don’t like blame going around.. by people who are not trying to solve the problem.

Ok, let’s take the influx of the people traveling across Mexico. Their country is so vile… they needed to leave.. for their safety sake…  So they left and made it into Mexico.  Why did they need to go thousands of miles more to get to the USA/MEXICAN border?  They were safe after they got across the Mexican border.. The Mexicans were not killing them or beating them because they came.. and they didn’t need to go further.. They were out of harms way… Oh, Mexico didn’t want them.. you might say.. for the same reason why we can’t take everyone and anyone..  But did they wait?  No.. Mexico DID OFFER.. jobs, and food and area.. but they said no… we are going to the USA.. to the land of honey, I guess.

Don’t they read our papers?  The housing is over priced? Crime is still ramping up… Jobs are at the lowest of pay now, and health insurance is going to be scrapped.  So why come here?

I have no problem with anyone coming here.. IF THEY COME LEGALLY… most are not taking our jobs away as it has been said over the years.. They are taking jobs that even our kids don’t want to do for summer jobs anymore.. Too hard and too low of wages.   So that shoots that down..  Come legally and they pay taxes, like you and I…

While it is a wonderful idea and thought to let everyone in.. as they please… But if you are out in the ocean.. in your 20 foot boat fishing…. And you see people jumping off of a sinking ship… you can’t take everyone aboard.  Your boat will sink.. and then all of you are swimming for your life.  You might be able to let them hang on to your boat, and help you navigate thru the waters… until they can stand up.,at the nearest land….. but you can not put them all in your boat..

Which brings me to the next thing… all those across the country who are mad as hell, that there is people on the other side of the border wanting in.. why aren’t they signing up for a sponsorship…  meaning take that family or man into YOUR household.. for a year.. get them jobs and homes.. and registered…. So they too can become citizens of the USA?  I don’t see anyone signing up for that?  

When I was a child, in R.I. there were a lot of people who came from Portugal & Italy. Fishermen, farmers, shoe makers, meat market owners…and etc… they came with a trade… They had relatives who took them in until they could get one their feet. When they put in.. to come to USA… they had to prove they were..1. well/healthy…..2. they had family or friends who would sponsor them..and they had a trade.  All before they got to get off of Ellis Island…  Why is that such a horrible thing?    I knew quite a few who did that. They were the parents of the kids I went to school with.

Oh, yea.. most of their parents went to school at night to learn English.  And were proud of it..

Why is this such a horrible thing? Why did these policies stop. They were not inhuman.  They were all proud, hardworking, family loving people..

Some how traveling across thousand a mile away from your country because it was so bad.. and yet you were safe once in Mexico…you continue on… you hear the horror stories of the USA separating families from children.. (Despicable to me.. no reason for those mothers to be taken away) and yet, you still come..  and then you think it is a good idea to rush the border patrol at the fence… where you could have gotten shot.. how is that a good idea…  Surely not anyone that our government is going to look at in a positive way.

If your heart is not into it...don't do it...

If your heart is not into it.. don’t do it..

I am not a good Christmas person.. never really have been. The best I was.. and that wasn’t really good, was when my kids were growing..  To me Christmas belongs to kids. 

And this year seems to be worse… for some reason. We did lose our son in law in September.. but we have lost others in the past 4 years, one each year..  One in May, one in August , and one in December…  which that one .. you would think would have effect Christmas more.  I don’t know what it is, or why.

By this time, of the year.. I would have all kinds of goodies made up for baskets that we give away for gifts for Christmas.  No baskets this year…  no candy or jam, or cookies are made.. Did get the Choc. Zucchini bread made. That is it..  But I did attempt to make one of the cookies last Thursday night.  It was a disaster. 

One of my favorite Christmas cookies is the Christmas fruitcake cookie.. And no, it does not taste like fruitcake. For those who don’t like fruitcake..  The only similarity is, they both have dried fruit in them.

I decided to make 3 batches.. So made the 3 batches putting them in different bowls…  The first one went ok.. the second one, I put the flour in after all the other ingredients were put in and beaten well.  After I put the flour in, I started the beaters going.. ...  the beaters for some reason, decided to just barely move even though I had them on the second mark… which normally would be a slow regular flow to it.   So I added the rest and step it up to the next notch.. and that is when all hell broke loose.. Because that is when the motor decided to go into full semi half beat.. throwing (yes, you should be able to kind of visualize this) flour all over the place… I mean IT WAS FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE…  on the floor, up on the cupboard, all over the counter, in the sink, up on the window sill, and down the front of the cabinet.  Oh, yea.. AND all over me… my shirt looked like it had been blasted, and all over my pants.  My glasses.

