tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71768297045485238112024-03-19T15:46:11.179-07:00oodles of funchAnanda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.comBlogger469125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-31649146488031450432012-03-11T19:39:00.008-07:002012-03-11T20:00:19.953-07:00GOOD LUCK J<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >This weekend we had a going away celebration for the man's youngest son,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >J,<br />who is going into Job Corps.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7hyphenhyphen_DtBKRl_NBfn1ntZlG5hodPD674owc9eNSohEuv_Rp7HEiVppDFMvynsTPFx1kvyy0Yy_yahqycVO4oE37io1lPHnPvFwahE03HDI5jIg-Ey_SJw5njkUEC_wxNSdec6JeO3M-7OQ/s1600/a+party+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7hyphenhyphen_DtBKRl_NBfn1ntZlG5hodPD674owc9eNSohEuv_Rp7HEiVppDFMvynsTPFx1kvyy0Yy_yahqycVO4oE37io1lPHnPvFwahE03HDI5jIg-Ey_SJw5njkUEC_wxNSdec6JeO3M-7OQ/s400/a+party+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718834860831976482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />A good decision on his part<br />to help him get a good start on his adult life.<br />We are all very proud of him and wish him success!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The whole gang showed up, minus his mother.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sadly, she had to work.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">His brother and family ca</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me down from the P'land area.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEanE8o_0vA4NnqcAkjnjwWSzPxpuGcU-u3XxBVjFmgQSXd5ARU0j-iJ8j6H0PDDGKqLiSrcTz-7jrqBEq48fPJnRSK30idPnlsj1bU6BNJcx6n84pssSZTRuBQFRQflTERnZ_-A-IK3P/s1600/a+party+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEanE8o_0vA4NnqcAkjnjwWSzPxpuGcU-u3XxBVjFmgQSXd5ARU0j-iJ8j6H0PDDGKqLiSrcTz-7jrqBEq48fPJnRSK30idPnlsj1bU6BNJcx6n84pssSZTRuBQFRQflTERnZ_-A-IK3P/s400/a+party+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718835454497808482" border="0" /></a><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sister and niece and nephew who are local.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZUldWgBl5T3rUEiQVD8xgQUrdi-34B3B20g0m5xiNyKJ9iH4mmoLkUikxdzT1eM3uHF3p2BDR4FVGuLBkn9EQRoCzW3zKcdokgfvsk4FblZUymX8Dj6VsKk8EfCt6f4GOhGBoudMbtSp/s1600/a+party+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZUldWgBl5T3rUEiQVD8xgQUrdi-34B3B20g0m5xiNyKJ9iH4mmoLkUikxdzT1eM3uHF3p2BDR4FVGuLBkn9EQRoCzW3zKcdokgfvsk4FblZUymX8Dj6VsKk8EfCt6f4GOhGBoudMbtSp/s400/a+party+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718835914741029650" border="0" /></a><br /><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grandma and Grandpa from a bit to the north.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMyOkINAxSnH6DrUK8fUsqJZiz77OqLAh-X7kW-ecsKfO5wgBEyX5NMBtp-xpcydlW5HwS7NkZc8hr0miFURNocZ4B8uvVAZoV_MvA0v-mnGC_Lh9zESbHp4Qe0pKJAHsXp9ZtiM1fy4D/s1600/a+party+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMyOkINAxSnH6DrUK8fUsqJZiz77OqLAh-X7kW-ecsKfO5wgBEyX5NMBtp-xpcydlW5HwS7NkZc8hr0miFURNocZ4B8uvVAZoV_MvA0v-mnGC_Lh9zESbHp4Qe0pKJAHsXp9ZtiM1fy4D/s400/a+party+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718836131909375586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We had baked potatoes with a variety of toppings,</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">salad and some yummy dessert pizza.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Like most family get </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">togethers</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">,</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">it got a bit loud... with one louder than the others.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The man tends to get loud when happy.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">It's part of who he is.<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTa07D9MVIHbD7mjoXR2ZqowSyi1YAga873KMk3NirtHCOPraESqsY62qOnYWE8pYuUFEPH5sI42n0vmfIrLoLq7R2Dne4DnELDBn2RmEUSHSHqOrDvUbUyTWSKdky5xZ69fMwRNGTeN3/s1600/a+master+949.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTa07D9MVIHbD7mjoXR2ZqowSyi1YAga873KMk3NirtHCOPraESqsY62qOnYWE8pYuUFEPH5sI42n0vmfIrLoLq7R2Dne4DnELDBn2RmEUSHSHqOrDvUbUyTWSKdky5xZ69fMwRNGTeN3/s400/a+master+949.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718837088310395474" border="0" /></a>(A wee bit crazy.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When it was over, I fed the man and sent him to bed.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Then turned my attention to the mess that remained.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sigh.<br />There is always a mess isn't there?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But not too bad this time.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The left over potatoes will make good o'brians</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">and I am glad for the salad.<br />I never get tired of salad.<br style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Besides... I got to use my great new storage containers!</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">And nothing fell out of the Fibber McGee cupboard.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">All in all, a good weekend.<br /><br /><br />How was your weekend?<br /><br /><br />Did you trip over your feet in the morning when you sprung forward?<br /><br /><br />Was your weekend quiet... or loud?<br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-53212161874847313682011-12-04T20:14:00.000-08:002011-12-04T20:20:06.698-08:00BRIGHT AND SHINING<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH9qqbkQ65ITvh2OTIiwTrID0-OQQJemQdbtvN_J3UXieLPw4Nekw4gnTyyH1CLpMIdCbkr1HEEI6MDn-byYU1DFMvrqUhjnqB63yS-Tcw0bCGp6i2-Bv4TCj8GF0imjDLmM1zFhL9-3w/s1600/tree+lot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH9qqbkQ65ITvh2OTIiwTrID0-OQQJemQdbtvN_J3UXieLPw4Nekw4gnTyyH1CLpMIdCbkr1HEEI6MDn-byYU1DFMvrqUhjnqB63yS-Tcw0bCGp6i2-Bv4TCj8GF0imjDLmM1zFhL9-3w/s400/tree+lot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682493112631467730" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">BRIGHT AND SHINING<br /><br />All Christmas tree lots looked pretty much the same in the city.<br />They popped up in vacant lots and parking lots all over town.<br />Bright colored lights and spot lights swung on wires to beacon you in.<br />A small forest of trees in tidy rows, sprinkled with sawdust on the ground.<br />The aromas of firs, cedar and pine was strong and fresh.<br />The smell of Christmas!<br /><br />It never snowed at Christmas where I grew up.<br />Not even once.<br />But it did drop below freezing...<br />sometimes icing the trees with frost and sawdust.<br />Other times fog swirled around,<br />making the forest even more magical to my kid eyes.<br /><br />The salesmen stomped their feet and warmed their hands<br />over an oil drum fire... lurching toward any car that entered the lot...<br />eager to make a sale.<br />The old man waved them off saying<br />"We're just looking for now."<br />All the little bunnies would look at each other, worried.<br />What did he mean by that?<br /><br />The bunnies scattered...<br />the oldest two could wander as they wished.<br />The next two had to stay together.<br />Being the youngest,<br />my mother's hand firmly grasped my coat hood like a leash.<br /><br />I tried in vain to steer them to the "manger" that held the flocked trees.<br />I honestly believed that a bright pink fuzzy tree was just the ticket.<br />"Too messy."<br />mother would say,<br />tugging me toward the long rows of unflocked trees.<br />Well, it never hurt to try.<br /><br />The idea was for each of us to pick our tree...<br />and try to remember what row it was on.<br />Once everyone had chosen, we would meet<br />and show off our choices to each other.<br />Then the parents would be the judge who picked "the tree".<br /><br />My parents would give me clues.<br />"Look how full this one is."<br />"Doesn't this one smell fresh!"<br /><br />I had my own criteria.<br />Different things caught my eye.<br />One had a bird's nest.<br />"Birds nests have germs."<br />Another had a neat crooked trunk.<br />"We want a nice straight tree."<br />A skinny one might leave more room for presents.<br />The parents laughed at that idea.<br /><br />When we reached the end of the tree rows...<br />the other bunnies had returned, begging to show off their choices.<br />Father made a big deal out of looking by age...<br />we started at the oldest and made our way down.<br />Each tree Father would pull out into the aisle.<br />Mother would walk around it,<br />searching for holes or flat spots.<br /><br />It went that way for four trees...<br />then it was my turn!<br />I would sadly turn my gaze at the bright pink fuzzy tree,<br />saying good-bye in my head.<br />Then try to recall which of the trees seemed to have made mother happiest.<br />I might have been the youngest, but this was a serious competition.<br />I was out to win the honor of picking "the tree".<br /><br />I didn't always win,<br />but being with the parents as they talked about them<br />helped me to pick a number of winners over the years.<br />Of course it got easier as I got older and the other bunnies grew up and away.<br />But much of the luster of the game was gone by then...<br />along with belief in that old guy in the red suit.<br /><br />My father would string us along...<br />sometimes pacing back and forth and returning<br />for second looks...<br />Mother would whisper in his ear...<br />letting the tension build.<br />Then he would announce their choice.<br /><br />One of the older bunnies would go for a salesman<br />while the rest of us guarded our tree.<br />Father would dicker the price, if he could.<br />Accept it if he could not.<br />The tree had been chosen and no other tree would do.<br /><br />The salesman would try to sell him a nice<br />wooden cross stand to hold it up.<br />Father steadfastly refused.<br />Money exchanged hands...<br />and all the bunnies followed the tree to the car.<br />Father would wince as the salesman tossed it on top of the Buick,<br />worried about his paint job more than the tree.<br /><br />We sang carols all the way home<br />with slightly less enthusiasm.<br />The excitement of the day was wearing us down.<br />My own eyes would begin to droop.<br />By the time the station wagon rolled up the drive,<br />I was ready for bed.<br /><br />Buying the tree was a very big deal.<br />But it never was decorated the day of purchase...<br />inspite of the decorations neatly laid out.<br />Father would have to drag it inside,<br />stand it up and wait for my mother to decide<br />where the top and the bottom needed to be trimmed.<br /><br />Once that was done,<br />it needed to be wrestled into it's stand<br />and the stand filled with water.<br />Father had worked a full day.<br />It was time for a beer.<br />The bunnies were sent off to bed.<br /><br />I lay there and listened to the parents below.<br />They laughed about different trees and things said by silly little bunnies.<br />If I could keep my eyes open long enough...<br />I would hear the happy sounds of my father swearing<br />as he tied the big old heavy strings of lights onto the tree...<br />mother giving him directions.<br />The magic of Christmas had begun.</span></span><br /></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-45705570323310179612011-11-30T22:53:00.000-08:002011-11-30T22:54:19.718-08:00THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS...<p class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh3JeHAl0KsaCR-2sJPwP8C_VMlo4YGbvwUdltPkiKp3rDx4g2LpVzNtAk7l_xSFAdaNTHhnnaVwgq5xLMokprejgCOh-3IvqwY-5SOxAf6Wqe5prE4ljXjwws_uutP6ribHSLf-iWjc/s1600/birds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh3JeHAl0KsaCR-2sJPwP8C_VMlo4YGbvwUdltPkiKp3rDx4g2LpVzNtAk7l_xSFAdaNTHhnnaVwgq5xLMokprejgCOh-3IvqwY-5SOxAf6Wqe5prE4ljXjwws_uutP6ribHSLf-iWjc/s320/birds.jpg" border="0" height="320" width="320" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">YAY!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let the season begin!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While I have been taking my break...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I decided to work on some stories about Christmas</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the way it was when I was a kid.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because Christmas is special to children...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and infects all their thoughts and ideas...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">in a way that does not affect adults.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So here is my warning...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">these are stories,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and they are wordy!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you are looking for short posts,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I do understand and you are welcome to look elsewhere.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But these are memories near and dear to me,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">about a time that was magical.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I credit each and every one with to my parents,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">who worked very hard to make </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christmas very special to all of their children.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They were the best parents that I could possibly have had.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I believe you will see why. </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here we go... I hope you enjoy the ride.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">=:]</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oh Christmas Tree!<br /><br />The first weekend in December was dedicated to our traditional activities...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It began with boxes and boxes of decorations for the tree and house,<br />pulled out of their home in the closet that ran under the stairs.<br />Mom would set them out on the dining room table,<br />the big coffee table and here and there on the window seats.<br /><br />Mother hated messes... </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and this was a messy business.<br />But for once, it was a mess that she honestly loved.<br />Each item was taken from its nest in the tissue, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">newspaper and paper towels,<br />and gently inspected for damage.<br />There was always damage... </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">bulbs that were broken or burnt out,<br />fragile ornaments that had shattered or cracked.<br />She morned each and every lost reminder of her favorite memories.<br /><br />Between the balls, bulbs, light strings, garlands and angel hair...<br />lay her favorites; </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">all the dopy, sappy ornaments made at school<br />from bits of paper, glitter, photos, macaroni and pipe cleaners<br />and the baker's dough ornaments made at home by our little hands.<br />There was a set of glass birds with spring legs attached to alligator clips<br />with feather tails from her own childhood trees.<br />One bird had lost a leg and flopped to one side, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but still made his home in our tree.<br />Dad called it</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> "the drunk bird".<br /><br />She would work through the morning...<br />enjoying the memories they conjured up,<br />sharing them with us.<br />We laughed and smiled </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and shared our own stories as<br />each ornament came out of the boxes.<br />"I made that!"<br />The house smelled like oranges poked by cloves,<br />cinnamon, gingerbread, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">always bayberry, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and her stew perking in the kitchen.<br /><br />This was Christmas tree ornament day!<br />We were kept busy hanging up and </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">laying out the house decorations.<br />Setting up small winter scenes...<br />a pair of ice skaters on a mirror...<br />snow men conversed in their snowy angle hair fog<br />("Don't touch your eyes!")<br />on the sill of the window at the place where the stairs landed and </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">split toward the living room </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or the breakfast room on the other side.<br /><br />There were candles here and there...<br />angles, santas, snowmen, gingerbread boy and girl...<br />and always fresh bayberry candles in </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the giant brass candle sticks on the mantle.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Red satin bows were tied to their necks<br />to match the big bow on the front door</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> with it's cascade of sleigh bells.