GOOD BY 2019… GOOD BY 20TEENS..

GOOD BY 2019… GOOD BY 20TEENS..

Good by 2019, we hardly knew ya…. 

For some reason this year flew by… I think it has to do with age.

The older we get, the faster time goes. Knowing we don’t have a lot left… the toilet paper roll is unwinding…

That remark comes from a very old joke… The joke went as this..

I had a dream… and I was riding a bicycle as fast as I could.. and I looked down and saw that the front wheel was a roll called LIFE and it was a toilet paper roll, unwinding as I went…the faster I went.. the faster the roll unwind…   

Now to me that isn’t a joke.. but maybe it was to me then, about 40 years ago.. as I found it funny then…  not anymore…. As it seems to predict out lives… Guess the moral of the story would be to slow down and enjoy the ride… 

Early 2019, had for the most part been unrememberable start.. at least I don’t remember much happening…  seem like spring came on fast and then summer followed it.. Easter flew by, then 4^th of July whisked by as well… But as the summer was ending… so were so many in our lives were ending as well… First up was my sister.   Then there was my cousin.. then the King’s cousin and another one.. and then to end that series… his younger brother… as we headed into late fall.

So here we are, at the end of 2019, and grateful for others who got sick and came back to good health.  Grateful for those in our lives, and grateful for our lives…   So we will bide you good bye 2019.

In fact we are glad to bide good bye to as well…20TEENS.. meaning since 2011… We lost a lot in these years…  More siblings… my brother, the Kings sister, and so many friends… that it still hurts… We are praying that 2020 is going to be kinder… 

HAPPY NEW YEAR my friends and fellow bloggers….I am grateful for all of you who have stuck with me these years.. all two of you.. lol..  as you read me off and on..  Thank you to those of you who just started to read, and maybe  have checked back to read some of the old one..  

I happen to go back there myself this past weekend..  and was surprised at how well I use to rewrite.. Some funny, some were interesting… and thoughtful…   surprised me, as I don’t think I am that good..  but if you like to.. I went back to 2011… October..  looking up and down thru the whole month.. I read several and was “wow… I wrote that?” Damn I was good.  lol…

https://wordtosser.blogspot.com/2011/10/disorganized-organization.html     as well as   

http://wordtosser.blogspot.com/2011/10/slippery-slope-they-slide-down.html

AND FOR YOUR HUMOR ENJOYMENT…..HERE IS TWO MORE.. http://wordtosser.blogspot.com/2011/10/salesmen-can-be-fooled-just-as-taxi.html

http://wordtosser.blogspot.com/2011/10/working-in-nursing-home.html

 also there is a reference to the toilet paper roll as well.   

HAPPY NEW YEAR.. HELLO 2020!!!

At no ones beck and call….

At no ones beck and call….

I repeat.. I am at no ones beck and call…  it does sound  like a snarky remark… and I don’t mean it to be..  but I do not want someone to be electronically attached to me.

I gave up my cell phone…years ago.. right after I retired.  We originally got ours in 1992 … it was one of those suitcase type.. which by the way, I still have.  We had a motor home.. and we had a belt rip apart on it… luckily we had a friend  following us, so we got help.  He took the King to the parts store and got a new belt.. and in an hour we were back on the road.   It was then we decided if we were going to travel in the motor home.. we needed a way to get help.  Cell phones were just coming, and reasonable.  I think we paid $79 for it.. and had Air phone (I think was the name) for the server, that charged $10 a month.  We used is a couple of times, so it was worth it.  Then we got a small Ford pickup and towed that.. But kept the cell phone..  A couple years later they sold out to GTE, and smaller phones.. The King was hooked. Then they came out with the flip phones..  So if you signed up for a 2 year contract.. you got the phone for free.. And at the time, you could get two of them.. As they were in a big push to get people to sign up for 2 year contracts.  So I got one as well.. The King was really hooked by now.. I think it is a man thing,  umbilical cord effect…. but now days I think it is a woman’s thing as I see far more woman with phones attached to their ears… some of them literally.

The only time I miss having one.. and I do have one of the old flip phones in our rig that is not connect to a service… just for the reason why I miss mine.  That is when I am on the road by myself… any length of time.. meaning miles away from home.  In case I break down. But the old one should they say, content me to 911…

When I first got rid of mine, friends told me I would have one back asap…  but I haven’t .. as that is 16 years ago.  See I remember before cell phones.. when you drove down the road and paid attention to your driving..  maybe the only diversion was your radio.  Also I remember not having people calling you everywhere. You are at the park for a walk.. the silence is wonderful.. I guess it would be helpful… if you are at the store, incase you forgot something.. or your other half has, and you can call..  But we live only a mile and half away, I can go back.  And anything that happens, can wait until I get home… I do own an answering machine, so you can leave me a message to call.. but other than that.. I am good…Now the King HAS to have his.. but he does shut it off at about 6pm. And so far he is staying with the flip phone.. smart phone is too complicated for him.. which is good as it is cheaper.. And he doesn’t do internet.    

