Smokey Bear

I went to the store this afternoon to pick up a few little things, and look what I saw:


How clever is that??? Coco-Cola furnished the design to celebrate "Smoky Bear Days," the local event coming up in a couple weeks. It celebrates, obviously, the life and message of Smokey Bear, who was rescued just a few short miles from the village of Capitan.

I love it!

Miscellaneous ramblings

Well, I feel so much better today that words just don't describe it! Just imagine the best "better" you can, and that's me! It is amazing how much a body can heal when it gets sufficient rest! But the trip I was planning has been postponed till next week. It's not that I'm not feeling like going, but simply that after reassessing the timing, my host and I agreed that next week might make more sense for both of us. He is having an estate sale, and next week I can help with that as well as getting in a visit, too.

It looks like our weather is taking a good turn. Well, after a couple colder-than-usual days. I think I will be able to get my plants in the ground on Monday, FINALLY!!! Carrying those suckers in and out every day stinks! I'll get the potted plants done over the weekend, and then I can get the garden flowers in the ground by Monday. Thank goodness! I was feeling bad about Linda having to carry them in and out while I was gone, so this saves that worry. She said she didn't mind, but I just hated to do that to her.

The wind is just about done. It is taking a cold front to do it, but I'll live with that. It should be only a couple days of the cooler stuff, and then .... perhaps, maybe, if we are lucky .... spring will actually arrive. But don't hold your breath! I don't know if we can trust dear, sweet Mother Nature this year! She seems to be PMSing quite a bit.

I forgot to tell you. Tuesday my friend who is an animal psychic (remember her helping us to communicate with Max while he took his walkabout?) came over to actually meet all The Kids, but especially Max. When they settled down a bit, she began communicating with Max. I wish you had seen it!! He is a "talker," anyway, but he became highly animated with her. He was doing "Raur, Raur, raur, woof! Raur, raur, woof! Raur, woof! Raur, woof, woof!" And she was talking to him and telling us what he was saying. It mostly had to do with him telling her she shouldn't have helped us trap him, because he was OK out there and told her he would come home when Mom did; and a lot about how he wishes the others would just be gone from here.! He said that the girls are OK, but the other two boys are a nuisance, and he would like them to leave! She explained that they belong here just as he does, and he began "arguing" with her!! I'm serious! He was barking at her, clearly agitated, and until she told him to calm down, followed with "You're not the boss. Your mom is the boss and she says you all belong here. You need to quit trying to be boss! That is Mom's job!" He was silent, looked at me and did a "raur, raur, raur, raur." She laughed and said "He's telling you he wants it to be just you and him." I said "Max, I love you, but I love the others, too, and all of you are staying." He looked back at her, and she backed me up on that. He snorted, walked away, looked over his shoulder at us, and she repeated it, as I did. He said "raur, raur, raur," and walked away. She interpreted, "He said he's not happy, but he will try for you."

Seriously, how funny is that?

My other "talker," Lola, came over to her at one time, and sat staring at my friend. She looked down at Lola and said, "What, baby?" Lola just stared a minute and them "mumbled" something. My friend laughed, and said,"You think I'm cute? [another chuckle] I think you're cute, too." Lola kept staring at her, and she said "Is there something else you want to say?" Lola muttered again and gave a tiny little throaty "raur," and my friend giggled again, and said, "Yes, Lola, thank you, I think you're cute, too!" And Lola got up and walked off, apparently satisfied! My friend said, "She didn't seem to have any problems! Well adjusted little girl, like Joey and Jazi." About Sam she said he is still adjusting, but is a very happy boy who just doesn't think much past right now, today, this minute. We agree this is probably a non-threatening position for him to have, given the abuse he probably endured before coming here.

Since then, Max has been on slightly better behavior. He and Sam still circle each other, throaty rumbles emitting from them, but that's the extent, and it seems he really is trying. My friend and I talked about how I could help him, and we agreed that some "special" time would be important, but to avoid singling him out for much "alone time." She feels his drive to have me to himself will only be deepened if he gets much of that. I'm going to work with him on learning some cute tricks that will give him the extra kudos that he seems to require to feed his ego. He will be able to show off to me, to other humans, and even to his siblings, in a more healthy way. It will give him his "moment in glory," without making him top dog.

It is interesting that Max said the girls are OK. Jazmyn is definitely the alpha dog, and she puts him in his place when he gets too rambunctious and bossy, yet he is OK with her. I guess it's a guy thing!

OK, I need to get in gear. I have nothing terribly pressing, but I want to get out and do something fun. That requires me to (1) get off the computer, although it is fun, (2) take a shower so I won't be "unfun" to other humans, and (3) get my tush outta the house!! So .... LATER!!

Very tired

The wind is incredible. Still. Our area is the windiest in the state. There have been sustained winds almost 50 MPH and gusts measured that were over 75. They didn't say how much over, but it's a lot.

It blew all night long, and it was irritating, to say the least. I didn't sleep much last night, but the wind wasn't the cause; it was just the added irritation.

I went to bed with a very acid-y stomach, and I just thought it was one of those days that I have occasionally. I chewed up some Tums and crawled in bed, but I couldn't lie down. So I sat up for a while and read, thinking it would go away. It didn't. In fact, it got worse. I actually had acid rolling up my throat while I was sitting up.

I kept eating the Tums, but they didn't seem to be helping. I finally got up and opened a bottle of ginger ale, something that usually helps. But it didn't last night, and in fact I think it got worse. I got up and paced the floor, trying to move the gas, but again, nothing.

I was beginning to feel rather desperate, with a couple pounds of lead in my stomach. I couldn't figure out what was going on, but the desperation was something akin to "Move, dammit! Move up or down, I don't care but get out of my body!" And it did. From around 1:00 until 6:00, I was beating a path the the bathroom. I had the worst diarrhea I've had in a very long time. Gawd, I was miserable!

The only good thing was that the acid in my stomach was reduced. I began nibbling on crackers and took medication to slow it down, but I was one sick lady. And all the while, the wind was rattling the house, and it truly didn't help me to feel better!

I don't know what was the problem. My digestive system seems to be more sensitive with each year, and I think something at dinner simply tweaked it in the worst way. I'm just glad it is over!

I was supposed to go on a little trip today. I didn't. I called my friend with whom I was riding to let her know to go ahead, and later called my host to say I wasn't going to be there today. I'm so tired from lack of sleep and loss of fluids that I can hardly sit up. In fact, I'm going to nap as soon as I finish this note. I also didn't think I could sit in a car for several hours today, even though the bodily functioning has returned to a normal state. I'm too sore to sit very well, and sitting in s car on the road would make me totally miserable. groannn.

I'm OK now, I think. Assuming it doesn't return, I'll make the drive myself tomorrow. Thank goodness Linda is here and ready to take care of the babies whenever I get to go. I'm really appreciative for her help and presence.

Alright, then, night-night. Or should that be day-y, day-y? Whatever, I'm outta here!

I didn't know I lived in the Windy City, but ....

The weather forecast says we should expect wind. There are to be winds over 40 MPH with gusts expected to exceed 65 MPH. The worst is to be tomorrow. Yeah, well, the wind is already here. I hope tomorrow isn't worse than this!

Right now it sounds like the big bad wolf is outside, huffing and puffing to blow my house down. A really big and really bad wolf. I swear the house feels like it will blow away, but I've been looking outside often, and I haven't seen that old woman on a bicycle. Maybe it will stay in place as long as she doesn't show up. Does she work only in Kansas?

