Rest In Peace

 

               An All American Hero

23 year old Pablo Cerda, the 5th  member of the U.S. Forest Service Engine Crew 57 died tonight.  May God welcome him into Heaven and His open arms and my He give comfort to his family and coworkers as they deal with their grief.

Investigators have arrested a man for intentionally starting two wild fires this summer and he is considered a person of interest in the fire that took the lives of these 5 firefighters.  

I have no doubt that they will find the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice.

My Head Is Spinning

I think I found the problem.  It wasn't the McAfee software.  It was the ancient edition of the AOL software that Dell installed on my computer.  I un installed AOL and downloaded the latest edition and PRESTO it works so much better.  The older edition just could not deal with all the anti-virus, spyware, firewall stuff on this computer.  It only took 3 phone calls, 1 to Dell and 2 to AOL to figure it out.  My patience is trashed.  I have used up every ounce of it.

We are preparing the house to ward off the Trick or Treaters tonight.  We cover the windows, turn off the outside lights, keep the dog inside, and hide in my office until after they all return to their homes with their bounty of cavity producing junk food.  I know, I know... I'm a Halloween Humbug!  I played along with the game for years and enjoyed it.  Now that my kids are grown up and I do not want any junk food to cross the threshold of this house, I have retired.

The new painting for our entry arrived today.  Both Dennis and I really like it.  It's very simple, just 3 trees, but the colors in it brighten up the entry and pick up colors from the dining room, living room and family room.  It ties everything together.  I'll post a picture when we've progressed a bit further in our decorating.

I spent a few hours today photographing a box of Cari's old clothing which she wants to try to sell on EBay.  Of course, I had to iron each peace so it would look nice.  I'm such a fussy wussy.  I have to put together my descriptions of each item and then sit down to open my EBay 'store'.  I am looking forward to trying this.  I hope it goes well.  Believe me, I get a cut of any profits.  I'm not doing all of this work for free.

My son called last night to chat about a few things.  He has been racing his motorcycle dirt bike in the over 30 class for awhile.  I think I've written about this issue before.  It's the only thing that divides us.  I absolutelythink he is NUTS for racing and putting himselfin a situation where he could get seriously hurt when he is the sole support of a wife, 3 kids and one on the way.  He had a very serious accident on a dirt bike when he was in his early 20's and nearly lost his left arm.  He was out of work and in a cast for nearly a year.  He does not have full range of motion in that arm to this day.  I fear that another break would be devastating to his elbow and may prevent him from continuing to work in his business.  Of course, nothing I say will change his mind.  He is going to do what he wants to do.  I have, however, put my foot down and I will not allow him to discuss his riding with me.  I tell him that it just makes me to upset, angry, worried, and several other negative emotions and it's just better if we don't go there.  Anyway, he sheepishly mentioned that he had won his first race over the weekend.  That put me in an awkward spot, didn't it.....  I was polite and said, "That's nice,"  but I didn't follow it up with any other comments or questions.  He then said, "You know, it's just too bad that the only thing I love to do is something I can't share with anyone."

Ohhhhhhh, now hold on.....   that pissed me off (pardon my French).  I did well.  I didn't react and launch into a defensive speach about how crazy he was.  I calmly said, "That's not true.  I'm sure you ride with guys you can share your experiences with."

He started to go on and I stopped him, "Honey, I know you're excited and happy but I really can't go there.  Your dad is in his office, why don't you call him and talk about this."

He was disappointed and hurt.  I could hear it in his voice.  I'm sorry about that but this is one issue that I cannot compromise on.  I will not make it OK for him to be irresponsible and do something that could possibly put his family in serious financial trouble, or worse, injure him to the point where he could not recover the use of his arm again.

It's hard because I have always supported him and been right there to cheer him on.  I know it stings him for me to be like this.  I hope sometime, one of hiskids will do something on the same level as this so he can see that a parent sometimes has to take a step back out of LOVE and not participate in something that can cause harm to their child.  I think then he will forgive me for this. 

 

 

 

3 Months in 3 Days

I was working on my new computer this morning and the McAfee Security Pop-Up flashed warning me that my 90 free trial had expired and my new 4 day old computer was no longer protected from virus infections, etc. 

That ticked me off because it added to the frustration I felt when I booted this baby up for the first time and found out that most of the pre-installed software needed to be updated.

How can a brand new computer be shipped from the factory with out of date software and a 90 day FREE security package that is only good for 4 lousy days?

This computer had been sitting in their warehouse for sometime.  It was not, as advertised, built for me.  I'm just hoping it is not one that has been refurbished and re shipped.  I tried calling Dell Customer Service and if I had the patience to wade through "Press 1 for English",  "Press 3 for Customer Service",  "Press 8 for a new system", "Press 21 if you have your customer order number", Press 9 if you've gone to the bathroom today because if you haven't you may want to go now and call us back because you're going to be pushing buttons for another three hours before a live person comes on to hear your complaint."  LOL

I just gave up.  What are they going to do anyway?  NOTHING.  It wouldn't have even made me feel better to complain. 

I went to Staples and bought the new, updated McAfee security system because they give a $30.00 mail in rebate which you don't get if you buy on line (A HINT for anyone who is nearing the end of your subscription.  Don't renew online.  Go out and buy it and get the rebate!)  Also, if you have more than one computer in your family, like I do, you can buy one program that can be installed on up to 3 computers for just $21.00 more.  That saves you big bucks.   You have to read the boxes and look for the one with the multiple installation package.  I bought that version so I installed it on this one and Cari can install it on her laptop and I can install it on the old one when I get it set up for Bryan.  Tah-dah! 

I don't like the time change.  When it gets dark so early,  I have the uneasy feeling that I am late.  Around 3:00 in the afternoon, I start to feel anxious.  It's probably my internal clocks warning system going off thinking that it's 4:00 and I haven't done everything I usually do by that time of day.  Ahh, we are such creatures of habit. 

We are doing some little projects around here to perk up the old place.  It's giving my spirits a lift to see some new things and to have a few changes.  Saturday, Dennis and I went to The Great Indoors.  It's a wonderful place that carries everything you can imagine for the home.  Beds and bedding, flooring, appliances, decorator items, lighting fixtures, dinner ware, bathroom furnishings and decorations and a beautiful array of holiday items for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We ordered a new light fixture for over the dining room table; bought a new light fixture for the downstairs bathroom; bought a framed mirror for over the buffet in the dining room; and 2 pictures for the bathroom.  We are going to replace the lighting fixture in the kitchen, too, but we didn't find one that we liked at this store. We have a painting on order for the entry and we are looking for something to replace a large weaving that is mounted on a wall as you go up the stairs.  We want to find something dramatic for that space.  We're not sure what that will be but agree we will know it when we see it.  LOL  When the dining room light arrives, we will hire an electrician to come in and install all the lighting, put in some dimmer switches, and repair a few outlets that are not working correctly.  I'll post pictures when things are in place.

