Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wednesday Morning Pics

I wandered out to my mailbox to mail a letter this morning.  (Brrrrr it was so cold out there.)  But as I came down off the porch and walked towards the driveway, I stopped to admire my big pink rhododendron.  It's covered in blooms now and since I didn't prune it last Spring it's much taller than me. My other rhody is not even close to blooming and my white azalea will probably be blooming in another week or so.  After depositing the letter and putting up the little red flag, I came back in and got my camera.   Enjoy the pictures.......Linda

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Spiderman and other things

A  good time was had by all at the birthday party this last Sunday.  In just about two months we'll be back there for the 1st birthday party of Lance's little sister Marin Rose. He really got a lot of Spiderman stuff and he especially likes his Spiderman mask that was among the gifts from Bob.

I took the picture of the daffodils at the round-about on Easter Sunday and forgot to post it.  It was tricky to maneuver thru a round-about and take a picture at the same time.  LOL !! But it was so pretty, I couldn't resist.  I haven't been back to that area since but I'm sure they have all faded away by now.  I only have a few daffodils that are still blooming. 

The weather continues to be blustery.  Wind, rain, sun and cool temperatures.  The TV weather guy is saying it will be down to 36* tonight. (Just like winter)

Once some $$ comes in the first of May I must get to the garden shop and buy some bedding plants.  I want to get everything planted in the next three weeks in case I do have to have surgery on that wounded knee of mine.  I see the orthopedic doctor two weeks from today.  (Remind me to take the MRI films)

I saw regular unleaded gas for $3.75.9 a gallon at a Shell station nearby.  But at other stations it's around $3.68.9 a gallon.   Diesel is up over $4 a gallon.  No wonder our food prices are going up~it's costing more to get the food to the market.  My car gets between 25 & 27 miles per gallon but I'm still doing a lot less driving around for pleasure than I would if the gas prices were lower.  I went out to the store yesterday and my car will probably sit in the carport until the weekend.  But if you're out and around...feel free to drop by for a cup of coffee or tea. 

Well, I have a little gray & white furry creature sitting here begging for food, so I guess I'd better go fix her some Fancy Feast before she bites my ankles.  Until next time.............Linda

 

Monday, April 28, 2008

Amazing Grace on Just The Black Notes

A friend of mine in Oklahoma sent me this link in an email.  I hope it blesses you like it did me.  The video is a little grainy but the sound is great.   Take a listen..........

http://pjcockrell.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/amazing-grace-just-the-black-notes/

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Sunday Morning Scenes

A cloudy sunrise

My Japanese Maple is beginning to leaf out.

This is actually a ground cover but several years ago I put it in a hanging basket. It started blooming in the cold month of March.

Today is a big day...Bob's little grandson, Lance, is 4 years old today.  We will be going to the "big" party at noon.  He's really into Spiderman right now, so we have Spiderman wrapping paper, etc.  Bob even found a Spiderman mask down on Olvera Street when we were in California.  I'm sure the whole party will have a Spiderman theme. 

Have a blessed Sunday..........Linda

Saturday, April 26, 2008

AOL Community Photo Challenge~Landscapes

 

 

 

 

  

 The Tacoma Dome in the foreground with Mt Rainier in the background

FUN Category!

Take a Landscape photo in B & W or transform a photo into B & W.
 You can sepia tone the image, frame it, but keep in mind when framing, not to take
 away from the image. 

First photo in the entry is what will be judged in our JUDGED Category.  You may enter in both categories, but only once in each.  They also must be different photos, not the same image.
All entries need to be posted by Friday, May 2nd, 7 PM EST.

News From Our Friend Joni

I've just heard from our friend Joni.  Of course she and her husband were gone for several weeks, traveling around the southwest visiting friends and family.  Since their return Joni has been spending time with her sister who was gravely ill with lung cancer. Just moments ago, she called to tell me that her sister passed away this morning. 

I told her that I would post an entry, so that you all would know about this.  Please pop over to Joni's journal and offer her some kind words.

http://journals.aol.com/jonibooks1991/jonis-life-now/

 

Friday, April 25, 2008

Scary Pictures !

My friend Barbara came over today and brought some pictures from my past. Most of you know Barbara and  I have been friends since we were in the 6th grade and now we're both on Medicare. So if there is anyone who has old, scary pictures of Linda...it's Barbara.    I'm probably crazy to share them but what the heck..I'm not a teenager anymore and almost anything goes here in JLand, right ?

So I am challenging all of you out there to show us some pictures from your past.  OK ??   Good !!  I can't wait to see them.  Robin...you go first.

Taken at the Puyallup Fair one year, back in the 1950's.. that's me second from the right. Barbara is on the right.

Another one from a late 1950's Puyallup Fair.  That's me on the right & notice I don't have a jug!  Barbara is second from the left.  It looks like I may have cut my own bangs. LOL

This picture was taken sometime back in the late 1950's in one of those Photo Booths.  Barbara's husband blew it up from the little strip you usually get.  It's weird that my hair looks so dark because I am a true natural blond. Maybe it was just the lighting in the little booth.  It was interesting too that I had put aside the glasses that I've worn since the 6th grade.

Ok..once again, I double dog dare you all to post some old pics on your journal and be sure and leave me a link so I can come take a peek.   Linda

Thursday, April 24, 2008

A Day Out With My Grandson

Saturday, April 19th, was my grandson's 17th birthday.  He had plans with his dad and I was at the Chevrolet Dealership reunion so, today Bob & I took him out.   We drove to Seattle and took him to lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe.  (We were seated right across from the gorilla's. They are noisy!) After that we came back to town and went to a Lego place (City Blocks) in a big building called Freighthouse Square. At 17, he still loves Lego's and builds all sorts of intricate & interesting things out of them.

