Day Out With My Grandson

Our first destination was a used bookstore down near the Tacoma Dome. A few blocks from the bookstore the traffic came to a near standstill. As we inched along we soon saw the reason for the congestion. Apparently, the driver of this truck took a corner a little too fast and tipped over. The cab was pretty smashed up, the windshield was broken out as was the driver's door window. I hope he/she wasn't hurt badly. The truck carried a load of lumber which was all over the street. Someone had brought in another truck and a loader and was proceeding to transfer the lumber from the street to the empty truck.


After we left the book store we proceeded to Tacoma's Wright Park and the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory. The Conservatory was established in 1908 and is one of only three Victorian-style conservatories on the west coast. It was so wonderful to see the beautiful spring flowers interspersed with the marvelous glass works of Tacoma born Dale Chihuly.I'll let you just scroll down thru the pictures and see these beautiful works for yourself. My friend Monica, has posted pictures from the conservatory in her Blog in the past and her pictures are absolutely glorious compared to my humble attempts today.

After we left this beautiful glimpse of Spring, we went for a Teriyaki lunch and then stopped at Target (my grandson's request) where he was able to get what he wanted and I finally found the book "The Shack" by WiIlliam Paul Young. I've been looking for it and everyplace I've looked has been sold out. So I was very happy to finally get a copy for myself.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures ~ we had a wonderful day today. Until next time, Linda

EARTHQUAKE

I'm hearing on the news this morning that there was a 4.5 earthquake this morning at 5:45am. It was located about 15 miles northwest of Seattle and occurred 36 miles below the surface. I guess the people in that are were a little rattled (pardon the pun) but I didn't feel it here. So far there are no reports of serious damage or injuries. But the folks in Seattle are concerned about a few of the bridges in their area so have crews going out to see if any have been damaged. They are always concerned about the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct that runs along the Seattle waterfront. It's old and has been damaged in previous quakes. We quit driving on it years ago....very scary as far as I'm concerned. But thousands of cars take that route thru Seattle everyday.



I'm off to get ready for my date today with my grandson. I woke up to fog and freezing temperatures so I hope the streets are not slippery. I'm supposed to meet up with him about 11 o'clock so maybe by then it will warm up a little bit.



Happy Friday, until next time.....Linda

FOOD FRIDAY

This was one of my mom's super duper quick dinner recipes.

Escalloped Tuna
1 can tuna or albacore drained
2 hard boiled eggs
1 can Chicken & Rice soup
1 cup milk
1 small can of mushroom stems & pieces
20 crushed soda crackers (Saltines)
1 raw egg beaten

Put drained tuna or albacore into a buttered casserole dish. Add cut up hard boiled eggs, Chicken & Rice soup, mushrooms, milk, crushed Saltine crackers, beaten raw egg. Mix well and add crushed potato chips over the top. Bake in 350* oven for 30-40 minutes.

Thursday

It was a beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest, today. About 46* and sunny. When I went out I wore a sweatshirt & a light jacket and ended up too warm.

The first thing I did was to drop off 4 large bags of clothes of at a thrift shop. I know I got rid of a lot of stuff because I have piles of empty hangers but my closet doesn't seem to be any different. It still seems cramped.

From there I headed over to Target to pick up some prescription refills and a few other things. It seems there was a lot of items that need to be replaced, so came out of there with several bags of stuff.

I went to PetSmart after that and got "you know who" some canned cat food and some litter. I've switched from Tidy Cat clumping litter to PetSmart's ExquisiCat litter. It's a little cheaper and works just fine. It was on sale so I actually got two 20 pound jugs of it.

Before I left home, I was going through a stack of old (and new) gift cards that I had here, calling in for the balances, etc. I found one from a local Mexican restaurant that still had $10 on it so I took myself to lunch. It was so good and I brought half of it home for tomorrow. Although tomorrow I'm going on a date with my grandson & I'll probably stop so we can get a hamburger or something for lunch. We're going to go to a used book store here in town that he and I both love to visit.

So now, I'm back home...all the stuff is put away and I'm in for the evening. Waiting for "American Idol" to come on. As I was taking the trash can out for Friday morning's pickup, I noticed the beautiful crescent moon with Venus nearby. What a beautiful sight! And even more amazing is that it is visible here in Washington where frequently it's cloudy and we can't see such things.

I got my reminder call for our Readers Group next week. Author Ann DeFee will be out guest speaker. I always look forward to the first Wednesday of each month and our fun little get together at Round Table Pizza.