I'm even more frustrated tonight.  The McAfee Internet Security Suite that I downloaded onto my computer makes my system run slower than sap.  It prevents some web pages (like my journal) from loading content.  I keeps certain web sites from opening all together.  I un installed it until I can find someone who knows something about how to set the Properties up so I get protected but not restricted.  It's maddening!  Are there any computer geniuses out there that can help?

The Giving Tree

This is an inspiring journal with a wonderful mission.  If you want to help someone or if you are in need of help click:  http://journals.aol.com/canyonsun04/the-giving-tree/

and read about an amazing program being put together called The Giving Tree.  I am totally impressed by the vision and the willingness of this person to put together something like this.  There are angels right here on earth and one of them is an AOL Journaler.

 

Up, Down, and In Between

Up, down and in between.  That describes my week.  Before I get into what has been going on, I want to journal about my morning with the grandkids and Shannon.  What FUN!  We met around 8:45 in front of a Starbuck's.  I had arrived earlier and had our coffees ready to go when Shannon pulled up.  Her White Chocolate Mocha and my Non-Fat, sugar-free vanilla Latte.  Mmmmmm.  Perfect start to a Saturday morning.

The kids looked great!  She had the boys in khaki pants and plaid shirts and Megan in a cute brown t-shirt with sequins around the neckline and brown cropped pants.  Megan had slept with curlers in her hair so she had pretty curls for the pictures.  Andrew had taken a header into a coffee table a few days before and was sporting quite a bump on his forehead.  I hope it doesn't show up too much in the pictures.  We drove to meet Michelle, the photographer, at a nice little park about 40 minutes from where Shannon and I met.

Michelle is great with the kids.  She took Megan and Nathan's two year old pictures and that is why I wanted her to do Andrew's.  I wanted them to have the same look when they all hang together.  She got a lot of good pictures of the little guy but only about 5 with a smile.  He is Mr. Sobersides when he doesn't know someone.  She was able to get some really cute pictures of the three of the kids together and then she took about 5 of Megan and Nathan each alone.  I even had her take a few of me and the kids.  I wore a brown top and khaki pants so we would all coordinate.  I think it's going to come out really nice.

The picture I posted is one I took toward the end of the photo session.  Michelle had given them suckers as a way to improve Andrew's mood.  LOL It worked, too.  He finished the sucker (Shannon took his shirt off so he wouldn't get it all sticky) and then cooperated pretty well for about 10 photos after that sugar hit his system. 

I'll get the proofs in a week.  I want to get the 11 x 14 hand colored photo for Bryan and Shannon for Christmas.  Michelle said she didn't think they would be a problem if I picked it out and got back to her her quick. 

                                             * * * * * * * * *

The fire is still going.   The state has brought in a converted airliner that can dump huge amounts of water at one time to help.  It costs $28,000 an hour to operate the plane.  It's expensive but if it puts this fire out, it's worth it.  I just do not understand why they waited until today to do that.  I think they should have used that plane the first day.  It was sitting at an airport near Los Angeles.  I'll never understand why our government moves so slow to do the right thing.  The smoke isn't over us anymore - at least for now.  It looks like it's moving north instead of west.  Continued prayers are appreciated!

My parents have cancelled their plans to come for the holidays.  I am so disappointed.  I had so many fun things planned.  I do understand why my dad does not want to travel so I didn't pitch a fit.  He will be in the middle of his treatment for his broken leg.  I called my orthopedic doctor and asked if he would see him to determine of the cast could come off after he had had it on for 6 or 7 weeks and his nurse said NO!  It would be considered transfer of care and he does not do that.  Butthead!  It's all about lawsuits and covering his ass, I understand that, but jeez there is no common courtesy or compassion anymore.  That was not the deciding factor.  My dad just does not want to hassle it on crutches.  I totally understand.  But pooh............

I love my new computer.  It's so nice.  No bugs - great virus protection - and I hope to keep it clear of trouble for a long time.  I have to get used to a lot of new things.  I have Microsoft Word instead of Word Perfect.  I think I'm really going to like it but it is going to take some practice and getting used to the differences.  I feel like a fish out of water but I'm sure I'll pick it up quickly.

We went to an elegant wedding last night at an fancy restaurant near the University where Cari goes to school.  It sits high up on a hill overlooking Orange county.  It was a beautiful night and we had a beautiful view.  The bride is the daughter of one of Dennis's contractors.  The ceremony was outside in a gazebo lit with candles and twinkle lights - a perfect night for such a festive occasion.

Going to that wedding made me start thinking about planning Cari and Sam's wedding.  It's going to be a lot of work even if we do half of what Skip and Valerie did for their daughter.  I know it will be worth it!

That's it for now.  I have to go across the street and feed my neighbor's dogs and then I'm going to El Polo Loco and get a salad for dinner.  I'm starving and do not want to cook.  Dennis and Cari ate late lunches and don't want dinner tonight.  (Lucky me!  I don't have to cook!)

More soon.    I can't do my little happy face anymore.  I tried to do it and the buttons I pressed on my old computer to enter it erased my entry on this one.  LOL --  I'll have to find another cute sign off when I have time to experiment.

Another Request for Prayer

If any of you read Jackie's journal, HOPE FLOATS, you know she is asking for prayer because there is a huge fire burning close to her home.  I want to add that prayer request to my journal, too, just in case some of you might not read her journal.  The news reports say the fire line is 15 miles long and has destroyed 40 structures.  It has killed four firefighters and left one fighting for his life.

I live about 40 - 50 miles west of the fire and the smoke is laying heavily over Lake Mathews which is about 1-1/2 miles south of here.  If the wind changes just a little we will have that cloud raining ash and smoke down on us.

It seems that every time the Santa Ana winds blow it brings crazy firebugs out of hiding.  We have at least one and usually more arson fires set in the hills where the brush is thick and very dry.  The force of the winds and the fact that they are warm winds pushes the fire out of control in just minutes. 

We live in a fire hazard area.  We have hills all around us and this time of year the thought of fire haunts me all the time. 