Nope, don’t need to be at anyone’s beck and call..

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL… 

As you all gather tomorrow around the tree or what have you.. to open the surprises that others got for you…. Remember, even if it is just for a second.. the reason why you are celebrating… 

And then after, many of you will leave home… or will have others join you for the feast of the day…  May it be full of cheer, and good times… great memories with those who you love, family and friends who are like family

I truly wish you all a wonderful day together… and for those who can’t be with their families because of working, or troops overseas… may God be with you… and hopefully you can join your family soon..  God Bless….… 

Waiting for the other foot to drop….

We have been teased with a little snow here and there.

Nothing over 4 inches.. most of it 2 inches or less…

But they say, that is over and come Friday will start

our White Christmas weather…

We are suppose to get 3 inches tonight.. but come Friday

They are talking serious stuff… 8 inches and talking feet

in the higher levels.. 

So it is back to winter exercise… me shoveling and the King

with his 4 x 4  pushing snow… he does our driveway…and our neighbors as she lets him push snow on to her property in the back area, so he has room to push it later, as it gets deeper.  Then there

Is the snowblower.. to make Misty track for going pee…  I really don’t mind going out and shoveling off the deck.. it is refreshing .. with the cold air..  Then there is the car shuffle… me moving them, him plowing that area.. and me putting it back, then moving the truck.. same thing..  But mid February or March we aren’t as happy doing it.. but we know Spring is coming.. 

So the question is.. will we be shoveling and plowing or will it go around us, like it has the past 4 storms..   Just glad we don’t live on the East coast where the snow storms have been horrible and the tornados are worse.  At least our ground and homes stay in one place.   Saw pictures of last year on this date and we had over a foot..  so thankful for small favors.

But it doesn’t feel like Christmas…..

But it doesn’t feel like Christmas…..

I am not, as you probably already know, from past blog stories..very good a Christmas..  Really, I am a bah humbug type…

Way too much gifts for so few, way too much money spent on something no one will remember they got.  Way too much and expensive gifts for kids..  When I was a kid we got about 5 gifts. And when raising my kids.. they got about 3 real presents.. the rest of the presents were clothes to replenish their school clothes that got too small..

I have seen piles of gifts.. a round circle that goes around the tree, at least 10 feet circle… and at least 3 to 4 feet high. For a family of 4. That is obese .. in gifts.  And it takes the parents 6 months or more to pay for them.

My husbands and I did not go into debt for the kids gifts.   Now we might have had a large circle around the tree..but there were 8 kids..  Then 5, then down to 3 and then 1…  No gift was over $25 .

And at the end of the day… none of them were disappointed.  Yes, they went to school to see some of their friends with the latest hand game, or radio and etc..  but never voiced a disappointment. 

So here I am 79 year later… and it has gotten to be another day.. The only thing that I take away from it…. Is watching kids ..the light in their eyes.. the smiles.. and etc.   The rest of it is.. enjoying a dinner with family..   We go to our daughter’s house for Christmas.  And I am happiest at the end of the day…

But even with all the Christmas decorations, ads and etc.. since Oct..and maybe that is the reason why it doesn’t feel like Christmas..  it has been going on and on and on…   maybe that is why..  Hate to say it.. but I am looking forward to January… no that isn’t right either… I am looking forward to May…..

LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE…

LIAR,  LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE…

Those of us over the age of 40, have heard that childhood phase, many times… It was funny, but it sure wasn’t funny if you got caught lying by your parents. 

I know it might have taken me a couple of times to catch on, that lying  meant a butt whipping..  And I do mean a butt whip.. either by hand or by strap..  the kind of whipping that had you dancing on the end of a hand that held you, so you couldn’t  get away… I was a fairly quick learner in that.. telling the truth might hurt some…but nothing as bad as the lie. 

I also instill that into my own kids.. A little less violent but the message was the same… A swat on the butt a few times… or something dearly with held… standing with their nose is the corner for a while..  But the message was the same.. DO NOT LIE… the punishment was far less for the truth.

