Not the last one standing...

I am not the last one standing…
Gone but hopefully not forgotten
Not as formerly done…
Gone fishing
Closed shop for the summer…

All good titles for this last regular post of the blog.
I have decided to let the blog go for the summer.
Maybe be back in the Fall….

I might leave a post from time to time, if something
strikes me worth writing about.
Might add pictures from time to time…. Just
that regular posting just isn’t fun any more. And I
said I would quit if it wasn’t fun anymore.

So taking this summer to work in the garden and
thru the yard, and ponder my life and what to do
with the rest of it. Go ride my bike, take walks.
I am tired of sitting and typing, and reading…
I am really tired of reading all the hate that those
have for anything not Republican. The negativity
of the Tea Party and even the Democrats. Even if
the Democrats don’t seem to be quite so negative.

I want to enjoy the sunrises, I want to hear the birds,
I want to feel the nice brown warm earth on my hands.
I want to put my face up into the warm rain.
I want to walk arm and arm with my husband and enjoy
my friends ,and most important of alI, I want to hear our laughter…

So I wish you all good health, a wonderful
summer, filled with love of life…laughter…don’t forget the
laughter.

Still in the black hole of information

We live in a small town in a small county
of sorts. Definitely in a small information
county. The county site doesn’t keep up
with the elections… Unless it is a national
Election, it isn’t put up on their site until
the next day at best.

This was the case yesterday and today for
our primary and a levy vote. They were so
slow with information that even the paper
couldn’t get it. Hence, the newspaper caught
flack because they couldn’t print the results.

So as the world flies by in the land of computers
and internet, our little corner has a lot to catch up
with yet.

OVER, ENDING, AND GONE...

Well, the Primary’s are over, and we will know who is
going against whom in November. And if we are pay
more taxes or not. And maybe an temporary end to
robocalls.

And the television shows are clearing, all the reality shows
for the winter/spring season. With new ones coming.

And then there are the shows that are gone for good.
Law and Order, 24, and a few others.

So it looks like life is changing in all phases…

KOOTENIA CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

KOOTENAI CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010

8am to 7 pm

CITY PARK

100 Spokane Street, Kootenai Idaho

Pancake Breakfast and BBQ Lunch

by the SHRINERS

Combined Veteran's Color Guard

Historical Pictures

Video of Kootenai School Children's interviews

Sandpoint Igniters Car Show

Walking tour of Historic Kootenai

Tours of the Kootenai Elementary Expansion

Tour the 100 year old Kootenai Community Church

Free popcorn, courtesy of the KIWANIS

Children's Games

Bouncing Castle

ENTERTAINMENT BY

Johnnie Lawson as Bent Whiskers

S.T.E.P. Gymnastics

Sandpoint Taekwondo

Albeni Falls Pipes & Drums

Mia Kohal

and

Special guests...The "Original" Pack River Band with Johnny Lawson

We hope you will be able to join us for this family event!

will repost this a week before it starts...

CITY OF KOOTENAI ...the little town that can..

The City/town of Kootenai is celebrating this year…
The city is celebrating it’s Centennial
100 years ago, Northern Pacific Railroad plotted out
a town and called it Kootenai.
This came after the older Kootenai that was a little more to the east
was burnt down in 1907. The older one was started in 1885 by Dr. Hendryx.
Later as the railroad came in to area, it had its name changed to Boyer in 1900.

1904 Humbird had bought in the area. They bought what had been owned by the Ellersick Brothers who owned Sandpoint Lumber Company, a mile west of Boyer. Humbird built a community and it took the name of Kootenai. Which is suppose to mean “Indian who comes from the prairie”.

In 1907 Boyer (the old Kootenai) a fire consumed all the homes and business. Later a large icehouse was built where the old Kootenai was, and they filled it from the lake.

1908 Northern Pacific Railroad decided to make the new Kootenai, their division point. In 1909 Northern Pacific Railroad built a 20-stall roundhouse and a new depot at the foot of Main Street. And in 1910 Kootenai became a town.

Between the Railroad Company and Humbird Lumber Company, Kootenai was a very busy place with 1000’s of employees.
But the town suffered a lost when the railroad moved its division from Kootenai to
Paradise, Montana in 1920’s and Humbird folded in 1930 after the depression.

Over the years the buildings suffered from fires and being tore down.
The school site is still the same and that too is celebrating this 100th birthday this year and Kootenai Community Church also 100 years old, I believe is the last original building still standing…In the 1980’s Kootenai started to build up again. With several business and many houses have been built.