If you don't live in an area like this, you can't imagine how vulnerable you feel.  There is nothing anyone can do to prevent these nut cases from setting these fires.  This one started around 1:00 in the morning so it is very doubtful there were any witnesses.  We can only hope the person responsible has a big mouth and tells someone and that person turns them in.

I'm praying for Jackie and the rest of the people in that area and for all the firefighters and other people working so hard to put the fire out.

This morning I drove from Riverside to Murrieta to my son and daughter-in-law's home.  As I got into Lake Elsinore which is about 15 miles north of their home, the smoke from the fire was so thick that I thought the fire must be in the hills of Murrieta.  When I turned on the radio I was shocked to hear that it was so far away.

Shannon and I were going to take the kids to lunch and then to visit a pumpkin patch but the smoke was so bad we felt it wasn't good for them to be outside breathing it.  My son and his helper quit work early because the smoke was so bad they couldn't breath and keep the ash out of their eyes.  Keep in mind, this is at least 50 miles from where Jackie lives.  I can't imagine how horrible it is there.

Our prayers are with you!

 

P.M. Medical Report

My dad broke his leg right above his ankle today.  I guess he was trying to fix the screen door and he stepped off the ladder wrong, twisted his ankle and broke the femur right above the ankle.  It was a very clean break which is good.  He's in a walking cast right now.  The ER doctor wants him to see an orthopedic specialist next week for another Xray and to find out if the walking boot will be enough to stabilize the leg as it heals.

I'm going to call my orthopedic doctor tomorrow to see if he would check my dad during his visit to California.  He'll be here at the 6 week point in his recovery.  I want to be sure my doctor will see him to be sure the healing is complete and to OK the walking cast or plaster cast coming off.  Poor Dad!

Shannon saw her doctor today.  She's on Light Duty for the next month.  He wants her off her feet as much as possible.  They are hoping another month of no lifting, pushing, long walks, etc. may make a difference in the placenta placement.  Right now it's something to be concerned about but he hasn't put her on bed rest.  I'm going to be there all day tomorrow (Thursday).  I think I'll encourage her to set up a schedule with me so I can go down once or twice a week to do grocery shopping and errand running for her.  That old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" fits this situation to a Tee.

Cari is going to the American Country Music Awards tomorrow night.  They are doing a special tribute to Reba McIntyre.  She will be a seat filler again.  For those who don't know, a seat filler sits in the seat of a celebrity while they are on stage performing or presenting an award so when the camera pans the audience all the seats are full.  She got to do this at the American Music Awards earlier this year and had a fantastic time.  She will be jumping from seat to seat, section to section most of the night but she will also be sitting next to some of the biggest names in Country music.  Fun, fun, fun!

I talked to my sister earlier this evening and she tells me that Grace is much better tonight.  She's able to eat and drink again.  She did yank the drain out of her neck so I'm sure she will have another visit to the Vet tomorrow.  Most likely, she will come home with another drain and one of the big white cones around her neck to keep her from doing that again. 

That's about it for tonight. 

ô..ô

 

 

 

Reading, Writing, Laughing, Thinking...........

I was able to access a few journals this morning.  Ahh, it feels so good to catch up with some of my buddies.  This computer glitch is driving me nuts. I will be patient.  It's almost over.

Jeannette at Jeannette's Jottings told a very cute story this morning.  She refers back to a much more innocent time when things were handled without much to do.  As I read her entry it made me think of something that happened here about 18 months ago.

There is a Chevron gas station on a busy corner about two miles from our home.  Across the street is a shopping center with a grocery store, a drug store, a dry cleaners, a fast food restaurant, and other little stores typical of a center like that.  About 1/2 mile to the west is an elementary school.  I'm telling all of this so you can get a picture of what that area is like.

So one morning around 9:30, a customer notices a leather bag sitting next to one of the pumps.  There are no other cars around and this raises all kinds of suspicions in his mind so he notifies the clerk who works there.  I guess they decide that it is a dangerous situation and they notify the local police.  Two police cars are sent to the scene.  They assess the situation  and decide to call in the bomb squad.  While the bomb squad is being deployed, 25 other police cars rush to the area and close off all streets around the gas station.  They tell the school to keep all the children inside until they get an all clear.  They will not let anyone into or out of the shopping center.  They close a freeway off ramp so drivers cannot exit onto this avenue. 

At 1:30, they still had not determined whether or not it was an explosive devise.  All the employees of the gas station had been evacuated to the shopping center.  In the process of the quick evacuation, someone left a hot plate on and it ignited a fire inside the mini-mart at the station.  Smoke starts pouring out of the little store but because the police haven't cleared the 'bomb' they won't let the fire department in to put out the fire so it destroys the mini-mart.

The fire brings out a news helicopter and the police helicopter.  A local TV station sends a truck which has to park down the road but the reporter and camera man get withing 100 yards of the 'action'.

The local high school gets out at 2:30 and there are about 200 high school students milling around on the far side of the freeway because the police won't let them cross the bridge to get to their neighborhoods.  At 3:00 the jr. high gets out and the same situation happens there.  School authorities were able to keep most of those kids on school grounds which prevented problems.

Finally around 4:00 in the afternoon, a robot is brought in from somewhere and it drags the leather case into an open area and in the process it opens up, spilling papers and a lap- top computer onto the ground.   WHAT????  All of this for a laptop computer and some paperwork? 

Down the street, worried parents are still waiting for their kids to be dismissed from the elementary school.  The little kids usually get out at 2:55 but they are in lock down.  People have been waiting to leave the shopping center all day, traffic on the freeway is backed up because the offramp is closed. 

All of that because someone left their laptop at the gas station.  Oh, my!!!  

The gas station was closed for over a year while repairs were made.  We had to drive about 5 miles to the nearest gas station  which was a pain in the, ahhhh neck....yeah, the neck.  LOL  When it finally reopened, it was cause for celebration.  They made it twice as big which is so nice because there used to be a line of cars waiting for gas quite often.

So that's the saga of the Laptop Bomb Scare.  It's easy to make fun of it because it turned out to be nothing.  In reality, its probably a good thing that things like this are ..taken seriously in this day and age.

ô..ô

 

 

 

Update on Grace

My sister called about 30 minutes ago.  Grace, her golden retriever, had minor surgery this afternoon and a biopsy on the growth under her tongue.  It was a very large abscess that extended down into her neck.  The vet thinks it could be some kind of bug or spider bite that has become infected.  He drained it and inserted a drain that will have to remain in her neck for about 5 days (or until it stops draining).  She is on amxocillin for 10 days.  He took an abdominal x-ray because her liver enzymes were elevated -- everything there is OK.

