Downsizing

The Beginning....of downsizing.

With the King getting close to retirement,
we are in the downsizing mode.

And believe it or not, I am looking forward
to it. I think there will be some good side
effects. At least it looks good now. But
living it may be a different story.

We are giving up one cell phone. Mine.
See mine sits on the counter, or table,
or where ever I leave it. I got to town, and
it is still there. The time I use mine is for
long distance calls on weekends... and
for inside box stores to find the King.
Conversations going.. WHERE ARE YOU?
It does save on nerves of walking up and
down the aisles. Don't dare ask the King
to give up his... it is his umbilical cord
to life.

Next is the television. This may be the
harder one. But the side effects are to
the good. More exercise, doing projects,
and even more reading. We will keep our
Netflix so we can watch movies. But too
often we find ourselves sitting in front of
the boob tube, watching something we
have watched before... and with the King,
many times before.

Next is just for the summer. The papers.
I can go on line and keep up with the going
ons.

And then finally, getting rid of the fast speed
internet. 6 months of high speed has not been
that great to me. When I get pictures or some
one sends me a video, then it is good. One the
day to day basis, it is just ok. So the $30 difference
isn't worth it.

So in 6 months I will tell you how crappy this is
going, or how greatly it has changed out lives for
the good.

Happy Mother's Day

This is a repeat from 2 years ago... it is still good...

Meanest Mother in the Whole World

In the early 1970's I use to listen to a radio station
called KUTI radio out of Yakima, Washington. The
show was called Party Line. The dj read this essay.
It has been my favorite Mother's Day story for years.
And I bring it out every so often. Hope you enjoy it as
much as I do.

The Meanest Mother in the Whole World.

I had the meanest mother in the whole world.
While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have
cereal, eggs and toast. When others had cokes and candy
for lunch. I had to eat a sandwich. As you guess, my supper
was different from the other kid's too.AT LEAST I wasn't
alone in my sufferings. My 2 brothers had the same mean
mother as I did. My mother insisted upon knowing where
we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang.
She had to know who our friends were at all times, and what
we were doing. She insisted if we said we'd be gone one hour
or less, we would be gone one hour or less, not one hour and
one minute.I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually
struck us. Not once, but each time we did as we pleased. Can
you imagine someone actually swatting a child just because he
disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.T
HE WORST IS yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night
and up early the next morning. We couldn't sleep til noon like
our friends. So while they slept, my mother actually had the nerve
to break the child labor law. She made us work! We had to wash
dishes, make beds, learn to cook, and all sorts of cruel things. I believe
she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.She
always insisted upon our telling the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, even if it killed us. And it nearly did.By the
time we were teenagers, she was much wiser and our life became
even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn on a car for
us to come running. She embarrassed us no end by making our dates
and friends come to the door to get us. I forgot to mention, while my
friends were dating at the mature age of 12 or 14, my old fashioned
mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 18. Fifteen,
that is, if you dated only to go to the school functions, and that was
maybe twice a year.MY MOTHER WAS a complete failure as a
mother. None of us has even been arrested, divorced or beaten his
mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of our country.
And whom do you have to blame for the terrible way we turned out?
Your right, my mean mother.Look at the things we missed.... We never
got to march in a protest parade, not to take part in a riot, burn draft
cards and a million and one things that our friends did. She forced us to
grow up in God fearing, educated, honest adults.Using this as a
background, I am trying to raise my 8 children. I stand a little taller
and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Because, you
see, I thank God, He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world

.(PARTY LINE- KUTI RADIO, Yakima, Wa.)

Left on the Side of the Road

Where is it all taking us...
or is it, that it isn't taking us.
The gas prices.. just how
high... who is it going to
effect?

We all see the RV's running
up and down the roads. The
big motorhomes, haven't been
put on the market in masses.
But I guess if you can afford
a $100,000 motorhome, then
$75 worth of gas at a time,
is not a big deal.

For the rest of us, we give up
what, in exchange for gas rise
prices?