I was able to get to the knob to turn it off… but I had a hell of a mess to clean up.  And had to estimate how much flour I lost in the explosion.

After I got back on track… and then got the 3^rd batch done.. I took a time out.. So I had 3 bowls with a batch each.  I went out to the hot tub with the King…. After all, I had to take off the flour clothes.  And wanted a fresh start to start making cookies. 

Came back to it.. got the pans ready.. recipe says a LIGHT GREASING..  So I sprayed Pam lightly.. and had 4 pans to go… Started cooking… first one looks done.. so switched for the second pan…. I let the first one cool a little.. then started to take them off to put on the cooling rack.  Well, first off, they look like they might be a little raw in the middle… so decide to give them 5 more minutes..   Well, I don’t want to drag this out.. the down load is.. all 4 pans.. after 20 minutes.. (suppose to be 12 to 14 ) look like they are done.. BUT also cemented to the damn pans..  Never had this trouble before.   After sand blasting the cookies off the pans.. I sprayed the hell out of the pans and did another 4… Slightly better, but not really… and by now.. my patience is going out the door. So decided the rest of the batches (1 and half of them) is going to be cookie…BARS… Took the batter and spread it over the heavy flour type Pam. …and cooked for 35 minutes..   Came out looking the right color..

I took the large drying rack and placed it over the pan, so I could flip it, out.. after all it is heavy greased..  It did release, but.. it is like raw on the bottom.. even tho the top is cooked.

What to do.. decided.. to put rack and bars back into the pan, I couldn’t  flip it.. nor slide it… as it would have broke up.

So back into the oven for another 10 minutes…  As I am standing there watching.. I see on the counter a bottle. The bottle is rum.. was going to add it to one of the batches.. as there was only about half a cup of rum left in the bottle and figured it would add flavor, and not be enough for getting drunk when eating the bars.   As the bars were cooking I was thinking.. after all this … cemented cookies on pan, flour flying everywhere.. it is 11pm… I should have just drank the rum…   After 15 minutes of cooking, the bottom did cook. Took it out… put the other large drying rack on top and flipped it.  Let it cool..   cut and went to bed.. 

I am so done with Christmas.. BAH HUMBUG.. hell with cookies, and the rest.. 

Blending the new with the past... meeting Cis

Blending the new with the past and meeting Cis

Yesterday, the King and I went to a shop in Priest

River to get our hair cut.   The name of the shop?

Cis’s.    Nope, not me.. but another Cis.. Who I had not met before but was friends on Facebook.. Because she went to school with my best friends daughter.. and also found out she went to school with two of my son’s.  So it was a  hoot to find another Cis..  I found out thru our many conversations that she own the hair cutting place.  

We had decide last week to go on Tuesday… And we did in spite of the fact it was snowing… We normally don’t go any where, when it is snowing.. But it wasn’t sticking to the road, so figured what the heck.  Even with the fact it is a long ways to go.. for a haircut.. about 28 miles. One way. 

On our way there, we watched as the scenes of the past has faded away.. The old mill just outside of Priest River …gone. One of the buildings is now a storage for rent place.   The new business.. the disappearance of old business.   Where my deceased husband and I first lived.. is a large gas station. Our insurance company is now a empty lot. The school was the same..  One restaurant moved to the middle of town.. many years ago..  See the King and I moved from Vay,  30 years ago.  Vay being  a small area outside of Priest River.  Priest River being the town to go to, for groceries and etc. 

We had a lovely time talking with “the other Cis” while she cut our hair.  The King talked fishing and hunting with her, while she cut each of our hair.  Found out we have a lot of the same values.  We definitely will make the trip back to get our hair done again. 

