Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Human Race
thanks to my friend Lynnette for this one;
A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?'
The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and then all mankind was made.'
Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.
The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.'
The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?'
The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I Didn't Know Until This Evening
I happened to be channel surfing this evening and came across the telecast of a memorial service for one of my favorite gospel singers~ Dottie Rambo. It seems she was killed in a early morning bus accident on May 11th as she, her manager, his family and others were traveling to a Mother's Day Special at North Richland Hills, Texas. The others on the bus were injured but are recovering.
Dottie was 74 years old and a singer and prolific writer of great gospel songs. Many other artists sang her songs, among them Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and Barbara Mandrell.
One of my favorite gospel songs was written (words & music) by Dottie. At the memorial service I just watched, singer Sandi Patty sang this beautiful song complete with signing for the hearing impaired.
Here's a link to the video of Dottie singing & signing this great song;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDfwOL3IQ5I
Dottie's daughter Reba and son in law Donnie McGuire carry on her legacy of music.
Rest in peace dear Dottie and thank you for your precious gift of gospel music.
Dottie Rambo March 2, 1934~May 11, 2008
BBQ RULES
When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:
Routine...
(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer or soda in hand.
Here comes the important part:
(4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
More routine....
(5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
(6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.
Important again:
(7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
More routine....
(8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
(9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
And most important of all:
(10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
(11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed 'her night off.' And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women....
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
AOL Community Photo Challenge
FUN Category
The Magic hour, or Golden hour is the first & last hour of sunlight.
It's the 1/2 hour before the sun rises, & 1/2 after the sun rises. It's also the 1/2 hour before sunset & 1/2 hour after.
Sunrise in Red Rock Canyon, California March 2008
AOL Community Photo Challenge
The Animal Within~FUN Category only
This is not just an animal image, it can be a bird, fish or insects.....Post a photo of a living thing(no plants) that represents you, a self portrait, but using a photo of an animal or living thing. Be creative...Ü This is only for the Fun category. You have a week to enter & try to post between May 23rd through May 30th. (no old entries) Read guidelines & add your permalink, in the comments area.
I didn't have to look far for this Photo Challenge. On really hot days I'd like to join my precious Gabi Lin on the cool wood entry way of our house.
JLand Photo Shoot #134
Yes, this week's JLand Photo Shoot is arriving very late! I should've given you all a subject on Monday. But better late than never, they say. So I am offering a subject today. You will have extra time to complete it! Let's have it done by Saturday, May 31st, at 11 PM EDT. That's Saturday, almost midnight, an hour before Sunday, for those of you who are getting confused. :)
Our Subject for this photo Shoot is:
Say it with Color!
My favorite lady clown appearing every year at the Puyallup Fair
Indiana Jones
Holy ants, waterfalls and special effects !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was 120 minutes of good !!!!
I don't think the small screen of a TV will do it justice.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Adding Insult To Injury
We've reached just over $4 a gallon here in the Seattle-Tacoma area this past weekend. And to add insult to injury.....gas pumped at several local Shell stations and also a few Safeway Stores apparently contained enough water to cause the vehicles that were filled with this gas to stall out and be in need of costly repairs. Most people could not even pull out of the gas stations...they were " dead in the water" ~ so to speak. Tow trucks had to be called and rental cars ordered so the drivers could get on with their holiday weekend plans or at least get back home. I heard that at a Shell station not too far from my house the person on duty said, "it's not my fault you're car won't run." There was an argument by a very frustrated driver, he eventually called 911 and about the time the police arrived, the station manager also arrived on the scene. The outcome~the station manager said that Shell would cover the towing, rental car and repair of the vehicle.
I hope this is only an isolated issue and doesn't become a wide spread problem. I'm afraid of the outcome if it were to happen all over the country. People are already fired up over the rising costs of gasoline and they certainly wouldn't be happy with costly repair bills on top of it.
The weather here this weekend was somewhat surprising. Usually Memorial Day weekend means a promise of non-stop rain. We had one day where it drizzled a little but all in all it's been quite pleasant. Today I think we topped out right at 70* with a light breeze. I've got nearly all my bedding plants planted now but at Fred Meyer Garden Center the other day, I found rhubarb starts. So I bought two of them ($1.29 each). I have to move some bulbs out of a big square planter and I'll put the rhubarb in there. Or I may just use two more of the recycle bins that I have stacked out behind my shed.
I did get the 5-shelf storage unit I was looking for. It's not the same color as the one I already have but it's close. It also wasn'ton sale but there was a 10% off coupon in the paper I was able to use. The cashier told me to keep my receipt in my wallet and if it goes on sale in the next 30 days, they'll reimburse the difference. I've started working in the smaller bedroom where I plan to use it. I'm running into a lot of stuff that needs to go. I've started a box for the thrift shop and have listed other items on eBay.