Anyway she is home on her big pillow looking rather drunk this afternoon.  Carol said her tongue is sort of hanging out of the side of her mouth and when she opens her eyes they roll around in her head as she tries to focus.  Ahhh, coming out of anesthesia is quite an experience.

We are all quite relieved that she is going to be Ok. 

Oh, My Gosh, I'm In!!

Hello!  I am finally able to post an entry.  I can't believe it!  My AOL software has taken a dive.  I cannot log on through normal channels.  Thank goodness I downloaded their new OpenRide because that is how I managed to get in here today. 

I have ordered a new computer which will be here later next week.  I should be up and running normally (if I can ever be considered normal LOL) very soon.  I have spent the past 2 days backing up pictures and documents onto CD's so I won't lose them in the transition.  As soon as everything is moved over and accounted for, I will have a professional delete everything on this computer and restore it to factory condition.  If it runs well after that, I'm going to give it to my son.  They have an old Compaq that is slower than sap.  This one, when things are working, runs pretty fast.

It's been very warm - in the upper 80's and lower 90's.  We are ready for Fall weather.  Our sweaters are out of their storage bags and ready to be worn!  Since I have been without my access to AOL, I will admit I've been more productive around here.  My ironing is caught up, the bathrooms are clean and spotless, all the dusting is done, and the laundry hamper is empty.  After is post this, I'm off the have the car washed and I need to go to Costco to get some meat and chicken.  My freezer is bare.

My sister's golden retriever is very ill.  She has a tumor of some kind under her tongue that keeps her from swallowing.  She has a high fever and is very weak.  She's at the vet today having a biopsy on the tumor.  The vet thinks it could be a foxtail or a big splinter because she eats grass and picks up big sticks at the dog park and chews on them.  We are praying it is something he can get out and clean up and not something terrible that might take her life.  She's 11 years old and such a sweet dog.  I'm very worried about her.  My sister and her husband don't have children so you can imagine their attachment to Grace. 

That's it for now.  I probably won't be visiting many journals until this computer glitch is under control.  I sure miss y'all!

Hugs!             ô..ô

Summer-like Sunday

It is absolutely beautiful here today.  It's almost 90 degrees with clear skies, a light breeze, and no haze.  We're having what we call a Santa Ana Condition.  That's when the winds come out of the desert and blow toward the ocean.  It warms us up and pushes all the haze and pollution out of the air.  Today is one of those perfect days when the winds aren't blowing hard ~ they are just strong enough to create this lovely day. 

Around 10:30 this morning, Dennis and I drove to the furniture store to pick up two more chairs for our dining room set.  The store is in Rancho Cucamonga (yes, there really is a Cucamonga, LOL) which is up against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.  When we left to come home, we headed south on the freeway and I think we could see almost 80 miles in all directions.  If the Corona mountains hadn't been in the way, we probably could have seen all the way to the ocean.  It was spectacular.  It's days like this that remind me why I like living in Southern California. 

I want to ask anyone who has sold anything on EBay to give me some feedback on how easy is it to set up an account and if it's worth the trouble.  I have a large amount of things that I think would sell but I'm kind of intimidated about the process.  I'd just like to hear from anyone who has some experience before deciding to go forward or to just give up the idea.  Thank you!

I'm going to go upstairs and do my ironing.  It is my least favorite chore to do so I have a very large pile of things that require ironing.  I save it up and do it all at once.  I'll put on some music and rock out while I work.  That may make the time go faster. 

Until later..............................   ô..ô

Sssssssssaturday

I've attached pictures of my new dining room furniture.  I'm so pleased with it.  The table has another 18" leaf so it can comfortably seat 10 when we are all together.  I have two other chairs on order which should be arriving before Thanksgiving.

We have moved art work around and have decided to change the light fixture over the table.  We will shop for that tomorrow.  We moved the painting over the buffet into the family room and are going to find something else to hang there.  It's just like us to do one thing that leads to 6 or 7 other little projects.  Before you know it we will be changing the living room around, too. 

I've had a great time reading journals that are up for VIVI awards.  A lot of the nominated journals are ones that I read regularly but many more are new to me.  There are some amazing writers out there!  Some interesting view points and funny slants on life.  I'm so impressed with the creativity.  My gosh it's amazing what some of you do with graphics, video, and other media.  I bow down to all of you!  We all have such different personalities, interests, view points, and backgrounds and yet there is so much support and, in general, good will toward each other. Awesome! 

I read an entry in one journal that really made me stop and think about something that is going on in my life right now.  The writer talked about disconnecting from certain people and situations.  The writer went on to discuss their situation which I won't go into  but it triggered a lot of emotion and spunk in me.

I have always allowed my personal boundaries set by other people and situations.  It was hard for me to say 'no' because I didn't want to hurt feelings.  It was hard for me to ask for what I wanted and needed because I didn't want to put anyone out and I was afraid they'd say no anyway.  I put up with one sided friendships because at least I had a friend.  I made it ok to be the one who gave and gave and gave and never got anything back because it made me feel like a good person to be such a 'giver'.  To be honest, I didn't notice for years how one sided things were because I never asked for anything back.  I took the left overs.  I did without so others could have what they needed.  I was such a martyr. I lived in a box about 2' x 2' x 2'. 

Well, the lid's off the box. I'm stepping out of it and I guarantee the lid won't be going back on.  Things are shaking around here and there are a lot of very surprised people wondering who I am and where Kathy went.  I'm asserting myself, without being aggressive and bitchy <I hope>, and making a place for myself that is clearly defined by the boundaries I set up.

An example of this is as simple as this:  When cleaning out all the closets, I found numerous pieces of art work, little knickknacks, and things that I had set out to enjoy had been put away in the dark recesses of the closets by my husband.  He hadn't asked me if he could remove these things.  He had just done it.  He counted on the fact that I wouldn't notice and wouldn't say anything.  To be honest, if I hadn't cleaned out the sewing room, those things may have been up there another 3 years.  BUT, I found them and it ticked me off that he had put them away without even asking me if it was OK.  With my future son-in-law's help, because they were on very high shelves that I couldn't reach, every item was brought down and returned to where I had put it originally.  That evening, I talked to my husband and told him that if he wanted something moved or removed that he could ask me first before just hiding it away.  He has a way of making me feel, sometimes, that this is his space and that I don't have any feedback about what goes into it.  That's not going to happen anymore.  When I explained how this all made me feel, he agreed that in the future, he'd ask before he moved anything. 