So if you get a chance to come to Kootenai this year.. be sure to come July 24th
for the big celebrations… I will tell you tomorrow what to expect on that date.
Also if you are a yard sale person… June 19th should be circled on your
calendar, as the whole community is having a yard sale. There will be a map
given out at that time of who and where are the yard sales in the town.

Also on the calendar is June 4th from 5pm to 8pm the school is having
open house for their remodeling review, with songs of the 1900 sung by
the students and video of interviews of past pupils, teachers and principals.

So this summer Kootenai is buzzing…


I also know that Bayview is having a Centennial Celebrations too… I am
Sure that Herb over at Bay Views blog will update you on their fun and games. I believe they will have their started before ours will … so a great year to see
the great things of Idaho. And it is all local… Bayview, Kootenai and even
Sandpoint Library is having their birthday party as well.

fact gleamed from Kootenai ladies tea program.

Be Careful What You Wish For

As we start the election race we see the active TEA PARTY
working hard, to throw out all of the Congress people they
want out. Mostly Democrats but even some of the Republican
who didn’t vote as they wanted them to do so.
But the question is, are they throwing out the baby as they throw out
the water?

The interesting part as they change all of these parties, is how will it go?
Once they get to DC, will it be as they think it will be?

First lost will be the committees the older congress person was on. So they
will have to get into some new committee. And how will this effect the state
that congress person is from?

What grand things are they going to do or block in 2 years? After all the
TEA PARTY wants changes now. As a freshman congress person, will
they be able to show enough progress to be able to stay, or will they become
the next target?

Yep, be careful what you wish for…

The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

It seems like my brain is working in the background
on it’s own. Or at least it has developed a new system
within a system. Not that my brain has had a system
that I thought that worked well over the years. It
has been wired to logic most of the time, which seems
to trip me up from time to time, as my thinking didn’t
quite line up with others.

But now it seems to process information to a system
of important and non important stuff. And it decides
what is important or not, and throws unimportant to
the wind. Sometimes, after really trying by prodding
by others, it seems to bring most of the memory back
on that subject. Some times it doesn’t. And unimportance
seems to play pretty heavy on that, if I don’t remember.

So far, it has worked ok for me, as I have not forgotten
anything that is really important. So far. But I got to tell
you it is very unsettling for me at times.. as it scares me
in to worrying if it is dementia.. But so far, so good.

The Weather

As most know, we have had an unusual winter.
It was mostly a rotation of rain, snow, sun (very little)
overcast (lots of that)
So we would get snow, but that afternoon it was gone,
If not, then it was by the next day… then we would
Have rain, sometimes that is what took the snow out.
Lots of overcast days, which is hard on the mood swings
for most of us Northerner’s. That is why they call it
cabin fever.

Now we have had since Spring, wind, rain, and sunshine.
We have four days of over 70’s Then dip to the 50’s of
rain and wind. Actually the wind seems to hang around with
the sun as well..

Which makes me wonder, what will summer be like? Will we
have the same as rotation of hot to cold and back?

Making More Memories

As grandparents, it is our duty to make memories
for our grandchildren while we are here. And hopefully
wonderful memories… So after we are long gone and
they are grown, they can tell their children of the
times you had together.

This weekend I was visited by Son #3 and his wife
and their 3 children. One, I just got to meet. She is 1.
The sweetest of sweet. And then there is the energized
5 year old boy and the oldest son is 14. We had the best of
times. And this family and I have a tradition… with
no holds barred… well, a few small ones. Don’t get
Mom wet, (she is the balloon filler) don’t get the
tent wet and don’t get little sweet doll wet. All
the rest is every person for themselves.

As you can see from the picture… this is serious
water fighting… everyone, included me… was soaked.

Lost in the 50's 2010

GOOD GRIEF, I MUST BE GAY!!!

We have Obama’s latest nominee
for the Supreme Court.

A nice looking lady called Elena Kagan.
Which, of course, brings on the open season
from the Republican party in particular, but
from others as well.

She has never been a judge, but she has been
The Dean of Harvard Law School and a
solicitor general and she is a lawyer.

Which has made it hard for the opposition
to come up with dirt on her. So hard that
they had to reach … really reach for an
old picture. A picture of her in pants, jeans,
I guess, and shirt, with a bat in her hand
swinging.

AND FROM THIS…some idiot has decided
SHE MUST BE GAY!!! Well, I hate to tell
you dear readers, but I have been in such
clothing many times. I played ball as a kid.
I played softball on tavern teams in Roslyn
Washington….. So by their account ……
I MUST BE GAY. Can you believe such an
assine assumption? Why haven’t they accused
the man who is not married as being a Homosexual?

