Nice Day for Yard Work

Sorry to be so late blogging today.
But the weather is finally nice enough,
that I don't need fans, nor ac and I can
work outside. So after my walking to
the post office, I have been working out
there, trying to get the yard in some
kind of order. Sweetie is going to have
a party for some friends the 27th.
So now I have to get weeding seriously.

I am leaving the weedwacker for him
to do. The garden is on the down hill side.
Wasn't a good year. We usually have
great lines of fava beans. This year we
have one lone plant. Which we left so
we can use the beans for seeds for next year.
We kept one of the little bags from our
supply. But after putting them in 3 times,
Sweetie decided it was a bust and had to
admit defeat. The cabbage did great and
he has picked, grated, and soaking it for
sauerkraut. So in about 8 weeks we
should have some great stuff.

It is nice to work out side. Been the
pits not to get things done. Tried to
do it after it cooled off, but the mosquitoes
have been wicked. And I got that cute
little lantern that is suppose to keep
them at bay for 15 feet. Ha! like in NOT.
I am not like a kid any more, so I can't
just say the heck with it. Now I take them
serious. And West Nile Virus doesn't
help either. I wonder where that was
when we were kids. Sure a lot of stuff we
can't do, that we could do when we were
kids. I will have to work up a list and
do a blog on that some day.

Well, I am heading back out. Took a coffee
break, and figured I better write something.
So the yard beckons me...
Have a great weekend everyone.

Drivers...Here's Your Sign

People when they are driving, what
are they thinking?

Yesterday, as I head in for my
daily run. At the Bonner Mall
entrance/exit on the Highway 200,
sat a small car, waiting to get out on
to Highway 200. I see a very large
(smaller than a semi) truck heading
north and I am heading south. This car
sat there for a while, as I saw it for quite
some time. For about 4 blocks the
traffic was clear for him. Then as the
truck approached the area, the car darts
out in front of him, heading north. I could
not believe it. I am hitting the brakes as
I see an accident about to happen. In the
seconds during and after I saw... A man
in a small car who was not concern about
what he had just done, and he was talking
on the cell phone as he did it. I saw the
look on the truck driver of disbelief and
who threw up one hand. All the traffic
behind me could see what was going on,
and were braking as well. Where was that
man's brain? Here is his sign, "dumb driver."

On Monday as I was driving out of town,
and it is heavy traffic. I saw a driver who
left his brain home. He came down the hill
along side of the highway from AutoHaus,
passes the car that was sitting at the stop sign,
happen to find a car length space between cars
that are going 20+mph that are southbound,
and doesn't slow down in the turning lane,
and jump into the northbound lane, someone
ahead of me decided to let this idiot live and
threw on his brakes. He evidently saw it
coming, so could stop. Another driver of no
concern of the traffic problems he had caused,
or didn't care. And yes, I did smile as I went
by him, as I went straight and he sat in the
line waiting for the light that just changed
to red.

Yesterday morning, I am heading out of
town where the road by the Chamber of
Commerce narrows down. I always, well,
just about always, slow down and let the
guy next to me merge. Yesterday,
there was an Indiana license pickup and trailer,
so I slowed way down, to block the traffic, so he
could come over. Then I saw him do the dumbest
thing. He was heading up Highway 95, so was
in the turn lane for the signal. And he blew
the orange light with his truck and red light
with his trailer. What was he thinking? He was
doing about 15 mph, as he approach the signal.
He saw the orange light, and still kept going.
It wasn't like he had a tiny car. He had a full
size travel trailer.

Then on the way home, after picking up my
grandson, I am heading out the same road.
The traffic is heavy and fast. A pickup truck
kept going faster and faster along side of me
as if to beat the two cars in front of me before
the narrow spot. They wouldn't let him in.
By this time I am at the narrow spot, and he
is coming in on me. I had already started
to slow down, to be able to let him in, but
he isn't waiting for that, he comes closer
and closer, and I had to throw on the brakes.
My grandson said, "wow, Nana, I think he
would have hit you. I never seen anyone
do that before."

All you can do, is shake your head. And
pray for them. Mothers with vans full of
children, talking on the cell phone.
For at least a mile or so. I just don't get it.

Here is your sign.... "Beware... I think am invincible."....

One of Sandpoint's Secrets

One of Sandpoint's Secrets

It isn't really a secret as they do
advertise it. But people don't seem
to catch on.

See SWAC, to us in town... Sandpoint
West Athletic Club to others, has a
summer program. It is for kids, boys
and girls, ages 10 to 12. But they have
let others older who are well behaved join
them if there is empty spots available.
As they can only take a certain amount of
kids. They have the best of counselors that
run this daycamp.