Also had the talk of how some day, they will need me to stand up for them.. if they are accused of doing or saying something.. And if they are liars to me.. then I will not stand up for them.  Might stand beside them…but not stand up for them..   And that turn out to be a true story many years later, when one of my teens was accused of stealing a purse on his paper route… I did go down the to the police station and talked to my son..  and when he told me, he didn’t do it.. I believe him, because of such a talk, and he always told the truth..  I told the police officer that if my son said he didn’t do it.. he didn’t do it.. and that I realized that he hears that from all the parents.. but it was true with my son..  He said he had to interview him, and he would do so without me there..  I told him, I had no fear that he would find out the truth from my son… After 20 minutes he came out… and said… as a police officer he has to have doubts, it goes with the job, but he also thought my son was telling the truth…  And sure enough a week later, it came out that the son of the woman who accused my son… had done it.. and hid it in the back yard… which she found him going out there to get something else out of it.   This whole thing really set my kids in how things can go wrong, but if you tell the truth.. it will work out.  TRUTH was golden in our household…  to ever fail, would break the trust for us.  Trust is big, and to lose truth is hard to get back.

My own children, have followed thru with the same notion..  In fact  one time, one of them sent their child to talk to me.. (the poor kid).  So the next generation was.. TRUTH is golden.   One of my grandchildren, was asked by a police officer, if he had done something.. and he told the truth.. even when I sat there, listening to him.. and thought I think I would have told the truth but on a softer side of it.. He told it just as it was.. and how he felt..  I am going WOW…but was and still so proud of him..  He is an adult now.. and still the same way… in fact you might not like it.. as he tells it as it is..  Sometimes that can be a little rough on the receiving end.  Ha ha…. 

But what status do parents have now .. in order to teach their kids the same lesson?  With lies being told daily, hourly, by people of high places.. Even reading in the paper or watching the news.. There is a good share of it.. you can’t take for the truth…

They have even come up with a new phase… ALTERNATE TRUTH… WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?  It is either the truth or it isn’t…

Brings to my mind … the line from the movie FROM A FEW GOOD MEN…. The Jack Nickleson line… THE TRUTH? THE TRUTH? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.!!!!...   

I guess the media and the government have decided we can’t handle the truth… as they go to great lengths to tell lies.. This goes against every grain in my body and soul…

THROW OUT THE GARBAGE…

THROW OUT THE GARBAGE…

We talk about throwing out the garbage… usually talking about what is in the trash can…. But sometimes we need to remember to throw out the garage in life too…

Don’t forget trends for your age , but keep your own sense of style . Be you… you know what looks good on you..  So throw out what you thought might be good and isn’t.  Throw out the garbage.. 

Don’t stress over the little things . You’ve already gone over a lot in your life..  learn from it.. don’t dwell on it..  ,. Don’t let the past drag you down  Throw out the garbage.

Life is too short to waste your days on negative . Spend your time with positive , fun  people , you will find yourself laughing with them..   Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder … throw out the garbage.. .

. Laugh at everything . Laughter is the greatest sound on earth.. it is ageless.. and it is everywhere.. Africa, Asia, Europe… everywhere..  the is the universal language.  A lot of people don’t  get to this age , get a full life . But you did . So what’s not to laugh about ? Find the humor not matter what the situation….   Throw out the garbage..

Don’t care what others say about you….. they don’t know you… They’ll say it anyway ,Those who know you, will know it is lies….  and you know what you’ve achieved . Let them talk and don’t worry . They have no idea about your history , your memories and the life you’ve lived so far . there is  much more life to live.. , so get busy and don’t waste time thinking about what others might think . Now is the time to be at rest , at peace and as happy as you can be !   throw out the garbage..

DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT....

 Day late and a dollar short…

Got so busy yesterday, forgot to blog..

Can’t tell you what I was doing, but I was busy

doing it.

Oh, I know.. I was making zucchini bread.  Same thing I was doing the day before… Made 8 smalls pans and 2 large..   both days..

Got to do something with all that shredded

zucchini that we have from our summer crop.  Besides we

don’t give gifts to our friends.. but we do give bread.  Use to do

a lot more in the years past.. but got out of the mood, have less to

give to.. But we use to do about 3 kinds of cookies and the breads and even dappled in the candies…  Did orange rind sugar candy.. fudge of course..  Which that could be frustrating.. as you can end

up with fudge syrup.  

As I was waiting for the bread to bake, and had another batch ready to go..  I made myself a sandwich.   Had not really thought about how I made my sandwiches…over the years..  Just make it and then cut it..  So how do you cut yours?  Most of the time, mine are in quarters.. once in a while if I am creative... I will do diagonal quarters.. but most of the time.. it is the standard one … like this one…

As I was cutting them.. without thought, just doing what I have done for years.. I thought of why?  And the answer is.. my mother use to cut them that way.. and that was what I got in my lunch box. Why I never changed, I don’t know… And the surprising part is.. when I do sandwiches for others I ask them.. do they want them cut…. And if they say yes, I just cut in half.  What is with that?