<br />The following few days fir boughs and </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">sprigs would find their way<br />around picture frames, mirrors, and across the mantle...<br />and cedar garlands </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">would be hung in swoops under the crown molding.<br />Mistletoe was hung in the center of </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the french doors to the dining room.<br /><br />We peeked out the windows...<br />waiting for Father.<br />Hurry, hurry, hurry home!<br />The bigger girls would help mom push<br />the love seat around the room,<br />until mother was satisfied with its temporary home.<br />This made room for the tree between the<br />built-in bookcases with their leaded glass doors<br />and the high, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">short and wide window with her antique bottle collection,<br />that would glitter with the reflected tree lights.<br /><br />The excitement of the day was contagious...<br /> anticipation grew by the minute<br />and every car that entered our street made us hold<br />our breath... until it passed us by.<br />We'd groan and wait for the next engine sound.<br /><br />Once the ornaments were all unpacked...<br />the boxes were filled with the wrappings and </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">tucked back under the stairs.<br />The rug under the place where </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the tree would go had to be vacuumed...<br />and we showed a rare enthusiasm for the task.<br /><br />Then the sound of the Buick in the driveway<br />inspired us to gape out the window.<br />"Don't smudge the windows!"<br />Father walked smiling into the house,<br />as we rushed him...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and he announced the same line year after year...<br />"Hey! It looks like Christmas in here!" </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">as he tired to cross the room to kiss mother,<br />with a five pack of little bunnies hanging on tight... </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">all chattering wildly.<br /><br />But there was diner to eat yet...<br />before the best part of the day.<br />None of us had to be told to hurry or finish what was on our plates...<br />and no one asked for seconds...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">unless Father did,<br />then you might as well have another </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">bit of stew or chunk of cornbread.<br /><br />The oldest bunnies would snatch up dishes<br />and wisk them away to rinse and put in the dishwasher.<br />One of us would wipe the table and counters down.<br />Another would take out the trash...<br />all without being asked, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">which made the parents smile.<br /><br />Father would stretch and threaten to read his newspaper...<br />all the bunnies protested and groaned.<br />But instead of stopping at his chair...<br />he would take his jacket from the hall seat,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> that looked like an oak throne...<br />causing the bunnies to hop into their coats as well...<br />and run to get the best seat available in the car.<br /><br />The sleigh bells jangled on the door and swayed.<br />The station wagon doors slammed.<br />The engine roared to life and the Buick backed out.<br />Someone would begin to sing and we all joined in.<br />"Jingle bells! Jingle bells!"<br />Extra loud on the "Hey!"<br />Look out tree lot... here we come!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The story continues tomorrow...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">see you then!</span></span></span></p></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-44169602146826694062011-11-23T00:16:00.000-08:002011-11-23T00:27:42.065-08:00REASONS FOR THANKS<p class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifT-SmSBBq1n9wGzGB-GeHc94zHGZOIPuKkMsqzbuVhRahyphenhyphenSWdH6VPlfBIp558XS3gBIKJc_2EgdC2YjyXftBd-T1lb4rgvcUAgKxNOcsHTw8H-1mMFBMKnIwdZl12UzxxbZuu60xDhl8/s1600/turkeys.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifT-SmSBBq1n9wGzGB-GeHc94zHGZOIPuKkMsqzbuVhRahyphenhyphenSWdH6VPlfBIp558XS3gBIKJc_2EgdC2YjyXftBd-T1lb4rgvcUAgKxNOcsHTw8H-1mMFBMKnIwdZl12UzxxbZuu60xDhl8/s1600/turkeys.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I know, I used this pic before...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >but I like the way that bird looks at me.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >Ha!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >Okay...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >The real reason for Thanksgiving is </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >to be thankful for the blessings of the year.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >So here are the things that I am </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >thankful for in the past year...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >thank my friend, fellow blogger...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >"lime" for this one!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" > </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >In the past year many things have occurred that I am very thankful for...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >The man!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >Yes, I met him two years ago.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >But I married him in May.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >This was no mistake.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >The man loves me in spite of my faults, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >which are many.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >After at least 11 years alone...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I sleep at night in his arms,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I spend my days in his mostly quiet, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >and often humorous company.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I face each coming day with curiosity</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >and joy.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >It is a wonderful thing to share my life with someone</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >so caring and kind.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" ><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am thankful for my wonderful children...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >who despite the miles between us</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >(200+)</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >manage to stay in touch daily...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >who make me proud to be their mother...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >who have given me joy</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >(and sometimes frustration and trauma)</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >since I first knew of them</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >growing within me.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I love them more than I can possibly express.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" ><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >For family...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >my own and... </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >particularly for my new family!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >For accepting me...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >for no more reason than the the fact,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >that the man loves me.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >How can I not love and accept you back?</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am so blessed by you!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >You have enriched my life.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am humbled by this acceptance.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" > </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am thankful for grandchildren...</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >the 5 I currently have...</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >and the two that we are expecting</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >in March and April!<br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" ><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am thankful that today...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" > I have a shelter and food...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >when so many do without those simple things.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >That I am safe,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >that I have health and a good life...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >while others live on the street...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >unsure of where their next meal will come from...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >or what will happen to them today,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >let alone tomorrow.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" ><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >And last...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >but certainly most important... </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I know that some of you do not have </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >a faith that you believe in...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I do!</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am thankful for the faith</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >that sustains me when times are bad...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >for the faith that uplifts me, </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >even when times are good...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >for the sacrifice made for me...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >and you...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >should you believe it or not, </span></span></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >it is important to me.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am grateful.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" ><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am thankful for you too...</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >you <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">bloggers</span> who share your</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >experiences and opinions.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >You are amazing!</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >You add interest and thought to my days.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >Your joys and sorrows...</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >all that you feel...</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >contribute to my life...</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >in ways that I can not begin to explain.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >Bless you all on this Thanksgiving Day.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" ><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >See you after your holiday!</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" > </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" > </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >A special hooray...</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >to the <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">Shifelys</span>,</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >for their new baby girl.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I am very happy ( and thankful) for your family!</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >I cannot think of a more wonderful gift,</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >than a new born child.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >May she bring you the joy and pride that my own children</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >have given me.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >May Hayden understand the gift she has been given...</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" > to be born your child...</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >and all the love that means.<br /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" ><br /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Times New Roman",serif;font-family:Georgia,";" >A happy Thanksgiving to you all!</span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-30139519362023848282011-11-10T21:07:00.000-08:002011-11-10T21:08:22.902-08:00<p class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj26VkpL5RSUD-WrfTDrbyG6gzTG7RpIoc1Jn21x8Jp833GPIteEUSWSE8vqd3dhG6KsU7cZS-Nmw4YbefGVSlj4febHdfIWWJDKqKB52kYdClGyUqTZmn4KeFv4EuFPCx0H_WiTaPdfY/s1600/veterans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj26VkpL5RSUD-WrfTDrbyG6gzTG7RpIoc1Jn21x8Jp833GPIteEUSWSE8vqd3dhG6KsU7cZS-Nmw4YbefGVSlj4febHdfIWWJDKqKB52kYdClGyUqTZmn4KeFv4EuFPCx0H_WiTaPdfY/s1600/veterans.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By the time this post hits, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it will be Veteran's Day.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That is not a day that I am personally willing to forget</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">or let slip past unnoticed.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My dad served in the U.S. Air Force,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">too late to be in WWII...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">too early for Korea.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am glad he was here to be my dad. </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Papa, my mother's father</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">served in the U. S. Army in WWI...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">where he lost a lung to mustard gas.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But he came home relatively safe...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and still managed to smoke roll your own</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bull Durhams into his 70s...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">able to be my much, much loved "Papa". </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The man also served</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">in the U.S. Army.<br /></span></span></span></p></div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Like my father, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">he would have gone to war if called.<br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What would I do without him? </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am grateful that they were not called to war,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">yet very proud that they were willing.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many have gone to war.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many have come home</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">safe perhaps,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">certainly changed by that experience,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">if not changed physically.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many have died.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You cannot give more than your life.</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is no price you can put on that huge offering. </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today at our house, </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">we hang our flag with pride and gratitude...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">our way of showing our respect</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and our thanks...</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">to all who serve,</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">all who have served</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and all who will serve...</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">May God bless them!</span></span></span></p></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-35307708673358811072011-11-06T16:53:00.000-08:002011-11-06T17:05:08.083-08:00LAZY DAYS<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Goodness I haven't been here in a long time!</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> Hopefully that will change now.