Friday, October 31, 2008

Problems at the polls, and other voting concerns

People have been early voting in numbers that are historic, which in my opinion is momentously great!
But...every night on the news it's one glitch after another on counting those votes.
A few days ago the top story was about some absentee ballots not counting if... you signed your name incorrectly; the example given was signing Mike for Michael! I’m so fortunate; I guess that my name can only be spelled one way.
Crazy and nit picking, don’t you think?

Now another controversial situation was brought up about the mentally challenged living in group homes being registered to vote; the confusion seems to stem from if whether or not they are capable to understand what voting is all about and who the candidates are as well as where they stand on different topics of concern for all Americans.
A mother of two of these special people said that even though they are respectively old enough, at 19 and 32 years old to vote; they can not read or understand the process, and therefore her concern was that the person who registered her children, which she is still the guardian of and did it without her permission, she feels that this person may think that they have the right to tell her children who to vote for.
She definitely has a point.
But as far as the rest goes, do any of us really know?
Honestly, I never thought of this as a problem, but she is absolutely right.
Perhaps, too many group homes registered for the 2000 election that would explain a lot.
Sorry!
Not very politically correct, but being a former volunteer that worked with special people and one who also helped out with Special Olympics… they would actually be laughing at that too!

Another news blip on my radar was the local man in the motorized wheel chair suing over 140 time’s different business in our area for not following the ADA for access into their stores. I really can’t blame him. Being with just a cane, but I too was in a wheel chair for a while about ten years ago… access is everything. Even with my cane so many older businesses in the area have too high thresholds and don’t seem to realize that not giving access to everyone like the law states loses them customers more than likely with money they want to spend. It is wild in the times we live in that these obstacles have not been addressed sooner since the law has been in affect for decades already. He says so far he hasn’t made a penny and that isn’t why he is doing this, it’s to change things for access for all!
I hail him and wish him well and encourage his reasoning that others should take on this fight right behind him; don’t settle for things at the status quo.
Below is my toughing it out cure. Hope it helps us all. If you say it like a mantra, over and over.

"Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."

Good night to all and to all think just four more days, and all this craziness will be over!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Happy Days Are Here Again? (depression song) And why we don't celebrate Halloween for now

The Market went up again nearly 190 points!
Gas, locally is down to $2.37 a gallon!
Are these small miracles or temporary fixes?
Who knows… all I know for sure is that more people have gone to the unemployment lines over the last few months than ever before; nearly another half million, not good at all.

This might sound like greed too, but believe me it is only me trying hard to practice good healthy measures, and save some money too.
Topic: Halloween, one of my favorite holidays of childhood and young motherhood.
Choosing those costumes and makeup, boy what fun in the 1950's. We always had the best makeup in my neighborhood with half of the Broadway performers living there, and willing to help with the ideas and application of the greasepaint. Candy was great too, diversified, abundant and without any fears of razor blades, glass or even obesity.
Those were the days.
Our sons also had a great Halloween experience with my making of homemade costumes from Peter Pan on my eldest at 15 months old, when he won the prize at our townhouse condos clubhouse his first Halloween. Over the years our boys were scarecrows, robots; you get the idea, all fun to make and they enjoyed it all, and won competitions too.
But this was the 1970's and then soon horrors started with razor blades in the candy, placed there by demented sickos, but then we would have the children hand the candy over to their parents to check, no more snacking as you trick or treated. It was much later that the hospitals got involved with X-raying the candy; how truly sad it had to come to that.
But none of this has anything to do with us not celebrating today.
It all started with our dogs creating havoc every time the doorbell would ring so I wrote a cute little poem about having fun and please will you take just one with a bowl left on a stool at the front door.
I would buy like five large bags of candy a year and we would get about 25 kids, and this is when our sons were grown and gone; this went on for quite a few years.
About two years ago I had filled my bowl as usual and within an hour it was emptied!
We found out that one of our neighbor’s son felt it was a great idea to empty it all, and so he took the joy of the day away.
That and the fact that I put on this ton of weight made me get tough and save money at the same time no longer putting any candy out.
Sadly we used to have great decorations with Styrofoam headstones, all over our lawn; that my husband made with clever sayings.
And so tomorrow night with only one dog who also does create havoc when someone visits there will be no decorations, no light on and no candy, sorry!
That child has since moved, and my weight has escalated so I think sadly it is with a heavy heart and many other heavy body parts I will say goodbye to Halloween for now.
Who knows someday I could be thin again and hopefully a grandma and then I will be hard pressed not to bring that joy back that is a very fond memory.