Kind of on the slow side this am…

Kind of on the slow side this am…

Spend two weeks getting ready for Thanksgiving.. and now

spending a weekend putting things back that I decluttered

last week..

Got all my Christmas cards out…for some reason years ago.. about 4 or 5 … I sat down and did all the cards two or three days before Thanksgiving..  just to get it over with…and had some down time.. Ever since, it seems like a good idea..   Don’t know why.. and this year was kind of frustrating… See each year I have a list from the year before.. I use that to send out the cards for the present year. So if you didn’t send us one last year.. you won’t get one this year.  I have this list printed out and on the computer.. plus I have two sheets of paper with the return addresses taped to it.. so I will have the currant address.   So when I placed the cards on the table.. I went to get that list.. It was NOT on my computer..I search under every wording I could think of.. even just the numbers of 2018.  Nothing..  Not in file cabinet.. Not on the desk in a folder of Misc. Nothing..  So had to wing it.   In the process I did clean up my address book and file.. and got all of them all up to date..   Spend the next two hours of addressing the envelopes and putting the card of my choice in the card after signing it.   The great thing about Facebook, is every friend knows what is going on in your life.. so you don’t have to write up a funny newsletter or write a note in each. I think I wrote in about 4 of non computer friends..  So they are all done and mailed.. Now just got the family ones to do..

So after all that.. and shoveling the new snow..  the blog kind of slipped my mind until this morning… hope the rest of December is better prepared.  Seems like I am always a day late and a dollar short.

And the cook is....

the chef is in the house...   

got to admit.. he does a damn good job.....  

this picture is from last year.. 

Today he is serving Turkey,  Ham  mash potatoes, green bean casserole  The rest  are bring... yam casserole , broccoli cheese casserole...  relish dishes, deviled eggs,  Hawiaan buns and desserts...

Tomorrow

Tomorrow…..

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving… all of us have been there, did that..   we have been (as in our case…) the people who do the cooking..  (at least for most of the   past 20 years) and then there are those who bring a dish and join the others with the host.   And there are those who are crazy enough to try to travel thousands of miles to be with family. Thru snowstorms or what ever the weather decides to throw out.

There are the horror stories of fights and arguments. Some times separating families for a good long time.

There are also so many funny stories of Uncle or Grandpa or Grandma at one of the past Thanksgiving.. that we all laugh as we remember the stories.

And some of us….. hurt as we remember who we have lost this past year.  Making it hard to be smiling and joking.  To all of you…  I bring to you hugs, which I know don’t mean a lot.. but it is the only thing I can think of. 

So try to enjoy the day.. try not to bring up the two unforgiving subjects of religion and most hotly in these days.. politics.   Try to find humor, and good things about the people with you..  Listen to their stories..  And hopeful heal each other.  GOD BLESS…

Do you use Pen or Pencil?

Do you use Pen or Pencil?

Over the years I have gained an addiction.

Not a real heavy one… as I don’t do well…so it has to be light.   Some of the hard ones, I try .. and if I get 10 out of all the answers, it is a winner for me.

But the daily ones, I do fair to midland.  Some times I get almost all of the answers.. and sometimes, I actually get all of them..

What the heck am I talking about?  Crossword puzzles.   I read that in 1913 there was a man who came from England, and he worked for a newspaper. He was trying to find something fun to print for their Christmas edition.   So he came up with a  WORD CROSS… (it was later changed to crossword) and it was a diamond shape with no black squares and it had a blank diamond in the middle.   He put in the first answer which was the word  FUN as he had hoped it was going to be for everyone who tried it.. it also had a hidden question… what is this puzzle?… after you finished it.. you would learn the answer..  HARD..

I am not so fond of the books of crossword puzzles.. Don’t know why as it would be handy to have one in the car for those times you have to wait for someone. But I do try each one I see in the newspaper.

In fact it might be the only reason why I get the local paper.. ha ha.. 

My mother loved them and she did do them in ink.. which I thought was amazing..  I was a pencil person for years as I had to erase a LOT. Lol…  but over the years, I have been doing it in pen… not because I am so good at it….. because I am not…  but I have learn to just faintly put in a letter… and if I do know the answer without a doubt.. then I put it in strongly.

I find it to be something to calm me down in stressful times… guess you can’t worry so much if you are doing a crossword puzzle.

So do you do crossword puzzles?  Are you an ink or a pencil person. 

The man was Arthur Wynne  and the paper was New York World

November 20, 2019

My 4 MEN…

I have had many men in my life.. starting with my father… and then added my brother, and had many men as friends.. some were turn into husbands..