Tomorrow I'll be taking some time off. Barbara and I are going to see "Indiana Jones." The parking lot at the theater up the street was totally packed all weekend. It's a Regal Cinema 15 and they are showing it in 4 of their theaters. I'm thinking that the kids will all be back in school and people will be back to work tomorrow...so it shouldn't be too crowded.
I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe & restful weekend. Until next time, Linda
Oh my gosh...I just heard a big clap of thunder. It looks rain may be on the way.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Written in 1915 by Lt Col John McCrae, MD of the Canadian Army
Memorial Day~Remembering
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan. It was first officially observed on May 30th of that same year. On that date, 140 years ago...flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. It was a day to honor those men and women who gave the supreme sacrifice in the service of our country, for the many freedoms we enjoy today. It's reason remains the same today.
It wasn't until 1971 that it became a National holiday and was set up to be observed on the last Monday of May.
I'm afraid that today, it's become a three day weekend to party, go camping, BBQ and take advantage of the Memorial Day sales at the local mall. I wonder if today's high school students or even college students know the true meaning of this holiday?
Please take a moment with your families to stop and give thanks to all those who have given the supreme sacrifice for the many freedoms we enjoy.
And I want to say thank you to all those who have served and are serving in our armed forces today. Most have done this on a volunteer basis because they believe in what this country stands for. I know we have our faults...but like humans...no country is perfect.
God Bless America !
Friday, May 23, 2008
Ahhhhhhhhhh
Oh what a wonderful afternoon. The daughter of a friend of mine is going to massage therapy school and she's doing her "time" in a massage therapy clinic nearby right now. I got a 30 minute seated massage for $15 this afternoon. Oh, my neck and shoulders feel so much better, she really worked the kinks out. I have a 1 hour appointment scheduled for next Friday for a table massage ($30)...I can hardly wait.
I'm looking for a 5 shelf snap together storage unit....so it was off to Lowes's, K-Marche and Target. Didn't find exactly what I was looking for...found the shelf but not the color. I'm trying to match one I got about 6 years ago~that may be impossible. I'll go check at Fred Meyer sometime this weekend. So far, Target came the closest to what I'm looking for.
Then it was over to Office Depot for printer ink cartridges, copy paper, shipping tape, etc. I just happened to get a flyer from Office Depot in the mail today and there was a 20% off coupon in there, so I saved a few bucks on what I bought. That's a good thing.
That's all for now...Linda
Friday Morning
Friday morning , the first day of the long Memorial Day weekend. I see that the kids are not in school today at the grade school just west of here, so they get a extra long weekend. It's raining this morning...very typical of this holiday weekend here in the Pacific Northwest. And I'm determined to clean this house today and perhaps over the weekend make some progress in the act of "de-cluttering."
The flowers, shrubs and trees are particularly beautiful right now. I'm thinking I may drive thru the park here where I live and take some pictures. But this is what I see, thru the mini blinds, out my living room window as I sit at my computer....
...the beautiful pink rhody in front of my house. I didn't prune it last spring, so it's getting quite tall. Hey, you can even see my mailbox out there, just in front of the big cedar tree.
Harrison Ford & the rest of the Indiana Jones cast is really making the rounds of the talk shows. I was thinking that the studio made a good call, opening that movie on the Friday of a long weekend. If I go by the theater just up the street this weekend, I'll have to take notice of the parking lot. I'll bet it will be packed ! There's a Ruby Tuesday's restaurant in that complex too and when there's a big hit playing that place is always packed.
Gas is up at $4 a gallon here in town now. Where will it stop? Bob & I are considering another road trip in October and if this continues....we may change our plans. His daughter in California wants him to come there for his October 11th birthday.
Speaking of Bob...he has two grand kids graduating from high school in the next few weeks. His grand son in Pasadena is graduating as is his #2 grand daughter here locally. She goes to a rather large high school so I don't know if we'll get to go to the ceremony or not.
My son continues on Ancestor.com with his search for his roots on his dad's side. He did make a connection last night with part of the family we've heard about so that was exciting. He's done an amazing amount of work in just a week or so. Ancestor.com allows for a 14 day free trial and then I think the first 30 days after that is around $20.
Well, folks if I'm going to get anything done today, I need to get off here and get started.
I hope you all have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. Until next time, Linda
Thursday, May 22, 2008
In Theater's Tomorrow
The new Harrison Ford movie that is..."Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Some of the critics are saying that's it's boring and not that great. I personally liked the first one but that was many years ago. And I've been on the "Indiana Jones" ride at Disneyland many times & I like that. But I'm not sure yet if this new movie will be on my "to see" list. Harrison Ford still has that same appeal as he did 25 years ago but so does Mickey Mouse. So will I pay to go to this movie and have my adrenalin up and running for 120 minutes...the jury is still out.