Freighthouse Square always brings back lots of childhood memories for me.  At one time it was the Milwaukee Railroad Freight House and my dad worked as a train dispatcher up on the second floor of that building.  My dad retired back in the 1970's and the Milwaukee RR folded up in 1980.  The developers moved in and turned the Freighthouse into little shops, restaurants, etc.  There are still tracks running behind the building and they are now used for the Sounder commuter train that runs from Tacoma to points north.

After visiting the Lego place we walked across the street and took the light rail link that runs from a huge parking garage into downtown Tacoma.  It only runs about 2 miles but it's free and a great way for those working in buildings downtown to get to work.   We enjoyed the ride passing by the Washington State Museum of History, The Museum of Glass, the old Union Station ,now housing Federal Court Rooms and then onto the theater district of Tacoma.  I can still remember going to the Union Station as a child to catch the train to grandma's house in eastern Washington.

From there we went to a used book store nearby, at Harrison's request.  I'm glad he requested it because I found a book I've been looking for and they had a bunch of books for 25 cents each and off that rack I got the book "Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  I used to have that book years ago and started to read it at one time, but never finished it. 

All in all we had a great day and were able to take some pictures around town. Happy Birthday again...my dear grandson!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Another Chinese Toy Recall

           ouch !!!!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Low Tides & Open Clam Season

There are low tides on Washington beaches this week and clam season is open.  Bob went with some friends, yesterday to a local beach and got his limit of yummy butter (steamer) clams.  After soaking them in a bucket of salt water overnight, we had them for dinner tonight.  After scrubbing their shells with a brush, I plopped them into a big pan of buttery water, brought it to a boil and let them simmer for about 10 mins after their shells pop open.

I melted butter, added a little garlic powder and we were ready to dip and eat clams.   I did cook a big pan of fresh broccoli to go along with the clams to counteract the butter consumption.  LOL

P.S. the limit is 40 clams or 8 pounds per day during the open season.

Fair Awards

I took my grand daughter, Meghanne, out to the Fair grounds today to pick up her entries for the Puyallup Spring Fair which ran this past weekend.   She did very well.  She placed on all of her entries.  So here goes;

1. pencil drawing of a lady with a big hat (I don't have a pictures of that)-3rd place

2. spring decorated sugar cookies-2nd place

3. spring decorated shortbread cookies-2nd place

4. orange poppy seed scones-1st place

5. knitted lavender purse-1st place (she taught herself to knit by going on Google.)

6. clothespin doll-2nd place (only because she forgot to glue the dress in place & it twisted on the clothes pin)

7. chocolate fudge-1st place, winning not only a ribbon but a gift basket from Seattle Fudge Company.

Again, her photographs are up in the picture section of this entry.

She will be 16 in July so she is no longer eligible to enter in the Spring Fair. But, she is more than welcome to enter as an adult in the big fair in September.  The women who were there today, when we collected her ribbons, etc. all encouraged her to keep on keeping on. Several of the women judge the quilts in the big Fair and today I just happened to give her some fabric I got for her in Alaska last summer.  So she has plenty of time to plan out a quilted wall hanging or a small quilt between now and the middle of August when the quilt items can be entered at the Fair grounds.

Congratulations Meghanne, I am very proud of you !!!

JLand Photo Shoot #133

  

From Krissy; This week's JLand Photo Shoot will begin today (Tuesday) and will be due on Saturday, April 26, at 11 PM Eastern Time.  That's Saturday, almost midnight, an hour before Sunday, for those of you who are getting confused!

            Our subject for this photo shoot is:

                                     Spring  

After you've posted your entry in your journal/blog, please come back here and put the address of your entry in my Comment Section below.  If you need an explanation on how to do this, or need to know any other instructions concerning this photo shoot, please click on the link below.

I actually just took this picture today...my big pink rhododendron is just beginning to bloom.  It's at one front corner of my house, nearest the driveway...so I see it everyday as I walk out to get the mail.  Other than to dead-head it last fall, I didn't prune it back.  I'm going to let it to continue growing & see how big it will get.

Dr Phil

I know a lot of people can't stand Dr Phil and others like him.  No matter how you feel, I'd recommend watching his show today (here in my area his 3pm show repeats at 8pm on a different channel).  His guest today is a lady who came out of the group that's currently under scrutiny for the abuse of up to 400 children living in their compound in Texas. From what I'm hearing, not only on the local and national news but from emails I'm receiving from friends who live in that area....there's some horrible things going on.  Will these precious little children ever be the same after suffering the abuse that's been happening to them from the cradle?  Abuse to us but they are being brainwashed to think this bizarre treatment is normal.  I believe even the mother's have been brainwashed to feel that what's going on with their little ones is not only normal but spiritual.  

Linda

Monday, April 21, 2008

Dog Pack Attacks Gator in Florida

At times nature can be cruel, but there is also a raw beauty, and even a certain justice manifested within that cruelty.

The alligator, one of the oldest and ultimate predators, normally considered the 'apex predator', can still fall victim to implemented 'team work' strategy, made possible due to the tight knit social structure and 'survival of the pack mentality' bred into the canines.


See the remarkable photograph below courtesy of Nature Magazine. Note that the Alpha dog has a muzzle hold on the gator preventing it from breathing, while another dog has a hold on the tail to keep it from thrashing. The third dog attacks the soft underbelly of the gator.



Not for the squeamish! 