Bob left his daughter's place in Pasadena about noon today and just called from Carson City, Nevada. He's going to spend a day or two with his two cousins and elderly aunt before heading this way. When he left, he told his daughter "don't be sad~Linda & I will be back in a few weeks." Yes, he wants to go back down south, perhaps to Yuma, AZ besides spending some time in Pasadena. We're also considering re-booking that cruise that we missed out on in October because I got sick. Perhaps towards the end of February or first of March. We'll see......

Just in case.... I've got appointments made for next week to get my taxes done and one for an eye exam. I either need new lenses or new glasses. The ones I wearing now I've had for over two years and they feel like they are ready to fall apart.

I hope everyone has had a good week.....I've actually accomplished a few things around here that I wanted to get done so I feel good about that.

Until next time..........Linda

SERVICE

I became confused when I heard these terms with reference to the word 'service'.

Internal Revenue 'Service'
U.S. Postal 'Service'
Telephone 'Service'
Cable TV 'Service'
Civil 'Service'
State, City, County & Public 'Service'
Customer 'Service'

This is not what I thought 'service' meant. But today, I overheard two farmers talking, and one of them said he had hired a bull to 'service' a few cows.

BAM!!! It all came into focus.

Now I understand what all those 'service' agencies are doing to us. Now you are as enlightened as I am.

Cookies

I made some chocolate chip cookies today...I've invited you all over for cookies and milk (or coffee or tea). But I realize that may be impossible for some. I used the regular Toll House cookie recipe and after asking Robin's opinion added some dried cranberries I had on hand. So here they are....grab the ones you want and start munching. Linda

Blogger's Community Photo Challenge~FOOD

Join in this photo challenge at; http://communityphotochallenge.blogspot.com/2009/01/bloggers-community-photo-challenge-food.html

A Fun Thing To Do

I was tagged by my friend Trees in her Garden of Hope blog. What you're supposed to do is go into your fourth folder of pictures and take the fourth picture in that folder and post it. So here goes; this is the fourth picture in my fourth folder~

Well, this is what I found...this is actually the third picture in the fourth folder because there aren't four pictures there. It was obviously summer because I see a fan in the background. This picture is titled "My gray & white owl."

OK now I'm supposed to tag some people for this but since everyone is busy....just go ahead & tag yourself if you want to join in the fun. Be sure & come back and let me know if you participated. Have fun!

44 American Presidents~turn on your speakers

FOOD FRIDAY

Pasta e Fagioli (secret recipe of the Olive Garden's version)

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15 ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 12 ounce can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 package) ditali pasta (I use salad macaroni)

Brown the ground beef and drain off the fat. Put browned ground beef into large pot, then use frying pan to saute onion, carrot, celery & garlic in a little olive oil for 10 minutes.
Then add to soup pot. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the pasta and simmer for at least 1 hour.
Cook the pasta in 1-1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat for about 10 minutes. The pasta should be slightly tough at the end of 10 minutes. Drain and add the pasta to the large pot of soup after it's simmered for at least 1 hour. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes and the pasta will then become soft.
Serves at least 8 people. I'm sure this would be wonderful to freeze if there's not 8 people at your house.

Thursday Top Ten List

TOP TEN THINGS ONLY WOMEN UNDERSTAND

10. Cats' facial expressions
9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors
8. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds
7. Fat clothes
6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time
5. The difference between beige, off-white, and eggshell
4. Cutting your hair to make it grow
3. Eyelash curlers
2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made

AND,the Number One thing only women understand:

1. OTHER WOMEN

( Thanks to my daughter Julie for sending this to me in email form)

How Can She Not Know That There's Something Wrong?

I was sitting at the other end of the sofa watching TV and I happened to glance over at my sleeping kitty. I thought to myself "what is wrong with her head?" Then I realized her right ear was bent down. How can she not feel that? She must have been washing her face and her paw accidentally bent her ear down.

I kindly fixed her ear. What a cat she is~she didn't even thank me.