But MY MEN are my sons…. 4 great men… men who honor their wives.. love their children… and work darn hard at what ever they do…

I am going to show you some pictures… and see if you can match up the son by job descriptions… to the project that is there.

First son.. which I am not putting them in order….

This son A works in the electronic, computers, and security system. And etc…

Next  son .. B Works in the timber, loves being outside in the woods…

Next  son.. C  restores vehicles … fire trucks and etc…

And lastly the next one D, is a mechanic for the near by city…

So which one of these do you put  with which

picture ??

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

I am so Proud of these boys….  I will put them in order in my comment area later…but no cheating..  see if you can match them first..  One you might be able to tell my the picture.. 

And family.... you are disqualified... lol

My Best Friend wrote a book!!!

MY BEST FRIEND WROTE A BOOK!!!

I met a gal thru blogging about 10+ years ago.

We both knew and read a blog called HBO. Run my Spokane Review employee Dave Olivera..

She emailed me and asked if we could be friends.

Well, HBO has come and gone.. I still attempt to keep this blog running ..  at least until next April…and Mari writes from time to time on her Dogwalk Musing…  but it has been months.  (that is on the list on my blog on the left side)

She had an idea in her head years ago.. and it popped up this Spring seriously… Serious enough to get it down on paper.  We went to lunch, which we average once a year if not twice.. while there we were kicking around ideas… she would bounce some off of me… and I would come up with a hair brain idea once in great while…lol.. which she would think about, but add to it and rearrange it as it should be.. I found it to be fun… and it was a blast to see her so excited. 

She got it down.. then the fun started… getting a person to read it for mistakes and etc.. correct of language or what ever.  And she had to find some one who had gone thru it ..to help her.. and they had to find a publisher.  That took months.. and some frantic times.   My only input was to encourage her not to give up… to keep fighting.. and yes she was right to not let them change the story or anything about the characters.  And she stuck to her guns..  Also the amazing part is she did all of her own drawings.  Which did not amaze me because I had seen some of her carving… which were totally amazing. She use to do chess pieces.. I saw her Alice in Wonderland set.

So without further a do… here it is… the book…

And I will shamelessly promote it for her.. you go on line to AMAZON put in Slobbers and Slime by Mari Meehan  … it is a great book for you and your children to read together.. and Adults like it too. It is a story told by a Saint Bernard.  

happy birthday mm

November 13, 2019

I like to thank…….

When you get a book, the first page after the title is a page of acknowledgements…  Thanking those who help get the book done.. from people who help with research,  husbands who were supportive while the book was in progress, the proof reader, the friend who gave ideas, the publisher and the list goes on.and on. You have either chose to skip the page or you read it….

I was thinking….. in church while I was listening to the Pastor (I am sure he would be thrilled to hear it.) about the subject he was talking about .. peace keepers and other such things… when for some reason my mind went off to acknowledgement pages of books.  How that connects I don’t have a clue…

But it did get me to thinking about the rest of us who don’t write books…. We should have an acknowledgement page for our lives…  a page to thank the people who got us thru the good times and the rough times..  the ones who were there for support and those who just stayed with us… without saying anything..

Don’t know what we would do with that page… maybe have it read at our funeral?  Guess that would be nice… that is if the person is still alive.. after all if you are gone.. a good chance a lot of your friends are gone too.   So I not sure what to do with it.

Publish it.. not a book, but just a page of acknowledgement.

I like to thank my kids for the education of a life time.  And I am glad you all turn out to be great kids, especially when things were rough for all of us.  

Thank you grandchildren and great grandchildren for showing me that there was a lot more love in me.. when I didn't know I had the room for more.. and thank you for the laughter... it is still coming...I want to thank my husband.. for putting up with me…and treating me a like a Queen, especially when I was acting like a bitch… I like to thank my friends.. who stay thru the years with me… As we all know …. Friends come and go, so for those who stuck it out for over 50 years.. thank you….

I want to thank my bosses thru the years… Some of you were jerks, but a few of you were so helpful thru the years.  Telling me when I had done a good job, So thank you, Nani, Frank and Sherry, Susan, K. And I am sure there were a few other good ones…  Thank you to my co workers, who thru great team work, we got thru our shifts over the years..  And thank you for the lousy ones who help me learn endurance and patience and to learn the saying…. This too shall pass. 

Thank you for those who exercised with me over the years, even though we ate our way back at the salad bar after the classes..  thank you for my horse friends who rode many trails with me.. enjoying the peace and quiet of nature.

Thank you for my gal pal who when we went huckleberry picking and came across the man from  DELIVERANCE with his little pistol waving and 20 foot tree hanging over the back of his truck.. for keeping your cool as you talked him out of giving us a lift back to your car.. 