This same storm was in Nevada yesterday. They measured winds of 120-125 MPH. Please, NO!!!

Kind people

I'm sure I'm living in the right place.

I went down to the highway to pick up my mail and put trash in the dumpster. First stop at the mail box, and as I was pulling out, I waited while a car passed on the highway. I didn't pay a lot of attention. I pulled out and followed the car almost a mile and pulled off at the dumpster. I got out, lifted the bags from the truck bed and into the dumpster, and then I got back into the truck and began to turn onto the highway to return home.

A car pulled off the highway and came to a stop beside me, and the woman driver rolled her window down. I did, too, and she asked if I was lost or needed any help. I was surprised and puzzled, and told her no. Her reply was "OK, I saw you were off the road back there, then you pulled off here, and I thought you might need some help. Sometimes people get confused on these secondary highways." She was in the car that passed me as I left the mailbox!

I thanked her and said I had picked up the mail and then dropped trash, and she said OK, she just was checking. Now, she had to go about another mile to turn around and come back. How thoughtful is that? I've done the same sort of thing before, and it was a reassurance to me that I'm not the only one. I love living where people not only stop to help, but go out of their way to do so. How cool is that?

.... Life is beautiful!!!!

The cookin' spree

I shampooed the carpets yesterday and touched up this morning. I love nice clean carpets! But I have the fans on in every room to dry it out, and I'm tired of them! For one thing, it is cool. Actually the temperature in here is 72°, but the fan just makes it seem much cooler. I need to put on a long sleeved shirt, apparently.

And secondly, the fans seems to be making my allergies terrible! I'm guessing they are stirring up all the pollen from the windows being open. At any rate I can't breadhe!! I've taken an allergy pill, but it seems to be useless. I can take another soon. Let's hope it works.

I have some chicken breasts with garlic and rosemary in the oven. I'm having a couple friends here for lunch tomorrow, and I'm making a chicken salad with pecans, grapes, apples celery and green onion. I love chicken salad with lots of crunchy things in it. Texture, texture!!!

I'm also going to make one of those fabulous apple/chili/piñon pies. I haven't made one in months, and it sounds so good! Oops. I just remembered I have no sharp cheddar cheese to top it off. Dang. Oh well.

I also picked up some nice Italian tomatoes and cilantro at the store and made a salsa cruda. I'm not sure whether to use it as a dip or perhaps to create some sort of Mexican pork chops for dinner, using the salsa as a topper. Hmmmm. I'll figure that out soon.

Yeah, I'm on a cooking binge. I haven't done anything special in several days, and I'm having fun. When I get in the mood to be in the kitchen, I tend to go overboard. But I eat well for a few days!

OK, gotta go. Chicken is ready to come outta the oven! Later!!

"Old" faces and names

Four years ago next month I started this blog. At the time, I was back in Kansas City after my husband had passed away, and I was getting my house ready to sell so I could move to New Mexico. One of the people who came to my blog via another blog was Cameo. I don't remember whose blog was the conduit, but it was someone who lived far away and who I didn't know personally. Neither did Cameo, I'm sure.

Over a few weeks, Cameo and I discovered that we both lived in KC. And not long before I left KC, we arranged to meet. She is a dancer and had choreographed a musical at an outdoor theater. I attended one of the shows, met Cameo, watched her eldest son perform, and sat with her family during the performance. It was a hot summer night, and I fanned her baby girl. And I enjoyed the evening so much.

Last night I was checking Facebook and I saw that Cameo had a new friend. I skimmed on past and then went, "Whoaaa!" I backed up the page and saw the name of Gina, a woman (she was more a girl at the time) that I worked with for several years in Kansas City! In fact, I think I hired her, although it was around 20 years ago and I hired probably over 200 people in my tenure, so who I hired and who I inherited is blurry. At any rate, I knew this young woman since she was just a "wee one,"** studying for her Bachelor's degree. When I last talked with her she was studying for her doctorate, and I'll be very surprised if she has not completed it. She is one of the most determined people I've ever met. **Both Cameo and Gina are the age of my youngest, so babies in my eyes. :)

Now, all these years later, I discover that these two women, from very different parts of my life and different times in my life, were classmates in high school! How amazing is that? The world of the internet makes us much closer than most of us ever thought we might be. It has opened doors, swept away miles, given new friendships and renewed old one. My daughter is 1800 miles away from me, but on most days, I feel very close with the internet and texting via cellphones. I love that. What an amazing and appreciated technology!

I'm waiting to be "friended" by Gina. I'm eager to catch up and see where her life has taken her in these last few years since we last spoke. Yeah, the internet is good. :)

Prom night

I went out to dinner tonight in Ruidoso. The restaurant was full of cute kids in their prom regalia. I was reminded of a night several years ago that inspired this essay:

It is the Autumn of 2003. We went out to dinner earlier tonight, something many like us do, those of us at or near retirement age, and as many of other ages do. I am reluctant to admit that we now do just that, go to dinner, then return home, rub our stomachs and groan about having eaten too much, and finally wait for the nap that we know is sneaking up behind us as we stretch out in the recliner. What has happened to the party animals we once were, those charming young people who went to dinner and then out to dance and have a lively evening with friends? Ah, well, long gone.

But I am already straying from my topic. Well, perhaps not. I am considering how things in the world have changed . . . and remained the same all in the same breath.

The restaurant was almost overflowing, about half or so being teenagers, all dressed to the nines (they wouldn't understand that phrase, would they?). We asked about the regalia and learned that it was homecoming at a nearby school. All through dinner, I kept looking at them and smiling, tickled with their actions, their dress, the hairdos.

Several thoughts occurred to me. First of all, it is good that they don't dance like we did . . . . the girls couldn't keep on the strappy, high-heeled sandals and take even one step backward, let alone attempt a spin during a swing dance or a jitterbug! But they looked awfully cute! The shoes themselves were daunting, at least to me. Some were high-heeled thongs with rhinestone studded straps which made my feet ache just looking! And the thick soled platforms, so popular now, seemed to contrast vividly with their tiny, lithe bodies. I remember a period of my life some decades ago when I wore similar shoes and thought them completely normal, at least until such time as I stepped on a pebble, causing my foot to teeter to the left and leaving me with a seriously sprained ankle that took months to heal. Thus, I now see such shoes as clunky, frivolous, and wonder about their appeal to the young ladies out to dine with their escorts.

The girls were adorable in their little "evening" dresses . . . . sequins, slinky and glittery materials, backless, strapless, and laced from waist to shoulders. When they got up to walk around, I giggled each time one tugged her strapless gown back to a modest level or walked with a rather unbecoming clomp-clomp-clomp in those ever so cute but unrealistic shoes. Bless their hearts, most of them didn’t walk quite erect, but leaning forward a bit as their bodies tried to compensate for the unaccustomed high heels.

The dresses were very cute, something that my mother would have died if I’d put on while still in high school! Slim-fitting, soft materials that draped over their bodies, so fashionable . . . and so revealing! Their little bikini panties left incredible lines across their slinky little butts! Aren't these kids part of the generation that have taught all us women about the wonders of thongs? Ahh, well, obviously not this group! Or perhaps their moms could cope with the dresses, but weren’t ready yet to give in to the wearing of thongs. At any rate, it seemed that this young ladies were sort of suspended somewhere between being daddies’ little darlings and feisty little sirens of today’s world.