But how about you? Take my poll and let me know your ideas on this new movie.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
It's Worth A Try !
I got this as an email~thought I'd share it. However I don't personally know if it works. Maybe some of our JLand friends in mosquito areas can try it out and get back to us. Linda
Mosquito Spray...Worth A Try
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....
OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS: I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of Bug-spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.
Now these are Good Mosquitos!!!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
An Interesting Tuesday
First of all let me tell you about the huge weather change here in western Washington. Last night there were a few drops of moisture falling out of the sky and I didn't think much about it until about 11pm. I was laying in bed, reading my book and I heard this strange noise. I went into the bathroom to looked out the window and found the window sill... wet...rain was being blown in thru the window. RAIN !!! We just had 90 degrees the other day, I thought summer was here.....WRONG!!! Yup, it absolutely poured all night. Today it was a mix of pouring, blowing rain and wind and then the sun would come out for awhile and then rain again. The temps were down in the low 50's all day. SUMMER'S GONE !!!
Today Barbara and I went to our usual Tuesday afternoon movie. We saw "What Happens In Vegas." It was just so-so...if you haven't gone to the theater to see it, I'd save my money and watch it when it comes out as a rental.
My son has paid for a one month subscription to Ancestors.com and has started a family history search on his dad's side of the family. I had a little information, enough to get him started but he's gone clear back to the 11th century now on his paternal grandmother's side. In fact one of her very distant relatives is reported to have donated the land in England where the remains of Whitby Abbey stands.
He allowed me access to his information and I've put in all the information I had on my mom and dad's distant relatives. Some of you may remember that a year or so ago I discovered I was very distantly related to Ally's grandson thru the Robert & Thomas Cushman (they came over on the Mayflower) line. This genealogy stuff is really interesting. Between the two of us we have spent hours this afternoon & evening discovering where we came from.
The one mystery I've yet to solve is what I call the "Pocahontas Mystery." My dad's maternal grandmother always claimed she was distantly related to Pocahontas. I understand that was the family joke and no one ever really believed it but in my poking around I will be doing a little research in that area. Pocahontas did go to England and married John Rolfe and before she died at age 22, they had a son. So you just never know. This great grandmother of mine is buried in the cemetery just a mile or so from my house and if I ever find out that she was right...I'm going to take the biggest bouquet of flowers I can find and lay them on her grave.
My son in law called me from Costco the other day and asked me if I had Debbie Macomber's new book "Twenty Wishes." I have looked at it at several stores but had not bought it yet so he kindly bought it for me and brought it by, refusing payment, saying it was my "half birthday (July 4th) gift..a little early. I was thrilled. Last night I finished the book I've been reading so tonight I start "Twenty Wishes."
Until next time.........Linda in rainy, windy, cold Washington state where summer has come and gone.
News Update
The local programming was just interrupted with the news that 76 year old Senator Ted (Edward) Kennedy, who has been in the hospital for several days after suffering a seizure...has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He remains hospitalized in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Where Were You 28 Years Ago Today ?
I remember where I was..my former husband and I, along with our young son were driving around the Olympia-Lacy, Washington area looking at homes. The Milwaukee Railroad had folded on April 1, 1980 and my husband was sort of in limbo...looking for a job. We were considering a move about 20 miles south and opening an equipment rental store. So on this beautiful May Sunday afternoon we took a drive to look at houses. For some odd reason I don't remember that we had the radio on in the car as we drove around from house to house...so we were unaware of what was going on less than 100 miles south of us. Later in the afternoon we decided to head back home and one of us flipped on the radio. There it was...the news we'd been expecting. Mt St Helens had erupted big time. It wasn't the little puffs of steam that had been reported but the big eruption they'd been predicting.
My first thought was the old man named Harry Truman that had been refusing to leave his lodge on beautiful Spirit Lake. His family and the authorities had spent weeks trying to get him and his many cats to leave the area, warning him of the consequences if he stayed. Harry came to the area in 1926 building a log cabin, a grocery store & gas station and a boat rental business. In 1939 he built a lodge and people would come from the city for weekend and vacation fun. He eventually owned 54 acres and had 100 boats in his rental fleet. It was his home and by golly he wasn't leaving. Follow this link to a You Tube Video about Harry, Spirit Lake and the mountain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGwa3N43GB4
I think the saddest thing I ever saw several months after the eruption was his family climbing into a helicopter and being flown over the area where Spirit Lake had once been and dropping a floral wreath in Harry's memory. How sad it must have been for his family and the families of the other dear ones killed that day.
Anyway, my husband pilled the car over along the freeway and we looked back at the darkened sky to the south of us. The prevailing winds blew most of the plume to the east , blotting out the sun in cities across the Cascades in eastern Washington. The people wore masks, there was concern about ash ruining vehicle engines and destroying crops. North of the eruption we did get a light covering of ash...I have a picture of our BBQ where I wrote the date in the ash covering it's black lid. But the cities near the mountain and those across the Cascades really got it.