Good night to all and to all BOO!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Winding down to the last few days...

Tonight at 8 P.M. EST for thirty minutes, on three channels, which includes CBS, NBC, and Fox, Senator Barack Obama will be putting to good use his donated campaign funds to describe how he would handle all the problems of us Americans. I do wonder why no ABC?
He is known for his plain concise speaking ability, and so I will be watching to confirm my opinion of him and his ideas on how our concerns will be taken away and replaced with some relief.

Oddly enough he also requested for our early voting in Florida hours to be extended to go from 7A.M. to 7 P.M., and here in our county it will be going all the way through Saturday with those hours.

At first, our Governor Charlie Crist turned the request down, but changed his mind.
I have no idea why, but if I knew I would tell you.
And now, would you believe, Senator John McCain has said that the extended hours are giving an unfair advantage to Senator Barack Obama, huh?
How could that be?
Do Senator Obama’s voters get up earlier than Senator McCain’s or do they work later than his?
I’m confused don’t all Americans basically have the same options of voting as long as they are a citizen registered to vote and at least 18 years old?
Oh well, I must have missed something somewhere.
People sometimes need excuses to explain why things aren’t going their way.

Cold is how our night was last night, in the 40’s as predicted, and tonight will be the same, but the day did warm up into the 80’s here and so will tomorrow’s weather. I did go for a walk this morning, but after 9 since it was still in the 50’s, would you believe?

My library book: Audition was returned today, since it was due back, but it was unfinished, it is on a waiting list that is for all new books and because of that it was not allowed to be renewed so I asked to be put on the list again, only eleven are ahead of me this time; last time they were 35. Maybe by then my concentration will have improved; I did write down what page I was on, it was #458.

Anyway, I have a few weeks to get my act together.
Over the last few weeks that I have been off kilter I have managed to insult my neighbor by saying her adopted adult/children sons were only her biological son’s half brothers.
Like mine, but let me explain, my half-brother was never allowed to be adopted by my biological father. He tried, but my half brother’s biological father wouldn’t let him, and then he exited my half brother’s life.
I guess, her four adoptees Mom either was cooperative, passed away, or a really bad Mom, who knows, because I never delved further; my bad.
Assuming that she was dead or didn’t really care that would make this neighbor way ahead of my well meaning father who tried to also be that responsible, but unfortunately was sabotaged to fail, consequently confusing his young daughter on how to refer to her sibling that was nineteen years her senior.

Thus my reasoning of a half brother, not a full one, in reality in my mind I was just stating the facts as I saw them.

Then I called my cousin with the broken hip and leg to see how she was, and was wondering why I hadn’t heard from her. (I have been sending Get Well cards weekly, so I felt I was in contact)
Apparently, my cousin her husband never told her about his cousins that passed on, but told me that she was doing so wonderfully that she was walking all over the neighborhood with her walker and was back to playing bridge.
Not true according to his wife she still feels horrid, and can barely move around the house.
Denial is an interesting thing.
And lastly that he said that he would tell my Mom’s side of the family, the one he is on, about the sad news. Now I don’t know if they know, so I have a dilemma.
I suppose I can leave it all alone, but it is weird not knowing what to think and worse why he did this.

Family is an odd thing, and who knows what we will get when we are born, as the saying goes you can chose your friends but not your family.
Too bad I say!
It should be like spouses, where you get to meet all kinds of people over a specific amount of time, go out a few times, kick the tires, talk about worldly views, earth shattering matters that you really care about and then you decide if you want to commit famtrimony, like matrimony but exclusively for choosing family members. You continue on this venture until say like you have 20 to 50 members or so that you can depend on with views and feelings similar to yours, all in great health, brilliant, and beautiful, but to your idea of beauty, that is different for all peoples, and then you are done.
How’s that sound?

Again on that silly note I will leave you.
Good night to all and to all choose your family wisely. LOL

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Markets up, way up, but some things have come way down!