</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlhyKDPjka7r5bWSi_GY3I2zHcb6wWWyWSCebR6yFfMUXQDRCoE5cJU22lb9nv2l_4eI3Y0-Y8qC_d5PRhc1bnUmzTandtEsHkVhhjUBCmwf6xjFwmQh-bsJz_fy_v5sVw64MG37VSwZI/s1600/wood+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlhyKDPjka7r5bWSi_GY3I2zHcb6wWWyWSCebR6yFfMUXQDRCoE5cJU22lb9nv2l_4eI3Y0-Y8qC_d5PRhc1bnUmzTandtEsHkVhhjUBCmwf6xjFwmQh-bsJz_fy_v5sVw64MG37VSwZI/s400/wood+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672051776607835874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Friday morning is the man's Friday night.<br />It was the last day of buck hunting.<br />We weren't going to go out again,<br />but T was taking the day off to go.<br />We decided that once the man was home,<br />after a trip to the bank<br />and balancing the check book...<br />we'd meet up with T, B and K and try one last time.<br /><br /><br />It proved to be an interesting sort of hunt...<br />in that we spent most of our time hunting for the other hunters.<br />Ha!<br />Never did find them.<br />But it made for a beautiful drive into some very lovely woods.<br />And it was just as well since the man was fading fast.<br /><br />I had just enough time to make him a grilled cheese sandwich<br />before he was off to dream land<br />and I had my evening to myself to do as I pleased.<br />I did very little beyond the dishes,<br />other than watch the Criminal Minds marathon.<br />He doesn't understand why I like that show.<br />Worked out great!<br /><br />Saturday we never got out of our jammies!<br />No cooking, shopping or errand running.<br />We watched college football all day long...<br />ending with our Duck game against U of Washington Huskies.<br />Ducks won.<br />Woot!<br />We ordered in pizza.<br />Then had a bit of time for romance.<br />Ooh la la!<br /><br />Today we did pretty much the same...<br />just lazed around and enjoyed each others company.<br />Watched a movie.<br />He's snoozing again, as he should be.<br />I'd call it a perfect weekend.<br /><br />Roxy has been busy coming in and out of the house...<br />leaving muddy dog prints today...<br />in a path through the kitchen.<br />That's number one on my to do list tomorrow.<br />Erase the evidence of dog.<br /><br />Meanwhile I am trying to plan Thanksgiving here this year.<br />I'm excited.<br />I hope everyone likes my mom's recipes.<br />Her gravy is a bit different...<br />but it's not Thanksgiving for me without it.<br />I've got my work lining up.<br />Guess I won't be bored.<br /><br />I hope you all had a wonderful weekend too...<br />and that you got to do whatever it is that you enjoy.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-60781057237912565102011-07-02T11:59:00.000-07:002011-07-02T12:45:27.031-07:00SATURDAY SCAVENGER SHOTS<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">(Blogger is frightened by the skull...<br />and doing weirdness with space again...<br />so be patient and scroll all the way down past the gaps please.)</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOvDUD2vyWuYF_aICWjJNZfH8ijzAyH_ToUiqjCQZmyxGkVjES1HGYyf3C63uYHSJDRoWbq88j5B0cO9SfqCHSELAvpxSCKqkv1JFRWPgnDTe3jPFw-qDJxkZ2iE7gg6OXp683QiXzg5b/s1600/Subodh-Gupta_1010596i-thumb-520x335.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOvDUD2vyWuYF_aICWjJNZfH8ijzAyH_ToUiqjCQZmyxGkVjES1HGYyf3C63uYHSJDRoWbq88j5B0cO9SfqCHSELAvpxSCKqkv1JFRWPgnDTe3jPFw-qDJxkZ2iE7gg6OXp683QiXzg5b/s400/Subodh-Gupta_1010596i-thumb-520x335.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624831748567153218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yikes!<br /><br />It's time for Saturday Scavenger Shots again!<br />Today's word is "UTENSIL".<br />The above photo is not mine...<br />I plucked it from this site:<br />http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/10/27/giant-skull-made-out.html<br />What could be </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">better than...<br />"</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >A zygomatic bone glommed together from o</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >ld sauce pots; a mandible constructed from rusty whisks; a maxilla ossifie</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >d from dinner plates and moustachioed with unwashed spoons. This gloriously sepulchral skull constructed entirely from old cookware and crockery was on display in London's Regent Park a couple weeks ago as part of</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > the Frieze Art Fair."</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">to fully illu</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">strate "ut</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">en</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">sil"?<br /><br />Of course, I can't think of the word "utensil" without thinking of<br />barbecue... and with the 4th of July coming up...<br />barbecue is our plan for the h</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">oliday.<br /><br />So how about some </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">barbecu</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">e <span style="font-style: italic;">"</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">u</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">tensil</span>" art?<br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbe0R8Ygc9HhpCi-vG8v9dnrb71E292oivRoqCoyw6hPJRx3qJ1bYnPWT3i1AjFavKPslpYz-95kgNheUUp48jmPhm166MQOnj-sn5o43kL0FQoH9m37OuiFki3iTfpm30s-zf87Jtvyov/s1600/bbq+art.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbe0R8Ygc9HhpCi-vG8v9dnrb71E292oivRoqCoyw6hPJRx3qJ1bYnPWT3i1AjFavKPslpYz-95kgNheUUp48jmPhm166MQOnj-sn5o43kL0FQoH9m37OuiFki3iTfpm30s-zf87Jtvyov/s400/bbq+art.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624834137936864898" border="0" /></a></span></span></span>I did not come up with that "utensil" piece.<br />But it certainly says...<br />time to barbecue!<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfJ4cEMZnQcIZKZ4pWYWIVYkz0SBQnqI6uLL5EinnewNcSpN5X5HWSoCuYr7FLfKutGHIdLr2qKLmOMEPvttLtjUqUhCVtdUN6FQdv2Yurb7C1I9BLmcfbUVDk0ROigKRCzv8IjUqJyVt/s1600/b+day+brick+cabenit+us+089.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfJ4cEMZnQcIZKZ4pWYWIVYkz0SBQnqI6uLL5EinnewNcSpN5X5HWSoCuYr7FLfKutGHIdLr2qKLmOMEPvttLtjUqUhCVtdUN6FQdv2Yurb7C1I9BLmcfbUVDk0ROigKRCzv8IjUqJyVt/s400/b+day+brick+cabenit+us+089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624836809917839218" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Okay... a perfectly terrible shot of the man<br />barbecuing.<br />There are some "<span style="font-style: italic;">utensils</span>" there on the right...<br />if you can see them!<br /><br />All this talk about "utensils" has made me hung</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ry!<br />I'm thinking</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">....<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfTkzpbaJQ8SKc0YbB-by5KlZ6yrH03WqIOF64Ox0mv3z8sWtQxgw1rUUpcHJsFRvxPRWXDJgydk4QsBe1B4hh6hXp7oKHx30rntgvMnamz81I8YeIwSV237Ng1efL0_TfPdL9Vhqh2Bd/s1600/chinese+food.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfTkzpbaJQ8SKc0YbB-by5KlZ6yrH03WqIOF64Ox0mv3z8sWtQxgw1rUUpcHJsFRvxPRWXDJgydk4QsBe1B4hh6hXp7oKHx30rntgvMnamz81I8YeIwSV237Ng1efL0_TfPdL9Vhqh2Bd/s400/chinese+food.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624839863355810306" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />Chinese food!<br /></span><br />So grab your <span style="font-style: italic;">"ute</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">nsils"</span>....<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznoFbbJ5gAtCtzGuKOSj3g8mNb333JZxSdasGoVe8eSBWNkKedTuF4IG2HOOk5htVbW8i-x1zFP0zZAb-nNXjm-jPhzQnRpOEJ31Ve1IvMq3hf-jOniXf7xM_QZTfO3jL2sWlhH5VJMN2/s1600/chop+stix.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznoFbbJ5gAtCtzGuKOSj3g8mNb333JZxSdasGoVe8eSBWNkKedTuF4IG2HOOk5htVbW8i-x1zFP0zZAb-nNXjm-jPhzQnRpOEJ31Ve1IvMq3hf-jOniXf7xM_QZTfO3jL2sWlhH5VJMN2/s400/chop+stix.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624840379059202098" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>aka: chopsticks...<br />and dig in!<br /><br />Happy Saturday Scavenger Shots everybody!<br />(I hope the man will let us get take out.)<br />;D<br /><br />And don't forget to use the side bar here to visit<br />What Fresh Hell Is This?<br />and<br />Eclectic Spaghetti<br />for more SSS and next week's word.<br />Then go out and take your best shot!<br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-11333623824186858872011-06-25T16:58:00.000-07:002011-06-25T17:48:29.678-07:00THE KISS...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx57t6XNhdkRs8pz2lXJ-W3AoAU7-wzUuSLrNhyHq4HGrwCzHQokAl9BKV-i7iiaGZU5OwR2GsZAduTCebB8bAPW9P-0htop4V3KXlEpCmjS03dZWLSiFVZfjJCQ60Z3Dfpc4vi4fB_v1z/s1600/Jr+and+Becca%2527s+wedding+031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx57t6XNhdkRs8pz2lXJ-W3AoAU7-wzUuSLrNhyHq4HGrwCzHQokAl9BKV-i7iiaGZU5OwR2GsZAduTCebB8bAPW9P-0htop4V3KXlEpCmjS03dZWLSiFVZfjJCQ60Z3Dfpc4vi4fB_v1z/s400/Jr+and+Becca%2527s+wedding+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622311881651793250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yesterday the man's son kissed bachelorhood good-bye.<br />He didn't seem to mind a bit!<br /><br />As my regular readers know, I am not normally a wedding person.<br />Some people really get into the whole idea of weddings...<br />sparking TV shows about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bridzillas</span>,<br />how to plan the perfect wedding,<br />tons of wedding web sites,<br />movies about wedding planners,<br />bridesmaids<br />and that event that all little girls are supposed to dream about all their lives<br />until the day they say<br />"I do."<br />Weddings are a huge commercial industry!<br /><br />My wedding was not a big affair and that was the right wedding for us.<br />Make a quick and serious commitment...<br />then get past that to the barbecue.<br />Phew!<br /><br />This wedding was much more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">traditional</span>.<br />The beautiful bride included traditions from her<br />Italian heritage that were interesting and new to me.<br />It was a very important wedding because it was family.<br />As formal weddings go,<br />it was in a wonderful setting in the country,<br />complete with babbling brook<br />and lovely landscaping.<br />Tables were set on the lawn and the atmosphere was charming.<br /><br />The ceremony was not long winded... a good thing...and had a nice message.<br />We all had a good giggle when the bride pulled her cheat sheet<br />of her vows out of her bodice.<br />The man said "Hey, she uses her bra as a pocket too!" and elbowed me.<br />Naturally...<br />Everyone cheered at the kiss.<br /><br />Little N was the flower girl.<br />Her brother, Te was the ring bearer.<br />The bride's daughter, R was one of the brides maids.<br />We had a lot of people we cared about standing up there.<br />That made this wedding extra special.<br /><br />It was a very nice evening with family and friends from both sides.<br />The food was delicious.<br />Everything was as perfect as any wedding could possibly be.<br /><br />By nature I am a wallflower at social gatherings,<br />unless I know the people very well.<br />The man was called away off and on to do photos, etc.<br />and had many people to visit with in the gathering.<br />But Mom and Dad were there... the man's that is...<br />so I sat at their table and visited.<br /><br />Eventually I slipped away to the truck so that I could<br />call my son Boo.<br />It was his birthday.<br />I missed it last year, because I had just moved here and had promised him that I would not miss this one.<br />I'd never missed one before that... ever.<br />Of course he understood that this was a big family event that we could not miss.<br />While I called, I missed the cake cutting!<br />I have photos of everything else though...<br />from the setting to the actual show.<br /><br />I was the driver, so no booze beyond a couple of short cups of beer<br />before eating.<br />We didn't leave for hours after.<br />All in all, it was a great night.<br /><br />When we signed the guest book... the man left it to me to do this...<br />I was tempted to put "the original Mr and Mrs H".<br />That's because we all have the same names.<br />He has his dad's and she has mine.<br />But I didn't.<br />I wasn't sure if joking in a guest book is appropriate.<br />It did make me smile to think about it.<br />I'll let future readers wonder why they signed their own guest book.<br />;-)<br /><br />We got home late.<br />The man was hungry so I made him a grilled cheese.<br /><br /><br />Ok... I have to ask you how you make your grilled cheese?<br />The man likes his with miracle whip inside on both pieces of bread.<br />Its really weird to have to slather something on all the different<br />sides of bread and quite messy!<br />I don't use anything inside mine except for cheese and maybe a tomato slice.<br />I guess there is no wrong way or right way,<br />but I'd never heard of that before.<br />Kind of like pizza... you can put what you want on it.<br />Still, I wonder what other ways you can fix one.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-89842044444458714772011-06-23T14:03:00.000-07:002011-06-23T14:10:36.140-07:00OF MICE AND THE MAN...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZmhiGVbYWD83qv7wSKWX5kmaKAL2Vi7Y9TYT9x_8mAV8cTyzvPaaKU0f2EHcSZK-MQY7mOsjt-KKFNXkt4LctNKsNUhAzIZ-E7xDPF0akSJUuA1sEwJpCZAEdPmAM7TK4-4n2Pt9K4lDZ/s1600/mice.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZmhiGVbYWD83qv7wSKWX5kmaKAL2Vi7Y9TYT9x_8mAV8cTyzvPaaKU0f2EHcSZK-MQY7mOsjt-KKFNXkt4LctNKsNUhAzIZ-E7xDPF0akSJUuA1sEwJpCZAEdPmAM7TK4-4n2Pt9K4lDZ/s400/mice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621523875622734738" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When we first got Roxy we put her dog food in a giant Tupperware container with a good sealing lid.<br />This was due to my association with a friend who worked for Terminex who,<br />once told me that critters go where ever they can find dog food...<br />and that dog food was an excellent bait for traps.<br /> <br />We have been fortunate not to have indoor critter problems...<br />so far...<br />with the exception of ants.<br />(Which are as inevitable as death and taxes.)<br /><br />So... into the Tupperware with Roxy's food. <br />Then it was stashed under the kitchen bar counter,<br />next to her food and water dishes.<br />There it stayed until an ant attack forced us to move her dishesto the shop,<br />where ants did not bother to go.<br />I'm not sure why that is.<br />Yet, sure enough, the ants did not follow.<br /><br />The first time I spied the shop mouse,<br />she was looking pretty fat.<br />Never a good sign with a mouse.<br />The next time she skittered by in the corner of my vision,<br />she was slimmer.<br /><br />I like mice. <br />I used to have a large walk-in closet in the house where I grew up,<br />that my mother allowed me to use to raise mice to sell as a business.<br />I had at one time 28!<br />(All in cages of course.)<br /><br />The man, however has no sympathy for mice.<br />I must agree that the wild variety are not good for human living spaces,<br />but I'm kind of funny about killing them.<br />I'd rather catch and release.<br />:-)<br /><br />When the man spied the mama mouse, he set a trap.<br />Whap! Whap!<br />He quickly dispatched two mice bodies to the dumpster.<br />I admit to being a mite sad at this,<br />but they were mature mice who had lived full mousey lives.<br />Better a quick snap of the trap than slow death by playful kitties.<br /><br />Not long after I spied a tiny puff of fur with a pink tail by Roxy's dish.<br />One of the food pellets must have been a feast to someone so tiny.<br /><br />To tell or not to tell...was my question.<br />Yes it was a wild rodent full of nasty germs and disease.<br />But darn, it was cute!<br />I didn't say a word.<br />(Shame on me!)<br /><br />Roxy ratted me out!<br />That pig bull nose of hers began to snuffle and search.<br />Who's been eating my porridge?<br />She spent hours at a time trying to track my fuzzy secret friend.<br />The man noticed and the trap came back out.<br />He uses peanut butter for bait... another tip from Terminex man.<br />The first night... nothing.<br />Yay!<br />the second night... nothing again.<br />Yay! Yay!<br />Unfortunately on the third try<br />the poor little fellow got the ax.<br /><br />I wasn't at all surprised when I spied a flash of fur this morning...<br />close to Roxy's dish.<br />Where you see one mouse, there are at least six more.<br />She's out there snuffling again.<br />Sadly, we have plenty of peanut butter.<br />More dumpster funerals to follow.</span></span></span><br /></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-89176381526213795642011-06-21T09:18:00.000-07:002011-06-21T10:11:47.219-07:00JUNE PEOPLE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoqn5fsFAav_SMY2r-iGJo6H7dibLeNVkhEQpUzFnHl0iWBsskVsP7Y-EeEiwIPhpC_ryIjc0M93e8YmdM50p6AntVRgOZF-xIeIxJ0y4b6b-G9nOFRneEKMelQIGtEHRBM64GsP8GjHw/s1600/chester+cheeto+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoqn5fsFAav_SMY2r-iGJo6H7dibLeNVkhEQpUzFnHl0iWBsskVsP7Y-EeEiwIPhpC_ryIjc0M93e8YmdM50p6AntVRgOZF-xIeIxJ0y4b6b-G9nOFRneEKMelQIGtEHRBM64GsP8GjHw/s400/chester+cheeto+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620709229220594066" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Birthday Mom and Ron!<br /><br />Two of the three birthdays I have this week.<br />The other is this guy...