My grandson is finishing up his 5th
year there. He is one of the well behaved
that has been allowed to continue pass
the 12 year old age bracket.

It amazes me that more don't take
advantage of this. It is cheap at $50 a
week. You get one week free if you pay
up front for the whole season. You can't
get a babysitter for that. They also
provide lunch.


What do these kids get to do? Wonderful
things. Archery, sailing, hiking, fishing,
biking, swimming, and that is the 4 days
a week part.

See on Friday, it is a special day. They get
on a school bus and head to Coeur d' Alene
and get to go to several places. Some of them
twice a season. These are Triple-play (it is a
game area, with inside and outside games),
Silverwood, Skating rink, Wild Waters, are
just a few I can remember. And once a
season, they get to go watch the Spokane
baseball club, the Indians, play baseball.

It is a wonderful program. The kids really
enjoy it, they drag their heels as they head
to their parent's cars, who are there to pick
them up. They yell back, "see you tomorrow".
When they are dropped off, they jump out
of the car and run to join those who got there
before them. It takes couch potato kids and
makes them into tan, lean, playing, healthy
kids who have a blast. What a summer.
Great opportunity
.
Don't know why more kids don't take
advantage of it. I believe there is even a
financial aid program for it. So those who
can't afford the full price. This is so wonderful,
that my grandson wants to come back in two
years and be one of the counselors.

The owner of SWAC should be given award
for his service over the years, for this program.
I believe this is the 7th year. He gets business
men to sponsor this. And probably not the
easiest of tasks. He gets a program together
each year, that not only has the kids exercising,
but having fun doing it.

My hat is off to Don and his crew at SWAC!!!

Childhood Memories Squashed

One of the nice things about this
blog is that I have gotten a chance to
meet nice new people. One of which
is Ken E. from Roslyn. In our email
talks he put me on to a site called
Suncadia.com which is a resort area
that is in the Bullfrog road area of Roslyn.

So I went to look at it Friday night.
My heart sank. As I went thru the
different areas of the site, I came
across one that was the map. It showed
a map of the resort and where Bullfrog
Road is and where Highway 90 is and
where the river is. The words heavy heart
came to mind.
I sent the site to my kids and told them
to be sure to click on the map.

As each one of the kids checks in, they,
too, are a cross from being angry and sad.
You see we use to go camping in that
area. We camped across the highway
just pass the sawmill that was there.
But we also climb the powerline hills,
just off Bullfrog before you got to
Highway 90. We did the old fashion
camping. We didn't have a camper
or even tents. We slept outside in our
sleeping bags. Usually about 10 feet from
the river. We had found a spot near a
bend what had a little cove like to it.
We loved that place. The kids use to
get up at daylight and go fishing. Nice
trout in that river. We got to see wildlife
as well, birds and deer mostly. We didn't
bother them and they didn't bother us.
Mostly a staring contest and then they
moved on. My kids ranged from 4 to 11
at that time. We always found something
to do. Read, games and etc. We stayed
there for weekends mostly. Once or twice
for a week. God, I wish I had taken a
camera on those trips.... I wish I had
photos of those times. But we were busy
just living and loving the camping, fishing
and etc. Who thought about the future
and photo's... we had our minds...

Looking at the map, it appears that
their lodge is right where we camp.

The resort is 3 golf course and 6,000
acres strong.
And we are memories deep and weak.

Sad when progress squashes childhood
dreams and fun.
I don't think I like progress anymore...

But WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING BYPASS!!!

Most of us who live in Bonner county
know not to go near downtown
Sandpoint in any fashion during
the summer.

But the county has decided to tear
up our escape route better known as
Boyer Street which takes us back and
forth from the outskirts of Sandpoint
down the back road, to the back of
Sandpoint. So we can just jump 2 or 3
blocks, get to where we have to go
that is near downtown, and then we
jump back to Boyer and out we go.
With this road tore up, we are at the
mercy of the traffic.

Which Friday was one of the recent
worse ones. I got to town just before
the accident at the north end of the
bridge. But my grandson was in a
school bus at the south end. Which
was a blessing in a way. As they had
the Long Bridge Bar and Grill to use
For bathroom and water purposes.
After all these 20+ kids just came back
from CdA. So to wait in a hot bus for
over hour and half, was horrible.

Coming into the North side of town,
I was sitting under the railroad tracks
before you get to the Chamber of
Commerce building. It took 5 times of
stopping, meaning the light had to go
thru 5 changes before I could go thru.
And there you gamble... do you dash
down Larch street or do you try for
Cedar where it is easier to get to Division.
I decided because I was a little early,
I would take a chance. Got as far as
the street just past Safeway, stop...
so I dashed down Fir Street to get to
Boyer, as I could see it was going to be
at least 2 changes of lights before I
would get thru.