The Market went up nearly 900 points today, crazy!
Gas prices have been consistently going down at least for the last two weeks, weird!
So has the thermometer in Florida gone down for the last two nights, and tonight we will be in the 40's on the coastline, where we are, and in the thirties inland, unheard of for this time of the year, wacko!

The news was not good in all other areas.
Employers are laying off more and more people.

In southwest Florida, Fort Myers area, two old friends got into a political argument that actually escalated from emails into a gunfight at a set meeting location. Guess, which was the McCain supporter and which was the Obama supporter and who the victim was and who was the perpetrator of his hot headed gun of wrath?
Well, surprise, surprise the McCain supporter was the shooter, and fortunately his aim was bad enough to only have grazed the Barack Obama man’s head, but causing a bloody need for staples though. Is this lunacy or what?

Anger is a nasty thing and we have all had it at one time or another; most of the time it comes out of our frustration of not being heard or understood.
When we allow ourselves to let it get the best of us; be it by screaming or doing something as extreme as violence then that’s when it’s a control issue not just a benign emotion.
Decent, well brought up people who were once children should have been taught early on that certain behavior is not appropriate in any situation.
Sometimes this educational parental responsibility breaks down or goes unheard by its audience if one is screaming it at the time, like SHUT UP! (When I was a teen this was considered as bad as a curse word to say that, shut up.)
That one never works.
BEHAVE!
Nope no good either.
Example is how our offspring are supposed to learn.
But as a parent myself, and knowing I was growing up with my two sons, and having them in my twenties but still undisciplined with my own controlled behavior I must admit that I did yell, and now I’m so ashamed.
I think it is so cool that I can remember three of my uncles that actually had the power to quiet their children with a simple glaring stare, and poof they would stop in their tracks.
But being me, and slightly bratty as a child, an understatement; I felt they were afraid of their Dads; not being respectful. To this day I am not entirely sure I was not right.
I had one friend, when I was a young mother that used to bribe her normal healthy active three sons to behave in public and then they would get something special if they did.
It worked, so who’s wrong.
Teachers and specialist in the child rearing game say don’t do that.
Her boys grew up just fine and are well adjusted men today.

Some days I wonder if anything I did caused my sons to still be single, but both have had girlfriends, one was even married, the other was engaged, but both are single today.
I did think that the fact that their father and I have been married nearly 38 years was a positive. But now they are saying if you argue at all in front of your children that could cause them to sour on marriage… well we sure have done that!
But that’s one of our best communication lines, we get our points across and we always forgive later.
Oh well, kids are way too sensitive to not get that love is shown in all different ways.
I always think of that song from Fiddler On The Roof: Do you love me?
Find it, play it and then you will know where I am coming from, and maybe some of these youngins will know too.

We are all wound too tight, and we should remember that some people become hard of hearing and refuse to get hearing aids or can’t afford them, and then we have to yell; I LOVE YOU!

And on that silly note good night to all and to all calm down.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Performing our American obligation created by our freedom...

In other words...Our vote was hand delivered to the Supervisor of Elections Office in our district today; the first stop on our errands day. It was fun trying to find it too; the listed, phone book address was an old one and it had moved, but fortunately the new address was posted on the old building door where it initially was. Lesser persons, not as determined, might have given up perhaps, and there goes two votes, welcome to another possible Florida disaster.
The next was to a gas station that actually had gas for only $2.45.9 a gallon, ah like the good old days! About nine months ago?
The sad part was we were only down a quarter of a tank, we don’t go anywhere, remember, total sale $13.50!
By this time it was close to lunch time so we stopped for lunch at Bob Evans, I know I am trying to lose weight. But they have smaller portions now and a great chicken on a salad with cranberries and walnuts with vinaigrette, hmmm so good, had it once before and they even have green tea!
It was best we ate before going to the grocery store; you know the rule never go when hungry.
These days we always have a list, in the old days we did too, but sometimes I forgot it.
(That was before it became a two person deal.
Funny thing about retirement we do things together years ago we would never do, we were always going in two or three different directions.)
So we are somewhat more organized and sale items are usually purchased as well as the necessities missing from our pantry that did make the list.
When we came home I was exhausted so I literally collapsed in my chair.
I had gone for an early morning walk today too; it was cool and dry and rather lovely, so nice that I almost took a little longer one but pooped out.