See, this would be a great idea… hummmm… will have to work on this…  but   thank you to all those who read my blog… as measly as it is… and thank you AUNT JO for being a faithful reader and keep me going.  

Well, there you go.. what do you think about writing a ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PAGE for your life? 

Why is it so hard to ask for directions

Why is it so hard to ask for directions?

Men are the worse for it..but there are women who

are just as bad… I am one of them…

The best thing I heard of late was… ARE YOU LOST?

NO, I JUST HAVEN’T FOUND IT YET…. 

If it is the city, I hate to pull into a gas station, as most of them are not manned anymore… and those who are.. with the store bit with them….. don’t seem to know anymore than I do… and it is their town. 

Two years ago, we were trying to get back to I- 5 from the town of Yelm…  The GPS was not of any help.. it took us down an alley…  So we finally bit the bullet and stopped at a gas station. 

The woman told us to go down the road 3 blocks and turn left.. we will see the signs…   We went.. we did NOT see the signs… ended up going around 3 blocks… came to another gas station.. same thing… not where there was I- 5… 

What we found out… was IF we were told to go down and take the  south freeway entrance,, (WHICH MADE NO SENSE AT ALL, we wanted to go NORTH)  and travel 2 miles we would see a sign saying… I-5 NORTH… turn off… But no one said that.. 

We weren’t lost…  we just hadn’t found the right road yet… lol ..

11-11-2019 may we never forget....to honor all....

Veteran day

Everett Linekin   Navy

Parker Linekin   Army

Timothy Haines   Coast Guard

Marvin Hughes    Army

Harold Richardson   Navy

Worel Bros. Ted, Art Jr, Bill, Dick  Navy

Allen.. Marine    John    Army  Jack Air Force

Mike Brown

Herbert Brownell  Navy

Gary and Sandee Gors   Army

Edward Gors     Navy

Stan Worel    AirNationalGuard

Larry Ellis Air Force

Jeff Gors    Army

Some are gone.. some are still here… 

Thank you, to you all… for your service..

I am sure I probably forgot someone.. and I am truly sorry if I did..

Elections

Elections…. County and city….

Well, this morning, if we are lucky, we can open up the paper and the results of the vote of Tuesday. 

I use to stay up late and check back and forth to see if anymore precincts has been counted in.. But I am too tired to stay up.  See it takes our county FOREVER to count the ballots…  It is the down side of having no electric ballots.. Which I am grateful for, after hearing the nation wide problems with the hacking, fraudulent ballots of the nation.

In the old days, before internet, we had to wait for the next day anyway .. unless you were one of those people who went to the parties of the candidates and watch with them… as they got the first feed.  Even some Wednesday papers don’t have it.. at least ours.. and what ever the count was at 9pm… so you have to wait until Thursday to get an actual final count..   With Facebook, Sandpoint Forum,  where there will be those who will be in the know and tells us anyway..

As far as the nation, I don’t think there is any elections that I care about.. only if McConnell is up for election.. in Kentucky.. I would be interested.. and hope and pray the good people of Kentucky have come to their sense and dump that ass…

So … read your paper, or go on line, and see if your person won… see if your school district has stuck it to you again… Good Luck… 

HELLO NOVEMBER…

HELLO NOVEMBER…

Here we go folks.. winter.. I know they don’t count it as winter until December 21^st… but in my world.. November works for me. 

We have been dashed with some snow in September of all months. And we have had a dash of freeze temps, in October.. but in my world .. this is the official start.  Will we be knee deep in snow come Thanksgiving?  Who knows…

I don’t think the weather person have a clue. And the ones who use to give us hints early in the fall.. well, they have been awful quiet. So don’t think they know either..  One did venture to say that the Pacific Northwest (that would be us) will have PARADES of STORMS.. what the heck it that…. I sure don’t like the sounds of it…  It sounds like to me. One storm after another… and that I don’t care for.. sounds like a lot of shoveling for me.. and a lot of riding the snow plow for the King.. and he surely won’t like that…

 He has threaten over the years to be come a snow bird… but we are too broke for that. Besides I don’t want to go where there are snakes… one thing about living in the cold district is the snake population is low and rarely the poison ones..  Maybe a rattler..  South has all kinds of poison varmints.. No thanks, I will take the cold.

Happy birthday   WP... 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN .... BE SAFE OUT THERE

HAPPY HALLOWEEN .... 

I am truly blessed..

I am truly blessed..

20 Grandchildren.. 24 greatgrand children, most who know me.  I am blessed.  I  really understand how blessed I am this past weekend.

We went to a funeral of a lady at our church.  As her sons walked down the aisle with their small children.. it sadden me to think about what all she is going to miss… But being I believe grandparents who pass, become guardian angels… then the thought turn to, she will watch them from above…

But then the words my granddaughter who on the social media… hit home. 