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bxdyFCSSahtJvSxMSfhr27mw1NOaHnp3AQGpI7qh7n2XluptWW3nHfqnnwpKwLZZA0frQN9d43V4ZwQqW_xzekCAkhOq2pjaChRkrcyrAkO8Gq2_FUIIRDSwKsZqSkhys7gU_Etc9YNH/s1600/breck+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bxdyFCSSahtJvSxMSfhr27mw1NOaHnp3AQGpI7qh7n2XluptWW3nHfqnnwpKwLZZA0frQN9d43V4ZwQqW_xzekCAkhOq2pjaChRkrcyrAkO8Gq2_FUIIRDSwKsZqSkhys7gU_Etc9YNH/s400/breck+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620712773007221106" border="0" /></a>My first born... that you know as Boo.<br /><br />June is a very full month for us!<br />We have four birthdays and a wedding.<br />The wedding is the man's oldest son's... which falls on Boo's birthday.<br />That will be easy for me to remember.<br /><br />In fact, Thursday we have the rehearsal diner,<br />then the wedding on Friday evening.<br /><br />Weddings are okay... I'm not a huge fan of them.<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Some people really get into going to them.<br />They are nice family events that are full of hope and joy.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">But I would rather celebrate birthdays!<br />Its good to have one day a year where you celebrate<br />that one special person.<br />Which everyone deserves!<br />Yay!<br /><br />So here are the reasons that I celebrate each of my birthdays<br />here today.<br /><br />Mom is my MIL.<br />But unlike some MILs, she's also a dear friend.<br />We met through the man, true enough,<br />but we began talking on the computer everyday before I went to work or after.<br />This is before the man and I decided to be a committed couple.<br />Even if, heaven forbid, the man and I would not have gotten to that point, I know that we still would have remained friends.<br />We can talk about anything.<br />She has a great sense of humor and a lot of varied interests that I share.<br />We're both pretty crazy about the man.<br />As you know, its not always easy to break into a new family.<br />Mom and Ron both have accepted me into theirs.<br />It is a comfortable feeling.<br />A good fit!<br /><br />Ron was a teacher and so knows the ins and outs of life with students.<br />That was a great connection for me.<br />When you work in a school, you live in that community<br />even after regular work hours... with all the functions involved.<br />When you move around in the world outside, you tend to see things and think of how that could be applied to teaching<br />or of interest to your students.<br />Its automatic.<br />Its nice to have someone around with other school tales and who has an idea about the school life.<br />Besides,<br />he puts up with me flicking him crap!<br /><br />As for Boo...<br />This was my "training child"...<br />the one where I had no manual and still had to figure out what to do with the kid... and not break him in the process.<br />Fortunately, he was the best baby on earth...<br />when I had his sister,<br />I could not believe how difficult she was in comparison.<br />Boo is bright, funny and very compassionate.<br />As a child he often ended up in center stage.<br />Literally.<br />He was picked from the audience by THE Yo-Yo man himself,<br />Tommy Smothers<br />to come up on stage and learn a yo-yo trick at the state fair.<br />While in school, there was a traveling troop of professional actors who came every other year to put on plays with students.<br />Every single time they came to our school during the years that Boo was enrolled, he was picked for the lead role.<br />The actors were different each time and had no clue that he had done this before.<br />Boo was like that...<br />a very attractive child, with an open personality that did not quit.<br />He tried everything and feared nothing.<br />A natural.<br />Gee... can you tell I'm his mom?<br />Ha.<br /><br />Anyway,<br />Happy Birthday my June people!<br />You are all very much loved and appreciated.<br />Here's to many, many more!<br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-59112356204551776382011-06-20T10:40:00.001-07:002011-06-20T11:13:53.012-07:00BARBECUED DADS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij04pSmJsay7YSg5zNO8FJx9WB6pxpB4ZcwJY8jH-coFt-6jqUTnpA_uonV9JSwqxt7aCZtz-NeWvz41GCAQUxYKjqv8xBFX85sXecF8Y_TnC7TH_Z6zINEDMUBNzVI88HbhaKpvk2gGov/s1600/chester+cheeto+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij04pSmJsay7YSg5zNO8FJx9WB6pxpB4ZcwJY8jH-coFt-6jqUTnpA_uonV9JSwqxt7aCZtz-NeWvz41GCAQUxYKjqv8xBFX85sXecF8Y_TnC7TH_Z6zINEDMUBNzVI88HbhaKpvk2gGov/s400/chester+cheeto+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620358934736406194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">This was the man's birthday last year.<br />It was quite a family and friend celebration!<br />I was still new then.<br />:-)<br /><br />This year, I didn't manage to get photos of the event.<br />Dead camera battery.<br />:-(<br /><br />Not a big party, which kind of surprised me.<br />I thought that maybe since it was Father's Day too that his kids might want to plan something.<br />But you know how adult kids that are are... 20s and 30s.<br />They have families of their own, jobs and big plans.<br />Jr. is going to marry this Friday... I've no doubt that they are busy!<br />Mom and Ron are off on a long trip to visit family and not available.<br /><br />A week ago T (the man's best friend)<br />asked what the man's kids had planned for the day.<br />"Nothing that I know of..."<br />He said<br />"Okay, we're having Father's Day barbecue... you're coming over and we'll do birthday cake too."<br /><br /><br />Very cool beans!<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8GaNAWQc9C86T4OUtPNDnVn868-9ih-ueqIQ_R7jE3wk6yOX6T4jwtxnYDvBAaog3iuaIa2CdIdC6Q_KP9NVdbixewxy9LlQe4T75G-PqLxym_AJi7VOo5l2ZGdyTaxKwuyp9tB6tetm/s1600/chester+cheeto+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8GaNAWQc9C86T4OUtPNDnVn868-9ih-ueqIQ_R7jE3wk6yOX6T4jwtxnYDvBAaog3iuaIa2CdIdC6Q_KP9NVdbixewxy9LlQe4T75G-PqLxym_AJi7VOo5l2ZGdyTaxKwuyp9tB6tetm/s400/chester+cheeto+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620360933900350754" border="0" /></a><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We always enjoy going to T's house.<br /><br />I let the man sleep in as late as he wanted and quietly left him biscuits and gravy to eat in bed.<br /><br />Early in the day, the man's youngest son showed up with a piece of German Chocolate cake for his dad and to visit for a little bit.<br />That was sweet!<br />I didn't tell him that I had a big German Chocolate cake already.<br /><br />Mom and Ron called from where they were on the road.<br />The man's sister, D, called as well... as she always remembers to do.<br />My kids sent well wishes via text... we are a texting bunch!<br /><br />Then it was time to leave for the barbecue!<br />Yay!<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">This time there was an absence of the man's family.<br />Generally they show up there when there's a Duck party or whatever.<br />I half expected them to show up, not knowing if T had invited them or not.<br />But basically, we were crashing T's family Father's Day celebration.<br />So it was T's mom and step dad, sister and husband, brother J and T's family.<br />Cozy!</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The food was so tasty... and I ate too much of course.<br />All in all a wonderful afternoon filled with a lot of laughter and good company.</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Jr and his fiancee, B showed up at T's briefly to drop off a card<br /> and say happy regards, but couldn't stay long.<br />They are not only getting married on Friday, but are packing their house to move when they return from their honeymoon in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hawaii</span>.<br /><br />R, his daughter put in a call on toward evening, so eventually all the kids had checked in to wish their dad well.<br />That made the man happy.<br />We made a stop by her house on the way home to drop off part of the cake<br />for them to enjoy too.<br />I got to wave at little N through the window.<br />She is such a cutie pie!<br /><br />Home again, our evening was quiet.<br />The man had to be up early for work.<br />We didn't bother with a diner after such a huge afternoon meal.<br />We watched some TV and I had ice cream, he had cake.<br />That was about it.<br /><br />Not a giant celebration.<br />But a mellow day and evening.<br />Sublime.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-62284930915628036032011-06-17T08:12:00.000-07:002011-06-17T13:02:48.103-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz0JlG3r0TMx6I-sVv7PwH8laIRO_o2Q563eoIMM5YNBl6EH8jDNmnD_jWfWXLOSCDxN1EpE8sYI57vvxjhN90nWD9_kLOr5BoWYhgblhTvUWXyi28qzFoB7RG9s9TIGM7ZxR-yne8d72/s1600/fathers-day-historys600x600.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz0JlG3r0TMx6I-sVv7PwH8laIRO_o2Q563eoIMM5YNBl6EH8jDNmnD_jWfWXLOSCDxN1EpE8sYI57vvxjhN90nWD9_kLOr5BoWYhgblhTvUWXyi28qzFoB7RG9s9TIGM7ZxR-yne8d72/s400/fathers-day-historys600x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619212500745807954" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Father's Day all you Dads!<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;" >"Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastr</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;" >ophic possibilities of life."<br />~Tom Wolfe, <i>The Bonfire of the Vanities</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I think that about sums up what a father's role is in the world pretty darned well.<br /><br /><br />When I began researching for this post, I had no idea what I wanted to say.<br />I've told so many of my stories here about growing up---<br />I can't remember what I have or haven't told.<br />Ha!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jMTY6wELrvzhpxFD8-NTbAXbfs1HCVIBZD8Gudmnq4UHFXuVuZ5vsoClv2yQqnqP9VlFRX3w5JJnV7-spj7kEnButHj9_3cgfVT2IKWjAekkbqPkbCIvnreMRqD46tjFTn2np4WTB03a/s1600/Ruegg+Family+large+shot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jMTY6wELrvzhpxFD8-NTbAXbfs1HCVIBZD8Gudmnq4UHFXuVuZ5vsoClv2yQqnqP9VlFRX3w5JJnV7-spj7kEnButHj9_3cgfVT2IKWjAekkbqPkbCIvnreMRqD46tjFTn2np4WTB03a/s400/Ruegg+Family+large+shot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619217708620655634" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br />I thought I would list some of the valuable things my father taught me.<br /><br />Cricket can explain the meaning of "value" to you here:<br /></span></span></span></span><div class="blog-title"> <a href="http://cricketandporcupine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Cricket And Porcupine</a> </div> <span class="item-title"> <a href="http://cricketandporcupine.blogspot.com/2011/06/value.html" target="_blank"> Value</a> </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Believe me, understanding value is more complex than you assume.<br /><br />Valuable things my father taught me:<br /><br />* Fair is not a condition of life...<br />its a place you go to, to have fun.<br /><br />* Do not put your bare leg against the motorcycle exhaust pipe.<br />(Painfully, I failed to listen.)<br /><br />* If I did not do what my mother said, <span style="font-style: italic;">he </span>would make me regret it.<br /><br />* Think about what you read, don't just say the words in your head.<br /><br />* The truth sometimes depends on who is telling it.<br /><br />* If you don't turn down the stereo the first time I tell you...<br />it <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> disappear.<br /><br />* There is only one thing teenage boys really want...<br />is to drive your vintage sports car ...<br />do NOT let them!<br /><br />* If you call for a ride home be prepared to wait until I finish my beer.<br /><br />* If you ever get pregnant before marriage, there will be no abortion...<br />you will have the baby, and spend the rest of your life raising it,<br />spend all of your money on it and countless hours worrying about it.<br />(That one scared the crap out of me!)<br /><br />* Family are the people who love you even when you screw up.<br /><br />* You can only spend as much money as you take with you,<br />so only take what you can afford to spend.<br /><br />* Never drink Cognac as a quick shot...<br />your head will explode.<br /><br />* If the bathroom door is closed... knock!<br /><br />* "If I had to choose between saving you or saving your mother...<br />I'd save your mom. I can always have more kids...<br />However, if I didn't save you, your mom would kill me.<br />It's one of those questions where there is no good answer."<br /><br />That's pretty much the wisdom of my dad in a nutshell.<br />Smart and often smart-assed.<br /><br />He has delighted me, pissed me off, protected me, made me laugh,taught me and always loved me no matter how angry I made him...<br />and believe me, I did test that.<br />He has made my life interesting and still does<br />Here's to my dad...<br />Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-87227773912242804922011-06-14T08:16:00.000-07:002011-06-14T09:32:23.138-07:00WHAT OLD CAR?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaeuSNHnzB5en1xvexd9Yzx5LkRdHQYD-19ZgZ2jf-t5ZBH6JKScH4rBB-sF-IeG76nJUdRMfc7KmzEJ65vrtF0vQhIssTogS2r3OKXD6WziXHRWFa1H47Ic-C-pL1obv9bArz2QRDQRc/s1600/funch+stuff+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaeuSNHnzB5en1xvexd9Yzx5LkRdHQYD-19ZgZ2jf-t5ZBH6JKScH4rBB-sF-IeG76nJUdRMfc7KmzEJ65vrtF0vQhIssTogS2r3OKXD6WziXHRWFa1H47Ic-C-pL1obv9bArz2QRDQRc/s400/funch+stuff+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618094949157451026" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Boy do I miss this little gardener!<br /><br />Yesterday was my first day home alone now that the<br />man has gone back to work.<br />Boring!<br /><br /><br />A man rang the doorbell.<br />It took me some time to get there as I was on the patio out back.<br />By the time I got to the door, I could see he was<br />about to throw his leg over his bike to leave.<br />I called hello.<br />He was in his mid twenties,<br />riding a black bike that had seen better days.<br />Plain jeans, Duck tee shirt.<br />Clearly not selling anything and no one I knew.<br /><br />He motioned in the direction of my back yard gate.<br />"Hi. I've seen that old car sitting there..."<br /><br />Old car?<br />That's no old car!<br />"That's my clown car!"<br />(He looked surprised by that statement, but chose to ignore it.)<br />This was the second time this week that someone had assumed that my clown car was not running and unwanted.<br />Harumph!<br /><br />"I'm looking for a car to fix up and buy, you know for a family car..."<br /><br />I laughed.<br /><br />"Actually, it runs and I use it."<br /><br />"Really? Okay. Sorry to bother you."<br />He looked at it unsure if I was telling the truth.<br />"Thanks anyway."<br />He mounted his bike and waved as he pedaled off.<br /><br />I walked out and looked at my car.<br />Honestly, I am puzzled.<br />Yes, it could use a bath.<br />Otherwise it's still green all over with relatively little damage beyond one scratch, a small dent and a cracked windshield.<br />What about it said unwanted and unused?<br /><br /><br />Maybe its the windshield thing.<br />Up where I used to live cracked windshields are common.<br />There is a great deal of ice and snow in the winters<br />in Dumb Potter's Hell.<br />Even once the snow is gone, the little rocks they use to make the roads safe remain.<br />Trucks fly past and toss them at your windshield.<br />The one time I replaced it... in August...<br />I was hit by a rock two days after I got X to install it!<br />That was the summer of 2009.<br />It took it a long time to go from nick to crack... and by then it had more nicks that aspired to be cracks.<br />My how those little nicks have grown!<br /><br />I suppose I should have replaced it again.<br />(My insurance does not cover windshield nicks.)<br />But once I decided to move here,<br />we knew that we wanted to use it for a trade in.<br />The windshield was unlikely to be much of a money factor.<br /><br />I peeked into its windows.<br />Yikes!<br />It does look rather abandoned when you do that.<br />There was my smock and lunch bag from my last day at work in January.<br />The seat cover on one side is half pulled off.<br />The blanket that I like to keep across the back seat<br />was bunched in a wad.<br />My "car book"... in case I'm stuck somewhere,<br />looked like it was crawling for cover under the driver's seat.<br />Lots of dust.<br />A vacuum would do wonders.<br /><br /><br />I guess it has been a while since I last drove it.<br />I think it time to give it a make-over.<br />I've got the tools...<br />Armor-All, Windex, shop-vac and the washing machine.<br />Maybe people will stop asking me if I want to sell it.<br /><br /><br />Poor clown car.<br />I owe it that much.<br />I bought it for a thousand bucks going on four years ago.<br />I've only had to replace the clutch and windshield.<br />The engine has just kept chugging.<br />Yep... the least I can do.<br />Besides, I don't want to have to wait and do it the<br />day before I start work again and<br />have a billion other things to get done before I get busy on it.<br /><br />Its supposed to get warm today and the sun is supposed to shine.<br />I'm still waiting for that but its only 9:30.