My body tells me when enough is enough and I do listen, all of our bodies do, if we hear them. On the check out line, I knew I was in trouble, my right leg started going numb and I almost lost my balance and nearly fell.
Thanks to my cane I did not. This is an indicator to take a break.
But it happened again getting out of the car in the driveway when we got home, nerve racking and hasn’t happened in quite some time.
Oh well, guess I’m just tired.

Horrifyingly seven year old Julian King, Jennifer Hudson’s nephew was found dead in a white SUV today.
How awful for her and her remaining family, the child’s mother.
Our hearts and condolences go out to her and her sister.

On that sad note I will say good night to all and to all take care.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Hibiscus, Salmon, Pesto, Ibis and more...

Today we did have a nice cool dry morning start; we even opened the windows to air out the house.
And so we decided to get a little transplanting done.
Months ago when we trimmed back our Hibiscus, a red blossom one, I experimented with rooting hormone, and some very healthy Miracle Grow moisture control soil, and voila, we got additional rooted specimens, three in all.
One had been planted on the side of our home a few weeks ago, it was just what our quiet blank beige stucco wall needed a splash of color, and it does pop!
We took another one this time its location was a mutual choice, against the fence just inside the dirty non grassy yet area where the CC or Crap Corral used to be. One more is left and we have offered it to people we know, but so far it still remains in the infant nursery pot it was planted into root.
We finished all that before lunch and then went on to vote on our absentee ballots in the comfort of our kitchen/dinette table, they are all done too.
My husband and I did consult on some different amendments as well as a couple of candidates, but otherwise we went solo brain on most final decisions.
Until they were sealed we didn’t tell each other that we only canceled each other out, maybe, one or two times voting for opposing candidates
But you have to remember it is only when we are very tired that we combine our brain power, and we weren’t that tired yet for this project.
Tomorrow they will be dropped off if we can find the location.
Oddly enough the envelopes they send you only have P.O. Box numbers on it.

The herbs we are growing and our Key Lime were utilized today too.
I made pesto sauce from our very own Basil, and used some mint and a Key lime for my green tea.

Our dinner tonight definitely made up for last night’s disaster, our menu was: Broiled Salmon with Pesto Sauce, cauliflower steamed, and tossed noodles with the remainder of the pesto, delish! All cooked to perfection and quite tasty too.

After dinner we noticed some action going on outside of our front window, which is floor to ceiling nearly it was just a flutter caught from our peripheral vision; on further investigation we found 25 Ibis were scoping out the lawns for food stuff for their dinner. We are not quite sure what their diet includes, we can only assume lizards, insects and such.
They are quite comical to watch they scurry from yard to yard like a Rockettes dance troop, but occasionally when frightened they fly up and then land within a few feet of where they were, actually quite entertaining.

Sadly Julian King, Jennifer Hudson’s 7 year old nephew has not been found.

Anne Pressly, the TV anchor from Arkansas lost her battle last night shortly after 7 not surviving her attacker’s beating after a six day fight for life, and the previous report was so hopeful. I was definitely shocked to hear that she did in fact die from her wounds.
May that beautiful talented 26 year old woman rest in peace and our hearts go out to her family with condolences; no parent should ever have to bury a child, so very sad.

Now something that has been annoying my husband and myself is that ad for Senator John McCain with the picture that is supposed to be the Oval Office we presume.
The ad states with conviction that Senator Barack Obama has not had any executive experience to sit in that chair and take over in a national emergency or even to be able to handle the daily tasks of a job he has never ever done.
The question both my husband I were wondering is when has Senator John McCain had that experience?
And if he did; where were we?

Good night to all and to all let us know, OK?

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Cop out on my part

Yes, it is true I called the board of elections last Wednesday and requested a mail in ballot.
You can blame the local news on that.
All reports, and I am actually quite happy about, said that the lines for early voting are miles and hours long.
And so I did cop out when I called and requested the easy way out, a mail-in ballot.
Logically, in my defense, I can't stand on line so long, and the weather has been either very rainy or unusually hot for this time of year.
I really think it was a good judgment call on my part.
The ballots arrived today and so we have until Monday to carefully fill them out.
I did ask for two; why should my husband have to stand alone on line?
They suggested my husband drop them off though.