Later that summer my husband did go to work for the Union Pacific Railroad and on trips to cities south of here , the guys would walk thru 2-4 inches of ash that covered the parking lots, etc. In fact somewhere here I still have a milk carton of Mt St Helen's ash that he collected for me in the train yard in Longview, Washington.
In almost a single moment this beautiful, pristine mountain and the surrounding area was devastated by the blast. The mountain itself was reduced in height by 1,312 feet, 57 people lost their lives, 250 homes were destroyed, 47 bridges were wiped out by the flow of mud and trees, 15 miles of rail line was wiped out and 185 miles of highways were lost.
For more on the unforgettable event stop over at; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens and read more.
The mountain has rumbled to life several times since that day 28 years ago but today, I'm happy to say that the old girl is sitting calm...but who knows what tomorrow, next week or next year will bring ?
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/
On another note; a new temperature record was set yesterday in Seattle. The official thermometer (probably at Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airport) hit 90 degrees. The warmest May 17th on record. I think my house was 190*...poor Gabi was really dragging (as was I.) I was able to get the living room down to about 78* by about 10 o'clock last night and she really perked up. Today is supposed to be cooler.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Please Visit My Friend
Stop by http://journals.aol.com/dbdacoba/VagabondJourneys/ and tell my friend DB hello. He's fairly new to JLand and has a unique journal. Sometimes it's only a line or two but it makes you stop & think. Be sure and add him to your alerts so you don't miss out.
Saturday Heat Wave
It's just a little after 6pm Saturday and the big thermometer outside my kitchen window says 92*. It's either all or nothing when it comes to the weather in western Washington. Even my sidebar Weather Pixie says 88*. Poor little Gabi hasn't done any shedding of her winter coat yet so she is really dragging. She's all laid out on the wood entry way ~ her favorite place to stay cool.
The very warm weather has started a season of danger on Washington rivers. The heavy snow pack is beginning to melt very fast and there's a warning on most of the rivers, especially here on the west side of the Cascades, that flooding could occur. Also the water is moving very fast and the news casters continue to point out that those fast moving rivers are not the place to cool off. I know one lady was swept away Thursday I think it was....fortunately she was seen from the river bank and rescue workers were in place down stream to pluck her out. They said that the waters are so cold that hypothermia could happen in just seconds after entering the water.
I mentioned in my entry last night that I recently discovered that my journal was 3 years old. Robin made a comment that she wondered when she started reading my journal and how did she find me. Well, I did a little research. First of all I started my journal because my daughter Julie (Jools) had a journal. She has since stopped journaling but she's the reason I started. She was telling me about all these great people from all over the world she was meeting and getting to know thru their journals. So Robin that's probably how you found me...just like many of the other's that first commented in my journal. So like I said, I did a little research...many of the people that commented back in May of 2005 are apparently no longer journaling. But here's some of my first readers that still do journal; Sandra over in England you were the first. Also Linda, Krissy, Jae, Monica (I don't think you even realized it was me at first), Angelrose, Jeannette, Jan and the other Jeannette (private journal) all in England....Betty, Susan, Val, Donna and of course Robin. Between May and September of 2005 you all stopped by to say hi. (If I've overlooked anyone please forgive me~it's so hot in this house.) Again thank you all for sticking with me. It's meant so much to have you a part of my life and for allowing me to share yours. We've been thru a lot together in the last 3 years. Happy Journaling !!! Linda
I Won !!!!
I got an email from Val that I was one of the winners in her "Weekly Sentence #14. I am excited...I have never won anything. Thanks to Val, to my mom & dad, to all my grade school and high school teachers, to my kids, to my grand kids and to the academy! Thank you, thank you !
See the list of participants at; http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason/entries/2008/05/17/winners-of-weekly-sentence-14.../2101
Jeannette kindly pointed out that I forgot to thank Gabi....Thank you my dear little Princess Gabi Lin !
Friday, May 16, 2008
Vacuuming at 11pm & a free senior soft drink
It was up to 84* in Seattle today. The big thermometer on my porch went to about 82* by this afternoon. So tonight I waited until just before 11pm to vacuum. It still was about 75* here in the house but I'm sure that was cooler than it was earlier.
I didn't start my day until almost 1pm. I woke up about 5am this morning and could not go back to sleep. This after watching David Letterman until after 12:30am. So about 10am I laid down again and slept until after 12 noon. Oh, how glad I am I'm not working !!!
This afternoon I went to K-Mart and bought a bag of their K-Gro weed & feed. The dandelions are thriving and I have to get something on the lawn before it's solid weeds. The directions said to water the lawn thoroughly so I brought out the hose and sprinkler, set it on the front lawn. I let it run several hours so tomorrow afternoon it should be ok to spread the Weed & Feed.
