Back from the ocean to 6" of snow!!

Well, we weren't here to see it coming down, but we came home to 6" of snow in the yard and a bunch of very upset cats!!
Lesson learned #1) KNOW for myself that the newly made spare key to the front door works BEFORE I drive 8 hours away from home. Why? Well, I made a key for Amanda on Tuesday and gave it to her because we were leaving on Weds, which we did. So I never personally tried the key in the door and because of that the cats were alone for 4 days. Of course the worst for it was Buddy with no dry food in his dishes!! But being a 22 pound cat, he didn't do so bad, and it doesn't look like he even lost an ounce while we were gone.
We drove home the slow way with no mountain passes between us and home, thankfully, but once we got about an hour from home and the sun went down the roads got icy and we had to creep all the way back. The headlights reflecting off the ice on the road all the way home. We knew the weather was coming this way because Saturday night there was a storm in Lincoln City that literally rocked the motel from the force of the wind and rain blowing in from the south.
Well and it rained almost all the time we were in Lincoln City, we got out on Saturday for a nice hike to a waterfall - about 3 miles or 3 1/2 round trip. My ankle never complained the entire trip, but I was cautious worried about tripping over something and breaking it again. Big ninny huh? We had a nice sattelite TV in the room and a very nice kitchen we ate well and watched the storms roll in. Never saw any whales(or is it wales)? , of course they were probably out there, just couldn't see because of the gray weather. We did see sealions and lots of beachcombers.
I'm happy to be home!!! I get to get my teeth cleaned this afternoon after cleaning one house. I think I'll stop and see miss Fay as she was gone all weekend too and I miss her smiley little cute face! I thought about stopping at my special client's house to see how he did with the turkey and all. I started it baking on Wednesday for him - only a 12lb and a fresh one this year.. thank GOD! I talked him into stove-top stuffing instead of the work and possible contamination from stuffing in the bird type stuffing. Yuck...anyway. I should stop over and de-bone the bird and remove the carcass as he won't do that, he wouldn't even think about it.
As for thanksgiving being special only once a year, well for those of us with grandkids, or someone specials in our lives, or an unwell mother(!!!) we better be thankful every day and tell those that we love EVERY day that we love them and appreciate them,because tomorrow is another day and if you miss your chance to be thankful because you're only thankful one day a year, you're certain to be sorry.

Much Ado about a lot of things

Well, what a weekend we're having!
I've been invited to switch to Beta Blogger... I'm not sure, but I'm thinking about it. The information says that you have to sign up for a Google account, but I already have a Yahoo e-mail address, and I don't want any others, too confusing for me. Guess I'll have to go ask someone out there that may know the deal?

Otherwise, missy Fay was here this weekend, and boy am I pooped after hauling her through the house repeatedly in the laundry basket with my robe rope tied on it. She needs a wagon really bad!!! Otherwise, she played the drums with Chris for a little bit, and danced and boogied to the beat after she left the music room. She's quite musically oriented, and I'm sure it won't be long till we give her her own set of drum sticks and some baby ear-protectors of her own!! She's so sweet, and nothing I find so soothing as the sweet smell of her sleeping next to me, and the soft sighs in her sleep. Now, those feet kicking me in the back...that could stop!! She ate really good, loves grandma's homemade pancakes for breakfast along with banana's. Much as I enjoy her point-and-grunt style of communicating, I'm looking forward to her learning more words. I work with her by telling her the name of everything I can, and talking to her alot. She got her first experience with horses today, we took her on a long walk - ok we walked and pushed her in the stroller. Well, we stopped to give the horses a couple handsful of grass, and she was just amazed, even willingly reached out for a touch, but the horses shied away since there wasn't anything in her hand, next time we'll remember the carrots.