When I was out shopping yesterday for a table runner, I realized how hard it was for me to make a decision.  Each item I picked up made me wonder what Dennis would think of it.  I'd decide whether or not to get it based on what I thought he would think rather than what I thought.  Once I realized what was going on, I had a stern talk with myself and I went back thru the tableware dept. and found what I liked and bought it.  I had to give myself the space to make that decision and make it OK.  Isn't that silly?  A little thing like that!  Well, that's my struggle right now.  I'm setting those boundaries and I'm asserting myself and finding my place in the world, in my marriage, in my friendships and on and on....  It's good but it's a challenge.  I have to do this if I'm going to continue to win the battle of keeping this weight off and getting healthy physically and emotionally.  I cannot go back to the old ways of eating or behaving if I expect things to change permanently.

ô..ô

Beautiful Thursday

Thank you so much for nominating my journal in the category of Best Private Journal.  I am deeply touched and flattered.  I have had such a good time creating this journal and meeting so many wonderful people who have opened their journals and hearts to me.  I have a real affection for my J-Land buddies who visit my journal and who leave their comments.  The connection between us is very special to me.  Warm hugs to all of you!              ô..ô

I got to go with Shannon to her ultrasound appointment again today.  It's so much fun watching our little baby on the screen.  Baby is growing right on schedule and measured exactly 16 weeks today.  The heart is chugging along at a healthy clip and the little arms and legs are moving and kicking actively.  Even if Shannon had wanted to know the baby's sex, baby was in a breech position and the tech would not have been able to tell.  We had hoped to hear that the placenta had moved up and into a safer spot but it looks like it has moved lower.  Shannon sees her Dr. next Wednesday and will get the official results then.  If it is lower, he is going to continue to restrict her to no lifting, pushing (strollers, grocery carts, etc.) and not to do a lot of walking.  This is about the time that her pregnancy with Andrew got very scary and she was put on complete bed rest until he was born.  We are praying that does not happen this time.

After her appointment we went back to their new home and I got to work lining all the shelves and drawers in the master bathroom with shelf paper.  Shannon had a lot of phone calls to make and Andrew was down for his nap so I got to work in  peace and quiet.  It was great.  I'm going back down next Thursday to stay with the kids while Shannon goes to Megan and Nathan's parent/teacher conferences.  After that we may go do something fun with the kids.  If not, I'm going to finish the shelf paper in the other two bathrooms. 

I'm sitting here tonight thinking about all the changes this family has gone thru in the past 2-1/2 years.  If I listed each challenge, event, heart break, crisis, worry, fear, and problem that we've worked thru individually or as a family during this time I think my head would start spinning around on my shoulders and my eyes would pop out of my head.  LOL  On the other hand, there are just as many little victories, celebrations, adventures, and warm fuzzie moments that have brought us closer.  I'm ready to go into a 'holding pattern' where one day feels very much like the day before and where things progress without a glitch.  There are periods of time - sometimes a year at a time - when everything just goes along without a hitch.  It's like living in a little bubble that's somehow protected from life's unhappiness.  I think that's what I want for Christmas - I want a year of smooth sailing.  I wonder if that's possible.

Dear Santa.................................

 

Tag You're It

I got this from:  http://journals.aol.co.uk/tillywooat62/WelcometomyWorld/

I'm tagging anyone who whats to play

1. Grab the nearest book. If you are currently reading something, that'll be fine too.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next 4 sentences on your Blog along with these instructions.

5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet I know that is what you were thinking!

6. Tag 5 people

 

"It was the best thing that happened.  I showed Leah where you could get into the alligator pear tree and she boosted me up.  I could still climb just dandy with my other arm.  I have to play with Leah the most because the others in my family have got something wrong with them or else they're too grown up to play."

From  The Poisonwood Bible

by

Barbara Kingsolver

 

Who Let The Dogs Out?

 

When I took Kasey to the groomer today, a woman brought in a dog that had come into contact with skunk spray.  He had not been sprayed directly but still had that nasty scent on him.  Charlie, the groomer,  gave me the recipe for the best remedy for Dog Stink and I thought I would pass it on.  If your dog ever gets skunked or rolls in something disgusting or dead (ewwweee) this will get the stink out:

 

1 quart (32) ounces of hydrogen peroxide

1 cup  baking soda

1/4 cup dog shampoo

 

Mix together in a bowl using a spoon or gloved hands.  Wash dogs while wearing rubber gloves.  The mixture will really dry out your hands.  Leave it on the dog for 20 mintues so it penetrates the coat and down to the skin.

 

Rinse very well.   Shampoo again using only dog shampoo.  Rinse very well.

 

Use a good conditioner (he uses Panteen) to add oils to the coat and skin and rinse again.

 

This should eleminate the nasty odor and you'll have the cleanest dog in your neighborhood.

 

He said tomato juice does not work. It's a wives tale.

 

So there you go.  A helpful hint at no charge.      ô..ô

 

What Has Gotten Into Me?

I have spent hours transferring pictures from 3-1/2" floppy disks onto CDs.  I have been wanting to do this job for ages, too.  I have about 25 disks to go but I have to get something else done today so I'm going to stop for now. 

I'm sharing four of my favorites above.   Now I'm off to get some laundry done. 

The Pay Off

There is a pay off when you do a job that you've been putting off.  Not only do you get rid of the guilt that's been nagging at you (LOL) but you have the satisfaction of knowing you have a tidy room, you won't have to do it again for a long time, and in the process you've found some wonderful memories.

The last part of my clean up project was to go through boxes and envelopes of old pictures. I wanted to sort them by category and throw out duplicates, blurry pictures, and those that I knew would never make it into an album.  I used to feel so guilty about throwing a picture away -- no matter what its quality.  Now, I keep the good ones and toss the rest.  I'm much better about writing dates and information on the back too.  I could kick myself for not being better about this after going through the old pictures last night.  There were many Christmas pictures that I can't identify which year they were taken.  I'm just going to have to guess. 

It was kind of sad to me that I have a huge stack of pictures of Megan, a medium stack of pictures of Nathan and just a small stack of pictures of Andrew.  I am going to have to do a better job of taking my camera when I visit.  I would never want the boys to know that their picture piles are so small compared to Megan's.   It's not because she's older, either.  I have stacks of baby pictures of her and much less of the boys.  I'm also going to talk to Shannon and ask her to check her photos and pass any extras of the boys my way so I can even things out a bit.  With this new baby coming, I'm glad I did this now so I can be more aware and make sure I get a good amount of pictures of HER (LOL).  I'm not announcing anything.  Just wishful thinking.