After leaving Cis’s shop, we decided to eat in Priest River. We didn’t want to go to the Village Kitchen, as we had been there a few years back.. didn’t feel like dropping down to AJ’s… so decided in the old strip mall, which all of the shops changed.  But the restaurant that is there now is called Rusty Rooster.  It was a little odd as there was no cars there. We wondered if they were open.  But another car drove up about the time we got out of the car.  And we all went in. Seems the young man who we walked in with, was someone the King knew… well, actually he knows his father in law…this young man was dating Joe’s daughter when the King last saw Joe.  About 15 years ago.   They had a great time visiting..  We sat down and then looked thru the menu. I ordered the cheese/bacon hamburger with their fries. The King ordered their shrimp burger. .. with fried chips.. yes, like potato chips.. but fried…   We had the nicest conversation with the waitress.. She use to live in Montana, then moved to Newport, Wa. And then to Priest River. She is a retired school teacher…and decided not to stay in retirement.. and got the job at the restaurant.   Then our lunch came. And what a lunch it was.. The King loved his shrimp burger..and the chips..  The cheese/bacon burger was very good. BUT the fries were sooooooooooooooooooo good. They weren’t your normal straight cuts.. and while they were curled.. they were not skinny curled, they were wide curled. And tasted so good. I could not eat them all, so brought them home for lunch today.

As we drove out of town.. we had the usually feeling of a town that you liked but left..  Kind of wishing we had stayed in town.. and the goodness of the people…  But life brought us to where we do live.. and we do like our small town of 600 people.  Guess you might say, God puts us where he thinks we should be.. But it was a nice visit to our past town…

But the way. If any of you locals are reading this.. if you go thru Priest River… stop by the RUSTY ROOSTER…(it is on the East side of town)  the food is great.. the crew is really nice to talk to.   And by the way .. if you need a hair cut.. stop by Cis’s next to the IGA. Grocery store. 

Getting to know you...getting to know all about you...

GETTING TO KNOW YOU.. GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU..

Have had an issue with my leg… some kind of rash. It

Actually started at the back of my calf… on both legs..

Then it came around the side of the left leg.  So after a month and half of playing DR. Cis .. it wasn’t going away.

So I bite the bullet and went to the dr.   She looks at it.. tells me to put some kind of cream on it.. Aveeno… should help it.  But she was more concerned about my left leg, being swollen..  Which it tends to do from time to time.. Being my father died with Congested Heart Failure, she decided that I needed an echogram on my heart.  So a couple days later, off I go the hospital.. The King decided to tag along..  He said if I was going to be at all of his.. he would try it out .. going with me.   I go with him because he hears what he wants to hear and forgets the rest.. Also I keep him honest with his answers to the dr.   But oh, well, it wasn’t  an up and personal visit.. just my leg.. what the heck.. why not.

So I arrive at the hospital in time to sign in. Which was a good thing I came early. I had been there many times before to sign in the King.. but I am not on record, so I needed to give all kinds of information..  The guy comes and gets me and off the King and I go to the room.. being it was my heart.. only had to remove the top…I laid there, as he ran the machine left and right and around the sides..  Swooze wooze the sound of the heart.. It all sounded pretty steady, so I figure there is no worries.  The King sat in his chair very intrigued with the whole thing.  Told me to get dress, and if I didn’t mind.. fill out the survey there… Looked at it.. checked all the positives and remarks I wrote .. tech did good job and also made me feel relaxed about the test..  And we went to the Dr. office from there..   I picked up my copy of the blood work from the other day..  and a note of platelets not readable due to aggregative or something like that.. I asked the gal about it as that has been a problem for over 10 years.. She said the Dr. was looking into it.   So of course when I got home, I looked it up.  As I am reading about it.. (it is talking about blood clots), the phone rings. It is my dr. office.. wanted to know if I would mind going back to the hospital… this time to get an echogram on my legs..  Being I was unsettled by what I read.. I said sure..  And stop by the dr. office and get another blood draw when you are done.  Ok..

So off to the hospital again.. This time, remove the pants..this time a woman tech.  And of course the King is with me.  So she runs the machine back and forth across the legs on front, then back and then sides..  So she too tell me to get dress and she will guide us out.   As I got dressed I saw this too had a survey sheet… so I wrote…. GETTING TO KNOW YOU, GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU… (being this is my second time….. and this is an old show tune)  thought I better add that, as she had to be 20 something.  Then I added..  crew was great.. very calming… thank you…  Oh, by the way, she said I had nothing to worry about.. the dr. would get the result in a day or two, but if it was a blood clot … I would not be going home today.. but because everything is clear I could go home.  And then.. DR. KING…SAYS, EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD TO ME..  lol..