Each girl had her own version of the "done-up" hairdo, you know, the one we actually had done at the beauty shop in a style that we would never, NEVER wear in the real world. All those curls were bobbing and flipping at a dazzling pace. Were we ever like that? Probably so. I’ve noticed that when a woman of any age wears a hairdo to which she is unaccustomed, there is more movement from the neck up than is “usual.” Why is that?

Secondly, I commented to my husband that I don't even remember being that young. Then I corrected my statement . . . . .I do remember being that age rather clearly. But I don't remember feeling as young as they looked! OHMIGAWD, they are just babies! The boys had carnations, some pinned to their dress shirts because they wore no jackets. The ones who had jackets had about an inch and a half of white shirt below the jacket sleeve! We mused about the difficulty high school aged boys had getting just the right amount of shirt sleeve visible at the cuff, and by the next big school dance, there had been enough growth that neither the shirt nor the jacket fit right, causing the boy angst about his appearance, while his parents surely groaned inwardly because it meant another wardrobe adjustment which strained the family budget.

Throughout dinner I continued to be enthralled with the youngsters, our future. A few sat throughout their meals, but most of them popped up every few minutes and scurried as gracefully as possible in the unfamiliar garb, obviously chosen to give them the appearance of grownups, and framing their equally obvious struggle to fit the self images each had.

It was a fun evening, watching and chuckling about these little women of tomorrow's world and their awkward knights in shirtsleeved armor. I am sure that our parents . . . .oops! make that "and grandparents"! . . . . similarly smiled and faded back into their own memories, amusements, and amazements around us. Isn’t it wonderful to be able to sit back and enjoy watching the endeavors of becoming adult in our society without having to relive it? These were children-going-on-adults, finding their niche, searching for their own paths of experience and emulating the older persons in their lives, despite the probability that each would deny influence from the elders of their tribe.

And finally, the most heartwarming aspect of the evening may well be that these precious youngsters, the ones who made my evening so enjoyable and gave me cause to smile indulgently, will be taking their sprained ankles, necks rubbed sore by buttoned collars, and their broken hearts home to someone else. My dues are paid. Being sixty years old isn’t all bad!

Nope, being this old isn't bad at all, and it allows me to enjoy being the observer more than I can say!

PS - on the way home, I passed a 1957 Chevy, turquoise and blue. A proud mom was taking pictures of her son standing outside it with his tux on. The tux was white with turquoise cummerbund and tie!! How cute was that!!!

See? Everything is all better

OK, today is a new day. And a good day! I haven't much to talk about, but everything is back to normal in my world.

Blogger will not let me publish the pictures I tried. I was going to fill the dead space with them, but that isn't working, so .....

As I said, I got nuttin'. But it is a good day!

OK, I'm over it.

Onward and upward!!

All's well.

I'm gonna get a good night's sleep, and I'll do a normal post tomorrow.

Oh, wait! I don't do "normal," do I? Well, I'll come up with something nicer than today's rant, at any rate. :D

Livid

I'm seething today. What follows is a rant, and if you are not comfortable with it, I'm sorry; however, this is my blog, my rant, and you can sign off at any time you like. Yep, I'm THAT mad!


Yesterday a friend sent me this video in an email with a subject line "Liberals say the damnest things." I've seen it before. I vehemently dislike this kind of garbage. I don't care if it is liberal bashing or conservative bashing, I do not like this kind of generalizing trash.

Watch it at your own risk. I find it offensive .... and it would be equally offensive if it were aimed the opposite partisan direction.




This is what accompanied the video:

"People of America unite!! Get to the polls in 2010 and 2012 and throw these bastards OUT!

You must watch this! Please watch this ... We must stop these people from taking over our country

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Wow, what a flub!

Now that you all have been sucked into Maxine! (your favorite from CA) What do you think of this comment?
This clip shows Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D – CA) discussing drilling for new oil reserves. She explains, in a slip of the tongue, what this entire administration's agenda is all about.
Whoops! She let it all slip out!
What can you say? Notice the people around her. This clip is about as blatant as a liberal can get. What she said was accidental, and notice that it stopped her dead in her tracks for a long moment, but it was too late. Just hope the country wakes up in the 2010 elections. It isn't possible for too many people to see this video and I hope you will send it along to every voter you know. "

In the past, I've tried to just ignore this sort of think, in part because it causes hard feelings when you try to address it, because people feel strongly about it. That's OK, so do I. We all have the right to our opinions. And freedom of speech is one of our rights.

I've had a few people who have offended me with the implication that my opinion is not as important as their own. In fact, my opinion is to wrong, in their eyes, that I shouldn't express it. I've tried to deal with this as well as I can, trying to get to a place of mutual respect for our disagreement of views. In some cases, this has resulted in a loss of the friendship. Why? Because if I can't be treated with respect, I see no reason to continue being in a relationship in which I am repeatedly told I am wrong, even when I have quit trying to express my thoughts!!! After a while, it becomes such a burden that frankly, the friendship isn't worth it. How can I be friends with someone who views me as beneath them? Always wrong? Not quality enough? And yes, it has often be I who opted to end the relationship, because I don't need to be in a "friendship" in which I am stifled and not good enough.

Yesterday, when I received that video, it was a first from that particular person. It is from a friend from long ago, recently reconnected thanks to the internet. We've exchanged a few emails, and I thought all was good, just a light-hearted friendship refreshed after many years. After thinking it over for a while, I decided to nip it in the bud. Better now than when I'm worked into a lather after numerous like that.

So I wrote:

"[name omitted], I get uneasy when I see subject lines such as that. I'm a moderate with liberal leanings, and after watching that, I can tell you I've seen similar misstatements by conservatives. I don't like those, either. I read and listen to a variety of sources, making sure I'm getting information from both sides of the aisle. Frankly, it stinks on both sides from the (pardon me) shit they all spew out of their mouths.

I welcome things that are productive to our future, but I'm not so crazy about things that are, IMO, trash talking. I do my talking through a constant stream of emails and letters to my representatives. I'm sure they're getting tired of me, but I'll bet they know I'm not going to vote for any of them again, regardless of the party persuasion! I think they've all let us down.

Can we agree to both use our energy direct at the source of the aggravation, and just leave me out of partisan emailing? Send me jokes, send me constructive information, and I'll love it. Fair enough?"

I thought that was worded to bridge a gap. Apparently not! I got back:

"The short answer is, nope.

The long answer is, I am very conservative and extremely concerned for this great Republic of ours. If you fail to see the obvious and dangerous socialist leanings of this film clip, then you and I are simply on different agendas. And shall remain so. But you need not conern [sic] your self about any more e-mails from this old vet.

God save America. "

And to that I say, indeed, God save America. Apparently this old vet lives in a country different from mine, in which the right to speak, to think, to express opinions, and even to differ in opinions from others, without censorship. People with opinions similar to this person's seem to feel free to say whatever they want, but I can't? Or at least, I can't and expect any respect for my opinion if it disagrees with theirs!! And since it is the opinion of that person that it makes me a socialist, I likewise consider his denigration of my opinion to smack of communism!!

All I can say is WTF???????

I'm just really angry because people such as this seem to think there is no opinion better than or even equal with their own. I go out of my way to attempt to allow everyone to express themselves, but a strange concept here, I also think I deserve the same right AND the right to request that my opinions are respected. that person does not want to send me "constructive information," and apparently directing this energy on the members of Congress is not in her/his ability, either!! Again, I say WTF??



I'm not opening this for comment. I know some of you will want to. But I don't want another argument on my hands. I'm simply expressing my opinion, as guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Consitiution, and my frustration about my supposed inferiority to those people with cement between their ears!! Please feel free to rebut or agree on your own blog!