See both of these women who passed.. the one from the church who passed last week.. and my daughter who passed 2 years ago.. were both born in 1960. So leaving small grandchildren..

What hit so hard was not that the woman would miss out.. but the children will miss out.  My daughter left behind a granddaughter who was like a second skin. When Julie wasn’t working, my great granddaughter would be with her.. making cookies, doing yard work, doing garden work, going to lunch… they were always together.. My daughter even had a conversation with my GGranddaughter about how there would be a day that Nina (as she called her) would not be around anymore.. but she would look down from the sky, and be her angel…

What is heart breaking, is her brother won’t have the memories… See he was born just a week or so before his grandmother passed.  There is a picture of Grandma with her arms outstretched together, with the baby laying on her arms.. the look of love on my daughter’s face… she had been waiting for 6 years for him.  She couldn’t be at the hospital when he entered as she was home taking care of the sister who was sick.  There was a lot of loving in those weeks… but Grandma pass suddenly.. in moments..   So great grandson will only have stories from all of us about his grandmother… He misses out on the chase thru the house, the working in the yard, the lunches, and all of the hugs and kisses… 

It isn’t us who miss out.. it is the kids who miss out.. and that really hit home when I saw the children walking up the aisle, hand and hand with their parents..

I am so blessed..  My grandchildren know me.. they have memories of me.. out of the 20 …only 3 are under the age of 21.  And those 3 are old enough to have memories.   I have great grandchildren who are 4 months to 17 years ago… Some are closer so know me.. but those far away, don’t know me..  I have a lot of memories made with my local 3 years old.. riding horsie back on Nana, running races on the sidewalk .. yelling I won… I won… playing with play dough.. but will he remember that 20 years from now.. when I am long gone.. Time makes things fade.

So while you have a chance… make memories with your grandchildren.. there is no promise of how long we will be here..  And if you are really lucky, make them with your great grandchildren….

The Fixer….

The Fixer….

I have always been the fixer … at least thru my adult life.. don’t remember in my child hood.. 

I fixed cars, I fixed house hold things… and also try to help out by fixing  people’s lives…  especially my kids until they became adults… 

If I saw a need and I had something to fix it with, I did. Lots of times, when I knew that the person needed something and could not afford..  If I had it.. it was theirs..  If I could find a way to get it to the person without them knowing where it came from.. all the better.

I am sure over the years, that fixing things for others may not have been the most welcome or maybe embarrassing to them..  that was not my intention.. I just wanted to help.. 

Finally about 10 years ago, I decided, not all help is welcome.. or needed… or was helpful for that person.. so I came up with 4 questions. 

Is this my problem or did I cause it>>.. the answer is no 99% of the time.

Am I financially responsible for it… 99% the answer is

also no.

Was I asked to help… 99% of the time the answer is no..

And if I helped financially, would it be helpful?  And that answer is 99% of the time… no…

So the best thing is.. to remind myself that it is not my rodeo and not my pony to ride..

Obits are not free.....

OBITUARIES ARE NOT FREE….

As we open the paper each day.. we all look thru the obituaries….  I jokingly say, to make sure I haven’t died yet. 

Some are sad, some are funny.. and some are short and some are long.  You learn about the person, even ones you thought you knew them… the history of their lives.

Today, there was a few.. most of them with the words “obituary will be printed later”. And one.. well, it was almost half a page.  I thought wow.. who is this person?  The person did do a lot with his life. 

But sadly, after writing the obituary for my brother in law… I now know that Obituaries are not free. 

The smallest, with just a little information cost us $125!!   So sad to put a price on ones last act of their lives.  And especially if the family is tight on funds and can’t afford one. 

I wrote mine years ago… I took a class in Hospice, when I was working at the nursing home. One of the assignments was writing your own obituary.  I tried to add humor..  Don’t know if the family will use it or not.

Sure hate to have them use up the whole life insurance to write a decent obit.  And I firmly believe everyone should have one written about them. It shows that the person matter to others.. that they lives mattered.   

Maybe when there is a cold and wet winter day and you have nothing to do.. you might think about writing your own… It is kind of fun… when you know it isn’t going to be use for a while.  Ha ha

The Difference is…. The difference…

The Difference is…. The difference…

We have become such a judgmental nation.

We judge everything we do, that our family does, our friends and of course the nation.

Most times…  95% of the time, arguing about it. And more so in the past 12 years… actually I think it started with Bush jr. election… The Democrats types arguing about his character as well as his Presidental part.  Heating up with Obama’s elections.. and now it is like the oven of hell with Trump elections.