The one who it is going to
effect the most is the little
guy. The guy who has an
old car, that gets him to work.
Barely.

For those who earn less than
$35,000... this is just the beginning
of the end and there are a LOT of families
out there with $35,000. Or less.

With $800 rent and now $200
for gas.. where will these people
go? How will they manage? How
many make just $1000 a month?
What about food, utilities, health
care, and all the rest... Just in
February of this year, we were
paying $2.09 for gas. That is a
$1 a gallon raise in 3 months.
Between the rising gas and housing,
this is insane.

I have been tagged.....

I have been tagged by Sam... so here goes my
effort... this is the deal...

7 X 7
Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!"
1.Most people are surprised that I am a mother of 8 and grandmother of 16 and great grandmother of 2. Which when they find out, they say I don't look like it... which always made me want to ask... how does one look? wore out?

2. In the 1970's my husband and I ran a scrap iron business, we smashed cars and took them to the shredding company in Renton, Wa. I also used the smashing machine and loaded a load to be ready for my husband to haul the next morning, twice.
We also burnt the cars in those days, so we could get the copper out of it. Big no-no now.

3. I was a dispatcher for a fire and police station during that time. I got paid $35 a month working out to be about 2 cents a hour. Even tho the pay was nothing... I still kept everything confidential.

4. I figured out that I would never be rich or well off, and decided that friends and family were enough to make me happy. And found out over the years, that it made me not only happy, but happier.

5.Since retiring I have figured out I didn't have to do everything in a day or two... that I have the rest of my life to do things.
I just do the things I hate quickly and get them out of my way.... so I can enjoy the rest.

6. In our plan to downsize our life, we have found, we haven't miss the things we thought we would.

7. We have found... the King and I, that no matter what life throws at us... that with the two of us together, we can get thru anything.


And now for my list of bloggers, for them to continue the run

1. http://thecalicogirls.blogspot.com/

2. http://parentingagain.blogspot.com/
3. http://meandthecat.com/

4. http://www.stebbijo.com/index.php

5. http://www.hauserthoughts.com/

6. http://thatslifelifegoeson.blogspot.com/

7. http://wwwwondering-wondering.blogspot.com/

Things that don't make sense

Several years ago, I had trouble with
my foot. It turn out to be a spur on the
bottom.. So they prescribed a med for me.

At the time I was employed and had health
insurance. And a co-payment prescription deal.

When I went to get the meds, I couldn't find
my card. And I don't have to use prescriptions,
so there was no recorded at the pharmacy.
So I told her to go ahead and fill it... after all
how much could it cost? $15 for the 20 pills?

Well, she brought it over and said that will be
$48!!!!!!... I told her wait a minute.. let me see if
I can find my card. I dumped all of my stuff out
of my wallet and in the shuffle of cards, where it
was. So she redid the billing. It cost me my
co-payment of $9.00.

What blew me away was the fact it showed
on the bill.. That the med cost $28 and with
the co-payment I paid $9.

So if you pay in cash, you pay $20 more,
than the insurance company is charged.
Excuse me.. but will some one explain
that one to me? I don't get it.

The Troops and their Families

I was watching a show on one of the odd
channels..(not ABC,NBC, CBS or PBS).
They were talking about the Iraq war and
the troops and the effects on the families.

While there are a lot of wives out there that
are true to their husbands. And I know during
the other wars, there were a lot of Dear John
letters that went out to our service men. As
well as some of the men who were station
in the foreign lands were not exactly true
blue to their wives.

With that said, I was mildly surprised at
this show, and their concerns about how
the wives who kiss their husbands good-bye
when they leave, have the thought of "well, he
is gone, and I can do as I please." And do.

I don't know if they didn't think their husbands
were coming back or what the plan was. But the
show was concern, as this attitude had raise in
numbers quite a bit. Also the rise in spousal
abuse even if the wife is being true, when their
husbands get home.