 


 

Monday Morning Question

 
From Krissy; Actors and actresses often have unusual names.  You know - they often change their name to a stage name upon reaching popularity.  If you were an actor or actress, it would be easy to find a new name!  Just combine the name of your first cat (if you've never had a cat use a neighbor cat's name) and the name of the street you live on.
 
So what is your actor/actress name?
 
Since I've always live on a "numbered" street except on three different occasions in my life...I'll use the name of the street I lived on when I had my first cat.
 
So my screen name is;  Pepper Yakima

Friday, April 18, 2008

Unbelieveable

Snow in mid April ??  Yup, tonight they are saying there are up to 5 inches of the white stuff up north of Seattle.  I think all the weathermen are ready to resign and get different jobs.  Why do we always blame them?   LOL

Here at my house there were periods of sun, rain, sleet & hail thru out the day.  I'm glad I didn't have to go out in the car. 

http://www.komotv.com/weather

 

One Word

Got this from Robin;

You can only type a ONE Word response.

Not as easy as you might think.

It's really hard to only use one word answers.

 

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Your significant other? Gabi

3. Your hair?  blonde

4. Your mother? Heaven

5. Your father? Heaven

6. Your favorite thing? computer 

 7. Your dream last night? strange  

8. Your favorite drink? milk

9. Your dream/goal? thinner

10. The room you're in? living

11. Your ex? gone

12. Fear? heights

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? cruising

14. Where were you last night? Fair

15. What you're not? thin

16. Muffins? nope

17. One of your wish list items? Disneyworld

18. Where you grew up? Washington

19. The last thing you did? potty

20. What are you wearing? sweats

21. Your TV?  on

22. Your pets? cute

23. Your computer? ok

24. Your life? stable

25 Your Mood? tired

26. Missing someone? parents

27. Your car? Toyota

28 Something you are not wearing? shorts

29. Favorite Store? Gottschalks

30. Your summer? unknown

31. Like someone? yes

32. Your favorite color? lavender

33. When is the last time you laughed? tonight 

34. Last time you cried?  Wednesday

 

I had to really force myself to only use one word on each one.  Can you do it?

Mexicana Fiesta Dancing Horses


Mexicana Fiesta Dancing Horses
 

I was really bummed out that I didn't have a memory card in my camera, so I could have recorded more of their act.  It was beautiful to watch.  There were about 8 horses and riders.  The horses were all beautiful, well groomed and it was obvious their riders cared for them. 

What Month Is This?

Is it December ?  Maybe January........it's 40* here at my house today, the wind is blowing at a pretty good rate and we've gone back & forth between rain, hail & sleet all day. 

My friend Robin down in sunny Florida invited me for sun tea and sun.  She is a mean person to taunt me with such things when I'm a ga-zillion miles away from her & freezing to death.  LOL

Yesterday's weather was not bad, so Bob & I ventured out to the Spring Fair.  I was able to hobble around for about 4 hours by resting from time to time.  We got back just in time to get settled in for "The Office" at 9pm.  I was so anxious to see how my grand daughter did with her entries and will post those results after she's been out there on Sunday.  I don't want to spoil the surprise in case she happens to read my journal before then.

Anyway, we had a good time....I wasn't hungry but Bob gave in to two fair burgers...a regular burger with piles of greasy fried onions loaded on it.  I had one bite and that was enough for me.  We bought some scones "to-go" and I did eat one of those before we left for the parking lot.  

There's always' a lot of gardening displays at the Spring Fair.  Bob bought 5 new dahlia tubers and I got a new miniature rose in a pretty pink color.  We watched a "Dock Dog'sperformance  that was fun. Some of the dogs absolutely refused to jump into the water and after sticking my hand into the pool...I didn't blame them one bit.  It was terribly cold. 

Another fun performance was Mexicana Fiesta "Dancing Horses."  I actually was able to make a very short video of this show (I forgot to put one of my new memory cards in my camera~so only had the internal space for this day).  I will post that in another entry.

Sadly we missed the Pig Races, so will have to be sure and pencil that in for the big Fair in September.  LOL

It was a fun day and it was good, once again to get out. 

 

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

It Was Good To Get Out Today

Well, I went out in the car today.  Made a circle to get to all of the places I needed to stop at.  Safeway to get milk on sale, the bank to deposit Avon checks, Kinkos to make 60 copies for our 2nd Walker Chevrolet  Reunion dinner this coming Saturday evening, the Goodwill to see if I could find a 3 prong cane so it would be easier for me to walk right now...I didn't find one but I found a pretty little Pyrex bowl to add to my Pyrex collection and I found a Wear-Ever cookie gun and pastry decorating press -all the pieces are there for $1.99. In looking at it, I'm wondering if it's even been used.

Then to K-Mart...they have Polaroid 256 MB memory cards on sale. It's buy one for $9.87 and get one free.  For my digital camera it will hold about 200 pictures. 

Tomorrow we may go to the Spring Fair for a couple hours.  I know I can't do too much walking but I'm so anxious to see how my grand daughter did on her various entries.  The Spring Fair is smaller than the big Fair in September.  It runs tomorrow thru Sunday and is geared mainly for kids.   This will be the last time Meghanne can enter anything in the Spring Fair as she turns 16 in July.  My grandson entered his last items in this particular fair last year (he turns 17 on Saturday).  So as far as the Fair is concerned~they are both adults now.  Anyway it's not supposed to rain tomorrow, the parking is free, I have a free ticket and I got a discounted ticket for Bob today at Safeway.  So we're set.  Meghanne is going out there Sunday afternoon and she wants to be surprised if she won any awards, so I won't be able to report on that until Monday.