More weather

And tonight .... we are getting sleet!!!        The wonders of living in the mountains!

Drizzly day

I'm having a rainy day. It is good that we are having rain, but I had a rough night, and the combo of being tired and having rain is ga-a-a-a-a-a-ah.

It started raining around 1:00, and there was a little thunder. Jazi got nervous and sat almost on my head to get as close as possible. Having a ten pound dog curl up on top of your head and shiver will pretty certainly wake you up, trust me. The thunder was short-lived, and she settled down, but I  found I was aching. I got some crackers and some Tylenol, and settled back in bed with the TV on to let the meds kick in.

A few minutes later Linda poked her head in my room and said, "Guess what? I think I left the sunroof open in my car."  I found a raincoat for her while she put on her shoes, and she went down the hill to check the car. Fortunately, the sunroof was closed. However, I was really awake now. Very sleepy and tired, but unable to sleep.

I tried crossword puzzles, and I kept falling asleep. But then I would turn out the light and be wide awake. I tried reading with the same result. Finally about 3:30, I got to sleep. And I still woke shortly before 7:00 this morning!

I've been napping off and on all day. And I'm achy, still. I don't know if it is from being tired or if I have a fibromyalgia attack coming on. Whatever, I feel crummy.

I had an appointment to get Lola's shots today, and I canceled that. I had other plans, too, but those are out the window. Nothing is terribly important, but I just hate that I can't keep up my schedule. Oh, well, it will all be there another day.

The dogs are restless today, too. They want to go out, but they aren't excited about the very wet back yard, and going to the deck doesn't seem to be enough for them! Right now Sammy is on the window seat, looking wistfully out the back window, and Lola just came in from the deck, issued a huge sigh and flopped on the floor! Jaz, Joey and Max are on the couch with me, immobile. Aren't we an inspiring bunch today?  LOL! Maybe I should get out the Scrabble and get a game going. Oh, wait, these dogs don't spell worth a damn, and they always argue with me about it. Guess I'll just take another nap.

Crème brûlée

OK, so this morning I wrote a post over on another of my blogs about my favorite dessert. I wrote about crème brûlée, as many of you know would be my choice. You can read it here if you wish. Actually you can read it there if you don't wish, also.   :p

Well, I had it on my mind (obsessively!), so while I was in Ruidoso on some errands, I stopped by for one. I was running close on time for meeting a friend, so I asked for it to go. She explained that it couldn't be to go because they make them in little restaurant dishes made specially for the crème brûlée. I told her I didn't care if it stayed in the nice shape, I just wanted it for later. She was doubtful, but she went to the back and returned with a takeout box, and as I thanked her, she opened the box and showed me the crème brûlée in the little dish with a strawberry in each corner of the box and kiwi syrup  squirted very artistically around the dish! She had even fired the sugar on top, as it should be!

I said, "Oh, thank you! We can just slip the crème brûlée out in the box," and she said no. She told me to take it with me and just bring it back next time I'm in!! Wow! How cool is that?!?! Big city quality dessert and small town courtesy!

I came home and scarfed it all down!! Oh goodness, was it good! Only when I sat down to write this did I realize .... I should have taken a picture of it and how wonderfully presented it was!

Trust me, it was pretty and even better, it was scrumptious!!!

Just stuff

For years I've used Neutrogena skin care products. Actually I've use it for decades, as in, as long as I can remember, probably since my late 20s. They've always done me well. My skin is good and looks younger than my years. I'm blessed with good genes, too, and it didn't hurt that I lived in a humid climate for 30 years. I couldn't stand to go out in the sun and stay long enough to get a tan while I lived in Missouri, so I have pretty much zero sun damage during the ages of 30 to 60.

A few months back, I decided to try some other skin care. I suppose some of you occasionally do that, too, deciding that maybe something else might be better. You know, the "age defying" kind of things. So I tried it for almost six months, and recently I looked in the mirror and decided I wasn't looking better. In fact, I thought my skin didn't look as good as it has in the past. So I bought a new supply of Neutrogena. Yes, the "age defying" kind. And after about ten days, my skin looks better than it has for a while. I should always remember .... if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it! And that the grass isn't really greener ....  Or that a bird in the hand ....  Maybe I just like chasing rainbows. Atop my unicorn.

I went to a meeting with Linda tonight. It was a planning meeting for one of the artists studio tours that will be upcoming this summer. I went only because several of my friends were meeting before the meeting (got that?) to have dinner. And because the meeting isn't anything secret, I stayed. Well, that and because I was in Linda's car, and it was a long walk home! At one time, the president stopped what he was saying and asked if I had some of the papers that were handed out. I said no I was just a visitor, and he thought a minute and said, "OK, you can stay. You're pretty and in pink." Well, I was wearing a pink shirt, so obviously all that was right!!  LOL!  I guess that shirt is a keeper!

The food was mediocre, and Mexican food that is just OK, really isn't. I also had a mango margarita, and it was just passable, too. In light of the so-so repast, it is a good thing I got that compliment, otherwise the evening would have been a complete loss!

Well, the light just went out on my laptop charger, and my battery is old and weak. I'm thinking I'm going to post this. I'll have to order a new charger and battery tomorrow and be stuck with the desktop till I get them in. Sigh.

~~~~

Update: I remembered that I have a second charging cord. plugged it in, and I'm back in business. EeeeHawww!

Tasks

I have been busy the last couple days, doing lots of little jobs that don't show up much but really need to be done. It's little things like putting up a shelf in the pantry area to put some of the snacks on. My pantry is small, so there is always a struggle with things like potato chips or crackers. So I put a shelf up high so I can put light weight things up there, overhead and out of the way. It cleared a whole shelf in the pantry so I could put other items in their place. I can't believe what a difference it made!

I also moved my smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector to a new location. If you've read here for a time, you might remember I've complained about the smoke detector going off to easily. I mean, really, I should be able to boil water without setting them off!! Yep, that actually happened once! I'll admit, it is usually when I'm frying something, which of course, sets it off when the detector is only five feet from the stove! Like yesterday, I turned the oven on to clean itself, and as it began burning off the spills, both alarms went off, reminding me that I really need to do this! I know, I know! I wasn't thinking when I put them there, but here's the reason. There is a built-in electric detector located in that area, and I simply hung the new ones next to it. I figured that was a good deal. Later, I read that they should be hung at least ten feet away from a cook surface. Oh.

The reason I hung a battery operated one in addition to the electric one is that I just don't trust the electric. I have had them before, and I worry about safety when the power goes off. I realize if the power is off, there shouldn't be a fire, but the gas is still on and of course, there are fireplaces. I just don't trust the electric to be my only one. Anyway, I moved the two battery operated ones about 12 feet away from the stove today, also. I also had an extra detector which I hung near the guest bedroom and my office. They are at the other end of the house, and while one is actually OK for this size house, I would rather be safe.

Then I put up some new hooks to hang my gardening hats, to hang a folding kitchen step stool, and relocated some of my hooks for broom, mop, and other cleaning tools. My laundry room looks SO much better! I still have to figure out where to put a couple things, but it's so much better already.

I love the feeling of getting organizational tasks done. It always feels wonderful to see the neatness, and it takes away stress I get when I'm working in a disorganized area.

Yesterday I worked in my office for a little while. I'm a long way from done, but I made an impact. The office is used for that, an office, and also for several of my crafts. The problem in there is that I had started three tasks, and all three are still out, half finished. The room had become totally unbelievable. I got one of the three organized and put away, and part of the other two organized. It is going to take be several hours, and I'll probably do it over several days. The dust I'm stirring up is horrendous! It will be nice to have my work space back again. Lawdy, I hope I never let it get like this again!

And I'm working on getting my summer clothes out, although I can't put the winter away just yet. I really dislike this time of the year because I need some of each wardrobe, but I haven't enough closet for that. Maybe I should trim the wardrobe? Yeah, but we all know I won't! I'll just have to be happy with grousing about it!

While it was raining yesterday, I discovered an area in my gutter that has to be fixed. It isn't serious, just the long nail they use to hold it has pulled out, but it allows the gutter to spread, gathering extra water in that area, which could potentially pull the gutter off the side of the house. I need to fix it. I dread climbing up there. I'm not afraid of heights, but heights, ladders and tools are a less than comfortable mix for me. Linda has gone into town on some errands, but when she comes back. I'll have her "spot" me. I don't usually have that luxury.

OK, that's done!! Linda came back just as I typed that last sentence, so I got 'er done!

Now I have to rest. Seriously. Bye.

:D

Dad's Birthday

This was scheduled to post yesterday, but in it's mess ups of late, Blogger didn't get the job done. Here it is a day late.