We were going to request them online, which you can usually do, but since our names are protected due to my husband is retired law enforcement we are blocked.
And when we put our names in it says we do not exist.
I had forgotten it’s been two years; one phone call enabled the ballots to be sent.

Today the rain continued for the morning here.
Otherwise it was as non-exciting as it gets.

All our rain barrels are filled.
According to the rain gage that we have it was not that an enormous amount of rain, maybe half an inch or slightly more.
Impressive, this rain barrel deal; we should have done it years ago.

Tonight’s dinner was rather funny, we had decided on making a chicken pot pie from scratch. Not too hard, we even had the recipe from a cook book, but somehow we had to improvise on some things, and although we have done that before this time it didn’t work.
Dinner was done and was not so attractive or glamorous.
The pie crust top never did cook all the way through, actually it was still raw, and so we scraped it off. No harm, no foul. Are bellies are full, and we made all gone in spite of the non-foodie non-gourmet appearance.
The reason it is so funny to me is because we have been cooking for nearly forty years and at one time we even were chefs in our restaurant.
And we were called the best of its type in the city we were in.
But that was years ago, and we are older, and now we even jest in public that we have one brain that we share.
Jokingly, but tonight we did not even have that one working efficiently.

I suppose we are both very tired, neither of us has been sleeping well since we received our sad news of the deaths.
My book that I almost finished, Audition by Barbara Walters has not been touched since; I just can’t seem to concentrate.
And I had been doing so well.

Sadly, today on the news Jennifer Hudson, actress singer, was given horrible news of her mother and brother who were both murdered Friday night, and her 7 year old nephew is missing. Her life was going along so well, academy award for Dream Girls, new movie, engagement, and then this. Our hearts go out to her and send her our condolences.

So much depressing sadness in this world.
Have to find happiness wherever you can, escapism; movies, TV, and if you can concentrate, books.
Tonight we will be doing the movie escape thing since we received the latest Indiana Jones film in the mail yesterday, and we have been looking forward to seeing it.
So much we cannot control in life, but our happiness.

Good night to all and to all blow your mind with something fun.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Would you believe...

Today I did not harp on my sadness, but I did awake before 5 A.M. and it was the rain that woke me, consequently I did not go for my walk. It continues to rain at this hour.
The last three days are somewhat of a blur since we tried hard to keep busy in between calling, emailing or hearing from family and friends.
My hubby and I actually completed a small project that had been scheduled prior to our sad news.

A few years ago I had hired a professional cleaning company to come and clean my sofa and chairs, and bedroom carpet all are nearly white in color; my big mistake of choice with pets, but very Florida looking.
They didn’t do a very good job at that time and charged quite a bit, and that bedroom carpet has since been replaced with white ceramic tile like the rest of the 99% of our home. After all we are in Southwest Florida, and cool floors are refreshing on your bare feet. Only our guestroom still has carpeting for those northerners who occasionally visit, and prefer that warmth on their feet when they get out of bed.

Since we are on a very small fixed income and we really are do-it- yourselfers my husband took the furniture apart and I got the job of washing the fabric and hanging it outside so it would not shrink in our dryer. All was washed at first in Woolite, but they were really too dirty for such gentle cleaning so I took a big chance and used my Tide and Clorox 2 in cold water, and it did do the job, perfectly.
Before all pieces were put back we also treated the dry fabric with Scotch Guard, at about $14 for two.

We also purchased from Joanne’s Fabrics white fleece for throws for each piece of furniture once cleaned to delay it all getting dirty again. It was on sale for 50% off, what luck, all three pieces only cost $32, and were large enough for two recliner chairs and a full size 84” sofa.
They have since been all put back together and last night those fleecy throws were quite comfy and plush under our bodies.

The rain was expected all week and by this morning our, you guessed it our rain barrel was once again full. So full that my darling actually ran a hose from it to one of our old plastic garbage cans that had had holes put in the bottom for drainage, he had to line it with heavy duty garbage bags so it could handle the overflow.
We are water wealthy now!