I tell you these people are really bellying up below
The limbo stick for sure.

And just for the record, if she does turn out to be gay,
that is no big deal….that is her business. And it can’t
effect her decisions if she makes it to the court, than
the straight ones who are already there. Does any one
accuse them of being biased when it come up to married
couples?

Them against Us song

People get upset from time to time when others
give the them and us attitude... You know the
rich against the poor/middle class attitude.

But it is hard to keep a happy face, as those of
us who work hard. Pay our taxes, obey the rules and laws...
And others who don't have so much.
And the media keeps telling us we are all hurting..

But


How can we be in a recession if....College Presidents
ask and get a Million or more for wages?
CEO's get millions for bonus's?
Sports players are still demanding and getting multi-millions for wages?
Truman Capote's house is selling for $18 million dollars? And some
one will buy it at that price.
Say nothing of the Picasso picture that just sold to someone
with $18 million dollars.

And then there are those who are on the commercial, I owed the
IRS over $400 thousand dollars in back taxes... and I went to
(who ever the commercial was for) and they got it cut down
to $40,000. What is with that? You and I paid in full all of our
taxes. Heck, in 10 years I didn't make $400 thousand dollars.


For those of you who made it big... I am happy for you,
but I wish life was a little more fair. When police officers,
firemen, and the troops who do a life and death job...get
a quarter or less than what a CEO gets for a wage, never
mind his bonus. And please don't try
the deal of we could have done it too...No, we couldn't.
We didn't have the family with money, we didn't have
the one in 20 shot of being a great sports person.
And opportunity doesn't knock on every door.

And for those who did make it big and did really great in
life AND gave back by helping others with health issues,
education and such... THANK YOU...

Not all profiling and carding is wrong...

I know I will get screams from this post.
and even talk of how insensitive I am.
Or how can I even know what it is like,
being I have always been the average
white female.

But what is really wrong with profiling? If you
look like a Iranian, I don’t mind an officer stopping
you and find out if you are actually here legally and
running your name thru the records to see if you are
on the list. After all, we Americans are having this
done to us. My neighbor, who is 5 foot tall, white
woman, a teacher, an American citizen… was held
up at the airport for 4 hours, missing her plane,
because HER NAME flashed up on THE LIST.
Why not you?

If you look Mexican and they stopped you because you ran
a red light, I think they have the right to asked you to product
a green card, when your accent is pretty obviously Mexican.
WHAT? BE CARDED? HOW DARE WE?????

Well, tell me… when you were 16 and started driving, and you
looked 12 or 14… did the police stop you to make sure you had
a driver’s license? You don’t think he had the right? Well, then I
guess you figure any 12 year old can drive and not be stopped
unless the 12 year old acted improper and broke the law.

How many of you at the age of 21, but you looked 16 were carded
at any pub, dance hall, bar and etc? Or in a restaurant and ordered
a drink? Heck anyone in their 30’s or even 40’s who look 18 has been
proudly been carded.

So why can’t we do this for those who can do us bodily harm? You know
sometimes if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck… it is a duck.

What I have trouble with is the over zealous authorities, be it a FBI
Officer or who ever, who is willing to bang down a person’s door
because someone said they might do bodily harm. Why not just observe
them, and if they are suspicious then asking them some questions?
By that time they have all kinds of information that might make the information
Is true or not.

I don’t know what it is like? Well, no, I don’t. But my ancestors were German on
one side… and they did, during WWI and WWII. But I was carded a lot because
I looked 16 at 21 and up to my 30’s looked 18. And because I was short, I was
stopped to see if I had a license. I was not insulted at the time. It was a safety
issue.

Hand turn signals and frustrations...

Last Wednesday, I was getting ready
to go get the mail. Usual routine is the
dog gets to go for a ride, so when she
came to the car, and didn’t jump in I
went to pick her up. Except, I lost my
footing, which sent me between the
door frame and steering wheel. I heard
a snap. Nope, not me…but my shoulder
hit the turn signal switch. And it was hanging
like a wet noodle.
Long and short of it is… my husband can
fix it. So he goes to the Ford dealer to see
about the part. $300 !!!!! FLAMING DOLLARS!!

So he calls Spauldings in Spokane and they
thought they might have one and it is $17.75!!!
Thank you, thank you. So the King puts it together
the best he can so I can use it the next day to go to work.

Frustration… I hate it when you turn the key
and nothing happens, so you can guess how it
was when I couldn’t get the key to turn at all.

Made phone calls to cancel work. And as it
happen the King called to tell me that Spaulding
did in fact have the part. I told him my newest
dilemma and we went thru the “did you try this and
that. Which I had. But told him I had cancelled
work so we will deal with it later. After he gets
off work.