Then it was off to the dr. office to GET a blood draw, this time.  And got the call the next day..  blood work came back good.. that my platelets were 68,000!!!  (now for those who are aware of platelets numbers.. I know that is low, but they were the highest I have had in 10 years.) I was thrilled. But then she said.. come by and get your copy of the results and stop by your pharmacy as we have sent over a prescription for you…  I said.. ok.. for the swollen leg?  She said yes..  I thought to myself.. oh, great…  old lady bladder isn’t enough.. I got to take some pills to step it up… (sad face)

Oh, well.. over all.. I guess I am in pretty good shape for an 78 year old broad..  ha ha..

Just can't get in the mood....

I just can’t get in the mood ….

I just can’t get in the mood for Christmas..

I am horrible about it anyway… humbug type.

I don’t do well with Christmas until about noon

on the day…

I go thru the motions.. get the presents.. wrap

them..  and wake up that morning.. get a cup of

coffee.. and if we have presents.. I open mine.

Because the King has gotten up hours before me

and open his already.

Christmas is for kids… and I wouldn’t ruin it for

them for the world.. But for me.. it is way over

blown. And the fact it is so over commercialized.

Drives me nuts.   And no, I don’t want to go shopping

with thousands of people..

This year it is worse than ever… I did go outside and

checked to see if the lights still all worked.. some did

some did not..  got them all fixed.. so it is just a matter

of pushing the button on the remote control.  But I have

the .. who cares  feeling as I do.  Put up a couple of

indoor decorations..  put up the sad looking flat tree on

the wall…

By this time I usually have half of dozen chocolate

zucchini breads made… and  started on cookies.

Even some jam.. some years.. but this year.   I haven’t

done anything.  I did buy the stuff to do the bread today

But that is it.. just not in the mood.  

So I will happiest on December 26.. even January 2^nd.

is better yet.

Remember letters in the mail?

Remember letters in the mail?

WOW.. Saw on Facebook an old joke…the first time I read it was when a friend sent it to me in the mail back in 1960 something.. Remember when we use to mail jokes back and forth to each other with letters... (for the younger generation that is a paper with words about your life......and we put ha ha . when it was funny)

Oh, how the world has changed.. now we don’t have to wait to hear the latest.. for the most part it is on Facebook for all to read and see… which is good and not so good.  Seeing my grandchildren and their kids.. and the pictures of all.. is so nice.. Now a baby can come into the family and everyone see the baby…. Near and far… when the baby is minutes old.  Not waiting a week for a letter and years ago, to wait for the pictures to be developed and then mailed out.

Some of the other stuff I see on Facebook makes me cringe. My grandchildren are bolder than I am…and far more able to share things, that I would never share..  But that is what scrolls are for.. to zoom by quickly.  I never say anything to them… as it is their page, and their friends..  so I stay long enough to see the pictures and if I want to say anything, I message them in private .. to find out how they are.. and what they are up, if the pictures don’t show.

But writing is a lost art… even my generation who also wrote, but we also typed.. I had/have lousy penmanship, so typing was better for my reader. 

I had an uncle, who when he retired.. wrote to me every Tuesday… The first time it scared me to death, as it was always my aunt who wrote and she wrote once a month.

I thought maybe she was ill.. so called and found out she was fine, just that my uncle liked getting letters….. and to get letters you have to write.  I loved this uncle.. but he was pretty strict as I was a kid.. you know one of those when they said jump, you asked how high and how far. Lol.. But thru the letters over the years…. We got to be pretty close.. we talked about everything.  So it came to be.. I would write every Saturday, and mailed it.. he would get it on Tuesday.

I miss those letters now… Wish I kept them, to I could go back and read them over. 

That is the nice thing about letters.. you can go back and read them.. just take them out of the box or drawer… Unless you have a way of saving on the computer.. or maybe print them out… emails are gone after you read them..

Look at all the letter service men wrote years ago, during the war.. Letters written.. letters wives waiting for.. taking a week or more to get..  Letters that their family would read 50 years later after the passing of their parents. Yep, writing letters is getting to be a lost art.