I had the nerve to send on my two nights ago Blog to people that I thought should know and would understand, and so far a few have responded with very kind words.
I really just thought that the clarity of writing what happened finally made me tangibly understand all of it too in some small way; and made me not beat up myself as badly as I truly felt at first that I did deserve.

The part that no one but I knows now that cannot be changed, especially by me, is the fact of the amount of time that passed from when I actually found out all of it. That is the thing that makes me unforgiving of myself. And all I can do is stress how much we all have to be so much more diligent in taking care of family and friends by just knowing what’s going on in their lives, and how they are.

Good night to all and to all I will think more pleasant thoughts since this too is something I had no control over, and all I can do is remember it all and let it go.
But never the people involved they are etched in my brain and heart forever.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

So revealing about my young life

Actually, the fact that I wrote about some things that were adorning my past in a negative way was quite telling about why I became the peace nick that I was in the 1960's, and have been with all the wars since.
Those horrendous experiences of my childhood, those visits to VA, Veterans Hospitals blatantly made me think, at what price war?
Not that I didn't love and respect all those soldiers that I saw for what they did for my freedom, but why they or anyone’s life, limb or body should be compromised, and that there has got to be a better way to solve these things, life is too precious is what sprung from my young brain. I cared way too much for all of them and their families.
My young soul became tortured with the sight and reality of what they went through. What all this taught me more than ever was also that I learned that even without physical residual damage that many of their minds would or could never ever be the same as their prior innocence, and at that point mine was stolen too.
I became older, beyond my years, and was spoken to as an adult, an equal from a very young age.
It is true, many use their children as confidents, and none of us know until they are grown what actual affect or damage that it has on them.
Some doctors today tell us that is, a definite, no, no.
Children should be protected, but it is so confusing to most parents since now they are saying discuss sex, money and life with them at an early age so they know what not to do.
Mixed signals we called that in my younger days.
Absolutes should be conversations about bad touching or stranger danger are two things that should be discussed for their protection.
Age appropriate is in the parents own mind.
Some parents never think their children are old enough to discuss most things, but unfortunately wonder later on why bad things happened, and why they hadn't.
It’s an extremely fine line we straddle.

If it wasn’t for what happened to Adam Walsh back in the 1970’s, all of the children today would be walking up to people smiling putting out their arms for a hug or hands to shake theirs to be friendly.
But even then we started to hold tightly onto our children in public places for fear of them being kidnapped and murdered and told them to never ever talk to any strangers at all, ever.
Funny or more appropriately, ironically, I was told in the 1950’s as a child to smile and say hello to people and not to be such a sourpuss.

We as a civilization at this time in history more than not in my opinion do not act very civilized.
Daily we trash the Ten Commandments, and kill in the lords’ name for what we think is right. Hypocrisy in my mind is rampant. Some religious leaders believe that their way to think is the only way, and all others are wrong.
More wars have been started by men that felt they were the ones that were right, and everyone else was wrong.
No compromise seems to exist on this planet.

And yet, if you are married or in a relationship compromise is one of things you MUST do to continue; is this why divorces are so high? People refuse this simple adjustment.
People, us human being, us so-called civilized creatures need to learn how to co-exist, and therefore, compromise.
Life is way too short for us not to try to fix this planet’s woes, first with us humans then with our earthly conditions.
And I truly feel that we will be doomed as other civilizations that have gone before us,due to their own non-willingness to survive by utilizing the simplicity of compromise.

You know all those grannies and grandpas that you admire for the longevity of their 75 year marriages speak with them, and the truly happy ones will say one word to you and only, maybe two or three,or perhaps a few more; compromise, he/she is always right, and love are what keep us going.
I seem to recall somebody writing a song that said love makes the world go round?
Or I could be wrong.
After all, I look at it this way, we all want the same things: happiness, a roof over our heads, a brain that is challenged, and food in our bellies, and a little cash in our pockets.

Good night to all and take my wisdom to bed and sleep on it.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Your worst nightmare realized

How many of you had a time where you had an inkling that something was wrong before you even started what you knew would eventually lead to an unhappy and regretful possibility?
I truthfully cannot say that was what happened yesterday, but that’s because the horrendous possibilities were not something that I was allowing to cross my mind.
My theory was if you think it’s not true then it won’t be.
Didn’t work no matter how hard I tried to disprove the possibility.
And the final devastating reality did happen.
Sadly and dreadfully both my niece and my half brother have passed away.