Also, the mystery of the afghan with no directions has been solved. Long ago I think I mentioned that I used to work in clothing manufacture, and learned how to make coats and pants from the sample, to the pattern, to the cut-out pieces, to the finished product....Well, that is kinda what had to happen with this finished afghan. I asked my Aunt and dear Clara from Tennessee if either recognized the pattern or perhaps knew someone that might... well they both did their best, and Clara was even kind enough to send me some patterns. What I ended up having to do was take the sample to a crochet instructor here in town. She was able to figure out the pattern and wrote it down for me, even spent an hour showing me how to do it!! So, I typed the instructions out, sent them out to Clara and my Aunt, then sat down to follow my own instructions with some scrap yarn, and discovered a major flaw in the process, and re-did my notes and re-sent them to Aunt and Clara. Now I'm sure I can break out that $5.00 a skein yarn and make a pretty nice finished product. I told Chris I spent $85 on yarn for 2 afghans (this one shell/ripple and another rainbow colored one for Fay), he didn't even sniff, just said hobbies are priceless. Yeah, we'll see how priceless hobbies become when I tell him I want 2 sewing machines and a room to conduct my hobbies in!! Move that guitar over!


The yearly "What are you doing for the holidays" questions are about to start, and I have trouble figuring out how to respond. I believe in Jesus, and I follow him thankfully every day of my life.. but I don't celebrate the December 25th version of Christmas, because it's a bunch of hoo-haw designed by merchants to depleat their merchandise so they don't have to inventory and pay taxes on it. I refuse to stress, and go broke in honor of Jesus, and I'm not going to give other people presents on His birthday. Would you give your son a present on your mother's birthday? Do you give presents on George Washington's birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s? I have been told the tradition of presents comes from the wise men giving presents to Jesus. Ok, fine, I give Jesus 3 presents every day: my love, honor, and loyalty. I don't know what day Jesus was born on, though I firmly believe his birth was in the springtime, late March, early April, I celebrate His birth every day, and I celebrate the fact that he died and was resurrected after 3 days, and that thanks to him, I am re-born every day, new and free of the sins of the day before. Besides, here's the big question: If you only give people gifts on the 25th of December, if you only stop the wars and killings and horrors of this world on the 25th of December, what happens if you die on the 24th?

Next, we're running away next weekend, going 8 hours south to the Oregon Coast, a neat little resort town called Lincoln City, you can Google that and see what I so enjoy about it. We stay right on the beach in a very nice place with full kitchens and great views of the ocean. Last year when we stayed there in the winter time we got to see whales, and I'm going prepared with binoculars and a zoom lens on the camera. We saw killers and humpbacks, and I'm so hoping for another show this year!! We're very odd people, we take our own food and cook on vacation. Chris's dad gave us such heck about that last time, said that vacation is time to relax, not cook and do dishes! They went to the casino and he got food poisoning from the restaurant there, spent all the rest of his vacation in the bathroom, and he wasn't too happy about it.
Since it's only been 3 months since I broke my ankle, I'm not sure I'll be up for any 10 mile hikes, but a couple short ones will be nice. There are some wonderful, amazing and exciting places to hike right within a short drive from L.C. Plus just a walk on the beach reminds me just how small I am in this big universe, and how much I rely on Jesus to keep me safe every day.
This is how we spend holidays: not catering to a bunch of ungrateful people that suck up all the food, swill all the booze and start fights in the living room. Then complain because the gift doesn't fit, or don't like it anyway and return it after all my hard work and stress and expense getting it!!!
Hey, THERE'S my answer, we're relaxing for the holidays!!

Lets talk about HUNTING!!