I had to laugh this morning.  Just when I think I'm finished upstairs, I'm doing some work for Dennis this morning and I hear a loud crash from the sewing room.  Kasey and I rush up stairs to see that the top shelf of the closet has come away from the wall on one side and the contents of that shelf has dumped all over the floor.  Of course, that's where the kids' toys are stored so I had Lincoln Logs, puzzles (still in the boxes, thank goodness), little Matchbox cars, Cabbage Patch dolls, and other toys scattered all over.  I took all the clothes that were hanging on the bottom of that shelf off first because that's why it pulled away from the wall.  I had hung heavy clothing on one end of the rack and it was just too much for the bracket to hold.  Next, I picked up all the toys and sorted them into piles.  Anything plastic went downstairs and into the kitchen for a bath.  The rest stayed upstairs to be put away after Dennis gets the shelf fixed tonight or tomorrow.  I think I heard the Cabbage Patch dolls giggling and whispering, "Thank goodness we don't get a bath."

More soon.                                ô..ô

Busy Day

This gray is the color of the sky today.  It looked like it might rain but we didn't get a drop in our area so Dennis had to turn on the sprinklers this afternoon. 

We have been looking for a new dining room set for almost 2 years to replace the one we bought about 22 years ago.  We get serious about it, go out looking, get frustrated because we can't find what we like and then give up for a few months.  It seems like when we have the cash to buy it we can't find one we like and when we don't have the cash we see one we love.  Isn't that always the way? 

Today we went to a huge store about 25 miles north of here to look around and to our surprise, they had just what we have been looking for.  It's a Mission Style set that extends so that it seats 10 easily if necessary.  The chairs are comfortable and sturdy and it has a nice buffet cabinet to match.  We couldn't believe it.  We should be getting it in about 2 weeks.  Now we have to figure out what to do with our old set.  It was fun going through that big store.  They have beautiful furniture and accessories.  When I got home, I wanted to throw all of my furniture out in the street and buy new things.  LOL   Of course that isn't going to happen so I got over it real fast and felt very satisfied with what I WAS able to buy today.

After shopping, we got home, had lunch and then I went up into my sewing/craft room and started cleaning it out.  The moving experience yesterday got me in the mood to start going through closets and clearing out things I just don't use or need anymore.  I worked for 2 1/2 hours on the closet, large cabinet and a book case.  There were 3 large bags of trash when I was finished.  Tomorrow I will sort through all the cabinets above my sewing table.  I want to make enough room so I can bring up a bunch of stuff out of my office closet which is close to over flowing.

It sure felt good to be productive for myself and my home.  I hope I can finish the project tomorrow. 

Until Later                      ô..ô

Moving Day

Today we helped my son and his family move.  Oh, what a day!  I've never seen such organized team work in my life.  Like a swarm of worker ants, we carried boxes out of the old house and into the new one.  By 4:00 this afternoon, 90% of the boxes had been unpacked, all the beds had been put back together and were made, most of the kitchen was put a way, and even pictures and other decorative items had been hung.  There are still some things to do, of course, but we go a lot done.  We all had a good time, too.  Everyone worked just as hard as the next guy.  I didn't hear anyone complain or fuss.  The kids were even happy and well behaved today.  It was amazing.  The weather was remarkable.  On my way there, it rained heavily for quite a ways but as soon as I started going south on the freeway and got to within 10  miles of Bryan's, the sun was out and it was beautiful.  The dark clouds came and went and there were times when it rained a little but it was always when we were all inside and there was no furniture being moved in and out. 

I'm going back on Tuesday to go with Shannon to her next ultrasound.  I'm planning to spend the day and help finish putting in the shelf paper where needed and doing whatever she needs me to do.  I'm looking forward to it!

                                       * * * * *

 

Planning Ahead

Our family has decided to make our Christmas about the kids this year.  The adults have agreed not to buy each other gifts.  The money that we would have spent on those gifts is going to go to help others.  We haven't decided exactly where we are going to send the money but we've made the commitment to start looking for a special project to fund.

All of the adults are going to do something creative for each other instead of buying a gift.  That can range from a coupon for free babysitting for Shannon to a  special Bible verse with a letter telling the person why you chose that verse for them.  Anything is OK as long as no one spends any money.  It's OK to use resources that you already have such as craft items but there is no going out and buying anything to add to the project. 

Cari sort of wigged out about this idea because she claims it will take too much time and effort.  We sat and talked about it for a bit the other night before bed.  I tried to explain that it didn't need to be a big complicated thing.    She said, "Oh, so I suppose if I got popsicle sticks and glued pompoms on them to make stick people, that would be OK!?!"

Her exclaimation was both a statement and a question and for some reason it struck me funny.  I could just see someone opening up a gift to find a family of popsicle stick people.  We got hysterical laughing about that and then, of course, we had to think of other gifts we could make too.  We thought of a paper bag puppet, making play-doh bugs, A paper airplane and an Admiral's hat out of folded newspaper.  Save tin cans for pencil holders and make a chain out of gum wrappers.  We could even make an origami crane and flower or two.

After laughing until our sides hurt we calmed down and talked a bit more about how blessed we have been this year.  She got to go on her Italian adventure.  Dennis' business is great this year.  I've accomplished something I never dreamed possible by losing so much weight and getting healthy.  We have everything we've ever needed.  We are going to have a fun Christmas Eve with the three of us, my parents, my sister, Carol; Bryan, Shannon, Megan, Nathan, Andrew and the new baby yet to be born and Sam.  The house will be full of laughter and love - maybe a little screaming from the kids (LOL) - but the overall feeling will be FUN.   Who needs more?

Pregnant Turkey?

     With Thanksgiving approaching and the talk of Fall, Pumpkins, Turkeys, and festivities starting, I wanted to share a story my friend, Christy, emailed to me this morning.   I got such a kick out of it and I will admit that I gave a lot of thought to who I could play this trick on:

PREGNANT TURKEY STORY
 
  One year at Thanksgiving, my mom went to my sister's
  house for the traditional feast.
 
  Knowing how gullible my sister is, my mom decided to
  play a trick.
 
  She told my sister that she needed something from
  the store.
 