Yesterday, Barbara and I went to out Tuesday movie.  It's about 5 blocks from me, so not a long commute.  We saw "Nims Island."  It was cute...But I was mad at the end.  It sounded like there may be a sequel. I hate when they do that.

With the gas prices the way they are, it's good to get out...get some things accomplished and get back home while only having to drive a few miles. 

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

Monday, April 14, 2008

This Is My Story & I'm Sticking To It !!!

Monday Morning Question

       
From Krissy ;  Thursday of this week is National Blah Blah Blah Day.  National Blah Blah Blah Day was invented by Thomas and Ruth Roy, and always falls on April 17.  The intent of this day is to do all the things/projects people have been nagging you to do.  For example:  quit smoking, get a real job, lose weight, gain weight, take out the trash...

Now for the Monday Morning Question ...  If you were to work on one thing for National Blah Blah Blah Day, what would it be?
 
I would go out to my storage shed and defrost the freezer. Maybe I'll even do it before Thursday.  It really needs it.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

The Weekend Is Over Folks ~ Sorry

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest.  The thermometer on my porch read 80 degrees by 4 o'clock in the afternoon.  The weather man kept saying "don't get used to it because it's going to change."  Sure enough it did. 

Woke up to 40 degrees this morning and overcast.  It never did get over 50 degrees and by 3pm this afternoon it was raining.  Was that our summer ? 

Bob & I took a drive out to see tulips before the rain started.  Tulips, daffodils and other pretty flowers at Van Lierop's Bulb farm.  It lifted my spirits to see these beautiful flowers. Some of you live where the weather is still pretty dismal and some live where it's very hot.  So I hope the sight of these pretty Spring flowers, no matter where you live, lifts your spirits too.

Until next time......Linda 

Friday, April 11, 2008

Phone Call, Etc.

I got a phone call from my doctor's office today that I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon on May 13th at 9:15am  (don't they know I'm retired? )

I'll have to set the alarm the night before.  I have the MRI films here so, all I need is to roll out of bed, get ready and drive there for the verdict. I hope my entire summer is not messed up by this.

*************************************************

A very beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest, up to 60 degrees....one of those days that makes me love the fact that I live here.   Mr Weatherman says it might get to 70 degrees this weekend. 

*************************************************

I've had my front door and the slider open all afternoon.  I can hear the tinkle of my wind chimes and feel a breeze thru the house.  Gabi is planted at the front door lest any neighborhood cats, stray up on the porch.

*************************************************

I noticed that my lilac trees have buds on them....the Wysteria is blooming as is the Japanese Quince.   And of course the daffodils are nodding their yellow heads and some of my tulips are blooming...others are about ready to bloom. 

*************************************************

My friend Judy sent me some pictures of Peyton, including one of me holding her when I visited there a couple weeks back. She's such a little cutie. 

**************************************************

Have a wonderful weekend......Linda

One More Entry From Our Trip

As we were heading south, back in February, there was an area out in the middle of "No Where, Nevada (not the real name)" where Bob was tired and pulled over in this big gravel area to take a nap.   I had my book and my knitting up in the front of the truck with me, so sat there for awhile and then decided to go exploring.  This gravel area was like an old parking lot of a gas station, store and motel that had long since been abandoned.  The old buildings were all roped off but I ventured under the rope to look around.  The first thing I noticed was that there must have been a terrible explosion or at least a fire in the area where the gas station had been located.  The motel or who knows...maybe it was a brothel (legal in Nevada) was still intact but totally trashed.  Some units even had furniture & appliances in them, but of course they was all broken and icky.  I have a feeling transients may have used it for shelter.  Each unit was littered with whiskey bottles, beer cans, cigarette butts, etc.

The amazing thing about this place was that the view from some of the unit windows was amazing.  Snow covered mountains in the distance and the big blue sky of Nevada.    There was no sign left to indicate the name of this place, so I can't even Google it, to find out what happened here.  And there were no houses nearby...I mean it was really out there in the middle of no where.  Oh how I wished the walls could have talked....

P.S. after I read the comment left by Carrie...I have to add...that I admit, each time I peeked into one of these units (and I looked in all of them) I expected to find a dead body or some really gross thing.  But I was prepared mentally for such a find.  All I found was trashed furniture, appliances, garbage and lots of broken toilets and glass.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Last Two Days on The Road Home ~ Episode Eleven

In Episode Ten, we had pulled into a RV Park in Burns, Oregon.  It was freezing, snowing and generally miserable.  The next morning I headed off to the women's shower room (had it all to myself).  It was warm, clean and country~cozy cute.  Cute wallpaper, beautiful shower curtains on each shower stall....I could have stayed in there all day.

We left Burns about 10:15am that cold Saturday morning after gassing up the truck (bad gas we later discovered~as we chugged along the highway). Continuing up Highway 395 we finally came to the little town of Rufus, Oregon. They had a Shell station there and Bob put a bottle of HEAT into the gas tank and added 5 gallons of super dooper premium gas. The truck settled down a little but on acceleration at about 50 mph, the truck acted like it was starved for gas. It was bucking like a wild horse.  (Later fixed the problem at home with new plug wires).

Again we were driving thru snow covered, desolate territory with little towns here and there.  There was no industry out there so I guess they were mainly retired folk or cattle/sheep ranchers. 