Picture Bambi here, crying over his shot-dead mother. The hunters that killed his mama also started the forest fire that killed his friends!
Here's my issue with hunting, and fishing, anything that people call "Sport".
1) How is it a SPORT if the person doing it is in camoflage in a tree with deer urine spread all around, and he or she (yes there are women hunters) has the gun?
2)How is it a SPORT if the person is in a duck blind with a quacker and decoys in the water to lure in unsuspecting prey?
3)How is it a sport if the person uses a lure or bait on a hook waiting for some hungry critter to come along and take a bite out of it?
Here is my suggestion to all you sports men and women. Put DOWN that gun and the camo and the treestands and the duck blinds and the poles and bait. Hunt with your bare hands! Put some REAL sport into it! Hunt down and kill a deer or an elk with your hands! Catch a fish in the water with your bare hands! Swim out there and catch the duck from underneath!
WHY should people be allowed to pursue what is only having the complete advantage of an animal that doesn't even know you're around?
Better, get hunting licenses to hunt other people! How about putting some person's head on your wall? How about a sportsmans skin rug in front of your fireplace? Do you really think its right, fair, ethical to hunt or fish for sport?
My response to these days of catch and release SPORT FISHING is this: Swim out there and I'll rig up a burger (or steak or whatever is your favorite food) on a hook and toss it out. You swim up and take a big old bite, get that hook way down deep in your mouth, then I'll haul you in while you fight and swim madly in the other direction. After I tire you out, I'll haul you into the boat and unhook you, then take pictures with you and weigh and measure you, then after a while, I'll toss you back overboard, happy to know you'll go on about your day as if nothing in particular happened. Do YOU think you'd feel like finishing your regular day at the office after that trauma? After your last car wreck did you just go back to the office? No problem??
Same with hunting deer or birds. Just how sportsmanlike is it to hide up in a tree or behind a curtain and wait till some animal happens along? It is my opinion that you should be out there nude with only your bare hands, run up on it, catch that animal and kill it like a man.
A client tells me that her son and grandson go hunting elk for sport, but they don't eat the meat, they work to give it all away!? Oh, and they're in no danger of getting lost because they pay a guide and they're on private land. Which means they're hunting someone's pets. Those elk have likely been hand fed since they were babies and aren't afraid of people. Such a big sport to shoot someone's pet, don't you think?? It stands there expecting a snack, you step out of the truck and BOOM, you have a 6-point wall mount and meat you won't eat. Yippee.
So, all you dear hunters, how about having a little think time on this subject? Why are you hunting? Isn't there enough meat in the grocery store? Do you really need to go out there and terrorize the animals, ruin the landscape with your 4-wheelers and your guns? Leaving shotgun shells and beer bottles all over the place? Just what are you accomplishing anyway? IF you want a weekend away from the women, got get a motel room and bring a bottle, after all, that's what WE do when we want time away from our men!!
If you're going to shoot a pet, (or WORSE, a caged, starved, and terrorized animal on a private reserve that was just let loose a minute after you got into position, so you can be a big game TROPHY hunter), then DON'T DO IT!! Think of the life you are taking and the reason behind it. If you want a trophy, go bowling!!! No guns, knives, blinds, or deer urine!
Check out a hunting or sportsman magazine if you think I'm crazy. Take a walk out in the woods where hunters go, look at the trash and the desecration left behind. If you have to hunt to feed your family, then fine, hunt and feed your family with my blessing (as if that matters), but since there's about a million grocery stores out there with plenty of packaged safely handled and processed meat and fish, hunting and fishing aren't necessary.
Oh, there's another thought -- did you shoot it right so there won't be any poisoning of the meat? Was it a diseased animal to start with? Does your properly licensed and inspected processor know what he's doing, and will it all be handled sanitarily so you don't get food poisoning? How long would this or any war last without weapons? The soldiers have to fight hand-to-hand, no scuds, no bombs, no guns...period.

To Blog--or not to Blog

Well, got a little chiding because I don't post every day on here. Some days I can't think of an intelligent thing to talk about. Other days, I spend my talking time commenting on other blogs, and there are LOTS of interesting blogs out there to comment on. I try to have something to talk about, but living here in middle-of-no-where, and being a cleaning lady (thus the name), and being one to try HARD to avoid the whole political business, some days all that leaves is the cats, and mostly all they do is lay around and snore.