I arrived at the club about 10 minutes
ahead of the arrival time of the bus.
I listen to the radio as I was reading a
book.The engine running to keep cool.
When the announcer came and told of
how there was an accident on the North
end of the bridge. And traffic was
stopped. And it look like it would be
for quite some time. I got out and
told the rest of the parents. Some
of them already heard. So I shut off
the engine and open the windows
and read my book.

About a hour or so later, they said
the traffic was going again. So gave
an up sign to the parents. 20 minutes
later the bus pulled in. I had started
up the Bronco and had the AC going
when my grandson got in. "Oh, Nana,
this feels so good." We started out
and I figured the easiest way out of
town would be Division, Cedar, Boyer,
and then hit Larch. Great plan. I got
thru the Larch signal at 2 change of
signal. But it was weird as the
North/South did not use the light,
because the traffic was stuck there.
I drove out of town, the Y was
standing still going North on 95,
and coming South on 200. As I
drove thru Ponderay, the traffic
was backed up to the Hoot Owl.
Some were even going thru the mall
in disgust. Which I am sure they
really were upset when they saw 95..

BUT WE DON'T NEED NO
STINKING BY PASS...
I only pray those who want to stop
the bypass were stuck down town in this mess....

Letting go and Let God

We think that when our children
become adults that the worries are
less.

And for the most part that is true.
If we laid the foundation well, then the
child grows up to be a pretty solid adult.
While I don't take credit for my
children's good deeds, and the good
that they do for themselves, their family
and others, I am glad that my foundation
held up.

I have always told everyone who says
nice things about my children, that I
only laid the foundation, what they see
is what my child did with that foundation.
So the adult they see deserves the credit, not I.

But as they grow, there are times they
do something that could be.... I said,
could be, dangerous. Even with the odds
of 99% safe, there is still the 1%. And this
is where I really depend on God. For many
years I have hung on with dear life. My
child was not aware, but I was very much
aware of my clinging. I worried from the
moment they left my presence until they
return. Losing sleep, wondering, hoping,
they were ok. But now that I am older,
and hopeful faithfully wiser... I have learn
to let go and let God.

And it has been tested. I was doing fine
when one of my son's was talking to me
about how he very well could go to Desert
Storm. He had all this possession taken
care of. Where they were going and who
would watch them. (he was on the East
Coast and I was on the West Coast, so it
was his friends in charge of them). I was
doing fine. I was proud of my son and
his attitude about going. They didn't
have to ask him (he was in reserves),
he offered to go. The kicker was when
he told me, he had his WILL all taken
care of. A moment of silence as he talked,
a deep breath of air, and I tried to keep
the worry out of my voice. I knew the
possiblity was there. Just the word WILL
hit like a brick building. We talked and
joked, and he left the conversation with
how he would call before he left, if they
took him. I got off the phone and cried.
I had never faced the mortality of my
children before. God had a serious
talk with me. As it was, they ended
the war 2 weeks later, so he didn't
have to go. But I was ready to let
God.

As your children come with their
families to visit and leave, you worry
about the traveling and sigh with
relief and thank God for his grace,
when they arrive here or home,
depending which way it is.
When they have surgery, you give it to God
When they go somewhere that is
a wonderful adventure, but can be
dangerous...

You have to let go, and let God.
Not an easy lesson for most of us...

But I have learn it, now we will see this week... how well..

Blank Page Day or A.D.D.????

This is my second shot at this.....
After my first shot.... I read the paper...
and there was a cartoon that nailed it
on the head. It was the cartoon called.
Non Sequitur and the guy is looking
at a empty canvass and says.....
"Sign.... I just don't seem to have it today"
And that sums up what I felt like at 6am
when I looked at the screen.

Must be one of those blah days. Even
my walking. I couldn't get into it. So I
walked around town, figuring a 20
minute walk was better than no walk.

And on my return, I walk by the garden
and think, I really should do some
adjusting to my tomato plants. They are
in the green house because our weather
was so weird when I started them.And
last year I did it that way and they came
out great, so many tomatoes. Now
they are just there. With a few yellow buds.
But not very promising this year. Last year
it was like a jungle in there. Barely room
for me to walk in. I had a self watering
system in there. All I had to do was switch
the hose connector with the timer to the
one for the green house and the mist came out.
This year, I haven't gotten into rerigging it.

With the whole garden questionable, and
my thinking all the time, how I want to
switch it around for next year. I just can't
get it going. My mind is to when my grandson
is out of day camp in two weeks, he can
help me remove the one fence and place it
down further... oh, well. Not today...