We are all guilty in different degrees. The hatred that follows is horrible.  Sometimes…hurtful… as it is a friend or even a family member.  I think most of us, or at least my circle, doesn’t get so angry about the nationization of it.

It was hurtful for me.. hearing my friends voices get louder and louder… while sometimes questioning my intelligence…  While I would talk back.. I don’t believe I ever raised my voice… and I purposely did NOT question my friends intelligence verbally… I question their judgment or choices, in my mind.. but not verbally.  And then last year, I finally was able to find a place to put all of it…  

For those who are friends.. still… not by me dropping them.. but them dropping me.. I just stay away from politics, with those who get loud…  and if I can.. stay away from the subject of Trump… all together.  Especially family… Those I have let ramble on.. even when I know for a fact, that their facts are wrong… I let it go.. not worth the hassle.   Then change the subject to grandchildren.. or their health and etc.

What has help me is….. the words, different,  difference and differences…   Just because a subject is debatable, doesn’t mean you should… Once you tell yourself.. it isn’t a matter of one being right or wrong.. it is the matter of there being differenct views of subjects.

So you can listen if you chose to… to maybe even hear something you might not have thought of before… because you were so busy preparing your answer to their view.   So if I feel up to it.. I listen and then change the subject…  Knowing.. I have a different view.. and there is no way they are going to change that view.. just as I know there is no way they are going to listen to me…and I won’t be able to change their view.    

My listening ears shuts down when they get into the name calling or shaming of others… I don’t go for that at all.

Remembering...

Remembering

As I stood at the mirror in the bathroom last night, I thought about years ago, when I was doing the same.

I stood there, with my finger on top of my head…and the other hand twirling my hair around that finger… then reaching down, picking up a black pin, and trying to open it with my teeth so I could keep the curl I had made.

Yep, for those women who are reading this.. the routine many of us went thru each night.   Using bobby pins, to keep the circle until the next morning. And if you were lucky, you did not have a bed full of

Bobby pins …some sticking you.

Been about 60 years since I had done this..  as a young adult I used just about every curling machine or curlers you can think of..  Even the one with the studs that the curler sat on, until it got hot.  Seems to me there was a dot on top that let you know it was hot enough.. and if you were good at it.. you didn’t burn your fingers on the steel ends..

Years of late, I have spent the money every 3 months to go down and get it curled.. Last Fall decided to keep it short… then this May I broke down and paid for it to be curled…  And found out I have been priced out of going to have someone perm it anymore.. Just can’t justify $60 and then another $10 for tip.. $70 is out of my league.

So figured I would give it the old try again of bobby pins..  to my surprise as I tried to separate them with my teeth, they make them a heck of a lot shorter.. Well at least the ones I bought.   I have curlers but no matter how I try, my hair looks like it is trying to take flight. Standing up high off my head… end up wetting it down to calm it down.. 

Hair has never been my thing.. For many years I wore it long and in a pony tail with bangs.  Maybe that is what I need to do.. only trouble is.. my hair is not thick anymore..  so it is a sad state of a pony tail, in deed. 

Worse comes to worse, I will make my trip to Priest River and have the other Cis cut it short again..

by the way, forgot to mention the bobby pins didn't do it either.. yep.. going to get it cut

Missing the old days…..

Missing the old days….. 

I saw this cartoon on Facebook and it make sense to me… as I do remember when my kids sat in front of the tv with their cereal in their old yellow butter bowl.(remember using them?), looking intense at the cartoon of the hour..

Oh, simpler days.  Innocent childhoods. No one talked about shooting in schools, or having their eyes fixed on their hands with a phone or tablet.  The kids use to watch cartoons until about 11am.. as in those days they went off at that time.  See there was only 3 channels during that time.. And where we lived we got 2 for sure and an extra one after the leaves fell off of the trees, letting in another signal.

Kids went out side.. played with all kinds of stuff that was not a store bought toy. Using their imagination, with all kinds of wood and anything they could find. The boys were always working on their bikes. Not the glory bike of today, but a striped down rendition.

Yes, simple times..  as I read the paper or watch the news… watching as people are running from their country, being run off by tanks from another country. Women and children being killed.. as well as the men. Knowing that 99% of it is caused by a man they call President in my country.  A betrayal of a country who stood by us, for many years.

This is not my time .. this is not my life… at least I wish it wasn’t.. Yes there have been wars since the beginning of time.. Guess having national news .. news now.. right now.. it is in my face. 

I have to keep reminding myself.. my hiding my head in the sand of today… my life is here and now.. in my neighborhood.. my husband.. my immediate family.. Dealing with that.  Burying my brother in law this past week end..  yes that is about all I can handle these days.