~~~~


Today is the 100th anniversary of my dad's birth.

A month from today marks ten years since he left.

We miss him. A lot. This photo was quite a few years ago, but I love that all of us were together.


When I was little, I used to say that Daddy had a double chin. It was a long time before I understood that the correct name was a "cleft chin"!!










My dad's baby sister is in the blue dress. I think when this was taken, they were the last surviving siblings, and Mom was the last of her family.


















Miss you, Dad! Love you enough for eternity.

Another week, another .... well, I don't know a cleaver remark for that!

Well, good ol' Blogger is messing up again. It is not registering some of the comments. I wonder why the boo-boos have come up so often lately. It is getting aggravating, whatever the cause.

I forgot to say that I got the iPod replaced, and the new one works marvelously! It is odd that the music still can be heard tinny and softly when it is not plugged into the earphones (my old one didn't do that); but at least the ear plugs plug in correctly and the sound is good through them. Thank goodness!

I had a good weekend, getting some significant yard work done for the first time this year. Unfortunately, it is a drop in the bucket, and much of it doesn't really even show, but I know it. I began putting away the winter things and getting out the summer ones, both inside and outside. My grass isn't ready to be cut, but it won't be long.

That is so odd .... the grass is a rich green and growing well, but it is still too cool at night to put out the young plants I bought at the nursery. I'll be glad when I can finally get them in the ground! It isn't really spring after dark!

And I got out my short sleeved shirts, because I need them on some days, but I can't put away all the long sleeves yet, either. Weather in the high desert and mountains is so different. Our days are in the 60s for the most part, with 50s when it rains; but nights are still mostly falling below 40°. In fact, Friday night is predicted to be 33°.

OK, off to begin another day, another week. I hope all of you have a good week, especially those who are working and have to deal with people like me!  :D

Baby Blogger!

A friend of mine has just started a blog. She's doing those first wobbly babysteps, so scoot over and give her a howdy! Her name is Robyn, and she is a dog person, especially those cute little pugs!

http://robyn-pugmama.blogspot.com/?spref=fb

Birthday week drawing to a close

Yesterday was the glorious end (well, probably the end) of my birthday week. I had lunch with three good friends, Linda, Zoë and Lynne. Lynne's birthday is on Sunday, mine was Wednesday, so we split the difference.

We went to a very nice restaurant, the one we've been going to for the holiday brunches. they have just recently started serving breakfast and lunch, so we decided to try it out. Oh ..... my ..... goodness.

We had a simple lunch, at least comparatively speaking. Angus burgers and fries. You can get that almost anywhere, but these were the best I've tasted. And here is what made lunch the best .... 2 bottles of Riesling! Yeah, buddy!!!

We ate and drank the wine for about an hour and a half, then we asked for coffee, and with coffee, they brought us a complimentary piece of cheese cake to share, and it was so big that four of us could not finish it! I'm not kidding!

We sat at our table for another hour and a half, talking and having so many laughs I can't even tell you. We asked several times if we were in the way, and we were told no. In fact, our servers were enjoying us as much as we were enjoying ourselves! They frequently stopped and chatted with us, joked with us, and were quite accommodating to our happiness. And they were duly tipped for their indulgences.

After leaving there Linda and I ran to Walmart where I exchanged the iPod and she picked up a couple things. We were miserably full and could hardly wait to get home and put on something comfortable with e.l.a.s.t.i.c in the waistbands!

However, we were sidetracked at a neighbor's place for about thirty minutes. I wanted to ask him about a bit of neighborhood excitement/concern that we were both involved in the day before, to see if he had an update or more information. But a secondary reason to stop was simple curiosity. He built a nice one-bedroom cabin that we were curious to see. He had invited me to see it back when he was building, and I'd not gone over because when I thought of it he wasn't home. It is the coolest place! Very simple, no frills, but beautifully done. The inside is finished with tons of gorgeously polished wood, contrasting with a ceiling of recycled wood with moss still attached, and old recycled metal corregated roofing as a ceiling in the living room and kitchen. It is a fabulous man-cave!

He bought this lot, just under an acre, cleared the land of the noxious undergrowth and surplus of trees, and constructed this gorgeous place under the protection of many tall pines, mostly Ponderosa. It is very cozy and would be a perfect home for one person. I was astounded with his work. He is selling it, as he wants to move to Elephant Butte Lake. He is a fisherman and ready to retire after living here in the mountains for 40 + years.

When we finally got home, Linda and I were both still full to our ears! We did get into comfortable clothes, watched a little TV and both of us were in our beds before 9:00! I slept very well. It began raining in the night, and while I wasn't consciously aware of it, I think I sensed it, as I snuggled down under the covers and didn't wake till 7:00 this morning. Very refreshing sleep!

I guess I can quit celebrating now. I've had phone calls since last Sunday wishing me a happy birthday, had lunch Tuesday thanks to Linda, a birthday dinner on Wednesday(the actual day), received a beautiful gift in the mail on Thursday, had the celebratory lunch yesterday......... Yeah, that's probably enough.

Speaking of that gift .... it came from a friend who lives in Hawaii. He is an artist, creating beautiful acrylic sculptures. He sent me one of his works, and I am thrilled.

This is a fascinating piece. The colors are different, depending on the view.




 The colors are even richer and more exciting when it is in the sun.

 Today's overcast is giving a different effect, and I like it, also.



 You can see how grey the sky is. It adds a beautiful backdrop.

 


Yet the colors are less vibrant.











I guess I'll post "sun photos" in a few days!
















But I'll still be enjoying this lovely piece till then, knowing it is given from the heart and from his own collection. So special!

 I think my week can wind down now. Yep, it's been very good.

Shucks.

Darn! I have to return the new iPod. Something isn't right about it.

When I turn it on, I hear music. yeah, I know, that's what is supposed to happen. Bu-u-u-ut .... The music is coming out of the iPod, faintly, tinny, not from the ear buds.

In fact, what I hear in the ear buds is also faint and tinny. I tried different ear buds, just in case, but they were no better, and I noticed when I plugged the ones that came with it back in, there seemed to be a bad connection in the plug. Music went off and on if it is wiggled. That's clearly not right.

So tomorrow, I'm back to exchange it. gah. I hate having to exchange things. Not that it is hard or that they give me problems, but I just simply hate the lag in time for my enjoying my newly bought "whatever." But I will. As if there were a choice.