Then I look at the Bronco and remember
I told Sweetie I would clean it out, and
besides I got to get the garbage cans to the
road.

Oh, yea I want to change my walk
thru garden... but can't do that either..
grape vines have taken over the whole area.
Put up something for it to climb. It climbed
all right. Up about 5 feet and then headed
across the area to the house. Feels like the
movie, Little Shop of Horrors. So this fall
when things die down, I am going to put
another brace up, and force it to go up...
but then I need something to go across
for an arbor deal.

So many things to do... so little time.
But wait, I am retired... I am suppose to
have all this time. lol....Or is this what
adult AAD is ... Adult Attention Deficiency.

New Day ...New Shape

Whip into shape....
Lean Mean machine,
spare tires...
Love handles...
all about getting healthy?

Well, I have fought the weight
battle for years. And all these words
have come up in the conversations
of losing weight. They sound more
like they are beating Jell-O to a
shape, or maybe that is how I feel
trying to get into shape.

Which by the way, what is in shape?
I have been in all kinds of shapes.
So which one do I chose. I started off
as a pencil. Even in high school you
couldn't tell if I was coming or going
or was I side stepping. Straight up and
down until I was 17. I was active
(farm life does that to you) so
maybe fat couldn't keep up with me.

Then over the years I had children ..8
in 10 years, so I was holding my own.
Had gotten round but still had indents
where apical. Then after the last one,
it started shifting.. But because there
was muscle there, it wasn't quite so
noticeable.

Then I decided to get the scale to read
better numbers. Well, it did that ok.
Everyone thought I was one of the kids,
I lost so much. I was 46 at that time and
got down to 114. I ate toast and salads..
that is it... And walked miles. And exercise
tape. Not really a good plan, as that weight
comes back like throwing warm fat at a
fence.
Then I went to work. And it started to add.
I had to have food to keep up the energy to work.
So then I became pear shape. After 17
years of running the floors of the building,
I have really got a pear shape. You would
think I would have been in good shape.
But I guess the working from 10 p.m. to
6 a.m. Sleeping short hours, eating at
odd hours doesn't help.

So since Feb. I have been trying to
shape up that pear shape. But what
shape am I going for? Surely not an
apple shape. I am not even trying to
head for some ridiculous low poundage.
While all this walking has been great
for me, I don't feel like it is doing anything
great. . It has helped my breathing, and
I feel better all the way around. And
some even have said they think I am
thinner. But the scale is still holding
the fort.

I am not a breakfast eater. I have to
be up for about 3 hours before food
even sound remotely interesting. And
I have been told this is not good. So my
cousin has been kind enough to send
me a better way of eating paper work.
It has worked great for her. As I read it,
I think ...holy cow.. that is a lot of food
to eat. See I am a toast in the morning.
and coffee.... Salad and meat for dinner.
And coffee...So I am going to give that
better way of eating a try.

Now if I could just figure out what
shape I wanted to be.............
Apple and pear just doesn't sound right.
And hourglass is like a sack of potatoes
tied in the middle..no I will pass on that one too.

I am Going to Do It

I am going to do it.... do it?
Yes, I am going to do it...
I am going to stop being so reserve...
No, I am not going to do anything illegal...
but I am going to have fun... I have
lived life inside the lines. Doing what
is proper... doing what others think is
proper. I think the Red Hat ladies have
it right. I would join them... but I am
not a joiner.. Never have...

My daughter will tell people about my
scrap with the Brownies... Never should
have told her that story. Some things
you just shouldn't tell your kids.People
shouldn't know about your past...... Oh,
heck.. why not.

See when I was about 8, I join the
Brownies.. Or did my mother send me
to Brownies? Doesn't really matter.
I only lasted about 5 months, if that.
You see between my house and the
school where I went to Brownie's,
there was a candy store... A penny candy store.

Now for those of you who aren't old
enough... a penny candy store was
about as big as a living room. And
from one end to the other there was
a glass display counter. Inside this
counter there were rows of boxes.
At least 5, some times more rows.
And each row about 15 boxes.. Filled
with every kids dream of candy. There
were Mary Jane's, which had peanut butter
inside. There were Double Bubble gum,
that was the size or your thumb. There
were jelly bean types, Tootsies Rolls,
taffy types, hard rock candy types, and
wax types.

Wax types were big red lips, mustaches,
tongues, big teeth. These would fit into
your mouth, behind your lips but not
completely in your mouth with the rest
outside of your mouth on your face. .
And sometimes it changed. Like at
Halloween. When they had fang teeth.
You would wear this and laugh with
your friends until you got tired of it
and then you would chew it like gum,
until you got tired of that, and spit it out.