  When my sister left, my mom took the turkey out of
  the oven, removed the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish
  hen,and inserted it into the turkey, and re-stuffed
  the turkey. She then placed the bird(s) back in the
  oven.
 
  When it was time for dinner, my sister pulled the
  turkey out of the oven and proceeded to remove the
  stuffing. When her serving spoon hit something, she
  reached in and pulled out the little bird.
 
  With a look of total shock on her face, my mother
  exclaimed, "Patricia, you've cooked a pregnant
  bird!" At the reality of this horrifying news, my
  sister started to cry.
 
  It took the family two hours to convince her that
  turkeys lay eggs!
 
   I guess I will have to wait until Cari fixes her first turkey dinner to enjoy this joke.  Of course, she will know it's a hoax and who is behind it.  I hope I'm still able to out run her!  LOL

 
  

Pumpkin Patch

                                                             

Jeannette of Welcome to My Travels and I were Emailing back and forth about pumpkins and pumpkin recipes today.  I told her when I was out I would stop by our neighborhood pumpkin patch and take some pictures.  The place is called Doi's Market.  They sell produce all year around and they grow most of what they sell.  Their tomatoes are wonderful and the Maui onions are sweet and mild.  In the spring, they have the best strawberries in the Inland Empire.  Another of their specialties is corn on the cob - always sweet and perfect.  They have a big metal roaster to roast the ears of corn and when you drive up, the aroma is heavenly.

At Halloween, they turn their pumpkin field into a Pumpkin Patch so kids can go out into the field and pick their own if they want to.  They have ghosts and scarecrows set up to make it festive.  Preschools in the area sometimes take bus loads of kids there on a field trip.  There were no kids there today when I stopped to take the pictures.

Since our kids are grown up, we don't pass out candy on Halloween night anymore.  I do miss seeing the little kids dressed up but I don't miss jumping up to answer the door and I certainly do not want bags of candy in the house.  If it's not here, no one can eat it. 

My son and his wife take their kids to a Harvest Festival at their church on Halloween.  They have boothes set up where the kids get to play games and win prizes.  They also get candy as if they were out trick-or-treating.  It's a safer alternative to having them go door to door and taking candy from strangers.

I had lunch with my friend Sylvia today.  I hadn't seen her since before we went to Alaska.  Her dad has terminal brain cancer so she has been spending a lot of time with her parents.  We had such a good talk.  She told me how her dad has come to terms with his illness and he even went to the funeral home with his son and another daughter to make pre-arrangements.  He isn't afraid of dying because he has a strong faith in God.  He just says he doesn't want to linger and suffer.  I think we all hope that for loved ones and ourselves.

I told Sylvia how lucky she is to have this open dialog with her Dad.  When Den's Dad was dying, there was so little communication with him.  He just didn't want to talk about anything personal.  It actually made me cry today.  I cried with joy for her that she has this time to really connect with her Dad and to say all the things that she wants to say.  She knows he'll say everything he has to say, too.  I cried for all those things that went unsaid in my relationship with Dennis' Dad.  We were just never close.  There was always an awkward, uncomfortable thing between us.  I tried many times to bridge that gap but I just couldn't get him to open up.  I know I can't change any of the past and I'm determined to make sure that I let those I love know how much they mean to me and not take forgranted that they know.

Until later.                                      ô..ô

Happy Birthday, Carol!

Today is my sister's birthday.  I called her early this morning but she wasn't home.  I sang the "Happy Birthday" song into her answer machine (that'll teach her for going somewhere on her BD) and then called her later in the day so we could talk.

She loved the earrings.  I thought she would.  We had a nice visit and I welcomed her to this side of the 50's.  She can get Sr. discounts in a few places now.  55 is just the beginning of those Golden Specials.  Gottschalk's (my favorite store) starts it's Sr. Specials at 55 - she was very happy to learn that today.

I went shopping later for my Mother's birthday which is a week from today.  I ended up getting her a pair of the Mystic Fire Topaz earrings, too.  I got her the round studs which I know she will enjoy.  I also made a copy of one of the pictures Den and I had taken on the cruise, framed it and put it in the package, too.  Mom's always love getting pictures of their kids.

I bought Bob Woodward's new book today.  State of Denial   is the name of it.  I read a review on line from the NY Times yesterday.  The review really perked my interest so when I saw it at Costco today I had to buy it.  The book is about the Bush administration and is the third in a series of books Woodward has written about this presidency.  The first two were more supportive.  This one takes a very critical look at several key players, especially Cheney and Rumsfeld. 

( http://journals.aol.com/thefeedblog/AOLNewsTheFeed/#Entry1878 ) Check out this site and watch the little video with Bob Woodward about a phone call he got from Cheney about this book. 

Anyone  who has read my journal for any length of time knows that I am not a fan of this administration.  I have never been.  I was sick when he was elected the first time and I can't wait until he leaves office.  I'm just worried silly about how bad the national debt will be when he finally rides off in the sunset and leaves us choking in his dust.  My other concerns are deeper and darker and I will keep those to myself.  I didn't post this to get into a political debate.  If anyone out there likes him, that's fine, I am all for freedom of choice.  Just do NOT post a comment in my journal defending him.  I'll just delete it.  You can post something in your own journal and I'll read it there.  That's your forum and your right.

Phew.....  enough about that.  Now - let's laugh about something.  Oh, my gosh, a friend sent me thee funniest email about a gal waxing for the first time.  It is pretty graphic so I am not going to post it, but if anyone wants a good laugh send me an email and I'll forward it to you.  I had tears running down my face.  It reminded me of the first time I used the product NADS.  Have any of you used that?  Some Australian woman invented it using only natural ingredients.  I swear it is the stickiest goop on the face of the earth.  My daughter and I ordered it and I decided, stupidly, to use it under my arms first. 

I got out the application stick, scooped up some of the goop and spread it under my arm.  Then I reached down to get the strip of cloth that you press on over the goop and then RIP off to remove the hair.  Well, I lowered my arm to do it and glued my arm to my body.  I could not lift my arm again to save my life!  If I tried it was like trying to pull the skin off my under arm and my side.  Luckily, I remembered the ad and knew that it would come off with warm water and soap so I got in the shower and rinsed it off with lots of warm water all the time thanking the good Lord that it wasn't wax.  When I got out of the shower, I put the lid on the NADs jar, put it back in the box and put it in a closet somewhere.  My Venus razor never looked so good.  Cari heard me yelling in pain and she never wanted to try it after my experience.   It took me another 5 years to get up the never to get my eyebrows waxed and that tiny little bit of waxing hurts like the devil -- but I still get it done about every 6 weeks now because I really like how my brows look.