My niece was just 13 days short of her fifty-first birthday, passing away on October 13th, a Friday, 2006, and my half brother died six years ago, but not in a VA hospital instead in a nursing home that his daughter, my niece, had put him in so he could have his very last days in as much comfort as possible.

Now to do this story justice let me give you some background on my relationship with my niece and brother. First my niece, who was only 5 years younger than me. She was more like my little sister, and her grandparents my Mom and Dad treated her like she was when she was with us. They had me late in life, my Mom was 39 and my Dad was 43 when I was born. I was a product of their second marriages; my Mom was a divorcee with a young son of 9 and my Dad a widower without any children, their union produced me.

My Mom had my brother at the age of twenty, two years after her first marriage without any difficulties, but for some reason it took ten years for me to be born. Anyway, I was much wanted by my parents, so they said.
Rumor has it though that I am one of the many reasons my brother signed up to become an air force medic during the Korean War, he was 19 by then, and I think I was a thorn in his side to his single childom, and only-ism. And he didn’t even know me yet, and unfortunately never would, nor I him.
He was injured in the war to the point of receiving a medical discharge, which to my young brain was never clear. All I do know is that I spent a lot of time, by the age of five going with my parents to horrible chambers known as VA hospitals.
Anyone who has seen them or the movie Born on the Fourth of July, a Tom Cruise flick will know exactly what I mean.
Memories of dismembered bodies and bloody bandages, maimed and disfigured people, screaming distorted souls played in my reality and I am sure also in my 5 year old nightmares, the first year that I can remember going.
My brother oddly enough had no outwardly seeable distinguishable characteristics of injury.
But it was there, in his brain, a five year old doesn’t get that, even a ten year old or sometimes even a fifteen year old.
Yes, it was rough on him and me, and I didn’t understand, but I was told to try and understand. As I got older everyone seemed to need me to understand even more.
Some say that I should have known him before that… he was very different, and others insist that he was always that way.
Well, I don’t know… because I wasn’t there or even born then!

Even though he was ill he did leave the hospital at times and fell in love, I can only suppose since my niece was produced at this time, and I would hate to think that she wasn’t produced from his and her Mom’s love.
And I felt betrayed, now my single childom was infiltrated and my parents loved her too!
But I also bragged to my kindergarten mates and teacher that I was now an Aunt and she swiftly called my Mom to verify that I was not telling tales in school with who knows maybe mental problems?
Eventually I found a common ground I was bigger and I could boss her around, and she wasn’t like other peoples siblings…she would go home to be with her Mom, but not her Dad since he was back in the hospital again.

I could teach her things and she would listen.
When she got older she was as annoying as any little sister my friends would complain about, but then she would go home to her Mom, and damn it I would miss her!
She came on vacations with us and even my dates with my husband and me. He and I had met when we both were seventeen and she was twelve then and extremely bright, always asking a thousand questions and receiving straight A’s in school.
I can remember when she said that after she graduated high school that she was going to take a year off. I pleaded with her not to thinking she would never go to college but she sure did, and became a physicist, one with and MBA!
Pride is something I do hope I told her, she was in our wedding as a bridesmaid at the tender age of fifteen. Later on our sons, her cousins loved her too.
She was my niece, my underling, a sister and a friend, and she will be sorely missed.
We only lost contact when we moved and my husband became a deputy and we foolishly got an unpublished number since he arrested people I was concerned, he was 45 and it was new to me being a wife of a police officer.
I am so sorry for that, she moved too, and her numbers changed so basically we lost each other.

If I have one thing to say to whomever may be reading this…don’t lose touch or if you have get back in contact before it’s too late!

Good night to all and to all just do it!

Another topic: the Market dropped another 500+ today, but somehow that doesn't seem that important anymore, you know?