Bob is away so I didn't have to cook dinner today so I pulled thru Taco Bell and got a couple crunchy tacos and a "Free" senior diet soda. You seniors out there...did you know Taco Bell does that? You have to buy something but even a couple 99 cent tacos works to get that free senior drink. For dessert I had a bowl of cottage cheese with diced peaches~yummy!
Before I came home I stopped and topped off the gas tank. $3.79.9 a gallon for regular unleaded. Where will it stop?
I watched an interesting documentary on PBS about Walt Whitman tonight. It was good even if he was a little eccentric. I do have an old copy of his "Leaves of Grass."
Saturday is full for me. I'm going to lunch with a group of gals from the little hospital I worked at back in the 1980's. Then later in the afternoon, I plan on going to the Memorial Service for the sister of our journal friend Joni.
I realized today that my journal celebrated it's 3rd birthday/anniversary on May 6th. I can't believe it was three years ago that I began. Thank you all who have hung in there with me since the beginning.
I hope you all have a good weekend....until next time, Linda
AOL Community Photo Challenge~Landscapes Judged
AOL Community Challenge-Landscapes in COLOR! JUDGING
Here's mine~hope I'm not too late.
Mojave Sunset
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Inquiring Minds Want To Know~
"How come we choose from just two people for President, and fifty for Miss America?" Alfred E Neuman
New Washing Machine & Flowers
It was such a beautiful day here today...probably in the high 70's with a breeze. It's supposed to be warmer on Friday~maybe even a record breaker.
Yesterday, I did the last of my "flower" shopping. I got some geraniums, lots of lobelia (finally) and another bag of Miracle Grow Garden Soil.
I can't remember if I've already posted a picture of my new washing machine or not. Anyway, I've actually had it since last fall, when the gal down the street moved to Arkansas. I saw it and asked her what she was doing with it & she said "nothing.. do you want it?" So I wheeled it down the street. I thought I would fill it full of dirt and plant flowers in it but that would take an awful lot of dirt and besides the lid is in good shape & I didn't want to discard it...so I decided to plant the lid. I put some potting soil around the edge and popped in some nasturtium seeds and carefully covered them up and watered them. The way I figure...the flowers will boom and hang out over the edge of the lid.
I planted lobelia in several hanging baskets and the geraniums in pots that I have sitting here and there. I didn't get it all done before I was pooped and had to quit...but almost. I also went "big" grocery shopping today, so had all of that stuff to bring home & put away.
My handsome son came over after work and mowed the back lawn this afternoon. I stopped my planting to feed him some dinner and visit with him for awhile and then he was off and I continued for about an hour. I'm also moving all the pots with spent daffodils & tulips in them, back behind my shed. I figure if I water them once in awhile during the summer they'll bloom again next spring.
Well that's all for tonight...enjoy the pictures. Until next time, Linda
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Geriatric Issue
I very quietly confided to my friend that I was having an affair.
She turned to me and asked "Are you having it catered?"
That my friends is the definition of OLD !
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Doing The Happy Dance !
Well, I set the alarm and was up early to head off across town to the Orthopedic Doctor. After filling out a pile of forms, I was ushered into a little exam room, given a pair of disposable navy shorts to put on. After thumbing thru the June 2008 issue of "House Beautiful" the thin, small doctor walked in & introduced himself. He asked me how long my knee has been bothering me and I told him about the incident in March. But really this goes way back...like to 6th grade. I told him about my knee swelling, mom would take me to the doctor, he'd wrap it with an elastic bandage, write a note for me to be out of P.E. for a month.....it went on all thru Junior & Senior High School. I told him as a young mother I could never kneel down on the floor with my little ones and play with them. My knees (the right one has always been the worst) hurt so bad, that I couldn't bend them back by kneeling like that.
So then he pulled the MRI films out of the jacket and put them up on the light panel. First of all, I do have a meniscus tear but only slight and not in the normal place where they do surgery. The big problem is the patella (kneecap) on my right leg is not where it belongs..it is way over to the outside of my leg and is rubbing bone on bone with the femur. He went on to say that my right knee cap was probably off to the side when I was born. He suggested the "pop" and pain I felt in March was probably a muscle or tendon pulling when I was knocked over and lost my balance. So for right now he wants me to continue to wearing the soft brace, to still take it easy in climbing steps, etc and if the pain increases he'll consider some cortisone shots (oh those feel good~I've had them in my hip joint) and someday it will come to a knee replacement.
I said "so no surgery right now?" "Nope, not now" was his reply. I am soooooooo very happy !!! I can deal with the discomfort~ice, Ibuprofen & tylenol will help with that. But I did not want to go under the knife again. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime!