It Just Won't Work

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, will prove the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
~~~ The late Dr. Adrian Rogers , 1931 to 2005 ~~~

WINTER TREES

I stepped out on my little porch on the east side of my house to fill the bird feeder out there. Finally today, the fog has burned away and I saw blue skies and bare trees. I couldn't help but go back in and grab my camera and take some winter tree pictures

.

The oak trees will be covered with lovely leaves, come Spring. Then in September they'll start falling and we'll all be raking leaves for weeks. I think I like them bare.

I Went To The Movie

I left here a little before noon and went up the street to the Regal Cinema and watched "Last Chance Harvey." What a sweet movie ! Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson were delightful! If you get the chance~go see this movie, you'll be glad you did. Now I want to go to England!

I left the TV on in the living room and walked in to see the parade still going on. The little girls seem to be really enjoying the parade. What an experience for them. I bet they'll all be glad to get to the private living quarters, take off the "Sunday go to meeting" clothes and relax. I am concerned about Sen. Kennedy however, as I was leaving they said he'd been taken ill at the luncheon and it showed an ambulance being backed up to take him to the hospital.

Last night I pulled a bunch of clothes out of the closet in the second bedroom. Today, I'm going through my closet and do some purging. Then tomorrow, I'll be loading my car and taking a drive to the thriift store drop off.

Have a good afternoon,

January 20, 2009

The crowd in Washington watching

Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States

Rick Warren giving the Invocation

Aretha Franklin

Lady Liberty

Vice President Joe Biden taking the oath of office

the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama taking the oath of office

Pictures taken off my television. I'm sure you all saw it on your own TV but I felt the desire to post these pictures. I hope that as this new administration begins, that we as Americans will remember that this is the man that has been elected to run our country. And whether we voted for him or not...it is our duty to respect the office of the President and to pray for him and his family on a daily basis. (First Timothy 2:1-2) The following words appear in the White House, put there by John Adams in November 1800 "I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof."

MONDAY UPDATE

On the noon news they announced a Stage 2 burn ban for this area. That means I can't even have a fire in my certified wood stove. We need some wind to blow the stagnant air away. I hate to turn the furnace thermostat past 65* ~ I can't even imagine what my electricity bill will be for this month. So I guess Gabi and I will be snuggling with a blanket this evening as I watch TV.

Monday

Oh, wow it got colder last night. The grass in the front yard was green yesterday after I finished raking~this morning it's white with a heavy frost and it's also foggy out there. I'm hearing on the "tube" that there's been several accidents because the roads are covered in black ice. My handy dandy thermometer out on the porch shows 24*. A good day to stay in the house and get some de-cluttering done.
Happy Monday !

Sunday

This afternoon the sun came out and the temperature went up a little so I bundled up and went out and raked the front yard. There were so many, leaves and limbs and other debris from the cedar tree I nearly filled my yard waste bin. I was so glad to get that done. I still have one flower bed that needs some winter attention but other than that, I'm finally caught up outside. I checked all my pots and it seems the squirrels have dug up most of my daffodil bulbs. (The rotten little buggers.) The ones remaining as well as the tulips are poking their heads thru the dirt however. A sign of impending Spring for sure.

Monday will be a holiday for the U.S. ~ Martin Luther King Day. The banks, government offices, the post office, schools, etc will be closed but other than that most places will be open. It was never a paid holiday when I worked at the hospital. So they'll all be working.

I joined a few more groups on Facebook today. My gosh, there's a group for everything. It's really kind of fun, seeing what's available.

Well I hope everyone has had a great weekend. The week ahead of us will be a "history making" week for sure. It will be interesting to say the least......

Summing Up Saturday

We had another rain-less day here in western Washington. But...it was cold (I don't think it got above 35*F) and foggy most of the day. One thing I did notice is that it stayed light longer today. I was out in my car and didn't have to turn my headlights on until a little after 5pm.

I spent several hours today running errands. I went to the closest Wal Mart to return an item I got for Christmas that I can't use, then went to Kinko's to fax Bob a copy (a copy of the original) of his Passport. Yes, he forgot it and he wants to go to Mexico while he's down south. He's hoping if he takes a copy in to an official, he can prove he has one and perhaps they'll give him some sort of document that will him him get in & out of Mexico. I don't know if that will work but at least on Tuesday when everything opens up again he can try.

Then it was off to Pet Smart for some cat litter. Today was adoption day and oh my there were so many cute kittens and cats there. I just look though, I have enough aggravation with the one small cat that lives here now.