At one point during the day we crossed the 45th Parallel~the middle of the world.  Eventually we began seeing more civilization and finally came to Pendleton, Oregon (does anyone out there have a Pendleton Wool blanket? The factory is here)  near the banks of the mighty Columbia River.  At this point we turned west along Highway 84 with the Columbia to our right.   This area is one of our favorites and we've spent many days in this scenic wonderland.  I love it there, no matter what the weather.  We stopped at The Dalles, Oregon (The Dalles Dam is there) Safeway and got stuff for dinner and then continued on to our favorite campground on the Oregon side.  When you  approach Memaloose Oregon State Park, the first thing you see is a "Rest Area" sign.  But as you drive thru the rest area, you turn down the hill and there's the most delightful campground I've ever seen.  It's clean, with nice green grass and lovely big trees and right up above the river.  There were maybe only 15 RV's there but of course they had hogged up the best view spots.  But we found a nice level spot with a partial view from the camper window.  We ate dinner and watched a little TV.   The next morning we got up, unhooked and went into Hood River, Oregon for breakfast.  Hood River is like the wind surfing capital of the world.  During the summer there are people from all over the world there surfing the river. We pulled into the big parking lot set aside for the surfers and watched the brave few that were out there in the freezing cold wind.  Years ago they all surfed with colorful sails attached to their boards but now they are using kites attached to their boards instead.  It was so cold and the wind was blowing so hard, we only watched them for about 30 minutes.

We continued on, stopping at Cascade Locks, Oregon.  This is another great little town.  In the summer they have a couple stern wheelers running up anddown the river.  They travel west down around the Bonneville dam and then back up the river away's.  We have taken the ride a couple times in years past.  At the Bonneville Dam Visitor Center there is a fish hatchery (saw some baby salmon~yum, yum) and a tank with sturgeon swimming round & round.  There's one big boy, Herman, the 60 year old sturgeon who is 9 feet long and weighs in at 400 pounds.  He's the main attraction.  This lovely area has lots of free parking, picnic areas and a great gift shop.  Also from this area, you can see the beautiful "Bridge of the God's" connecting Oregon and Washington.

From Highway 84 we took a turn and went up on old Highway 30.  There's about 14 miles of this old highway left and it passes by some of the most breath taking scenery the Columbia River Gorge area has to offer.  You pass by 11 waterfalls....one of them, Multnomah Falls is 620 feet high.  There's plenty of parking there, an interpretive center and a lovely restaurant available.

The next breath taking place is Crown Point State Park.  It sits 733 feet above the Columbia , offering a 30-mile vista of the Gorge.  On a clear day Mt Hood stands proud in the distance. The building up there is called the Vista House and was built in 1916.  We've spent a lot of time up there on warm summer days...but this day it was cold & windy.  So took some pictures and headed down to the main highway.

Soon we were entering the maze of highways crossing the Columbia River in the Portland area.  Half way across the bridge was the sign "Welcome to Washington."  I was so happy to see that sign.   It was about 5:30pm, raining, dark and Bob kept saying how tired he was so at the first rest stop after we passed Vancouver, WA we pulled over.  He crawled up into the top of the camper to take a snooze.  I was down on my bunk reading my book and the next thing I knew he was saying "Linda, wake up...it's after 8pm." 

Explanation needed here.  I have never done any of the driving on these trips.  I don't do well driving his big truck, I don't particularly like to drive even my car on the freeway and I really hate to drive at night & in the rain...it's called "very poor night vision."  So he is the driver, I am the navigator.

So after having a bite to eat...we hopped back into the front of the truck and headed north on Interstate 5.  Within 2 hours we were driving into a very familiar driveway.....to quote Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz"    THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME !   

Thank you all for coming with me on this 3,209.2 mile adventure. I hope you enjoyed yourself.....and I promise to take you all on the next one.

News From My Doctor ~ Not Good

They just called me.  It's a meniscus tear in my right knee.  DRAT !!!  The gal said that they would work on getting an authorization for me to see an Orthopedic Surgeon.  I need to get back to Curves and out working on my yard.  I feel like a big slug having to "take it easy."  

Well, at least I can still drive and get around the grocery store.  Although shopping at Wal Mart yesterday really did me in.   Today I'm taking my grand daughter out to the Puyallup Fair grounds to drop off her entries for the Spring Fair that runs April 17-20.  Other than that, I don't do much.

My son said he'd come and mow the lawn but I didn't see his face on the non-rainy days and now today it's raining and meanwhile the grass is getting longer. 

Well, hopefully this knee will magically heal and I'll be dancing jigs within a couple months.        Sad Linda

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Good Movie

Barbara and I went to our Tuesday movie today.  We saw the movie "Leatherheads" starring George (Cutie Pie) Clooney, John Krasinski (The Office) and Renée Zellweger.         It only got a 3 star rating in the local paper but we thought it was good.  No sex, no blood & guts but it had a PG-13 rating for a few swear words.

I'm not much of a football fan but this movie depicting the beginning of professional football in the United States is worth watching.       Linda

Getting Closer ~ Episode Ten

By the time we had breakfast, looked around Minden, NV and filled up on gas it was almost 2 pm.  Bob had been stressing out over the "lost "driver's license incident so when we got to Carson City, he went into the Department of Motor Vehicles and told them his story, and asked if he could get a Nevada license. The answer~"sure for $21 we'll give you a license."   So he produced his Passport (his only picture ID other than his Costco card) and $21, stood for his photograph and 30 minutes later he had an official Nevada Driver's license complete with his Washington state address on it.  He had called the DMV in Washington several times, begging them to send him a duplicate of the license he lost but they kept telling him, they couldn't do that.  So this was the path of least resistance. At least once again, he's an official licensed driver.