There were all kinds of favors, banana,
raspberry, tutti fruitti, cherry, licorices
(which turn your teeth black... which
was soooooooo cooooool..parents didn't
think so.)vanilla and of course, chocolate.

The curses of curses for me was..... Double
Bubble Gum. I loved that stuff. I would
blow the biggest bubble with it. And of
course, drove my mother nuts with my
constant chewing with it. Of course it is
hard to chew it with your mouth shut,
when you got at least 2 wads of it in there.
Some times 3 or 4. Sadly, it only took a
few times, and Mom would make me spit
it out.

And that is where Brownies came in.
I would take my 10 cents dues and stop
at the candy store. I would buy 10 Double
Bubbles. And I would go to Brownies and
give it to 9 others. But after about 5 months,
the leaders complain to my mother that she
was not sending my dues. (I think I kept
telling them, I would bring it next time).
When the leaders and my mother matched
stories... it seems the weak link was .....me.
Because the Brownie leader didn't not find
that taking my dues and buying gum with it,
was within the moral code,and I am sure
that lying was in there somewhere too. So I
got dumped. I thought maybe the fact I
shared each time might be worthy defense,
but they decided not. So there it is... my shady
past. My one and only fraud career. Dashed.
And I am sure my mother was very persuasive
in her usual way. Which sent me on the
road of honesty...

And all penny candy store owners are
in Heaven. That is the only place that they
could go with the patience they had as
each child in the neighborhood, day after
day, many times a day, would change their
minds at least 20 times each, of which
one they wanted.
"I want the red one... no, not that one, the
other one, and a green one, ok, no I don't
think I want a red one, give me a yellow
one instead. Is the black one good? Ok, give
me a black one and put the green one back."
Yep, candy store owners are in heaven alright.
Other wise there would be a stack of
strangled children behind the store.

So, I have decided... to splash my feet
in puddles. After all, I am going to get a
cold anyway. I am going to walk thru the
rain with my hands held high and enjoy
each drop. I am going to color trees purple,
or maybe red. And color the grass in swirls...
And if I feel a little quick step or a jig when
I hear music... I am going to do a quick
step or a little dance step... why not...
Yep, I am going to do it...

Retirement 101

Aging.... what to do... Retirement...
and how to survive...

I haven't master this yet... aging...
I don't think of myself aging...
getting older maybe... but not aging..
See, remember I am only 45 in my head.

And retirement I seem to have that
down pretty pat. It has been great. I
get to do pretty much what I want to do.
I do have one little job on Tuesday
mornings. But the rest of the time, I
pretty much do what I want. When
I want.

I still have to do the part of the team
work in the household. You know ...
Inside work women's work......
Outside work..men's work.
At least that is how it works in our house.

The part I am little disgusted with, is
how the government does the health
thing. Yes, I have Medicare. Yes, I
got myself a supplement insurance
to pick up where they leave off. But
my concern is about what isn't covered.

Do you know the government doesn't
care if you go blind, eat puree food,
and go deaf? Because Medicare doesn't
cover teeth... false or the real ones.
Medicare does not cover glasses or
eye exams. and Medicare does not
cover hearing test or hearing aides.

This all comes out of your pocket. That
is unless you are dirt poor, so qualify
for Medicaid. And that covers some of
this. If you have a spouse who is still
working, then you earn too much. You
are in the poverty level according to the
government..remember $125,000 is the
average middle class. Which we didn't even
come close to that with both of us working.
Now that is the pits.
The glasses aren't too bad as they cost
below $300 most of the time.
The dental for maintence can be under $200.

But the hearing aides... well, they start
at $900 and they are the flunky ones that
looks like some alien growing out of your
ear. If you want one that cuts out the
wind and traffic, or noisy people in a
hall, well, folks you are talking $1,500
to $5,000 EACH. By the way, all these
prices are each.

And yes, my mother did tell me
that I would go deaf playing Gene
Krupa and Buddy Rich's drum records
on high. And some of Bill Hailey records.
But I didn't believe her. Not sure I do now.
It is just part of the aging deal. And I
am sticking to that. Maybe it was the
speakers of my kids when I had teenagers.
Theirs was louder than mine. In my
days they didn't make the cool speakers
my kids had, with woofers and all the
rest of the stuff. Besides I thought it
was as my kids use to accuse me of...I
had selective hearing. They swore I could
hear a whisper at 1000 feet, especially
if they were trying to get away with something.

So if you hear me say HUH?, you will
know I didn't win the Lottery yet, so I can't
afford the hearing aides.