<br />That's my afternoon project.<br />Until then, its house work and job hunting.<br />I need to water plants.<br />Ho-hum.<br />Maybe I'll even wax it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-67179672414992571542011-06-11T10:56:00.004-07:002011-06-11T11:42:48.928-07:00SURPRISE, SURPRISE!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBb5Sfz4feIABz3whjvuImcTlj60MHFDmFLwAWXU4bKituyRh9pR1nruUj5kEIUxFnEsLlr8LPJBtMmcjpQiHXe9PH1e8K4YKwwCjPNhJkDarjj-rRE7SRAsN14rOUZ7D-ZGbLmiRvOQRB/s1600/new+home+022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBb5Sfz4feIABz3whjvuImcTlj60MHFDmFLwAWXU4bKituyRh9pR1nruUj5kEIUxFnEsLlr8LPJBtMmcjpQiHXe9PH1e8K4YKwwCjPNhJkDarjj-rRE7SRAsN14rOUZ7D-ZGbLmiRvOQRB/s400/new+home+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617023141520086786" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">What a perfect day!<br /><br />Yesterday I was busy farting around in my outdoor office, just enjoying the fresh air and dog's company. The man was busy doing his usual morning stuff.<br />I knew we had errands to run, so I was not surprised at all when<br />the man began locking doors and shutting the house up ready to get going.<br />I simply closed the office and followed him out.<br /><br />It is the man's usual habit to drive and not mention where we are going.<br />Its sort of a game for me.<br />If I ask, he tells me "Following the front bumper."<br />Therefor, it has become my habit to simply sit and enjoy the ride while I try and figure it out.<br />I like puzzles and brain games.<br />This is actually a challenge for me, since one of my other habits is getting lost.<br />:D<br /><br />I was not concerned when we pulled into a near by mall.<br />We pay our cable bill there and that's where the new Cabela's<br />recently popped into being.<br />We are frequent visitors to the mall, despite the fact that we rarely buy anything.<br /><br />The man passed our usual parking area, but ok.<br />When he pulled into a spot by The Roadhouse Grill, I thought "Ah ha!"<br />We had gotten a gift card there for our wedding.<br />We went inside and got seated.<br /><br />Now the man is one of the ut-most laid-back people that I have ever encountered!<br />He takes delays and whatever set-backs come up with true grace.<br />I tend to get excited over these things.<br />We managed to get the only non-hard-working waitress in the place!<br />I don't know what she was doing with her time, but it wasn't waiting on her tables.<br />She kept vanishing into thin air.<br /><br />But I was with the laid-back man and it was a nice surprise, so I was<br />un-normally ok with the whole thing.<br />I like shucking the peanuts and tossing the shells on the floor.<br />A mistake since it took our waitress forever to bring us our sodas!<br />Still, I was not going to complain.<br /><br />Then an unusual thing began to happen.<br />The laid-back man began to check his watch repeatedly.<br />This simply does not happen with this man!<br />How curious!<br />Eventually our food came and the man ate a bit and went looking for doggie containers.<br />Normally he would quietly wait for these.<br />Curious and curiouser!<br /><br />We paid and walked an unusual double pace to the truck and<br />immediately drove a short distance to another space and parked.<br />This also was out of our usual parking area in the mall lot.<br />Okay...<br />Out of the truck, we walked just as fast into the mall.<br />I thought, well, he wants to beat the rush where we pay our cable bill.<br />I hurried along and became even more curious when he turned into a different wing.<br />I could see that we were walking toward the theater.<br />Now the man has said more than once that the only time he likes to go to the theater is when its super hot and there is no air conditioner... because he can sleep while whoever watches the movie.<br />Clearly not a regular movie go-er!<br /><br />We were in line before I got it.<br />Lost in a long list of movies on the header...<br />Thor!<br /><br />Understand this about me...<br />as a kid, I was not just a comic book fan.<br />I was an obsessed Thor fan.<br />We're talking about being at the pharmacy every week when the comic book guy would show up with the new comics.<br />When our parents took us on vacation I would nearly die over not being there to get my newest Thor comic when it came in.<br />There has never been a superhero like Thor!<br /><br />As comic book movies go, I really liked it.<br />Hey, it had Thor!<br />How could that possibly go wrong.<br />It could not and did not.<br />It was also a nice clean movie fit for children.<br />Yes, there was battle.<br />That's what Thor does!<br />But it was not gore riddled.<br />It even had a positive message to it.<br />No sex or sexual suggestion to explain to little people.<br />There was hand kissing and one good smacker!<br />It left us open to a sequel.<br />YaY!<br /><br />Then back to the truck and following the bumper... this time I caught on quickly.<br />We were off to the Emerald City to get our certified copy of<br />our squeaky marriage certificate.<br />I can't change my ID, SS# or get my car title changed and my tags without it.<br />It wasn't ready yet.<br />Bummer deal!<br />But hey, two out of three is still a good day!<br /><br />Back to following the front bumper.<br />I was in a great mood just enjoying the fact that I understood that I was utterly lost... again.<br />We seemed to be circling inside an industrial area.<br />The man fooled me when he turned into a parking lot where I knew he had applied for a job. I thought, oh... he's going to check in with them.<br />However, we were only turning around.<br />When he did stop, he pointed to a big brown building<br />and said he wanted me to remember it.<br /><br />I thought... ah ha! There is a story attached to this place.<br />I bit!<br />I asked why.<br />The man said "Well that's where I'll be all day starting on Monday."<br />It took a few heartbeats to get into my head.<br />The man found a job!<br /><br />Now I ask you...<br />does a day get any better than that?<br /><br />Later, when I thanked the man for a wonderful day of surprises, he smiled.<br />"The only thing that bothers me about it is...<br />what the heck can I come up with to top it?Now you're going to expect something better."<br /><br />I laughed.<br />"Oh, I don't know, but you'll think of something...<br />Maybe you better start thinking now."<br /><br />He laughed back and shook his head.<br />"Silly Rabbit!"<br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-18559280837059339582011-06-09T09:45:00.000-07:002011-06-09T11:45:21.439-07:00SPRUNG<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEVJJVZl-YU_sLiDS6KWB0f_Yf-8NFVrfBg69dUaE0PCTPMntpZ25i0CxCHuHlOImRXAka3cafOUc_9lL5roIT0YvZYG0nKias_-E7bRMUVW0p4g2zAygW0ViVhJRZ2GfPTeQyIl3xPIs/s1600/funch+stuff+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEVJJVZl-YU_sLiDS6KWB0f_Yf-8NFVrfBg69dUaE0PCTPMntpZ25i0CxCHuHlOImRXAka3cafOUc_9lL5roIT0YvZYG0nKias_-E7bRMUVW0p4g2zAygW0ViVhJRZ2GfPTeQyIl3xPIs/s400/funch+stuff+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616262913385086898" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Warning! Blogger is being a deevil today and doing<br />deevilish things to my blog.<br />You may have to scroll way down to finish reading this!<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">What a beautiful day!<br />Spring has finally sprung in Oregon.<br />Its a perfect day for walking in the hills or fishing...<br />or visiting with the chicken next door.<br />I'd love to have a chicken, but Roxy would not.<br />I couldn't do that to a chicken.<br /><br /><br />Yesterday I had an interview.<br />I think it went well enough. I didn't sense the feeling that I'd never hear from them again, like I sometimes d</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">o.<br />It lasted all of about 5 minutes... which doesn't sou</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">nd g</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ood.<br />However, the guy was nice and asked good questions...<br />as in questions that I think I fielded well.<br />I'd already had a phone interview, a meeting to learn about the company policies, its history and watched a lovely video.<br />What else was there left to cover in an int</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">er</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">v</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">iew?<br />I imagine they just wanted to sneak a peak and see what my personality was like more than anything.<br /><br />I left the interview happy.<br />I think my last words to the interviewer</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> were<br />"Thank you for the opportunity. Now I think I'm goi</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">n</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">g to go and buy a plant."<br />Out of context, it sounds kind of lame.<br />Ha!<br /><br />I did too... buy the plant that is.<br />When I returned home, this is what I found...<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLEGyiPTZOmZP9xFMP4nyABICX6ZWdc4WCI9cXMu7qaWpXRXr-OK5uwJumXmtN8RU-ME6Y5O391yX2Uth3AYvkh6SP7mFZkZJirOQ-f-QvgRYgNL40qdXjMuaczB3jSf_fTlSgPZmZmxt/s1600/funch+stuff+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLEGyiPTZOmZP9xFMP4nyABICX6ZWdc4WCI9cXMu7qaWpXRXr-OK5uwJumXmtN8RU-ME6Y5O391yX2Uth3AYvkh6SP7mFZkZJirOQ-f-QvgRYgNL40qdXjMuaczB3jSf_fTlSgPZmZmxt/s400/funch+stuff+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616265816859151794" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />No, its not new. On the contrary, its a dated instrument.<br />But what it is, is an outdoor office that Randy set up to surprise me.<br />:D<br />Last year when I moved down, I set Hal, my computer, up out on the patio. I have a thing about being outside.<br />However, cold weather drove Hal and myself insi</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">de.<br />I set up shop in Randy's office.<br /><br />We were playing 10,000 (a dice game) the other evening and I mentioned that I missed having Hal on the patio<br />but it is such a hassle to move Hal with all his various parts,<br />and promptly forgot the idea with the next </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">roll of the </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">dice.<br /><br />What a thoughtful and lovely surprise!<br />What a sweetheart!<br /><br />So here I sit... on this beautiful day</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">...<br />radio in the background...<br />with the sun shining and the wonderful s</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">mell of 'toonies<br />and pansies wafting in the air.<br />SWEET!<br />The type of day where all things are availab</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">le and possible.<br /><br />Obviously I have nothing of importance to talk about...<br />but some days that's kind of nice t</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">oo.<br /><br />Here's a few oddball thoughts:<br /><br />Delta Air is in the poo can... they have been charging returning soldiers $200 a bag over the 3 bag limit to get themselves and their things home from service in the middle east.<br />BAD FORM!<br />*************************<br />I found this sign on a wall in a little strip mall i</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">n the Em</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">erald City.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVuqDsTknmq7fikDetoWMEND5IxCWcznZYNu14yIHg1eO0sXewMnbcFUp1QXHVjl4JIBI4DpsE0CMztin_VpqpIkJy7diDpkEa_DX7gZIg-mkdM6fQvQdDIUTb5V1SpYrLtfkQYy43HPR/s1600/funch+stuff+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVuqDsTknmq7fikDetoWMEND5IxCWcznZYNu14yIHg1eO0sXewMnbcFUp1QXHVjl4JIBI4DpsE0CMztin_VpqpIkJy7diDpkEa_DX7gZIg-mkdM6fQvQdDIUTb5V1SpYrLtfkQYy43HPR/s400/funch+stuff+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616276912781661890" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you suppose there is a secret society of dogs who</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">post these signs so that other dogs know where to find</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">cats to chase?</span></span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" >This is what the pig bull thinks of Hot Mamas sausages...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4RN1IzdJG7cq0Ny5sys3cH2rSsAQC8viQZnwlnflJK6cu57i3UNsYAFEyqr6kFAsNXO5UoQSgBDHoC9r3xsFxLPZ2Ra0347jU0V_6Sw5Ol3T6BJOBsgAkxS7SWeFCPJZsJIM0VjvVvmM/s1600/funch+stuff+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4RN1IzdJG7cq0Ny5sys3cH2rSsAQC8viQZnwlnflJK6cu57i3UNsYAFEyqr6kFAsNXO5UoQSgBDHoC9r3xsFxLPZ2Ra0347jU0V_6Sw5Ol3T6BJOBsgAkxS7SWeFCPJZsJIM0VjvVvmM/s400/funch+stuff+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616271019018742946" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" >Who knew that dogs can blow raspberries?<br />Okay, that's enough nonsense for the day.<br />I hope it gave you a smile.<br />Today is too beautiful for any other expression.<br />Me?<br />I'm going to go enjoy the gifts such a day brings.<br />Big grins everybody!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-90564564200067826182011-06-06T20:16:00.001-07:002011-06-06T20:45:50.120-07:00BUILDING FENCES<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gDoc3QCkXVNm2klJOpY3m_A0NYkiQQKaIchgiAl8s78BEtJkOYa6JkSo6dxsP0lF71SG-crFCXwzEO2gE_cbzjJ2iptzmGlQSMth50t-VD5qvuq7WD8EVoTgHhVOcjBOUg_E25K-quhn/s1600/roxy+2+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gDoc3QCkXVNm2klJOpY3m_A0NYkiQQKaIchgiAl8s78BEtJkOYa6JkSo6dxsP0lF71SG-crFCXwzEO2gE_cbzjJ2iptzmGlQSMth50t-VD5qvuq7WD8EVoTgHhVOcjBOUg_E25K-quhn/s400/roxy+2+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615312709943297794" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The yard supervisor.<br /><br /><br />We've needed to replace a section of our fence for a while.<br />The neighbor's son ran into it when he was trying to learn how to drive.<br />Its never been the same.<br />Then a wind storm made it worse.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />We went almost immediately to get the supplies needed.<br />Then the weather and availability of workers clashed<br />and the fence was put off until after the wedding.<br /><br /><br />So last Thursday we decided that with good weather on the way,<br />it was time to get it done.<br />Early Saturday morning the neighbor's older two sons and their dad<br />showed up to tear the old fence down.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHs0WwKBnfRntBw6Kw3dO356S8nQ_5qQq9_HWUXYf2XaEH5AOUtowjWNZp_FK_S8FkMORIPWLYvKZpjSIPzLzjSctVAnItaNGMcNcSVpWSjJUPTVlIu5TdcRnYlNeUH-pSgi9VMOuowIX/s1600/building+fences+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHs0WwKBnfRntBw6Kw3dO356S8nQ_5qQq9_HWUXYf2XaEH5AOUtowjWNZp_FK_S8FkMORIPWLYvKZpjSIPzLzjSctVAnItaNGMcNcSVpWSjJUPTVlIu5TdcRnYlNeUH-pSgi9VMOuowIX/s400/building+fences+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615315748999730834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />The supervisor in the photo at the top of this page (Roxy) was furious.<br />How dare anyone take her ratty old boards away!<br />She barked so much and was so upset that she was banned to the house.<br />You wouldn't think that was much of a punishment,<br />but to Roxy, being banned from others is the worst thing ever.<br /><br />EVER!<br /><br />She sulked. She grumbled. She continued to be upset.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">All day.<br /></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The next day, after the posts had time for their concrete to set up properly,<br />the crew began the work of putting the new boards up.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dtX3uXBrjXxByfVfgN3-bkMOxFRUI_0uVVA1oDfgHQnM4dPpUrAKjz4TagkbhA4X4BarBnl6qR06aYBOOIJCepZDsUkD2gezX-OMLrM1YQcUTMPZ168aGJc7p-SlbyQeB6Z6Q1jFG-e-/s1600/building+fences+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dtX3uXBrjXxByfVfgN3-bkMOxFRUI_0uVVA1oDfgHQnM4dPpUrAKjz4TagkbhA4X4BarBnl6qR06aYBOOIJCepZDsUkD2gezX-OMLrM1YQcUTMPZ168aGJc7p-SlbyQeB6Z6Q1jFG-e-/s400/building+fences+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615315465278408194" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We allowed the supervisor to come into the yard...<br />providing she could control her ah..."comments".<br />Unfortunately, we had to use a long tie-out to keep her in the yard.<br />Roxy has never been tied out.<br />She supervised with great intensity<br />and a degree of irratation.<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Eventually it was finished.</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kRuS9WlAg3l_w9bqkV6_nquUKZIaj7HKtVgRiLxGFUPWDAzZ9HFJL0Wx-8OLr3luDS7E5-V61isOsD3rOCrO79u52XyHgz6GUa5WCCmqezoLa5M9TuYptkwbLJaQXBUZH7ri0gm7qmFI/s1600/building+fences+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kRuS9WlAg3l_w9bqkV6_nquUKZIaj7HKtVgRiLxGFUPWDAzZ9HFJL0Wx-8OLr3luDS7E5-V61isOsD3rOCrO79u52XyHgz6GUa5WCCmqezoLa5M9TuYptkwbLJaQXBUZH7ri0gm7qmFI/s400/building+fences+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615317172113454962" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The supervisor grabbed her duck and raced all over her yard.<br /><br />She said it was perfect...