I sat there for a moment and thought if he comes
home and tries what I already did, and the car starts
I am going to look like a fool. So I got out there to
try one more time. Still nothing. One of the things he
mention was jerking on the steering wheel. Well, it was
not moving. So I thought, well, I can just get out of
the car… or jerk on that wheel like a man would…
With my luck it would strip out something in the steering
column… But what the heck I can’t be in much more
trouble than I am in. So I jerked on that sucker… bam…
it made a crack sound and it moved. It moved back and
forth several times… AND THE KEY TURNED!!… oh,
Thank heavens for small favors…. I tried the key 4 times and
it started. Called work, said I will be there and it worked…
Friday we went to Spauldings, $18 (w/ taxes) the King changed
it and we had turn signals… and high beams and low beams.

By the way, when I was coming home on Thursday, I was using
hand turn signals… you should have seen the weird looks I got. Don’t
people use turn signals anymore?
Do those under 30 know whathand turn signals are?

Happy Mother's Day

look who is in the neighborhood

Phone calls home to your elderly parents

Here we have Mother’s Day coming fast and furious.
And just a month behind is Father’s Day. The time of
phone calls. Be it the obligation kind or the grateful kind.

When your parents are younger and you are in your 30’s
40’s or even 50’s. it usually is a fun time to catch up. And
many subjects to talk about.

But when your parents hit 70 plus, how do you do? Yes,
You have the, “how are you”? “What have you been doing lately”,
Answering the questions of how is your job going, and what are the
kids up to these days? You talk about the weather. And then what?

If you have a sibling living in your town, then you might talk about
how they are doing. Even if you think that sibling is going to be
going thru the same conversation. And then there is the health report.

Then there is the “I love you, and take care of yourself Mom/Dad, and
the conversation ends. I know there are those out there, who would give
their eye teeth to be able to have one more conversation. But what more
than I love you…would you say?

Living nearer to the parents helps, you are updated most of the time,
and you take them out to dinner, and things seem to go smoother.
But calling, sometimes, no matter how much you love them, it is strained
with nothing to say after the first few lines.


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the women who are mothers,
grandmothers, and step mothers...

Habits are hard to...

I am mostly a creature of habit.
I didn’t think I was but I guess I
really am. I really realized this today.

See, normally I work on Tuesday mornings.
But it was postpone to Thursday.
So I figured I would do today what I normally
would do on Wednesday. And do tomorrow,
what I would do on Thursday, so I would still
be on schedule with household duties.

Best laid plan of mice and women….
As I was doing so well pretending it was
Wednesday, that I got every thing done that
I would have done tomorrow…

So much so, that when the King came home,
He gave me a kiss and then asked… why is the
garbage cans out by the road. You see we don’t
usually put them out until Wednesday, so they
will be picked up really early Thursday morning.

And the wind blew....

The wind blew and the antenna stayed. Surprisingly after last
week it was waving in the wind.
The flag blew so hard the bottom wrapped around the top and
then straighten out as the storm started to slow down. Here is
the rain, and yet sunshine up on the mountain....


Rokon got up on the back of the couch to watch things blowing around and then
got down and sat on the couch looking very disgusted....

As I went to take the second picture of this position, she looked at me as if to say...

What are you looking at....

Guess we both aren't really happy with this weather....

Pay for it, heck no....

The question has come up about newspapers and Facebook,
would you pay to use what you are getting for free now?

My first reaction is, no… I would not pay for newspapers or blog or
Facebook online. But then I said the same thing about television and
I also have paid the $3 for coffee called latté’s. And have in the past
paid for cable and satellite.

But now it is coffee and antenna’s in our downsize life. And we
really don’t miss it… Yes, it is kind of like driving a Mercury as opposed
to driving a Lincoln. May not have all the bells and whistles,
but still gets us from point A to point B just the same. Which is our main purpose.
Down sizing makes you able to do that.

So now that I have time to think about it, would I pay for Facebook, blogs that I
go to now? Or newspapers? The Facebook and blogs, the answer is no. Sorry,
gang. Newspapers? If I lived in Spokane, I might…depending on the price.
But pay for the Daily Bee, no way… the Bee runs a shadow of their paper type
of newspaper. No pictures 99% of the time. Only a few of the articles are on
line. And a lot of their daily sections are not online.

And as long as there is paper newspapers that I can take in the car or where
Ever else… I have no need for online newspapers. After all I can’t get it on
line in my car and other places. I don’t have the free wireless or a phone
attachment. Too spendy.
So I guess the answer for me, is no…