After that we continued on to the home of his aunt & cousins, where we stayed on our way down south.  We just stayed the one night with them and then the next morning at 11:30am we continued our trek north.  We headed north east on Highway 80 arriving at Winnemucca, NV about 7pm that evening. We got some dinner, then gas and got a spot at the Model T Casino & RV Park.   We had breakfast there the next morning and continued on (now on Highway 95) and came to McDermitt, Nevada.  We stopped there at the last casino on the Nevada/Oregon border. 

We drove about 60 miles on Highway 95 and then headed north west on Highway 78.   That afternoon, the weather turned very ugly.  First of all we were driving thru "open range" which translates "cattle on and along the highway." 

This area was so desolate but beautiful.  We drove thru miles and miles of just nothing.  And all day the weather was horrible.  Snow, sleet, hail and wind.  It's a winding 2 lane highway for the most part and I don't think more than 10 carspassed us all day. At one point we were down to about 20 miles an hour because of the hail...the road was white, it was blowing and it was scary.  We went up a hill and came around a corner and thankfully we were going very slow.  There were about 8 head of cattle standing right next to the highway....looking at at us.  I did what any normal red blooded person does...I rolled down my window, stuck my head out and said "moo"  several times...they just looked at me like I was an idiot.   Bob and I laughed about that for awhile, wishing we could have read their minds.

We finally came to Burns, Oregon and stopped at the Safeway for a few things.  It was snowing hard there and we decided to not go any further.  So we found a spot in a privately owned RV park and settled in for the night.  They had cable TV, so we hooked up the little TV Bob keeps in the camper and kicked back, eating dinner and watching the tube.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Otters

I saw this in a AOL Journal that's a Private Journal.   So here it is for the rest of you...so very cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno

I've Been Tagged

Lisa, from Life on a Bison Farm was a bad girl and tagged me...don't laugh you may be next.  

Rules of the game

1. Each player answers questions about themselves.

2. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people, and posts their names, goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

 

Questions

1. WHAT WHERE YOU DOING TEN YEARS AGO

In 1998, I was working a clerical job at a Family Practice Residency Clinic.  My job was to listen to the pharmacy refill line and process the patient's requests. With 12 residents and 10 faculty doctors...we had lots of patients. I would get approximately 80 to 100 calls a day.  I had a neat little Access form I filled out, printed out each request, then I'd go to Medical Records, pull the chart and deliver them to the appropriate doctor. I actually did this for 6 years. In that time, I learned the phone numbers of every pharmacy within a 15 mile radius and how to spell even the most difficult medication names. I loved working in the clinic...I loved working with these young doctors who were starting their careers in the field of Rural Family Medicine. Part of the Mission Statement of this clinic was "To serve the under served." Many of these docs went on to practice in very remote areas. They were in the doctor business to help people, not to become rich and join the local Country Club. In 2000, I decided I needed a change and transferred to another department, where I stayed until retirement in February 2007.

 

2. WHAT ARE 5 THINGS ON MY TO-DO  LIST TODAY

take a shower and get dressed

deliver some Avon

go to a local hardware store and get a couple things they have on sale that I need

clean the kitchen, which means washing the dishes (I have no dishwasher other than my two hands.)

watch "Dancing With The Stars" and "The Bachelor" tonight

3. SNACKS I ENJOY

Anything chocolate...candy, cookies, cake, chocolate cream pie...all of it!!!  Popcorn, not the flavored stuff...just good old "cooked on the stove top" popcorn...oh and movie popcorn of course. And ice cream even vanilla as long as it has Hershey's chocolate syrup on it

4. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE?

I would have a handicapped accessible house built for my daughter and family. (She's in a wheelchair from a massive stroke 6 years ago)  Then I would build a house for me...somewhere with a view of the water and/or mountains.  Also a house for my son.  And I would give him money to finish taking the flying lessons, he desires to take.

I would donate money to my church, several local Christian Schools, CareNet (Crisis Pregnancy), American Cancer Society, Aids Foundation and finally the Humane Society.  I would also like to give money to several churches in my area that feed the hungry street people on a regular basis and to local food banks.

5. BAD HABITS

spending too much time on the computer (at times)

eating those snacks mentioned in #3

impatient

procrastinating~like planning on going groery shopping all week and finally getting to the store at 5pm on Saturday.

6. 5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED

eastern Washington as a young child (with my mom) when my dad was in the Army overseas during WWII

rural area of my home town

south end of my home town

north end of my home town

my present town which if I lived 5 blocks east, I'd be back in the south end of my home town.   Real exciting, huh?

7. 5 JOBS I'VE HAD

for one month after high school, cooking in a nursing home (horrible job)

then off to the phone company for 4 years as a long distance operator

Oldsmobile  & Chevrolet dealership, parts & service cashier

PBX operator at a large local bank

hospital admitting clerk (9 years) then I was hurt on the job

pharmacy refill person at Family Practice Clinic

administrative assistant in the hospital's Customer Service Call Center

5 people I want to know about:

Robin, The Yellow Brick Road

Monica, Mamarazzi

BettyKoda's Corgi Tales

Meg  In Quest Of

Barbara, Confessions of An Angel Waitress

Monday Morning Question With Krissy

 

       

From Krissy;  What is the most memorable activity you did with your family as a child?

We didn't get away much as we lived on a farm and had animals to take care.  (I guess that could be classed as a "memorable family activity")  I had grandparents, aunts & uncles & cousins who lived in eastern Washington, who came to our house a lot because we couldn't get away.   By the time I was 9 or 10, mom would put me on the train and I would travel to eastern Washington to visit them on my own, during summer vacations...  But finally in March of 1955, my dad arranged for someone to milk the cows, feed the pigs and chickens, etc.....and we drove to southern California for a full two weeks vacation.  Visiting with my dad's brothers and families and my dad's father  and of course seeing the sights, was so fun.  But the high point of this vacation (for me) was when my dad's step brother took me to work with him on a movie set & I met and had lunch with John Wayne.  I was 13 and will never forget that momentous event. 