<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrIhDS2q96x6tHzsMw37eRrtzi-4zefckwfobffCJrFt83SAcehs0Cpw6TwW1Vluibix5ChxTeBKXlEEsHaryw3oI0nYKcz_KlxL6Wdrrg5DtXDVpZzVu9VBze0PqKaiI0Cm_gRDg_SIE/s1600/building+fences+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrIhDS2q96x6tHzsMw37eRrtzi-4zefckwfobffCJrFt83SAcehs0Cpw6TwW1Vluibix5ChxTeBKXlEEsHaryw3oI0nYKcz_KlxL6Wdrrg5DtXDVpZzVu9VBze0PqKaiI0Cm_gRDg_SIE/s400/building+fences+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615317722385276690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">and demanded that we throw the duck again.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Now everybody happy!</span><br /><br /><br /></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-27360815147292506222011-06-03T12:10:00.000-07:002011-06-03T12:58:54.226-07:00BRING IT<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfGR1_kSHbLp4XGNlebO3DZ09p0WyHs5tn75DSLIRkUQFAFz4MQxAEGMBt9ivauZ6HUzUXCovVWMe6qxJzYYfUX6uxkOse-jk3Y0o-Q7f-BoPWbuCrzeXVeQUg356WpfqGmxU4qU8dSof/s1600/bring+it+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfGR1_kSHbLp4XGNlebO3DZ09p0WyHs5tn75DSLIRkUQFAFz4MQxAEGMBt9ivauZ6HUzUXCovVWMe6qxJzYYfUX6uxkOse-jk3Y0o-Q7f-BoPWbuCrzeXVeQUg356WpfqGmxU4qU8dSof/s400/bring+it+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614079907650012962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now that the weather is agreeable and the y</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">a</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">rd is in order<br />except for maintaining it,<br />we are ready to do most of our living on the patio.<br />Recently while playing a game of 10,000 on the patio at night,<br />the issue came up of kee</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ping the l</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ight on.<br />We have a motion sensor light that is nice and bright.<br />But it seems we don't move enough for it to stay on.<br />Hummmm...</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">We have another porch light out t</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">here t</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">oo, but<br />when Randy tried to put a new bulb in it,</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">we discovered that the old bulb must h</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ave been too much wattage.<br />The bulb had fused with the plastic "glass" in the carriage style shade.<br />The pane was warped and the bulb seating was s</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">tuck<br />in the screw in thingie.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />So off we set on a trek to the Emerald City</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">to this place...<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOUcehNo4yAdkMEh6fMlO1oTew2PVHTPXGSv3fPS7_YDn8VB2FbwlZiHX4wMQ-8H-5pBGn8XAMyJKy6i5Vz1SG92LQiN24ECqEVUOc0zQdVgssddku9fKDtAbYsvElFZtvBpYd16Ns7KM/s1600/bring+it+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOUcehNo4yAdkMEh6fMlO1oTew2PVHTPXGSv3fPS7_YDn8VB2FbwlZiHX4wMQ-8H-5pBGn8XAMyJKy6i5Vz1SG92LQiN24ECqEVUOc0zQdVgssddku9fKDtAbYsvElFZtvBpYd16Ns7KM/s400/bring+it+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614073928549855634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Where you can find everything people discard...<br /><br />including the kitchen sinks!<br /><br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWreER9HCfny0DhMK_Ir07zB8cuZGV_umA4kl6g8mKsJK9EEzyU4uRbQm8Zx2KRuZnm9efZGGm4Qrw41sIY7bYDwCK2tx066gt1MrdbB_PTBrKWNr-BrDPpceEBJh6ChuoVLUWUFvyfHy0/s1600/bring+it+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWreER9HCfny0DhMK_Ir07zB8cuZGV_umA4kl6g8mKsJK9EEzyU4uRbQm8Zx2KRuZnm9efZGGm4Qrw41sIY7bYDwCK2tx066gt1MrdbB_PTBrKWNr-BrDPpceEBJh6ChuoVLUWUFvyfHy0/s400/bring+it+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614077658790518578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We rooted around for light fixtures and found tons of indoor fixtures<br />but no outdoor ones.<br />Its like that at "planet improvement centers".<br />Its sort of hit and miss.<br /></span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ07ER3dnrmj1LuM0br2b4d0FhHial7uKTAFdY3Dzx7phl3sXtgf7DeO3P_DTEwaxTQ_nTBzX1ZvJcg_XIJpPkmcbOj_WpHO7mg-HMKjwxmQ3t2ppRxekZcUkhKhWmD-bWNbyv9-jqnx8U/s1600/bring+it+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ07ER3dnrmj1LuM0br2b4d0FhHial7uKTAFdY3Dzx7phl3sXtgf7DeO3P_DTEwaxTQ_nTBzX1ZvJcg_XIJpPkmcbOj_WpHO7mg-HMKjwxmQ3t2ppRxekZcUkhKhWmD-bWNbyv9-jqnx8U/s400/bring+it+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614077228862725794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Speaking of hits... this LP record siding was a hoot!<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nih_k3yOcrjBVKJCpEsFkHRNzFXHsz_gwmtA7CPidihbTNf-756JsIalUvHvbss-9dJPpawZK2pgA2u8ookW5aNvLd5xeiEO5KoxrGiIaM-5xFOD8F94rAWo1n96_P6FIg9vO4vnC5Kh/s1600/bring+it+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nih_k3yOcrjBVKJCpEsFkHRNzFXHsz_gwmtA7CPidihbTNf-756JsIalUvHvbss-9dJPpawZK2pgA2u8ookW5aNvLd5xeiEO5KoxrGiIaM-5xFOD8F94rAWo1n96_P6FIg9vO4vnC5Kh/s400/bring+it+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614079089608877058" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I also liked their creative method of decorating a plain concrete block wall.<br />But the garden at the top was my favorite area.<br />Used plants and the tuba made me smile.<br />Here's a bit more of the garden...<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5Lj1pUJQZqMVwmsfJrbOF819bos-1DIfpl9Ya3ZTFJryIeCZ60CxlLMbD_Xhc9tXd8JThhifbHfkvLo148pIROV8NkBgSP_YB3F0OTR3KVJWnRphWDoeH2VarB6fjkiVGDowZ8WMdZgG/s1600/bring+it+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5Lj1pUJQZqMVwmsfJrbOF819bos-1DIfpl9Ya3ZTFJryIeCZ60CxlLMbD_Xhc9tXd8JThhifbHfkvLo148pIROV8NkBgSP_YB3F0OTR3KVJWnRphWDoeH2VarB6fjkiVGDowZ8WMdZgG/s400/bring+it+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614081834784106306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I've always liked that saw about one man's trash<br /> is another man's treasure.<br />Here's the proof!<br /><br />We never found a fixture that we liked. We'll go back again another day.<br />Places like this get my creativity perking.<br />I'd recently gotten an itch to make a mosaic for the back yard.<br />I saw lots of things that I could work into it here.<br />But things at Bring are not always cheap.<br />There is a cost to improving the world.<br /><br /><br />And T told me of a place in the Emerald City where artists<br />have gathered all sorts of stuff to use to make, well anything you want to make...sculptures, mosaics, wall art, garden art...<br />whatever your imagination sets flying!<br /><br /><br />Its open to everyone and a favorite place for teachers to take classes.<br />You can leave the mess there!<br />Or take supplies.<br />My understanding is that this is free<br />and as we all know, free is a great price!<br />I'm going to get directions and check it out.<br />I'll let you know what I find...<br />but if nothing else, its an adventure!<br /><br />Tell us about your recent adventures.<br />Do you like to explore new places?<br />Get physical?<br />Exercise your creativity?<br />What the heck are you up to these days?<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><br /></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-4994716091028075522011-05-29T12:08:00.000-07:002011-05-29T13:20:23.105-07:00WHAT'S REAL?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo4BE1qtmpJBaS3n52sGFua9P5fUfekLGQHY2di3neAa3seHilNf8F3uIrPP9VmpAt10lcf8E8ZkzSu-P25NftvJ-4bBidsOPwhZR9HQOkllxfrt0_-cG-_hi6GeJT-1VRhje8bbbYY0A/s1600/doppio+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo4BE1qtmpJBaS3n52sGFua9P5fUfekLGQHY2di3neAa3seHilNf8F3uIrPP9VmpAt10lcf8E8ZkzSu-P25NftvJ-4bBidsOPwhZR9HQOkllxfrt0_-cG-_hi6GeJT-1VRhje8bbbYY0A/s400/doppio+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612233381933855650" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(A TOOTHLESS SOOKIE TOOTS)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />So we had four days to recover and get into the stuff of everyday life again.<br /><br />Then little N came.<br /><br /><br />Back when she first began to call me grandma,<br />her mom told me that it was okay with her.<br />BUT.<br />There is always a but.<br />But I had to be a "real" grandma.<br /><br /><br />She gave me her version of what being a "real" grandma was.<br />A real grandma bakes with the kids and does crafts.<br />She did not want them to come over and just hang out.<br /><br />Okay...that got me to thinking...<br /><br />I had two grandmas that I can recall in my life.<br />Gertrude, who was a working business woman who was "dutiful"<br />in that she did presents on Christmas and birthdays and would show up if we were in school functions to watch. Always, no fail.<br />However, you could see her checking her watch and she left like her tail was on fire when her obligation had been met.<br />Not a fairy grandma.<br /><br />G.G., about whom I have written before, was in my head the "real" deal.<br />Did she bake?<br />Yep, but my job was to watch, then lick the spoon and bowl<br />and later reap the goodies at snack time.<br />Did she do crafts?<br />Never.<br /><br /><br />In fact, GG did not have toys.<br />She had a double set of dominos that I used like legos.<br />Other than that, all there was to play with at GG's<br />was a painted cast iron cat that sat next to the fireplace that was never lit.<br />I enjoyed many hours pretending that was a real cat.<br />I took my own drawing supplies.<br />That was it for entertainment.<br /><br /><br />Yet, I absolutely loved to go to GG's every summer.<br />She was old, old.<br />A throw back to an antique era.<br />She had a "boy"<br />(who was about 60)<br />who did all her yard work and handyman stuffs.<br />(No, he was not black.)<br /><br />GG had a flower garden that was amazing.<br />It had crushed oyster walkways and all the flowers were the kind you cut to fill your home with lovely scents.<br />There was a sitting area in the middle where her garden club ladies came to visit, eat cookies and drink tea.<br /><br />GG tended the garden herself.<br /><br />This required suiting up.<br />GG donned a garden shift... a formless sack thing<br />that she covered with an apron.<br />She wore long garden gloves up to her elbows.<br />Clunky rubber boots covered what little was exposed of her twiggy legs.<br />She topped it all with a giant straw hat that tied under her chin.<br />Ladies, she warned me, do not allow their skin to become tan.<br />Ladies did not want to look like farm hands.<br />Apparently they did not need sun screen.<br />Ladies in those days were pretty smart!<br /><br />GG's house was always quiet.<br />There were morning prayers, grace at every meal and evening vespers.<br />Church twice a week<br />and of course charity work.<br />The house itself had the reverence of church or a library.<br />She had garden teas and gin rummy club.<br />An abundance of likewise old, old ladies.<br /><br />What GG did do for me was open up her library.<br />She did not merely allow me to read her books.<br />She had read them all and entered into discussions.<br />She loved science and God.<br />Those were the topics on any day.<br /><br />What GG did as a grandma that made her "real" to me<br />was not about "fun" things to do.<br />It was that she listened and heard my ideas and answers.<br />She asked questions and made suggestions<br />rather than correction to how I thought.<br />She encouraged me to think and see the wonders around me.<br /><br /><br />I have no problem doing the cooking and craft thing if that is what the kids want.<br />I do draw the line at glitter.<br />No glitter! It gets everywhere.<br /><br />But it is my suspicion that crafts and baking are not what make you<br />a "real" grandma.<br /><br /><br />Children want two things.<br />To know that they are loved and to have someone's attention.<br />That's easy as pie...<br />Talking and listening.<br />Sharing of ideas and having someone respect and care about what you think.<br />Someone who laughs at your dumb kid jokes<br />or soothes hurt feelings.<br />And hugs. Lots of hugs.<br /><br /><br />Little N came to stay with us for 24 hours.<br />I was exhausted by the time she left.<br />There was no baking or crafts.<br />There was ice cream and cake.<br />She does love to draw and I made those supplies available.<br />There were bubbles to blow.<br />We put drawings on the fridge.<br />Mostly we talked and laughed at silly kid jokes.<br />In short, I paid real attention to her.<br /><br /><br />I hope that was real enough.<br />:D<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-91381987706798739472011-05-26T17:47:00.000-07:002011-05-26T19:46:46.954-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaKwiB1Uz8FmIMgZBE5A8ijcor4OfU39PfGssPpchswRRHvFMmIajSKPcs4EZAq7KXNKk8Kyq3gEQnfX6_dBfSuedwMsHnvfklMeEiFVxzQXwmPctQVWRS8ReLBeIi25WlG8GFywMXeeP/s1600/great+one+of+me+and+randy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaKwiB1Uz8FmIMgZBE5A8ijcor4OfU39PfGssPpchswRRHvFMmIajSKPcs4EZAq7KXNKk8Kyq3gEQnfX6_dBfSuedwMsHnvfklMeEiFVxzQXwmPctQVWRS8ReLBeIi25WlG8GFywMXeeP/s400/great+one+of+me+and+randy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611191401499775314" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Yikes! We did it!<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Holy moley!<br />Weddings are huge beasts.<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">For over a month we weeded, trimmed trees... which led to cutting logs out of the big branches and doing something with the bark chips afterward... taming, trimming and giving the vinca a new do, not to mention my endless battle with the berry vines.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I have come to the belief that yard work is like cleaning a spot on the wall... you get one area looking great and the rest looks like crap!<br />Before you know it, one thing leads to another and then its time to start over. Sheesh!<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Fortunately for us, there were many who helped out with the yard.<br />Likewise with the wedding!<br />On Thurs. Bear's bunch showed up and took up residence in the pop-up trailer. That is one hard working girl!<br />The next day Boo, Saucy and Squeaky showed up to help, along with Big E, a friend of ours' son. We looked like</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> ants swarm</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ing over the yard and house. :-D<br /><br /><br />By Saturday... "Judgment Day" and our wedding day... the joke was that Randy had waited until the last day on earth to get married.<br /><br />Big grins!<br /></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We scurried around. Bear finished the 6 layer, 3 tier wedding cake about an hour before the wedding. Phew!<br /><br /><br />Then T asked Randy about my bouquet.<br />Bouque? What bouquet?<br /></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">In the flood of all the other things we needed to do,<br />we had forgotten the bouquet!<br />So T and Rev. Jimmy ran out... and I did not know this part...<br />and made me a beautiful bouquet with white hydrangea and mums and some lovely purple lily-like flowers and some fun green things.<br />They wrapped it all in voile with trailers that hung down and it was a huge surprise to me.<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I was very touched!<br /><br /><br />We all battled for shower ti</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">me.<br />Someone left the door open to my room... and my clothes were on the bed<br />within view of the folk standing in the hall.<br />I was stuck with</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> only a towel.<br />Yikes!<br />I decided to become a blur and slam the door shut.<br />Later someone asked me about that,</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> and we had a good laugh over it.<br /><br />We waited for some missing guests for what se</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">emed forever, then finally they arrived and it was time to get the show on.<br />Boo and I began to walk...<br />but I'd forgotten my bouquet.<br />"Wait!"<br />I ran back to get it and then before I kn</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ew it, I was standing there with Randy in front of Rev. </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Jimmy.<br />He said something very nice about marriage,<br />but I didn't hear much of it.<br />I went into zombie shock mode.<br />I don't do well in front of crowds.</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> I have serious stage fright issues.<br /><br /><br />Okay... you must sympathize with</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> me now.<br />I demand it!<br />Randy began saying his vows and w</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">as slipping my rings on my finger.<br />I began to cry.<br />I am a dedicated cry baby.<br />;-)<br /><br /><br />He put my rings on backwards...<br />but who cares?</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">My tears choked him up a bit, but he did a much better job than I at getting his lines out.