It's barely 50 degrees and raining here in the lovely Pacific Northwest today. But...the TV weather guy said we can expect sun & temperatures in the high 70's by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, Barbara is coming over soon and we're going to an afternoon movie. Until next time.....Happy Linda !
P.S. a friend of mine sent me this link. Sort of a follow up to Mother's Day. I hate that you have to watch a commercial before getting the actual video but it's worth it...the video is great. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/09/assignment_america/main4085323.shtml
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday Notes
Mother's Day was wonderful. My son, Jim picked me up shortly after 11am and we met his girl friend & her mom at Mama Stortini's in Puyallup for their Mother's Day Brunch. The food was so good ( I felt like I was on a cruise ship there for awhile) and we had a delightful time. Jim brought me home as he had laundry, etc to do and I went over to the home of my middle niece. They were having a Mother's Day BBQ and a 3rd birthday party for their little Ella. I got there just as they were finishing their meal (no I didn't eat anything there. I was stuffed!) And in time to deposit my gift on the pile and watch as Ella's big sister Lindsey and her cousin Callie helped her open her gifts. We were all chuckling at the 3 little girls~when they are doing "little girl" things they seem to revert to those high squeaky voices. Christopher, Callie's big brother was sitting there with his hands over his ears. I had a nice visit with my brother & sister-in-law and two of my three nieces and their families.
When I got home, Bob stopped by with a nice bouquet of lilies. They are so beautiful and certainly make the house smell nice. It was nice of him to bring the flowers, especially since I'm not his mother nor the mother of his children.
Today has been laundry day. I ordered some new sheets (some of those made out of T-shirt material) from QVC but they haven't arrived yet. So I went ahead and stripped my bed and washed the flannel sheets and put them back on the bed. I had to take my electric blanket off last week because even when I didn't turn it on, that with the flannel top sheet and the bedspread was just too much. Anyway, I wish those new sheets would get here soon, I'm anxious to see how they feel. QVC had a good special on their Northern Lights brand with this fabric~ $24 for the queen size. It was like a "one time special offer."
Tomorrow morning is my appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon. In a way I'm dreading it and in another way, I'm looking forward to it. I'm really hoping I do not have to have surgery. But, we'll see what he says.
The weather man says we're supposed to see temperatures up in the 80's by the end of the week. Meanwhile I guess Tuesday will bring us cool temps and RAIN!
Light At The End of The Tunnel
No matter what situations life throws at you...
no matter how long and treacherous your journey may seem..
Remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel..........
Hope I Don't Need To Call Them
This is India, where you call if you have a techinal problem with your computer.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day !!
Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, step-mothers, foster mothers, grandmothers who are raising their grand kids & dads who have had to be both mother & father to their children. Also, for those you who have never had a child but have pets....consider these wishes for you. Our pets take a lot of care and we do the same things for them that we do children. So Happy Mother's Day to you, too.
My son is taking me to lunch today and then I'm going to the home of my niece and family to celebrate her little Ella's 3rd birthday. After a gloomy Saturday and a stormy night, the sun is shining (at least right now) here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest this morning.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
AOL Community Photo Challenge~Landscapes in Color
For FUN Category~
Spring is here & so is the color!!! So Our Challenge this week is easy.....
LANDSCAPES in COLOR! FOLLOW GUIDELINES which can be found on the sidebar, must leave permalinks, also found on sidebar. Post your NEW entry now till Friday May 16th for Judging. If you have any questions email me or Vicki.
Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island
It's Here Again~My Favorite TV Commercial
I love this commercial, they have it on TV every year at this time and even though I can't get the song out of my mind...I still love these darling "actors."
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Haircut
Thanks to my long time friend Ruthie down in Hemet, California for this one.
THE HAIRCUT
A young boy had just received his driver's permit and asked his father if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said he'd make a deal with his son. 'You bring your grades up from a C to a B Average, study your Bible a little, get your hair cut and we'll talk about the car.'
The boy thought about that for a moment, decided he'd settle for the offer and they agreed on it. After about six weeks his father said, 'Son, I've been real proud. You brought your grades up and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I'm real disappointed you didn't get your hair cut.'
The young man paused a moment then said, 'You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair and there's even a strong argument that Jesus had long hair.'
To this his father replied, 'Did you also notice that they all walked everywhere they went?'
A young boy had just received his driver's permit and asked his father if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said he'd make a deal with his son. 'You bring your grades up from a C to a B Average, study your Bible a little, get your hair cut and we'll talk about the car.'
The boy thought about that for a moment, decided he'd settle for the offer and they agreed on it. After about six weeks his father said, 'Son, I've been real proud. You brought your grades up and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I'm real disappointed you didn't get your hair cut.'
The young man paused a moment then said, 'You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair and there's even a strong argument that Jesus had long hair.'
To this his father replied, 'Did you also notice that they all walked everywhere they went?'