Tomorrow I will exchange it after having another birthday lunch with friends. We are celebrating my birthday and that of a friend, Lynne, whose BD is Sunday. I'm looking forward to it. Three of my favorite people and me, what could be better?

Yesterday I did such a dingy thing. I had put in a new door knob a couple weeks ago as the locking mechanism in the old one had broken. You probably know a door knob kit comes with two keys. I intended to get some extras made, but hadn't remembered it. And the inevitable happened, the reason I always make some extras.

I'd gone into Ruidoso and when I came home, I couldn't get in because I didn't have my house key. Almost immediately I knew where it was. When I walked with the dogs, I put my house key in the tiny zippered pocket on the leg of my walking pants, and I never took it out. My choices were .... break into my own house, removing a screen and wrestling with a window to raise it enough to crawl in, a process that would take probably 20-30 minutes of sweaty work, if it even worked. Or .... drive into Capitan, get the other key from Linda and while I'm there, have duplicate keys made. That process wouldn't take much more time and would resolve the possible future repetition of my faux pas. Well, basically no question. I now have a key hidden outside, and one to carry in the car. All bases are covered! Hopefully.

Sometimes I surprise (or would that be embarrass?) myself. How can a smart person like me do such thoughtless acts? Oh, well. I saw something on Facebook today, and it fits the situation:

OK I ADMIT, I'M A HANDFUL. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle - but if you can't handle me at my worst then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.

Yep, that's me! Error-prone and attitude out the wazoo!!!

Happy birthday to me!!

I bought myself a birthday present.


I don't know why that turned sideways, but oh well. My old iPod died. Well, not completely, but it's on life support. Literally. As long as it has a power source attached, it plays, so I will leave it in the dock of my sound system for music here at home. And now I have this one that I can take with me when I go out.


It is charged and synced now. See? it is syncing in this photo. I plan to down load some audio books to it for traveling. It will be easier than having to change CDs in the player. I can just plug in the iPod and gooooooooooo!

Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday, I love me!
Happy birthday to me!!!!

It's today!

Happy Birthday
to.....
ME!!!!!

How's that for self-indulgence? Yeah!

The pups woke me this morning, something they don't usually do. And they were all over me! Honestly, I wondered if they sensed this was a special day! It was just one of those odd things that was so nice and special to be snuggled awake, almost like when my kids were little and they and their daddy woke me with happy birthday snuggles. It's gonna be a good day!

Yesterday Linda and I did one of our little road trips. Roswell. She needed some art supplies from Hobby Lobby, and we both needed some things from Home Depot. For the first time in the history of the world, I was in Hobby Lobby, looked at things in every department, and I bought .... nothing. NOTHING!

At Home Depot, I bought a bunch of plants. Some are for hanging pots, some are for the two huge cast iron kettles, and some are for my "natural" garden. It is "natural" because I've used all indigenous plants or plants that are compatible with this climate and elevation with one exception .... I planted some Shasta Daisies, just because I love them. What I'm adding are flowers that "protect" the others from being eaten by deer. I got marigolds, poppies, and lavender, some plants and some seeds. I couldn't find daffodils in pots, but I'll get the bulbs in the fall and enjoy them next year. I love that many of the flowers I like, poppies, daffodils, marigolds, are deer repellents for the sake of my red hot pokers, columbine, lilies, and daisies. Isn't it cool how Mother Nature has provided this?

The only problem with the plants is that the next ten days we are having night time lows from 34° to 43°. I'll have to wait to plant and protect them in the meantime. Should be alright, as there aren't too many to cover on the deck and/or bring them inside overnight. It will be worth it to have a pretty, low maintenance garden out front.

Fortunately, the garden is coming along well, as I'm adding a little each year. The first couple years were nightmarish and labor intensive. I'm glad they are done, and I can concentrate mostly on the little annual additions. After I reach my level of satisfaction with this one, I will begin extending it out into the farthest part of my property, also in front, where there is a fabulous palate for future painting with flowers and plants. I will not get away from my "natural" gardening plan. Once I have enough "protector" plants in place, I will be strewing packets of high elevation wild flower seeds, too. I really look forward to the day when that is possible.

While we were in Roswell, lunch was, of course, a high point! We picked Red Lobster. Yummmmmmm! You can't imagine how you miss some of the "common" restaurants until you live an hour or more away from one! Lawdy, it was good! And Linda treated me for my birthday! I ordered a dessert, something I don't always do, but the hot chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top just looked too good! And it was! Our waiter was one of those really fun ones, joking with us all the way through our meal, and insisted on singing happy birthday! I really could have done without that. When you reach 66, it just isn't necessary to hullabaloo a birthday, but it was OK.

Now, I gotta run into town and buy some dog food. If I don't do that, the pups will have a less friendly greeting for me tomorrow!

Later!

The final gate

I forgot to post the pictures! Here they are.


Now try to imagine everything in green or natural wood painted a nice adobe color. Ahhh.

Issssssssues

Blogger is having isssssssues today. It is not posting, then posting double. It has made me sign in to my google/blogger account SIX times in the last hour!!! I may not come back today. Depends on how it is resolved. I prefer to be sane.

Nice start to the week

Linda and I have begun walking, but not together. She walks at 7:00 in the morning, and I can't do that. I usually wake up rather stiff, and I need a while to loosen my muscles before I take off. I'm walking with the dogs, alternating who goes with me. Linda offered to take one with her, and I suggested Max. Linda walks more briskly than I do, and Max is a high energy dog, so it seemed logical. In addition, it would be good to widen Max's horizons by spending time with another human that he now knows and trusts.

This morning I put the harness on Max and out the door they went. Max seemed a little hesitant, but I thought once he got out, he would be OK. And he trotted down the driveway, although he looked over his shoulder at me a couple times. It looked like it was going to work out.

About 15 minutes later, I was fixing coffee and starting breakfast, and all the sudden, there at my feet was Max!

When Linda returned she said that Max did OK for about five minutes, and then all the sudden, he screeched to a halt! She was going uphill, and suddenly, she was dragging a dog! LOL! She looked back, and he had dug in all four paws, and his little bowed front legs were obviously not going another step. So her choice was to carry him or return home. We all know what she did!

When I walk soon, I will take Max as one of my two in the rotation. He needs the exercise, not because of his weight (he's a skinny-minny, er, skinny Maxie!), but just to burn off his overabundance of energy. I'll take Lola, also, because she needs it. She's a chubby bubbie! Like Mom!!

I recently took Sam and Jazmyn. They did great, even during a visit with a neighbor along the way. We all cracked up at Jaz when she met the neighbor's 6 month old boxer puppy! He came over to meet her, and as they sniffed noses, she looked up at him, gave a little growl and snapped her teeth! She didn't even try to bite him, just snapped her teeth! He backed off, wagging his stubby little tail, and curving his body into a tight U, as boxers are prone to do! Lawdy, tiny little Jazi, about 1/4 the size of that puppy, was making sure he knew she is the leader of the pack, and he said "OK!" How funny is that?

Tomorrow is Linda's day off from her store/studio, and we are making a trip to Roswell. Among other stops, we are going to Home Depot to look at the plants in the nursery. She wants blooming plants in front of her store, and I want to add to my landscaping. I've looked up several plants that I like and that repel deer (daffodil, poppies, marigolds, etc.). That will be a bonus to have them in with my other plants that deer love to munch on! I love having deer around, but I don't want them to devour the little plants that are for beautifying the property (daisies, columbine, red hot pokers, etc.).