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Time to Head North ~ Episode Nine

After spending one last weekend at the home of Bob's daughter and family...we reluctantly headed down their drive way about 12:15pm on Monday March 10th.  It's always sad to leave there...we love the time we spend with Hope, Jerry, Emil and Nina.  They are truly a special family. 

We began heading south out of Pasadena but Bob changed his mind and we turned around, heading north to I-5 and then on to Highway 14.  Our destination; Red Rock Canyon area.  Bob said he'd driven thru there once when he'd been alone and wanted to go back and check out the area.  We went thru Palmdale, stopped and got gas in Lancaster, passed an airplane junkyard of sorts in Mojave, CA. (Mojave is an interesting town with lots of history.)

We continued driving and finally came to the Red Rock Canyon area.  (If you go to the link provided, scroll down and click on Ricardo Campground to see their pictures of this beautiful area.)  We turned into the first campground sign we saw (Ricardo Campground)  with the idea of just driving thru...after all it was only 4pm and too early to stop for the day.  We had only driven for 4 hours.   Let me tell you once we started driving thru...we were stunned by the unusual beauty we were seeing.  Hills that looked like they'd been intricately carved by some ancient artist.  It was breath taking !!!   Since I keep a note book of our travels, I started writing down acceptable campsites for a future visit. We went all the way thru the campground and Bob stopped the truck...."what do you think?" he said.  I said "I think we should stay here so we can have the time to study the hills."  So we got a payment envelope and then went back thru, re-checking the site numbers I'd written down.  We chose Space 44. The spot was quite level, and we'd have our own Joshua Tree right next to the truck. So I got out and sat on the picnic table while Bob went back to pay for our spot.   We got out the lawn chairs and just sat, taking in the incredible beauty of the area.   There are approximately 50 campsites, some for tents, some pull-thru spots for larger RV's and regular campsites for smaller RV's.  Each site had a nice picnic table and a fire pit and more importantly ~ a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

While I was making dinner, Bob got a campfire going ( he loves a campfire), which was nice after the sun went behind the hills because it really cooled off (which happens at night in the desert)

What was first odd about this area was that while we sat there enjoying the beauty of this desert area we kept hearing but could not see (the sky was as clear as could be) jet planes.  Then in looking at the map, we realized we were very close to Edwards Air Force Base and China Lake Naval Air Station....that would account for the high flying jets.  We also saw and heard a few small private planes flying over the area.

The next morning we had breakfast and took on water and emptied our holding tanks and headed for Ridgecrest, CA (the official home of China Lake Naval Air Station.) This lovely town in the Mojave Desert was the home of my paternal grandfather.  And he is buried there in the cemetery. He was divorced from my grandmother when my dad was a little boy and his second wife died of cancer back in the 1950's.  Then he met and married a dear lady named Jessie.  We all loved Jessie (even my grandmother liked her) and when they married she had a teenage daughter, named Deenie (Nadine).  Deenie eentually married, had a family and still lives alone in Ridgecrest.  On our last trip thru there a few years back, I called her but could not reach her.  This time I didn't have her phone number with me but I knew where she worked, so we headed to her work place (a small private school) and low and behold there she was. She didn't recognize me at first ~ it's been a long time since we've seen each other in person but as soon as I said "Hi Deenie, it's me..Linda."  Her face lit up and she came to me and gave me a big hug.  Since she was at work (in between classes) we just stayed for about 20 minutes, figured out our relationship (she's my step-aunt), Bob took some pictures, we exchanged email addresses and then we were on our way.  I remember her once telling me that she adored my grandpa Smith...he was a better step father than her own dad was a father.  That always made me feel good, because even though I didn't see him very often, I always loved him and he was a wonderful loving grandpa.  Hopefully, the next time I go thru Ridgecrest it will be a planned visit and I can stay longer. 

From Ridgecrest we crossed over to Highway 395 (one of favorite routes thru eastern California & Nevada) heading north.  There was still lots of snow on the fields we passed and along the sides of the highway.  Later in the afternoon we arrived in Minden, Nevada and got a spot at the Carson Valley Inn RV Park.  

I hope you'll look at the pictures in the larger format to see the unusual patterns in the hills at the Ricardo Campground.

At this point we are still about 800 miles from home...but we're getting closer. 

 

 

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Having Tea With Daddy

I got this one from my daughter.....a cute story for sure, and I'm happy to say it's not my story nor is it hers.
 
One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge.
 I was maybe 1 and a half years old.
Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a gift and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news and my brother was playing nearby in the living room when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home. My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing'!
My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up, then says, 'Did it ever occur to you that the only place that baby can reach to get water is the toilet??'

Every Picture Tells A Story #2

From my friend and former co-worker Monica; 
 
Here is our next 'Every Picture Tells a Story' photo search ~ challenge.  This weeks photo/story is:
I have this purple __________________ (people eater, beads, vase, marbles, sweater) in my house
 
Is it something special to you?  Was it a gift?  Did you buy it yourself?  Just tell us something about the purple something in your house!  Easy as that! Photograph it, tell us the story behind it.
 