However; in Reno, Nevada where I come from, an old landmark hotel was burned in an arson fire and 9 people have been found dead. A resident has been arrested for starting her mattress on fire and being responsible for those deaths. I left Reno in 1990 to move north after my parents moved up here, and have only been "home" twice since then. In 16 years the entire area has multiplied and grown so that I hardly recognize my little home town anymore. I went to school from 3rd grade through graduation in 1980 there with most of the same kids. With 4 high schools there at the time, there were choices to make, and since I was zoned for a "black" school (sorry...sorry) my parents opted to variance me to the "cowboy" school a few miles away. So I was a railroader, went to the "maroon and gold" school, learned how hard work being in choir was, and had the best time of my young life being in Mr. Skogsberg's music classes. See, I have always been overweight, and when I got to high school I could choose between physical education and ROTC, which I did, and I seem to recall there was a choice between science lab classes and music, so I chose music. My worst memory of singing was one particular concert we were giving, and down in the front row was Dan Zenz, he was taking pictures for the school paper, well he started making funny faces at me, and got me laughing. I was getting poked and pinched from all directions for breaking face and ruining the moment of Celest's big solo performance. Mr. S. was so mad at me the next day he singled me out for public ridicule and made me state the rules of concert singing, which I still remember:
1) NEVER NEVER NEVER take your eyes off the director
2) NEVER look at anyone in the audience
3) NEVER break face in a concert
4) In the event you look at someone in the audience and break face, look at the director.
5) When in doubt, repeat rule #1

Ok, so it's been 26 years ago, but who can forget public ridicule?

Oh, one more interesting thing. As many of you know, The Token Hippie has some amazing photography of her spider friend "Octavia". Well, last night Christopher and I were finally taking down the air conditioner from our bedroom window and we un-nested our own little Octavia. We have tiny black house spiders up north here, she has a small red dot on her back and very hairy legs. Well, poor little Octavia staggered out of her nest and crawled out the window- I was worried she'd die of exposure since she'd just been woken up so rudely from her winter's nap. So I took a flashlight out and shined it on her, and for some reason, she turned around and came back in the house, maybe she was annoyed by the flashlight, or maybe she found the warmth inviting and decided she'd come back in. Well, this morning, I find her, snugly re-nested down in the corner of the window. Now that I know where she is, I'll keep from disturbing her for the rest of the winter. I'd hoped to find her something to eat before she went back to sleep, but there aren't any flies or grasshoppers around now that the frost has come. I'm thankful to The Token Hippie for giving me a very new insite on the wonders of spiders, mostly I'm happy that we don't have those palm sized critters up here like she has in her garden. I'm happy to that we don't have those huge green grasshoppers either.

Oh, I'm going to see Fay and Amanda this afternoon. I have a doctor's appointment at noon, and more on that later too. I'm still avoiding the political hoo-haw, I do vote because I feel I should, and I educate myself to the questions and political views at hand, and even though Christopher has proved to me that the vote doesn't count, that it's all rigged before hand, I still feel I should, so I will. Any other opinions on it? If you go to Grammie's blog, "Awaiting Buddah" she has a list of some really interesting people to read, and thanks again to her for adding ME to that list!!

Be well, DRINK water, and God bless us, everyone!

thanks to Grammie for this link

http://kerflop.com/2006/11/02/chemical-burn/

I was totally surprised to read about these Magic Erasers being dangerous in the wrong hands.

I am so thankful to Grammie for the link and the information, and so sorry to the mom and little guy that had to go through this to remind us that just because the package doesn't specifically say it's dangerous that it's not.

Hugs and best wishes for speedy recovery to the little cleaning helper and big hugs to mom for feeling so guilty as to let her little son help clean. Thank you both for helping me to realize that this is not something I want to put in my granddaughter's hands to clean her art work off the wall -- someday when she's doing wall-art. =-).

I use these pads in my every day work. They are a wonder on those bumpy handles on refrigerators and in the newer tubs. I always use gloves because I clean with chemicals so never realized these erasers were abrasive.