The weather is perfect for a walk, so I guess I'd better get going. It is 64° right now with a good breeze, and if I wait too long it might be too hot (for me) to do a good, long walk. I'm trying to be really consistent about this, walking at least four times a week, so I shouldn't put it off.

.... Life is beautiful!!!

No more gates!

Lawdy, lawdy, lawdy. The third gate is done. The gate was easy to build. I had it completed in just about two hours. Then I began the process of hanging it.

Hanging the first two gates was quick and easy. I couldn't believe how quickly they went up. Today .... what a difference. OMG, there was nothing that went as the last one did!

The first gates were each mounted to an upright that also supported the roof and were straight up and sturdy. Today the two sides of the gate were merely railings, no upper support, so they don't stand straight. Well, I thought I had it all together, but the gate was too wide at the bottom and too narrow at the top! Despite my measuring and measuring and measuring again, it wasn't quite right. And the supports can't be straightened as they are tied into the railings. I thought of that and tried, thinking I could shim it or something, but they ain't a-movin'!

After some thought, I got out a plane and began shaving the bottom of the gate. The process was to shave a small amount, then try it in place again, plane off some more, check the fit again, over and over, until the gate fits in the spot. The gate is heavy, and every time I had to lift it up was harder than the one before.

The movements of planing are hard on my arms, too. After a while, my arms were SO tired I could hardly lift them. Add to this me having to get down on the deck for some tasks, and then getting up again, over and over and over. And the hinges .... I bought a different kind because I was near a different store, and despite these costing three times what the others did, they don't work as they should. The "self-closing" feature is not strong enough, so it barely closes, and only if it is released from a very wide open position. Worthless.

By the time the gate was finished and hung, I had spent almost four hours on something that, under normal circumstances, should have taken about thirty minutes to an hour. And I was completely exhausted. I barely had enough energy to pick up my tools and clean up. I got a glass of ice water and sat in my hammock chair for a half hour or so, then got energy enough to get into the shower. After that, I simply laid on the couch and read from my Kindle. I have to tell you that I hurt e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. My toes hurt, for goodness sake!! I've taken Tylenol, had a glass of wine, some cheese and crackers, and I'll live.

The gate isn't perfect, but most people won't notice. Especially when everything is painted so everything is the same color. Bottom line is that the gate is strong and functional. I'm so glad I have no more gates to build. SOOOOO glad!

Pictures will follow soon.

Dogs and their gates

I was psyched to build and hang the new gate today, but I can't. I definitely believe in the "measure twice and cut once" philosophy. Or in my case, it is usually "measure 9 times ...." And it's a good thing.

I knew I needed to make some adjustments as the two posts for this gate are not straight across from each other. Whoever built the deck did plan to put a gate there, obviously. I knew this offset was there, but the "fix" I'd calculated simply isn't going to work. The side I want to adjust can't be adjusted without a lot of rebuilding, so I moved my calculations to the other side. With this switch of sides, I need some additional hardware to brace everything.

I called the mercantile and talked with a man who verified what I need. He has put it at the counter for me, and Linda is going to pick it up and bring it home. Since it is still too chilly (54° at 1:00 PM) to stay out long enough to do this work, there was not a reason for me to drive to town to pick it up. Linda's shop/studio is only a couple blocks from the mercantile, so she will pick it up and bring it home for me. Tomorrow is supposed to be nearly 10 degrees warmer than today, and that will make a great difference.

I'd love to have started today as planned, but it is what it is. The current gate is secure for the dogs, merely inconvenient for humans.

I've noticed that my dogs have crossed another milestone in their development or socialization. It used to be that they barked and barked and barked at anyone who came here. Even people they had met before got repeated barking. I'm guessing that Terri's week-long stay in January, followed by my frequent absences (medical and travel), having two sitters (Boy Wonder & Linda), and Linda's extended stay, have all combined to make an impression on them about their own permanence, my promise to always return, and the possibility that not all unknown humans are bad. What a good thing!

Yesterday The Kids were confronted with two strangers, and both times they barked for 1-2 minutes, then settled right down. The lady from the gas company who was here to light the furnace and a deputy sheriff both came to the deck and in my house, and the worst part was their clamoring for the attention of these folks!

Remember Sammy, the little guy who pooped on the floor if a human looked at him? Max who ran and hid barking furiously? Lola who scooted backward while barking his head off? No more! Jazi and Joey have always been cool, only barking for attention and little of that. Now all five bark ("Someone's coming!!"), then bark again ("Hey, look at me! No, not that other dog, ME!!"), and then they are bouncing around the newcomer and making just bearable noises! Unbelievable! I think we've made it!! Woohooo!

There is still work to do on the socialization, but now I feel it is a possible project to work them into becoming well-socialized canines, the kind I can take into public! I'm so happy!

Yeah, as I haven't reminded you and myself lately ....

.... Life is beautiful!!!!

Really beautiful, for sure!

What goes around, comes around

This is funny!

I took a look at my tracker today, and I was stunned. I usually get 40-60 hits a day. Today, before 4:00, I had over 100! WHAT??

I noticed that many of them were googling "National No Housework Day," and I knew I hadn't written about it today, so I couldn't figure out why I was getting the hits. So I googled it myself, and it wasn't high on the list, second page, I think, but I posted about it last year! http://noendingjourney.blogspot.com/2009/04/national-no-housework-day.html

Remember .... what you put out there in cyberspace stays around for a long, long time!!!!

It always comes in threes

OK, I feel better. I think. I have had my third gas issue. (If you don't remember the two previous gas issues, check here: http://noendingjourney.blogspot.com/2010/04/feeling-kinda-gassy.html) As you know, trouble always comes in threes, and after having two in close order, I was waiting for that third one. Well, I got it!

After the gas line was repaired, one of the workers came to the door and asked if I needed any pilot lights relit. I said no, thinking that the only pilot light I have is the furnace. If it was off, I wasn't worried because (1) it was warm enough that I didn't expect to use it till fall, and (2) I've lit the pilot light before, and it was no problem.

And then this morning I got out of bed.

Last night's low was down in the low 20s. I slept well, as I like the room pretty cool when I sleep. When I got out of bed, I could feel that it was pretty cool, but I slipped on a warm robe and went about making coffee. Around 7:45, I looked at the thermometer, and it was 28° outside .... and 48° inside. 4....8???? By 9:00 I was really feeling the chill, although the inside temp was up to 52°. I tried lighting the furnace, but it is windy outside this morning, and the air coming in the flue (or wherever) was blowing out the match before I could get it lit. I gave up. I called the gas company.

Less than an hour later, the young woman who was offering to light it the other day was at the door, and bless her, she had the furnace on in 30 seconds! She stayed and chatted with me for nearly half an hour. What a sweet young woman she is!

My inside temp is up to 66°. It is taking a while, since the walls and everything inside was cold, but trust me, it feels wonderful! The outside temp is just 45°, and while it was supposed to reach mid 50s today, I have doubt. There is a cold front moving through, and it is accompanied with enough wind to make it that much worse. It is supposed to warm up to the 60s and 70s over the next few days, and I'm looking forward to that. Right now my feet are still two size 8 ice cubes. That's just not right!

C'mon warmth!

Feeling kinda gassy

Gas is playing a big and sometimes scary role in my life recently. Not that kind of gas, you goobers!