Sunblock
Just got this from my friend Charlotte who lives down in Vancouver, Washington. However, she was born and raised up here in the Puget Sound area and she & her family were our neighbors back in the 1970's .
Monday's The Day......
......that our postage rates go up. Yup, First Class Postage goes up 1 penny to 42 cents for a letter. If you can get to the Post Office today or Saturday, you can get the Forever Stamps for 41 cents each. On Monday they will be 42 cents each.
I still have stamps that require additional small denomination stamps to go along with them, so I've done my best to get rid of my 42 cent stamps. And whenever I've had a few extra bucks, I bought a booklet of the Forever Stamps. So I think I have over 100 of them now.
I would imagine all other rates will go up too including International rates, post cards, Priority rate, Media Mail, etc.
I know that we tend to complain about our postage rates but from what I hear we have on of the best Postal Systems in the world. And I'm sure there are countries with higher rates than ours. I have friends in northern Alberta Canada, who have never had home delivery and they live inside the city limits of their town. I have always been blessed with the mailman leaving my mail just outside my door or just a short walk to the mail box.
Since so many of us have computers, allowing us to keep in contact with friends & family by email and to pay bills online, I'm sure there's a huge decrease in mail volume...except perhaps during the Christmas holiday.
So for now...I'm not complaining about this newest increase almost exactly 1 year from the last one.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
AOL Cummunity Photo Challenge~Tribute to Mothers
EXTRA Creative Challenge-Tribute to Mothers
This Challenge is a "Tribute to Mothers" ALL mothers, one mother....any mother...
Could be your sister, if she's a mother....could be your own mother, could be a portrait of yourself as a mother.
ANYTHING GOES, be creative, use whatever you want....quotes, poems.....things your mother always said..... Stories of your mother, childhood memories....
Only one category this week, "FUN"
You have now till THURSDAY, May 8th 7PM EST to post your tribute to your mom. Or any mom...... I will post them on Friday.
Mom, you were one of a kind. Sweet, gentle, loving, kind... but you didn't put up with any monkey business. You didn't like my rock & roll music, you hated red fingernail polish but as I grew up you provided me with other music so I'd learn to love it all and you bought me a bottle of nail polish remover. LOL You sat me at your knee and taught me about my loving Heavenly Father at an early age. You took me to Sunday School and church even when, as a surly teenager I really didn't want to go. You took care of me when I was sick. You played with me when I was well. You spent your days recuperating from major surgery, sewing (by hand) clothes for a doll you gave me for Christmas. You got me my first sewing machine & taught me how to use it. You taught me how to embroidery dish towels. You tried to teach me how to cut up a chicken even when I pointed out to you that "some day chickens will be available already cut up." You taught me how to weed the garden even when you knew I hated it. And when I had to milk Daisy when dad went fishing...you assured me that she wouldn't kick me. You taught me how to do things around the house, when I wasn't interested. You didn't get too upset when you said "Linda, clean your room" and all I did was move the stuff from one side to the other (your words). You giggled at the way I could stack the clean dishes in the dish drainer. You taught me about growing flowers and encouraged me to always have a flower garden no matter what my economic status might be. You said "Flowers even in a small pot are good for the soul." You were patient when I was learning to drive. You were there for me during the most difficult times of my life. By your example, you taught me how to be a mother...I pray I didn't disappoint you in that area. You loved me when I was the most unlovable.
Thank you mom for all that you were....I miss you so much. And I thank God for choosing you for my mom.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
May Book Club
Today being the first Wednesday of the month, was book club day. It's a group of female readers that gather once a month at a local Round Table Pizza for lunch and the chance to meet two local authors.
Today the two authors visiting with us were Elizabeth Boyle and Jane Porter. Both of these authors live in the Seattle area, so traveled down together to be with us today.
Jane was telling us one of the books she has written, "Flirting with Forty" is being made into a Lifetime Movie and will be on TV this coming fall. The movie stars Heather Locklear and Jane recently returned from Hawaii where she met with the producer, screen writer & the cast. This story is based loosely on her own life, depicting her divorce that happened when she was turning 40. Of course the story and the movie will be slightly different...as the screen writer took the liberty of changing things here and there. Some of Jane's other books are "Odd Mom Out" and "Mrs Perfect." Jane taught 7th grade History for many years but now concentrates on her writing and her children.