<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Then it was time for me to slip his ring on...<br />and my much, much beloved C4C dropped it!<br />Ha!<br />That was a very welcome bit of co</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">mic relief!<br /><br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Over Randy's shoulder I could see T wiping a tear off his face...<br />which made me cry more.<br />Yikes!<br /><br /><br />I barely managed to croak out m</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">y vows and slip </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">the ring on his finger.<br /><br />Then Rev. Jimmy wiped a tear from my cheek...<br />I was so touched by that!<br /><br />And he pronoun</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">ced us married.<br />I was never so glad to kiss someone in my life!<br /><br />Time to celebrate and barbecue!<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Phew!<br /><br />We survived!<br /><br />Done </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">deal.<br /><br />Of course now I have to change all my ID again.<br />Crap.<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Am I happy?<br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdKgqV7KtysS_vJKENsoPI2ziHfsn4xoL7zzrwpeC7mbRqbQTP6_fJT5119Vq9Tu6sJwr2XZWjvEh9edARf7aEtYYCz6aQ3HoTTfdsvMYpB2PbdKvNahet1xIsY5q_4USvyuRYywMbY1e/s1600/squinting+in+the+sun.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdKgqV7KtysS_vJKENsoPI2ziHfsn4xoL7zzrwpeC7mbRqbQTP6_fJT5119Vq9Tu6sJwr2XZWjvEh9edARf7aEtYYCz6aQ3HoTTfdsvMYpB2PbdKvNahet1xIsY5q_4USvyuRYywMbY1e/s400/squinting+in+the+sun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611216714193705314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">What do you think?<br /><br />Ha!<br /><br /><br />(Yep, the bride wore br</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">own.)<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll post some of the pics of other people.<br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Special thanks to all those who helped us to get ready for the wedding:<br />Bear, Mikey P, Turkey, Boo, Saucy, Squeaky, Max, Mom, Ron, Joshua,<br />Big E and and always... my dear, dear C4C!<br />Thanks too to Rev. Jimmy... who was amazing<br />and T, who did everything from dishes to grilling.<br />These are my treasures!<br /><br />So what about Roxy?<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouVgvbtwK0VQu131DJEJmA8_jR1OY9UlirucM3JejpHl49Z7aunshBZXDOTQDe4iPTtjGIVnFUvHg8ARQairAu4YDDSGVAALV2MIVezY9J9-WaugAalF65DAH2fPZADOKhWB8j3CFKXZw/s1600/roxy+2+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouVgvbtwK0VQu131DJEJmA8_jR1OY9UlirucM3JejpHl49Z7aunshBZXDOTQDe4iPTtjGIVnFUvHg8ARQairAu4YDDSGVAALV2MIVezY9J9-WaugAalF65DAH2fPZADOKhWB8j3CFKXZw/s400/roxy+2+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611218806359317618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">She had a ball playing with the guests...<br />she LOVES people.<br />And she didn't mind at all when people dropped<br />barbecue tid bits on the ground.<br />:D<br />Roxy was in dog heaven.<br />So many to worship her and give her pats!<br />Ha!<br /><br /><br />Today, my wish for you is that you are all as happy as I am now.<br /><br /><br />Be thankful for those you love...<br />and for those who love you.<br />Big grins everyone!<br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-59272166140161611672011-04-13T12:10:00.001-07:002011-04-13T12:43:33.391-07:0038 DAYS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi0a58Y12Yp-SVcBx9qFaKrthZ1-HSrUMaqoJnrLfZy57AcEMO94FDQ4Yr2nP_VNarc6TWCoW0PJIbTxNdm3curG1wVaE4JfQ37L-kdoh-PoPjifBUs_ZZMiUsPSuR605_yEMvaR2X4fC/s1600/work+crew+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi0a58Y12Yp-SVcBx9qFaKrthZ1-HSrUMaqoJnrLfZy57AcEMO94FDQ4Yr2nP_VNarc6TWCoW0PJIbTxNdm3curG1wVaE4JfQ37L-kdoh-PoPjifBUs_ZZMiUsPSuR605_yEMvaR2X4fC/s400/work+crew+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595147992670248946" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">A few days ago the wedding seemed to be a leisurely distance away.<br />We had our plans and most of them... with the exception of<br />creating, printing and mailing invitations...<br />were the sort of plans that required waiting until just before the wedding.<br />We were having it in a park, so there was no concern for<br />preparing the location.<br /><br /><br />Yeah. That has changed.<br /><br /><br />We looked at parks and checked prices.<br />Here this time of year there is no guarantee with weather conditions.<br />Could we stuff everyone under one of the park enclosures?<br />Probably.<br />But what if it turned cold?<br />The first 2 years I lived in Oregon it snowed on Easter Sunday.<br />Hummm...<br />In fact, it snowed after Easter Sunday the first year.<br /><br />The upshot is that we changed the park plan.<br />I know... a bit late in the planning.<br />Having done this, the nice leisurely amount of time we had vanished.<br />POOF!<br />Our new plan is to have the wedding here.<br />Ironically, this was our first choice way back last summer.<br /><br /><br />Back then we looked at the yard and thought<br />it seemed like an awful lot of work.<br />Yep.<br />That is correct!<br /><br /><br />You're probably thinking so what?<br />The what is that our yard is not a typical city lot.<br />This lot is big big.<br />And there is a lot of yard work to do.<br />Not to mention folk needing to go in and out of the house to use the restroom, etc.<br />And that means spring cleaning!<br /><br />But those heroes up there... two of my sons and Boo's girlfriend, S...<br />came down a week ago and spent two days here.<br />At that time we were not going to have the wedding here.<br />Luckily, they came to work.<br />Last fall Boo had suggested that he come down to help us<br />get rid of the berries.<br />For some reason, he chose to come at this time.<br />:D<br /><br />As it turns out, we did not work on berries.<br />We worked on other things... clearing out winter yard debris,<br />storing things in the two story shed, etc.<br />But it went a long way toward helping us to get things<br />in order around here.<br />A few hours of work on two days did as much as Randy and I<br />could do in a week.<br />YAY!<br /><br />It wasn't all work... nope.<br />We barbecued burgers and played 10,000...<br />a dice game.<br />We had a great time.<br />I was expecting Boo and S, but not Max.<br />Bonus!<br />All in all, it was a wonderful visit and we got a good deal of work done.<br />Cool beans!<br /><br /><br />Good thing since we decided to change locations.<br />Because there is a lot to do here to get ready still,<br />I've rallied my troops.<br />Boo has promised to return to help, as have Bear and Squeaky.<br />It's a long way to drive with today's gas prices.<br />Especially since they will be back in a month for the wedding too.<br />:-)<br /><br /><br />I think I have great kids!<br /><br />Mom and Ron have promised to come help trim trees and help.<br />Randy is going to try and get his kids involved.<br />They live here... its a short drive.<br />Yay!<br /><br />So my blogging will be spotty as I work on the impending<br />celebration.<br />But I will work happily... and in good company.<br />In the end, I'll share the photos and good times.<br /><br /><br />Outside there are clouds and sprinkles.<br />I don't care.<br />The sun is shining where it matters.<br />I don't even care if I get wet today.<br />:D<br />Life is sweet.<br /><br />Happy hump day everyone!<br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-62299420656011973602011-03-30T12:23:00.000-07:002011-03-30T13:07:51.902-07:00CARVING AWAY<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwxaZynpqy8D6dOS3ZIQ2Y4uhKW32HguF3nyswtS7qR5NMak9DN1KXE_HgeRAl55JcbAMC5nXNfsrIH-dWxOD7C9vuBHf8i46Cbzw1xbSa8D-abwVmmyJ8cH0NT3LITmsptf-jNENphaB/s1600/carvings+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwxaZynpqy8D6dOS3ZIQ2Y4uhKW32HguF3nyswtS7qR5NMak9DN1KXE_HgeRAl55JcbAMC5nXNfsrIH-dWxOD7C9vuBHf8i46Cbzw1xbSa8D-abwVmmyJ8cH0NT3LITmsptf-jNENphaB/s400/carvings+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589955931731161570" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hello all.<br />This is part of what I have been up to</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">.<br />I mentioned in passing that someday I'd like to learn to carve wood.<br />We had been watching a woodworker's show on the tube.<br />A man showed how to carve claw and ball feet for a nice coffee table.<br />So I opened my mouth and expressed my interest.<br /><br />Randy has a quirk or two.<br />One of which is that he likes to drive the truck and not tell me where we are going.<br />It amuses me. He knows it.<br />I frequently find myself in the truck just going with whatever happens to show up.<br />I did not think much of it when he pulled into his favor</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ite woodworker's store.<br />We have been there numerous times for a variety of tools.<br />He makes furniture and toys after all.<br /><br />Once inside, he stopped at the desk, which is pretty much what one normally does in this shop anyway... then a clerk helps you to locate the special tool you want.<br />This time, and it is the day after I uttered my desire to learn to carve,<br />Randy asks when they will have another beginner carving class.<br />As luck would have it, it was less than a week away.<br />Randy signed me up and paid the ma</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">n.<br /><br />Now I have many times uttered desires to learn or do this or that.<br />I'm not very good at following through on them.<br />Randy is.<br />Off I went to carving class.<br />They had tools, the wood and the teacher.<br />I was given a funny shaped piece of wood with rough sawed edges at odd angles.<br />In the middle of the table sat a cute little carved rabbit.<br />There were 3 men there about my age.<br />Hummm...</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I sat by myself to one side.<br />The teacher came and drew lines on my funny piece of wood and handed it back to me.<br /><br />Okay.<br /><br />The other students were flicking off bits of wood on their blocks.<br />I looked at the finished rabbit and tried a feeble scrape or two at my lump.<br />Nothing bad happened, I glanced around an</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">d continued to shave off bits.<br /><br />Three ladies showed up.<br />They did not use the tools there.<br />They had fancy expensive carving knife sets all rolled up in snappy leather pouches.<br />Soon I was surrounded by chatty women who seemed much better able to pull a rabbit out of a block of wood, while I might as well be trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat.<br />Sheesh!<br /><br />The teacher had mercy on me and came by to rough out my bunny.<br />This is a matter of getting rid of the excess woo</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">d that the saw didn't cut away so that you can get down to the heart of the matter.<br /><br />I felt like a dufus.<br />Everyone else had a good grip on what was required.<br />I struggled and strained and kept looking at the finished rabbit like it might tell me what</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> to do.<br />It did not.<br /><br />One of the women with fancy knives leaned over and told me<br />"It's worse than heroin."<br />I nodded, bewildered.<br />Just what exactly was addictive here?<br />The desire to feel like a dufus?<br />I did not think so!<br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">However, I continued to scrape and try to bend the wood to my will.<br />About that time my knife slipped and I managed to cut myself.<br />This was celebrated by all and a bandage was gleefully bestowed.<br />I was there after referred to as "the cut one".<br /><br />That was in the first hour.<br />This was a 3 hour class.<br />By the second hour I could see that a bunny might just be in there,<br />if only I could get to it.<br />What I held looked rough.<br />But it had ears and a tail and you could se</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">e there would be big buck teeth at some point.<br />Then I reached the spot where rough begins to take shape.<br />I lost track of time and worked.<br />I stopped hearing the women chat around me.<br />The teacher came by to check on my progress.<br />This time, no suggestions, he simply handed it back.<br />I said "What do I do now?"<br />He said "Looks like a finished rabbit to me."<br /><br />I looked at it. He w</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">as right.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s66y-Uhpp8KfnTxqOWBwPhe37r3P1JSbu0ib3sL5RjddcG5PI4Jr07QleC0d8bAXafoQHWy-a-IfUUMN6TcFkrFDLb4LenzWNaq5wxwT3Xjxv8FD-3Z4Uhu8-ifzjkrufNCC6uWwhoXA/s1600/carvings+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s66y-Uhpp8KfnTxqOWBwPhe37r3P1JSbu0ib3sL5RjddcG5PI4Jr07QleC0d8bAXafoQHWy-a-IfUUMN6TcFkrFDLb4LenzWNaq5wxwT3Xjxv8FD-3Z4Uhu8-ifzjkrufNCC6uWwhoXA/s400/carvings+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589962023730109282" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I was amazed to see that it was done.<br /><br />I left the class room and headed through the store.<br />One of the clerks stopped me to look at my carving.<br />He told me it was good for a first try.<br />Well what else was he supposed to say?<br />They do want me to come back and carve some more.<br /><br />I took my creation home and handed it to Randy, who is fond of calling me a "silly rabbit" when I do something nutty.<br />Yeah, it happens often.<br />;-)<br />So I tossed it in his lap and said<br />"Here's a silly rabbit for you."<br />He has it sitting on the mantle like a prize.<br /><br />The next day we went to the same store and bought me a detail knife, some pattern books, a kevlar glove... to avoid cutting myself... and a thumb protector.<br />I began the moose at the top of the page.<br />When I reached a point where the detail knife would not allow me to get to a place I needed to go, we went back to the store and looked at all the other carving tools.<br />I picked out a nice gouge and so began my collection.<br /><br />The worst part is that the chatty lady with the spiffy tools is right.<br />It is an addiction.<br />Once I start to carve, I lose time.<br />The next thing I know,<br />I've forgotten to eat or the sun is gone and darkness has fallen.<br /><br />I think it is sometimes good to have an obsession.<br />A place where you can let whatever stress drags you down in the course of the day... like job hunting...<br />and let your mind fade into creation or occupation.<br />I'm no where near good at this.<br />But I enjoy it.<br /><br />So here is my question for you...<br />What do you enjoy getting lost in?<br /><br />By the way, we set the date finally.<br />May 21, 2011.<br />Yikes!<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-7807257239378295992011-03-04T12:38:00.000-08:002011-03-04T13:14:02.355-08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZrYOc0cFdfIw8E_PWh9YVCKnFQhPCLqu1oOUYmwRFzHSGjJW6IkLed5O96x-iiCHaZjwrL1irVsZNd1g5YGRRG92MI3W6vn90ABV0Xa71Pdb4_cNV8z_5LicYJond87euna5hxhYOAva/s1600/beach+fun+sew+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZrYOc0cFdfIw8E_PWh9YVCKnFQhPCLqu1oOUYmwRFzHSGjJW6IkLed5O96x-iiCHaZjwrL1irVsZNd1g5YGRRG92MI3W6vn90ABV0Xa71Pdb4_cNV8z_5LicYJond87euna5hxhYOAva/s400/beach+fun+sew+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580327388657712082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We went to the beach! Roxy was under impressed with the ocean, but she made some new friends within feet of the truck.<br />I don't know how they know, but dogs know who does or does not like dogs.<br /></span></span></span></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUZdPDqshCmACLYn37iqGbZBJDzh4S4pwz9ZcPfBsJvfRSXKOtWzSoTt5OhdbOcuPd3UenNCduaSifDUR_hSDfNqAGEpzG1tjUSmULMfD0YzStYMHbMHheiN6r2WP9yPhwOZSqMDTtkB0/s1600/beach+fun+sew+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUZdPDqshCmACLYn37iqGbZBJDzh4S4pwz9ZcPfBsJvfRSXKOtWzSoTt5OhdbOcuPd3UenNCduaSifDUR_hSDfNqAGEpzG1tjUSmULMfD0YzStYMHbMHheiN6r2WP9yPhwOZSqMDTtkB0/s400/beach+fun+sew+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580327108320982098" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I had just enough juice in my camera to snap this one and three others.<br />Sigh.<br />I even charged it the night before.<br />No matter, we got a new camera battery and the problem is now solved.<br />Randy had an "accident" disposable camera in the glove box, so I still managed to get some great photos.<br />Now all I have to do is finish the pics left and get them printed.<br /></span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn3BdvuUbgnA5hSRNqQpa0M0GiIcmFnnA7Jdo8cQmIp9YM2lXWnawXDKsKHHP4bln_FDE-NRm5sGlzbe4vv1IEvyu-g8Fq4MkszuKubGcv5hjT9dExRxcGZIersh63zPFjhWdCytNK6Ht/s1600/SeaLionCaves.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn3BdvuUbgnA5hSRNqQpa0M0GiIcmFnnA7Jdo8cQmIp9YM2lXWnawXDKsKHHP4bln_FDE-NRm5sGlzbe4vv1IEvyu-g8Fq4MkszuKubGcv5hjT9dExRxcGZIersh63zPFjhWdCytNK6Ht/s400/SeaLionCaves.