After that I headed over to Fred Meyer and returned an item there. And then picked up my beautiful grand daughter and took her to a birthday party for one of her friends. Her dad will be picking her up later.....

I continue to be amazed at all the groups that one can join on Face book. I've joined fan groups for a multitude of TV shows, many of them old and not on the air anymore. Last week I discovered one for my hometown, and today my daughter sent me the link for the group; "You know you're from Washington when." I'm going to post a copy of the many reasons, I know some of you won't understand unless you've lived in, have visited, or still live in the beautiful state of Washington. So here goes;

You know you are from Washington when...
1. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Enumclaw and Issaquah.
2. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
3. You keep snow chains in your trunk but they've never been used.
4. You see a person carrying an umbrella and know they must be a tourist.
5. Eating seafood isn't anything special.
6. Your lawn is mostly moss and you don't really care.
7. Your daily commute to work involves riding a ferry.
8. You know the difference between "showers followed by rain" and "rain followed by showers".
9. The sight of Mt. Rainier is still awe inspiring.
10. You're extremely picky about your coffee.
11. You yell at the TV if they pronounce the name of a city wrong or make an inaccurate Seattle reference on "Frasier" or "Grey's Anatomy."
12. You rarely wash your car because it's just going to get muddy again tomorrow.
13. You wouldn't dream of putting an air conditioner in your house.
14. You go to Eastern Washington to get some sun.
15. You can drive from your home to a lake, a river or the Puget Sound in 20 minutes or less.
16. You've seen or know someone who has seen Bigfoot.
17. You remember where you were on May 18th, 1980.
18. You get a terrible sunburn on the first really nice day of summer.
19. You look forward to SeaFair and all its related activities.
20. You take a heavy coat and a hat with you for a day at the beach.
21. You have learned to assume Christmas will be rainy, not white.
22. You've owned the same bathing suit for years because you never have a chance to wear it out.
23. You still can't believe the new Seahawks stadium is open air.
24. Your phone book contains a tide table.
25. You only visit the Space Needle if you need someplace to take out of town guests.
26. You or someone you know works at Boeing or Microsoft.
27. You "Do The Puyallup" every year.
28. You feel guilty throwing something away that could be recycled.
29. You use the word "sunbreak" and know what it means.
30. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
31. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
32. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon.
33. You never go camping without water proof matches and a poncho.
34. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
35. You can point to at least 2 volcanoes even if you can't actually see them through the cloud cover.
36. You wear shorts when the temperature gets above 50 but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
37. You switch to your sandals at about 60 degrees but keep your socks on.
38. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
39. You buy new sunglasses every year because you've lost last years pair after such a long time not needing them.
40. You measure distance in hours.
41. You often switch from heat to a/c in your car in the same day.
42. You use a down comforter in the summer.
43. You carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them.
44. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
45. You choose your vacation spot according to the best latte stands.
46. You purchase a new car and the 'Northwest Package' includes a built in umbrella holder.
47. Your children don't get chicken pox; they get 'rust spots' instead.
48. When you think 'big hair', you think of Kent.
49. You can't make it two blocks without seeing a Starbucks.
50. When you hear people from Eastern WA say they're going to the coast, you assume they mean Ocean Shores.
51. You make reference to the new neighborhood going up down the street and people have to ask, "Which one?"
52. You can't believe that people in Spokane actually have yellow grass in the winter and green grass in the summer.
53. You know how to pronounce geoduck and know that it doesn't quack or have feathers.
54. You expect snow for Valentine's Day, not Christmas.
55. You get upset when a store doesn't carry your favorite brand of bottled water.
56. You can tell the difference between Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food.
57. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best and Tully's. 58. It's not a real mountain unless it has snow and has erupted within the last 200 years.
59. You go to work in the dark and come home in the dark even though you only have an 8 hour workday.
60. You've never stood alone on a deserted street corner in the rain.
61. You can tell its summer because the rain is warmer.
62. You know what a Frango is.
63. You think the "Middle East" is Ellensburg and the "Far East" is Spokane.
64. You realize no education is required to be a weatherman. Just predict, "Partly cloudy with a chance of rain."
65. You have an earthquake story, and so does everyone else you know.
66. You can identify seven different types of rain.
67. You can identify five different cities by smell alone.
68. You think espresso was invented in Seattle, along with Starbucks.
69. You know what 'Sodo Mojo' is.
70. You can turn in any direction and be within a stones throw of an Indian-run casino.
71. You think summer starts in July and winter in September.
72. It's not a real windstorm until your lawn ornaments blow away.