I guess that ought to do it for one night.  Until later..........  ô..ô

Sunday Morning

I heard from some of my JLand friends in the UK about the skunk episode.  They don't have the little critters there so I'm going to be selling the house and moving there as soon as I can get thing settled.  LOL  Or maybe, I'll just trap a few and send them over so my friends there can have the joy and experience of getting to know skunk aroma.  Jeannette at Welcome to My Travels has had the unfortunate experience while visiting Wyoming, USA.  I know she would want her fellow countrywomen to share in that adventure.  LOL

Its a beautiful Sunday morning here in Southern California.  I've been up since 7:00 doing some cleaning and picking up. The house gets so dusty with all of the road construction and building going on just down the hill.

Bernice and her daughter, Tanya, are coming here around 11:00 today.  We are then going to go out to the cemetery and see Dad's grave marker which was set several weeks ago.  I'm going to pick up a pretty bouquet of flowers on our way to lay at the site.  After our visit, we will have lunch together and spend some time catching up. 

That's it for now.  I may add to this later in the day if I get a chance.

Until later                               ô..ô

 

SKUNKED

1:34 a.m. PST

I was sound asleep when the nasty scent of a skunk filtered into my room through the open window and woke me up.  Of course, Kasey hit the ground running and growling.  She was out the doggie door before I could even think about stopping her.

Bark, bark, bark! 

I grabbed my robe and followed her downstairs.  Luckily she didn't get sprayed.  The 'evil doer' let go of it's nasty spray somewhere else in the neighborhood and we just had the misfortune of having to smell it.

There are only a few things that smell any worse than skunk spray and they are too disgusting to even mention here.  If I could get rid of all of those cute little creatures I would do it in a minute!  Oh, I don't mean I'd kill them!  I'd have them trapped and send them to live in a forest somewhere where they could spray and not offend another human being.  It's such a shame that something that cute could smell that awful.

The stench has passed so I'm going back to bed with a hope and a prayer that the little rodant has toddled his black and white ass out of the area for the night.

Good night!

A Brighter Day

My wish came true!  I woke up feeling like my spunky old self this morning!  Thanks to a good nights sleep and 2 Aleve.   Ahhh, one can surely appreciate good health after a day like yesterday.  I'm going to take it easy today, though.  If I over do it, I may be sorry.

I got to talk to one of my favorite cousins this morning.  Dr. Frannie!  She's has a PhD in Industrial Psychology and up until a year ago worked for the U.S. Air Force as a civilian contractor.  Her job was so complicated that I just have a basic understanding of what she did and I'm not even going to try to explain it.  LOL  She's married to Dr. Dr. Jim who has 2 PhD's in what the heck I don't even know it's so complicated.  He works for the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and contracts with other agencies he can't talk about.  Wooooooo.  LOL   They are both so brilliant it's almost scary but they are down to earth and wonderful.  I love them both to pieces.  They are gourmet cooks, love to travel, and Jim is a wonderful photographer.  He has children from a previous marriage and 2 grandchildren that they love to visit and spoil but they chose not to have children together because of their careers and other priorities.  We think any children from their combined gene pools would be so smart that it would be dangerous. There's not a head big enough to hold brains that big!  LOL 

Sometime I should write about all of my cousins.  I have an interesting assortment of them, 15 in all.  I had 17 at one time but 2 have passed away.  There are some very interesting characters in the bunch; some highly educated and successful, a few eccentrics, and an idiot or two (LOL).  Frannie is in the highly educated group and she's up at the top of the list if I put them in order of my favorites first.

I'm off to read some journals before I get lost in the day.

Until later                             ô..ô

 

Lost Day

I lost the entire day.  I woke up around 1:00 in the morning sick to my stomach and was up and down and in and out of the bathroom until after 8:00 this morning.  Once the stomach virus passed I felt like I'd been hit by a truck so I spent the rest of the day in bed drifting in and out of sleep.  Kasey spent the day right by my side which is her custom when I'm sick.  She's so sweet and I admit it was nice to have her warm little body tucked next to my ice cold feet.  No person loves us more than our dog does, that's for sure.  I'm headed back upstairs to take a quick shower and then it's back to bed.  I hope in the morning I'm back to my usual perky self.

Nighty night.

It's Already Thursday!

I haven't typed an entry since Sunday.  I've sat down to do it a few times but something has come up to interrupt me and I just haven't been able to get 'er done. 

Den's step-mom went home to Boise on Tuesday.  We sure had a good time while she was here.  Talk about easy to have around!  She was delightful.  Always happy, positive, and she enjoyed everything we planned. 

Yesterday I spent the day with my DIL, Shannon, packing up her kitchen, downstairs bathroom and pantries.  Her sister-in-law was there to help, too, which was nice.  We got a lot done.  I'm on call between now and the 14th/15th when they make the big move to help with anything that needs to be done. 

Today, I went shopping for my sister's birthday present.  I found a pair of Mystic Ice Topaz ear rings in 14k gold for her.  I bought a pair for myself in Alaska (where they call the stone Aurora Lights Topaz)   When she saw them she really liked them so I decided to get a pair for her:

 They are this color stone but in triangular shape setting.   She has green/blue eyes so I know they will look nice on her.  I think I may get another pair for my Mom's birthday which is a week after my sister's.

I made an appointment to have Andrew's 2 year portrait taken.  I have made this a tradition starting with Megan.  On my grandchildren's 2nd birthday, I have made an appointment with a photographer to have a special picture taken.  I then have it done in black and white tones and have it hand tinted using oil based chalks.  They have come out beautiful.  The photographer has old fashioned clothing and props she uses to make the pictures look antique and the kids have enjoyed their time with her.  When I had Nathan's done, I took Megan along and she took some of them together, too.  This time I will have her take some of all three together after Andrew's individual session is done. I posted 2 pictures from Megan's session as an example of her work.

Well, it's about time to light the bbq and get dinner on the table.  Cari and Sam are eating dinner with us tonight which is always nice.  I'll close for now but will return sometime in the near future with another not so exciting entry.

ô..ô

Sunday Morning Laugh

A guy is driving along a highway while talking on his cell phone. He is leaving a message on a friend's answer machine when he witnesses an accident.  Listen to his description of what he sees:

http://www.chumfm.com/MorningShow/bits/march24.swf