Photos/story due by Monday the 8th at noon pacific standard time. :-)  I look forward to what seeing and reading about your purple items!
*****************************************************************************
 
Oh I can play this one...I look at this purple item each time I sit at my computer.  It's permanent resting place is on one of the speakers next to my monitor.   Purchased in  Skagway, Alaska in August 2006 ~ my Purple Moose from a sweet little shop called "The Purple Moose."  I was devestated to find it closed and empty when we were there last August,  I had hoped to buy more of these little darlings.

What animal am I ?

Got it from Guido.........here's how mind turned out.

 

Which Animal Are You?
Your Result: Bear

Great and powerful, bears are known for their strength as well as their curiosity. Bears also have a gentle side, though. You reflect the nature of the bear.

Dog
Cat
Horse
Duck
Mouse
Hawk
Snake
Which Animal Are You?

 

Go ahead, try it for yourself.......click on "Which Animal Are You?"

Friday, April 4, 2008

My Right Knee

I called my doctor's office about an hour ago to see if she had the reults of my MRI.  Well, it seems my dear doctor has taken some time off (she deserves it, they have two little ones at home) and won't be back until Tuesday.  So it may be late Tuesday or even Wednesday before I get the news.   Meanwhile, I continue to "take it easy" and wear the soft brace. I'm not taking Tylenol anymore, it doesn't seem to do any good and I hate to overdo on any medications.   Thanks you all for your emails regarding this issue and I'll let you know the results when the office calls me next week.

Ensenada, Mexico Episode Eight

Thursday morning, we found our ship docked in Mexico.  All I saw out of our cabin window that day was their port area.  A dock with large cranes and piles of containers.    I knew I would not be able to get around without the wheel chair so Bob went to the Windjammer Cafe and brought me some breakfast and he headed off to go on the excursion we had paid for.  (I still have my ticket~needless to say)

The excursion was $30 and was to last 5 hours.  It included visit to La Bufadora and a Mexican Folkloric Fiesta.  He took a tour bus thru the city and out to an area along the ocean to the famous La Bufadora or a blowhole, a natural sea geyser created by the pressure of the ocean inside caves along the Baja Coast.  In the same area there were some open air markets where you could do some shopping.  However, Bob said the merchants there were very aggressive and a lot of the people were put off by that.   The next stop was the  Riviera Pacifico Cultural Center where they saw a Mexican Folkloric Show with regional dances and songs.  There was a live Mariachi band and of course dancers and entertainers in the bright colorful costumes.  

When I scrolled thru Bob's Ensenada pictures I found he'd only taken about 11 pictures and none of the Mexican Folkloric show...grrrrrrr!!

During the day I stayed on the bed in the cabin.  I found a comfortable position so that my knee didn't hurt but I could still watch TV, read and take a nap.   Our dear cabin steward, Merita, came to clean and found me there so she brought me more ice for an ice bag and asked if there was anything else she could do. I called room service for lunch (which was delicious) and  I watched 2 movies...."The Bee Movie" and "Michael Clayton."  I'd seen "The Bee Movie" before but on this day, it didn't matter.   I was able to nap for awhile too.

Bob got back about 3pm and he told me about his day and asked if I wanted to go up on the upper deck.  Yes, I certainly did...since all I was seeing out the cabin window was the port area.   So he took me to the upper open air deck where we found a Bar B Que going on.  He got me seated at a railing table where I could look out over the city and went and got us some food.  They had Bar B Que ribs, potato salad, all kinds of fresh fruit, salad, cookies, ice cream...everything you'd have at a Bar B Que.  It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, with a light breeze....people were in the pool, others were eating Bar B Que....my depression at being in the cabin for 5 hours by myself vanished. 

Bob suggested that we not go to dinner that night, thinking it would be easier for me.  But I wanted to go and share one last dinner with our cruise friends.  So we went and we all exchanged phone number's, etc. After dessert was served our waiters put on quite a show for us. I think this one was better than Italian night when the all sang "O Sole Mio" in Italian.  They came out balancing all sorts of dishes and kitchen ware as they danced thru the dining area.  Then they had us all on our feet and led us to a lively rendition of the Macharaina.   As we left the table we all hugged and wished each othersafe trips home. Then it was back to our cabin to pack and get our bags out in the hall by 11pm.  I'd done a little packing thru out the day so was almost finished with mine.  Leaving out medications, toothbrush, clothes, etc that I would need Friday morning to get off the ship. 

I had saved a couple little cartons of milk and a little box of Raisin Bran so I'd have some breakfast Friday morning without having to go up to the Windjammer.  But Bob went up and got me a couple pieces of bacon and a little plate of scrambled eggs and an English muffin.  They were closing the Windjammer at 8:30am so Bob hurried back up to get himself fed.

He took me to the upper deck where we waited until our luggage tag color was called over the loudspeaker.  He had already called Hope and confirmed with her that we were told we'd be off the ship and thru Customs by about 10am.  Since I was in the wheel chair, when our color was called...the staff hurried us off the ship.  We were directed to a special line for Customs. After Customs, we found our luggage and a nice man helped us get it out to the curb. Once again we were on solid ground sitting in the sun waiting for Hope to pick us up.  Our cruise was over.....always a bittersweet moment, for those of us who love to cruise. 

Within about 10 minutes she pulled up to the curb, Bob loaded our bags into the car and away we went.   Hope asked if I could handle riding along while she drove into the wholesale district of downtown LA.   She had a couple things to pick up and she was going to the area of silk plants and flowers....and she knew I wanted a silk Lucky Bamboo.  When we got to the area, I stayed in the car, she and Bob went and got the needed items, including my very realistic Bamboo plant.  Then it was off to Pasadena, picking up In-N-Out burgers for lunch and then to their house.