What is different about this war? We knew about
the wives who wait even if their man was a POW
or MIA. They wait even after the war, hoping and
praying he would return. So why is this group,
giving up so soon? Is it because the husband
sign up so he could get more money for doing
service in the National Guard, or education thru
them... and the wife didn't? After all the regular
Army wives know what it entails... maybe
National Guards wives don't.

Maybe extending the service time overseas,
isn't such a great idea either. Not giving time
with the family before they have to go back,
is wearing on both sides.

Politically Incorrect

Political Incorrect...

We went to the Tri-cities to pick
up a camper from the King's bro.

Had a nice visit and left on Sunday.
The trip went well. We took the pup
with us as well. And she traveled very
well. We stopped at rest areas for her
to have a chance like us to relieve herself.
And drink some water.

We pulled into Cda on our way home,
to get gas at Costco. Even that has jumped
in price 5 cents since Friday afternoon.

But as the King is filling up, a man came
up to him and said are you aware that
you have a bulge on the inside of your tire.
The King told him no, and the he would
check it after he got away from the pumps.

Seeing it was a large one, he changed the
tire. As he pulled the old tire off to be able
to replace it, he swung it around and laid
it down on the parking lot, outside up.

That is when our jaws dropped. Our immediate
thought, was how we had been traveling at the
speed limit of 60 mph during most of the trip.

This was most definitely a God thing. We always
ask for travel prayers before we leave home. And
as you can see, they were answered.

This might not be political correct, but frankly
I don't care. He has watched over me for 67 years.
And he did this weekend, as you can see from the picture.

Here ye, Here ye, Good Reading.

Or is it, Hear ye, Hear ye, Good Reading..

I have a friend who is a retired
high school teacher. She does a
sideline of writing articles for different
magazines and papers. And she
writes daily blog.

She also writes books. Funny books.
About her life as a kid, which gives
you stories about the locals here in
Bonner County. Mostly Sandpoint.
The days of 4H, or just being a kid in
the 1950's growing up in a small town,
and getting into mischief. One of the
books is called "Pocket Girdles" and the
other I believe is "Potato(e with a slash
thru it)land". Now she has gone and wrote
a book about her teaching years. So
for those of you who like funny stories...
or like stories of a teacher and her
students... it is a great buy.
Called Lessons with Love.

For those who are interested in
buying the book, here is what Marianne
says on her blog... www.slightdetour.blogspot.com

First, a commercial: My third book
"LESSONS WITH LOVE" arrives in
Sandpoint, Wednesday, May 2. To
order the book, visit www.keokeebooks.com
Or, tell your favorite bookstore about it and
that it will soon be available through Baker
and Taylor Distributors.

I have been tagged...

I have been tagged... for The Thinking Blogger award..
By Dogwalking Musing. Which is quite an honor as I don't
think of being a blog that makes people think. It was a
surprise.

Now my duty is to tell you where to read about this award
and to give you 5 blogs that I think should get it.

for local I pick
1. http://slightdetour.blogspot.com/ ... because she brings out the local old and new.

for world wide, I pick
2. http://marmitetoasty.blogspot.com/
Because I have never laughed so hard, as I do when I read hers.

I pick this one because he does have me think and also reminds me
to pick 3 things each day that are beautiful.
3. http://kelloggbloggin.blogspot.com/index.html

I pick this one because he makes me think, the best information on
music... makes me laugh... that is a great combo
4. http://www.hklbrrypkr.blogspot.com/

And I pick this one as it reminds me of my days
with my kids. And always makes me smile, as in
his best of ways to keep it all together, he is a great Dad.
5. http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/

I would have tagged back Dogwalking Musing, but didn't
know if that is legal or not. As her blog is so great with
common sense, and also finding the things we skip
over. She brings out truth, in down to earth blogging.

The Thinking Blogger Award is where to get the information
of this wonderful idea to honor different blogs that make
you think and make a better day for you.

Posting....

I probably won't post for a day or two...
I am not doing as well, as I thought I
would. I just can't quite get it together.
So I am going to take a couple day
break. Go work out in the yard. Soil
is good for the soul.
Enjoy the day... remember to
Live well, Love much, and Laugh Often