Elizabeth told the story of her first book. In 1996 she entered a writers contest. All the entrants had to submit was the first 3 chapters...of course they were expected to have a completed story available in case they were among the finalists. Well, she submitted the first 3 chapters...did not have the rest completed and went about her duties as a Microsoft employee. When the letter came that she been picked as a finalist, she was back east trying to get back home to Seattle. She'd called her husband to tell him the status of her flights arrival and he mentioned the letter. He read it to her over the phone, it stated that she had to have the remaining chapters of the book into Dell Publishing in 6 weeks. Needless to say, she freaked out. She got home and between work, being a mom, a wife and a homemaker...she worked on the rest of the book every available minute. The deadline was on a Monday ~the book had to be in New York at Dell Publishing by 8 am. She called several places to see about getting her manuscript delivered "over night" and the closest she could come was getting it to Sea-Tac airport by 5pm on Saturday to fly out on a Fed Ex plane. She was so stressed, she could see that she wasn't going to make it.....when her husband walked into the room where she was working and said "honey, just calm down. You have until 10pm Sunday night to get this together." That dear man had called and made a reservation on a red-eye flight, leaving Seattle at 11pm Sunday night getting into New York the next morning. He had a backpack with a few essentials and her completed manuscript, arriving at Dell Publishing right on time. Four hours later he was back on a flight to Seattle. They hadn't shared this with any of their extended family...didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. But about 5 months later she attended the Writer's Conference where the winner would be announced, eating lunch at a big round table with the other finalists. She said she was so nervous but was cordial to all the other women, knowing that if she didn't win it was important to be nice and friendly and not look like a sore looser. Well, lo and behold when the announcement came ......she was the winner! She was so thrilled...she knew that she might really get to realize a dream~that of being a writer. That book was titled "Brazen Angel." Since then she has written 15 published books and no longer works at Microsoft.
As usual the book table was full of books for exchange and I brought more home ~ yup I did. Before next month, I really need to go thru my books and bag up some to take and put on the table.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
I Am So Angry~Am I Over Reacting?-Take My Poll
It all started about a month ago. I got some literature in the mail from AARP. In the packet was a self addressed postage paid card where you could check for your choice of a free gift. I checked next to a home fire extinguisher and sent it in. It said at the bottom of the card "FREE~NO OBLIGATION."
Well, this morning at 8:45am (a little early as far as I'm concerned) the phone rang and a man introduced himself and told me he wanted to drop by and bring me the fire extinguisher. I said, "I hope there's no strings attached & if there is...I don't want it." He said that he wouldn't be associated with any company that would do that & he understood where I was coming from. Ok...so he said he'd be here about 12 noon. Well, just before 11 am my door bell rang and there he was. He came in.....sat on the sofa, started petting Gabi and asking me how long I'd lived here, etc. Then he got up and was looking at the family pictures on the wall asking me questions about them....then after about 20 minutes he asked if he could use the bathroom...so I showed him where it was. Then when he came out of the bathroom, he's in the hallway looking at all the pictures hanging in there...ok that's fine I don't mind but now he's here almost 30 minutes. Finally he sits down and hands me the extinguisher, along with a little piece of paper that had a list of fire hazards on it. He asked me to take a little fire quiz, while he went out to his car. He came back in with all these notebooks and a big case. Then he started his spiel. About 15 minutes into it...he asked for a glass of water, so I got up and got him a bottle of water. He continued on & on, showing me all these newspaper articles about people burning up in their homes. By now it's noon~he's been there for an hour and I've missed the "Ellen" show.
About 10 minutes after 12 noon I asked him, "how long is this going to take because I have to be out of here in 30 minutes." Actually I didn't...I lied to him....but I figured, hey this guy has lied to me and what I just said to him was justified. As it turned out he was selling and in fact is the Regional Field Manager for a home security system. This system sounds great but it's like $6,000 to install and anywhere from $30 to $50 a month service fee. He finally left here at 12:45pm saying he could either come back or would be calling me in the next few days to get my decision. So standing on my front porch I told him, "No that's ok, I will call you if I'm interested!" I did leave the house, went and bought some more bedding plants and to the grocery store. But I am still angry at this knucklehead, I feel he was dishonest. And he hogged up 1 hour and 45 minutes of my day. Take my poll and let me know how you feel about this experience.....
Monday, May 5, 2008
May 5, 2008
Well, it's a bright sunny day here in western Washington today. Maybe today's the day the ice will melt in the bird bath. LOL
Yesterday, was nice also and we went to see Bob's oldest daughter. She's been up to her elbow's in alligators trying to clean out the home of her mother & step dad. Her mom passed away last August and her step dad works out of town on a tug boat...so she's been left to get the house ready to sell. We had said we would come help her yesterday but when we got to the house she said she just couldn't get into it so.... we just sat and visited with her for a few hours. It was a nice day, visiting with her.
When we got back I planted one of my hanging baskets but I still need lobelia and I can't find any in any of the garden centers yet. I'm going back to Lowe's this afternoon and see if their's has come in.
Today, I'm off to deliver some Avon, check out Lowe's and then back home. I've been thinking about tuna-noodle casserole for a long time. I think that's what I'm making for dinner tonight.
Today is Cinco de Mayo~Mexican Independence Day. If you're out this evening...please remember to "celebrate" responsibly. Your life (and maybe some others) depends on it.
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