When I came home yesterday, as I got close to the door, I smelled gas. I thought, "Oh, no. I have a gas leak." I cautiously opened the door, and it was strong in the house. I quickly opened windows, turned on fans, and when I walked past the stove I heard a slight hiss. Sure enough, a burner was left barely on and was leaking gas. It took about a half hour to get it cleared. Thank goodness the birds were alive! I wasn't so worried about the dogs; they were outside.

When Linda got home we figured out what happened. Her stove turned off the opposite of mine, so she thought it was off when it was on very low. I figure that during the day, the strong winds came in through the hood vent and blew out the flame, allowing gas to escape into the house. She felt really bad about it, but I figured it could happen to me as well. I once left a burner on for about an hour. Stuff happens!

A couple hours ago I was beginning to fix macaroni and cheese, that wonderful special recipe I found a while back, for the potluck tonight. I turned on a burner under a pan of water for the pasta, and went about my business mixing the cheeses and other stuff. After about 10 minutes, I noticed that the water was hot but not boiling. Hmm?

I looked, and the flame from the burner was fairly low. I turned on another burner, and it was the same. I called the gas company and told them I was getting low gas output. They asked where I lived, and immediately, she told me that a gas line in our area had been cut. Just then I looked at the stove, and my flame was back to normal. I told her that, thanked her and hung up.

The flame was up and down, but most of the time it was OK. I got the macaroni started, then looked out my front window and saw a gas truck in the street. I walked down to see what was going on, and guess what? The line was cut right in front of my house! They are out here today grading the roads and resurfacing them, and one of the graders clipped it EXACTLY where the phone line is always getting cut!!

I'm guessing the gas company will move the line. I'm still waiting for the independent contractor to get out here and put in a permanent line for me on the phone. Hopefully, I'll get him to move the phone line, as well.

There you go. My last 24 hours have been a real gas!!!

Yeah, I know, I'm corny. I'm OK with it!

I love being home!

Coming home was good, very good. I enjoyed visiting with my sister, we got a lot done toward her move, the bed I slept in was very comfortable, and generally speaking, things couldn't have been better. I was relaxed about the dogs. They were in good hands with Linda, here at home in their own world, and I had the sweet little Chihuahuas to keep me company. I wasn't unhappy about being away. But all that having been said, it is good to be home.

Before my stay was over, I had to go buy a long sleeve shirt and a light knit jacket/sweater. The temperatures weren't bad, but the wind cut right through me for some reason. I was chilled the whole time I was there. I don't know if that had anything to do with being sick. Well, I don't think so. I actually think I got some bad food. Anyway, I was better after adding some layers and longer coverage. The winds seemed somehow brutal. I have a lot of wind here, and it is generally colder here, yet those winds on the West Texas Plains just did something very unpleasant to me. Once again, I'm glad to be home!

One of my friends decided to do an impromptu pot luck tonight. I have to run to the store for a couple things for that, and get my dish made. It will be good to see everyone. I missed the Super Bowl pot luck, so I haven't seen the whole group since early December. I loved her words on the recorder. She has new neighbors and thought it might be nice to introduce them to "some of the goofier people here"!! I resemble that remark!!! Actually, I find that a comfort and a compliment. I hope I'm always the kind of person that people remember for my lively side!

I guess I'd better get to the store. More later! Or tomorrow, whichever comes first!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, everyone!

I'm heading home today. It will be good to be home, to see My Kids, and to be back to the boring routine that is my life.

I'm not feeling well today. Actually, It began last night, and I'm on the mend this morning. I'm thinking it was something I ate. Major intestinal upset last night which settled enough to sleep. This morning I just feel blah, and would love to wiggle my nose and be home safe and sound without the four hour drive. Ah, well.

I'll write when I'm home. Right now, I'm needing to stir up energy to shower and finish packing. I'm considering not stopping to see my sis again, in case I have something contagious. I'll call her in a bit and talk with her. I think she will be OK with it.

Sooooo .... until we meet again!!!

Earth Day Approacheth

This short video was made by a charming young man I met just a few days ago. It has a good message for all of us as Earth Day 2010 approaches.

A nice busy day

An update on my host doggies: Max (the baby) still thinks I'm the cat's meow. Well, maybe the dogs arf. Of course, being a puppy, that means he wants to chew on me, which he does with great abandon! After a few hours, oh OK, or at least an hour, of gnawing on me, my fingers, my elbows, any part of me he can get his sharp little puppy teeth into, he finally settles down. He is really a sweet dog, loves people, for sure.

As of this morning, Sam, the older one, apparently decided that I had stayed here all night long without charging at him with a chain saw, so it is possible I wasn't here to do him in. When I got up, he was wary. I didn't approach him, but spoke to him often as I went from bathroom to bedroom, getting through the morning routine and ready to go out. When I finally finished and walked toward the living room and kitchen, he was on alert, but he didn't run away. I squatted and held out my hand, and he came right to me. I petted him for a little while and talked to him. Then I left for the day, and when I came back, he was standoffish again, but didn't run away. After just a few minutes, he came to me and has been at my side the rest of the day.

~~Sam~~

His wariness of humans reminds me of my own Sam when I brought him home. This Sam is also a rescue dog, so his trust is still being earned. I'm happy he has now accepted me, and I know it will be a new beginning next time I come back because he will have forgotten me. But it should come more easily with each visit. And it is worth it. Right now he is beside me on the couch, snoozing away, just as his little brother, Max, was last night.

I love that moment when a previously damaged dog begins to trust me. That is the best feeling in the world.

BTW, little Max has crawled up onto my shoulders and is nestled against the back of the couch. It feels SO good! His body warmth is right on the area of my neck that often hurts, old whiplash injuries. I wish I could sleep sitting up, 'cause it is relaxing me. :)

While I'm loving this, snuggling with new little four-legger friends, I'm missing my own kids. It will be good to get home to them on Sunday.

Why can't we have it ALL? :)

~~The boys posed for me~~

While I was out today, Sis and I went shopping. She did a fabulous job of keeping up with me. Our first stop was at her apartment-to-be. It is really nice. She will be much happier there. the people are quite nice in her current place, but most of the people are far more incapacitated than she is. The new place is for independent living capable people, more like herself. The apartment is really lovely, roomy and comfy, lots of windows, so pleasant views will be hers. There is a lot of walking surface available, and she loves to walk. She will probably be more active and happy there.

Next we went to Target. Yay, Target!! We were all over the store, and she kept up! I needed a brush as I didn't bring one, and it was really hard to make my hair look decent this morning with only a hair pick. In fact, it didn't look decent! I also bought a couple other things to just leave in my traveling bags. I tend to forget some of the cosmetic items. Hopefully this will help stop that.

We stopped at Office Max to get some things I need to take back to Linda. Sis looked for some items she needed, but they didn't have the exact ones she wanted. We are planning to go to Walmart tomorrow, and she knows they have the right things there.

It was past lunch time, so we stopped at a Cracker Barrel. BTW, that's one thing she hates at her current facility. Their mealtimes are: 6:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM!! Good grief! She looks forward to fixing her own meals again and eating when she is actually hungry! She enjoyed having lunch at 1:30 today, and sitting there sipping iced tea and chatting for over an hour!

We went back to her place for a while and visited, made plans for tomorrow (U-Haul for boxes, Walmart for her page protectors) and I was back at her son's house by 6:00. I'm tired! My older sister wore me out!

Life is good. Really good. I miss my brother-in-law, and I know she loved him like her own life, but it is good to see my sister able to be more active again. His care consumed her time for the last year or so, and I know she did it with love, but now he's at rest and she is becoming more like her old self. Yep, good to see.