73. You know exactly where Tom Hank's boathouse was in "Sleepless In Seattle".
74. You know who J.P. Patches is.
75. At least one of your neighbors has a hot tub they haven't used in over a year. 76. You know who really 'let the dogs out'.
77. You become frightened by the bright yellow orb in the sky until the 9-1-1 operator tells you it's just the sun.
78. You've used every setting on your intermittent wipers.
79. You know you better enjoy the snow the first day it falls before the rain washes it away.
80. You marvel when the autumn leaves stay on the trees for more than three days before the rain knocks them to the ground.
81. You can't imagine living through a tornado or hurricane but you secretly think earthquakes are kind of fun.
82. You give directions using the Puget Sound and Cascade mountains as points of reference.
83. You lose your sense of direction if you go east of the Cascade mountains.
84. You know at least 5 different ways to kill slugs.
85. You know at least 10 different recipes that call for blackberries.
86. You are not sure of the color of your house because of all of the rhododendron bushes planted in front of it.
87. You know the difference between a rhododendron and an azalea.
88. You know what a Dick's Deluxe is.
89. You or your family member live "in the woods".
90. You can endure 100 days of rain and wind but an inch of snow means school cancellations.
91. You consider an antique anything made before 1970.
92. You know someone whose house has been partially crushed by a tree.
93. You know the difference between an evergreen and a deciduous tree.
94. You don't know what a turnpike is and have never paid a toll to drive over a bridge. (UNTIL THE STUPID NARROWS BRIDGE. Gig Harborians=Angry)
95. You own a barbecue that has rusted.
96. You change your wiper blades more often than your oil.
97. Your idea of dancing is nodding your head vigorously.
98. You use your defogger and your AC at the same time.
99. You don't own anything made of wool.
100. When someone honks at you, you think they are trying to say "hi".
101. You get a least 5 e-mails a week from friends asking you to come see their band.
102. You know what a 9-inning lunch is.
103. You think you're working late if you stay past 3 pm.
104. You have more unemployed friends than friends who have jobs.
105. You prefer one mountain range to the other. 106. You know the state flower (Mildew). Now don't you all wish you lived in Washington??

Yes I felt compelled to join this exclusive group. I also found a group for my favorite store ~ Fred Meyer. They only exist in Washington & Oregon and they are the one stop shopping experience (including a gas station and a garden shop).

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I can't help but think of our friend Guido over there in the Outer Hebrides Islands off the west coast of Scotland. There were predictions for winds of up to 100 mph tonight. And apparently they are correct ~ in his last entry, he reported winds at 103 mph. With things flying thru the air.

Take care everyone...until next time~Linda

FOOD FRIDAY

It's that time again~time for Food Friday. Before I post my recipe for today...I just want to say, I know we are all thankful for the safe rescue of the passengers and crew off that downed US Air jetliner in New York's Hudson River yesterday afternoon. Bless each one of them as they work thru the stress caused by this horrible event.

Good Old Tater Tot Casserole

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/3 can water

1 bag of frozen tater tots (or frozen potato rounds)

1-1/2 pound ground beef

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and drain fat. Add cream of mushroom soup and water and stir together continuously letting mixture simmer for about 15 minutes. Layer tater tots and ground beef mixture in oven proof casserole dish and bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes. At the end of the baking time, sprinkle grated cheese on top and allow to sit in warm over for a few minutes until cheese melts. (I turn the oven off and let it sit in there as the oven cools down.)

DOG FOR SALE

Thanks to Joni for sending this one;

A guy is driving around the back woods of Tennessee and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale .'

He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.

'You talk?' he asks.'Yep,' the Lab replies. After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?' The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA.

In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.' 'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.'

'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.' The guy is amazed.

He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. 'Ten dollars,' the guy says. 'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Because he's a liar. He never did any of that stuff.

WARNING ABOUT NEW VIRUS

"Obama Acceptance Speech" ~ Apparently this is the real deal so be careful. You can read about it at Snopes; http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/obamaspeech.asp

The Cost of Politics

I still can't believe the people of this state re-elected~for a second term Gov. Christine Gregoire. But they did and today at a special session of our state Legislature she along with others, takes her "Oath of Office." Tonight is the Governor's Inauguration Ball.

On the local TV Noon News they spoke of "across the state" cuts in education because of budget shortfalls, then massive shortages in our local food banks and then the very next piece is about the Governor's Ball tonight that will cost us, the tax payers in Washington, a quarter of a million dollars.

Call me old fashioned, call me silly but there's just something wrong about that.

MY STORY