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580329203501789394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:130%;">We stopped here briefly to check out the dates, times, etc. that we could return to visit.<br /></span></span><h3 class="hac"><a rel="f:url" class="find" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Lion_Caves"><b>Sea Lion Caves</b> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a></h3><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:130%;">We did not want to have to leave Roxy alone in the truck long enough to truly enjoy the experience. This was her first long distance car trip.<br />Sort of a trial run and fun day for her.<br /><br />Our next stop was here...<br /></span></span><h3 class="hac"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJpBamHTlFfmdryr2jkj5FtPQfCAolFnIygp6-puyPphl3khw9dn9uZzY8Updrf8RMG6PIlGjUQknUYkbG2ErlMIrumUCYCvuHQUbblh7VyoAeZLb-lCEFoXowWBz6VajGUy_m72ew0pH/s1600/heceta-head-state-park-devils-elbow-florence-or259.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJpBamHTlFfmdryr2jkj5FtPQfCAolFnIygp6-puyPphl3khw9dn9uZzY8Updrf8RMG6PIlGjUQknUYkbG2ErlMIrumUCYCvuHQUbblh7VyoAeZLb-lCEFoXowWBz6VajGUy_m72ew0pH/s400/heceta-head-state-park-devils-elbow-florence-or259.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580332531373175074" border="0" /></a></h3><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <h3><a href="http://www.hecetalighthouse.com/" target="_blank">Heceta Head Lighthouse</a></h3><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:130%;">We weren't there at night, so I didn't really see this view of it.<br />However, we will when we return to visit the Sea Lion Caves later this spring.<br />We'll do an over night trip then.<br /><br /><br />This is all around a town called Florence, where we visited their "Old Town".<br />Typical coastal touristy stuff.<br />We got salt water taffy and looked through the shops for some little thing to take home.<br />I have a serious problem with gift shops... called exaggerated pricing.<br />I simply could not spend that kind of money.<br />So I bought an artist's print of the Heceta Light House on a card for seventy-five cents.<br />I did see one thing that I truly wanted.<br />Very cool!<br />Encased in glass, a jelly fish paper weight.<br />But not for $350!!!!<br />I'll visit the coast aquarium and sit and watch the living jellies for hours, pay for the motel, gas and diner for that.<br />Sheesh.<br /><br /><br />I'm not a good tourist.<br />:-)<br /><br /><br />Other than that, we have been busy with life in general.<br />Nothing fancy or fascinating.<br />Contentment.<br /><br />Tomorrow I will tell you about that.<br />But this is enough for today.<br /><br /></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-86467893340313113342011-02-03T11:27:00.000-08:002011-02-03T11:51:43.993-08:00POLLY<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMFZk7n0Jv5uYxu2L90IIWhGIf1-ahRgm3-iTm_Nhwf-wuPuYv-5iuA_lBFhCQCi5zggvugwZnxJsms6Opl_iWmKs8vV-XE42fQQDqjF-BzuzGskfExw3eTUbXS6oF5ZScyMhzSEnb1sK/s1600/a+lot+of+stuff+024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMFZk7n0Jv5uYxu2L90IIWhGIf1-ahRgm3-iTm_Nhwf-wuPuYv-5iuA_lBFhCQCi5zggvugwZnxJsms6Opl_iWmKs8vV-XE42fQQDqjF-BzuzGskfExw3eTUbXS6oF5ZScyMhzSEnb1sK/s400/a+lot+of+stuff+024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569547409636577058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I know... its a terrible photo of a photo that was victimized by one of her brothers. I think it might have been from 8th grade step-up.<br />Hard to tell at this point.<br /><br />I have a good friend who is going through divorce.<br />She is brighter than I was.<br />She is doing it in a timely manor, unlike me who took ten years of separation before I got my actual divorce.<br />By the time I got around to it, I was just desperate to get on with my life... all the inner processes of ending a long term relationship had pretty much run its course.<br /><br />However, I do recall those unpleasant processes well.<br />I was fortunate that my kids stepped up to the plate and took over some of my needs. Simple touch for one. The hugs, pecks on the cheek, a light touch of a hand on your shoulder. The kind of affection that everyone needs and has nothing to do with sex.<br />Companionship, conversation.<br />All requirements of mentally healthy people.<br /><br />I think a great deal about my friend right now and how difficult the process can be. I tried to think back on what helped me.<br />Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was my kids.<br />Both the Bear and Max became very huggie.<br />Squeaky on the other hand would see me coming toward him with the intention of getting a hug and put up his hand saying<br />"No touching! No touching!"<br />Don't let that fool you. He always hugged with a smile despite the protest.<br /><br /><br />All were excellent listeners, though I tried not to talk about mom vs dad. That's not okay or fair to the kids. Boo took care of things... leaky faucets, etc. All were very protective.<br /><br />But there was one thing that really helped a lot.<br />It is silly, but true.<br />Bear would crawl into bed with me. We'd watch Conan or something on TV. Then, we'd tell stories. Mine were very involved.<br />(You know how chatty I can be!)<br />When it was Bear's turn, she told the same story every time.<br />It never failed to make me laugh or to help me to fall asleep.<br />It went like this:<br /><br />"I had a parrot. His name was Polly.<br />One day his head fell off.<br />So I taped it back on.<br />The end."<br /><br />I find that I still tell myself that story when I feel down or blue or have trouble falling asleep. The words in my head always ring in the Bear's voice. It still makes me laugh and smile.<br /><br />BTW, I know she got inspiration for it from Dumb and Dumber.<br />It doesn't matter.<br />Whatever does the trick.<br /><br />Have a great day wherever you are... under piles of snow, slushing through rain or under a bright and sunny sky like me today.<br />I hope you stop and think about those folk who<br />are always there... in person or only their voice in your head...<br />who make your life full of joy.<br />Be thankful.<br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-44131600893420162032011-01-31T10:42:00.001-08:002011-01-31T11:47:57.756-08:00ITS ABOUT TIME<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQOsSWETj8xyGdAOFYU-1A6a85NzSv2BrSQIRAeQ_611YNoU6iwTyQvhU6L9qljIiAToXh9Xt7YRroNKPjIvZqs6Qq75OKZRsO8orsQrIz66k-f6PpyaIpGBZSnhjOTtYxcG7qCDuWeNQ/s1600/roxy+2+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQOsSWETj8xyGdAOFYU-1A6a85NzSv2BrSQIRAeQ_611YNoU6iwTyQvhU6L9qljIiAToXh9Xt7YRroNKPjIvZqs6Qq75OKZRsO8orsQrIz66k-f6PpyaIpGBZSnhjOTtYxcG7qCDuWeNQ/s400/roxy+2+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568422568725222066" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">It is my extreme pleasure to introduce you to our newest family member.<br />Roxy!<br /><br />Last Friday we went to the store and bought a new bed for her and some toys. But we didn't actually meet her until the next afternoon when we had our appointment at www.LuvaBullRescue.org.<br /><br /><br />The kennels are up in a beautiful forest area.<br />There the dogs are divided according to their needs in clean enclosures of good size. They have a wonderful walk/running paths that wind through the woods around them for exercise needs. I was very impressed with how well the dogs were kept, and how dedicated the staff was to keeping their temporary homes happy. Though sadly enough, some of the dogs cannot be adopted out because of serious abuse issues that keep them from being able to blend back into normal life. There at least, they get affection, care and they live as happily as they can.<br /><br /><br />We did not know what to expect when we arrived. There were a lot of cars. People here and there. We were met by our contact, L, who led us to her office. Inside was Roxy who was so excited that she could not stop wiggling and sniffing us both. We went to her enclosure for a visit, then afterward we were allowed to take her for a walk on the forest trail.<br />This is one strong girl! I think if I was to strap on roller skates, that she could easily haul me behind at a good clip.<br /><br />I first saw Roxy last summer when we began looking for a dog.<br />She had just been rescued with her puppies and there was a lot of excitement over watching the the puppies grow. At that time, Roxy had been living under an empty house in Los Angeles. Her owner had lost his home and could not find a place that would let him have a pregnant pit.<br />He left her behind with the intention of finding a place for her, but it did not work out that way. She went to the pound, then another shelter before being brought all the way up here to live!<br /><br />That's when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">LuvaBull</span> put her and the pups on their web page and I began to watch them. The tiny pups grew and one by one found nice homes. But Roxy was left behind.<br />I showed her to Randy a few weeks ago and told him her story.<br />We decided then to apply to adopt her.<br /><br />We took our leash along on our visit just in case... not truly expecting to get to take her home yet. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LuvaBull</span> is very careful about who they allow to take a dog. You have to give references, vet records, etc.<br />So we were just being hopeful.<br />:-)<br /><br /><br />As it turned out, they were very happy with how well Roxy responded to us. They let us bring her home.<br />I felt very bad for L when she said good-bye to Roxy.<br />You could tell that it was hard to see her go.<br />But L is glad that they finally found a home for Roxy and she emails me daily to see how she is doing. We invited her to come and visit tomorrow.<br /><br />As for Roxy...<br />She shivered on the ride to her new home. We have a truck with a king cab and she wormed her way up on top of the arm rest that divides our seats. The closer we got to home, the more of Roxy was in my lap.<br />First her nose, then her head, then a paw... until she was half in and half out of the back.<br /><br />She did great that first day home. There was so much to sniff and things to explore. She darted back and forth between us.<br />She had some trouble with the dog doors. She must have been trained to sit at the door when she wanted out. So she would go to the dog doors and sit, but not try to go through them.<br />A nice BBQ rib bone eventually enticed her to try.<br />Now she is in and out like a pro.<br /><br />When it was time for bed, she looked at the new bed and smelled it.<br />Naturally it smelled new, not like Roxy or anything familiar.<br />She did not want to sit in it let alone lay down. So we tossed in the tee shirt that Randy had been wearing and that did the trick.<br />Roxy circled it and lay down.<br /><br />There were a couple of sad little whines from her area when we shut the door to our room. Roxy's bed is in the kitchen/dining room. A nice indoor, warm space with a night light. If needed, she could go out the dog door to the shop and from there to the yard. We have an automatic light out back that would come on for her if she did.<br />I did worry that she might have an accident being in a strange new place.<br /><br />The next morning she greeted me with happy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">wuffs</span> and wiggles.<br />No accidents. She visited with me while I had my morning coffee, then began to use her dog doors to run in, then out and back again.<br /><br />She has been home 2 and a half days now and we have found our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">rhythm. I rise earliest, so she and I have our coffee time, walk and play.<br />When Randy comes out, the happy dance begins again and she follows him for awhile until he's as boring as I was and I become interesting again. That is how it goes.<br /><br /><br /><br />Roxy was worth the wait.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176829704548523811.post-76159837709878979402011-01-24T10:01:00.000-08:002011-01-24T10:49:46.604-08:00Update<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF-9J95l8bPlCWt6MLxL39f56lYhxpnB_Bu3zarHuvnILvEm3eHEVi7L8LT9x0poFI_bdp6R6AcbGKHHRfGTQDymCGKQBlGt2hVOHZ3qxqZX8s6gUfTO-PfJ-IjQdEaIZs8VnpMgUZ0Hs/s1600/spring.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF-9J95l8bPlCWt6MLxL39f56lYhxpnB_Bu3zarHuvnILvEm3eHEVi7L8LT9x0poFI_bdp6R6AcbGKHHRfGTQDymCGKQBlGt2hVOHZ3qxqZX8s6gUfTO-PfJ-IjQdEaIZs8VnpMgUZ0Hs/s400/spring.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565814609463538754" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The last couple of days we have had some clouds, but almost NO RAIN!<br />I like rain. It keeps us green up here.<br />But its been such cold rain that it is hard to enjoy.<br />The past two days we had sunshine and clouds.<br />Boy did that feel good.<br /><br />Meanwhile, as I grumble about the cold rains, I see so many other people on the news in terrible weather situations.<br />Up in Dumb Potter's Hell, my family has had a lot of snow.<br />Here we rain mostly.<br /><br />So what's up with all of you?<br />As for me... well, my holiday job ended and I am once more back to looking for longer lasting work. Sigh.<br />I was listening to the radio. Some employment guru was spouting advice...<br /><br />He determined that 80% of on line applications were worth nothing in terms of actually getting a job.<br /><br />I wonder how long it has been since he last looked for work.<br />The choice is not in the hands of the job seeker.<br />I have applied all over the place here, and will continue to do so.<br />But finding a potential employer who is willing to give you a paper application is like looking for money on the sidewalk.<br />Any well known business or even a large local business has an online application... or worse yet, one of those little application computers sitting out in front of everyone walking past, where you sit and type in all your personal info, etc.<br />No one wants to see your face until they have reviewed your information... and then only if they have an immediate opening.<br />So I am back to that exercise in frustration.<br /><br /><br />Else wise, we have been busy doing what I can't even recall. There are always errands to run or things to fix.<br />We did go to Randy's son's engagement party and that was fun.<br />They had pulled meat sandwiches... chicken, ham and beef... and the best cold slaw that I have ever eaten. The cold slaw was not all mixed together. You were supposed to put the cabbage on the pulled meat sandwich and then have slaw on the side.<br />I skipped it on my sandwich. The dressing for it was on the side so that I could control how much went on it. I want the recipe for it!<br />Anyway, it was fun.<br /><br /><br />I was a bit tired though when we went. We'd kept little N for the night and she wore me out. :-) She got a bit fussy at the party and over excited the next day. I'm sure the sugar in the cakes and all the goodies did not help. She is not a good eater but is always ready for sweets.<br />You know how little people are. And you know how older relatives are with giving goodies to little people on special occasions.<br />I sort of pitied her mom when they left.<br />That was one cranky little girl.<br /><br /><br />The weather is supposed to clear up this week which will give me a much needed opportunity to return to my war with the weeds.<br />They have gained a lot of ground of late.<br />It will be a good time for it too. All the trees and shrubs have died back to leafless winter. I can see where to attack the berries, etc.<br />I really need to mow our back yard too.<br />So much to do!<br /><br /><br />I hope wherever you live that the snow or cold taper back.<br />I can't tell you how happy it made me to see the sunshine.<br />Randy was glad... he said I was more like Eore than myself.<br />He is right. When it gets dreary, my mood goes quiet.<br />I curl up on the sofa and stay there.<br />Not good.<br /><br />One good note... we have located a puppy we would like to adopt.<br />She's actually 3 years old, pre-trained, spayed, chipped and well behaved.<br />Her last owner abandoned her when he moved. The rescue folk found her under his house, near starved with a litter of pups.<br />Her pups have all been fattened up, weaned and placed in homes.<br />Since then, she has lived at the rescue offices waiting for someone who is not looking for a fat pup.<br />We hope that is us!<br />Here is the funny thing... her name is Roxy, which happens to be the name of Randy's dog that died 5 or 6 years ago.<br />That Roxy was a brindle, this Roxy is all black.<br />What I like is her sweet face.<br />I'm crossing my fingers.<br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, I'll be out in my yard at war with the weeds... and hoping to see signs of spring. Is it too much to ask for a crocus sprout?<br />The other day I say what I thought might be bulbs sprouting and got all excited. Well, yeah, bulbs of a sort. Its the garlic coming up.<br />Ha!<br />Not exactly what I think of when I think of spring.<br /><br /><br />Have a great day everyone!<br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Ananda girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578471199205376974noreply@blogger.com17