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Roller coaster personal day

Our sea wall has been compromised by weather and erosion and it is leaning.
And since my husband has a bad back we decided to try and get a free estimate by a professional for repair, but the repair cost was out of sight 5K to 15K for just half the distance that is leaning. We did contact two others, and we were told the same story, we always get three prices.
The original wall was installed by us for free using engineering cement test cylinders stacked and secured on a firm base, and it did last these 9 nearly 10 years.
The cylinders each weigh about 25 to 30 lbs., which in my husbands current physical condition would take years if not never to repair, but he has not given up. My self professed Rube Goldberg is thinking of a better way to accomplish the task.
And it's true, so far it is still standing but leaning. Who knows how much actual time we may have.

The next was a little more unnerving situation. I had written to my eldest niece, and the letter came back with two little red hand stamps stating return to sender with a hand written, DEC in between them. My husband being a retired police officer immediately came to the same conclusion I did that the DEC stood for deceased.
We called the post office that it was sent back from and the line was busy for over an hour until we finally got through to verify that that was exactly what it meant, not good.
It’s true that this niece is only five years younger than me, and we haven’t spoken in quite a few years, but I am sure I would know if she were dead. After all she was a bridesmaid in our wedding party the one that became the physicist, and was still quite attractive in spite of her brains. The good news is that I checked the obits and she wasn’t in any!
I do have and did all day have a call into her mom, my X sister-in-law, but so far nothing.

One cousin gave me a couple of sites to try and nothing there either. Another cousin suggested contacting her last employer, which I guess I will try tomorrow its too late now.

So I suppose I will close now since I really can’t think of anything else to say tonight.

Good night to all, and to all get back in touch, don’t let too much time pass we need to reel in our family ties for everyone’s sake.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Market goes up again

And so this is a good thing that the Market closed up over 400+.

Early voting started here in Florida, and it was very busy with waits for a few hours on lines going around blocks; a good sign.

In our county we have six locations to vote before the 4th of November, and I’m sure we will probably try to do that.

But already, as much as I hate to admit it a woman on the news stated this evening that her first vote was not taken by the machine and was marked invalid so she had to vote again...déjà vu?
Our ballots are the type we had for IOWA testing in school as children, the ones where you fill in the oval for the answer you want, but now once they are done they go through a mechanical reader, and yes you know if you mess up the coloring in one of the ovals or cross out your answer, mental images of the 2000 election are dancing in my head, it could mean another assault on our state’s intelligence or abilities to cause problems, especially with people who don’t quite understand the concept or why you can’t just cross it out or not fill it in completely or dark enough.
Sure hope not, but even I can see the horrid possibilities written on the wall, and I’m not a professional just an innocent by-stander from the last disaster.

And yes even our West Coast County was included in that nightmare, of hanging and dimpled chads. But if I recall…personally I did it according to the directions.
All we can do is be patient with the system and realize that we must take a concerted effort to do our best to get it right the first time.

Our neighbor on the other side of the empty lot between us was robbed some time in the last few weeks. The reason he doesn’t know when it was is because he has fallen into the foreclosure situation of so many and he basically left his home to the bank and moved away.
He also has a six foot fence around the property, which doesn’t allow for us to see his property from ours.
The fact that his lawn was let go is more than likely why the incident occurred you can definitely tell no one is living there, but he left many items within the home, which was a lure to the burglars that apparently entered the property from the water.
We and he as well live on a saltwater canal that does dead end into a cove, but no new motor boats were noticed but any row or canoe types could have easily snuck in after dark without our knowledge. It is such a shame adding insult to injury and our hearts go out to this young man who is younger than our sons. Hopefully now that he had family members help him move the remainder of his possessions out and mowed the lawn the home may very well not be a target again.

My husband went over to talk with him, and ask him to at least leave the shades open on our side, which happens to be the side our bedroom is on, so if we see flash lights enter we can do something this time. With our windows closed and the air conditioning on we hear nothing. We feel awful that we didn't know.

Good night to all and to all be careful.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Stop the Meet the Presses

General Collin Powell, retired, announced today on Meet The Press to Tom Brokaw, as well as us viewers that for many very good intellectual and logical reasons why he is crossing Republican party and friendship lines and voting for Senator Barack Obama for president and not his friend of 25 years, Senator John McCain.
Susan Eisenhower also broke with her Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower's, her grandfather's party and will also be voting for the right American, as she stated of Senator Barack Obama, and was found campaigning for him here in Florida today.

The fact that one of the many reasons that General Powell stated was that Senator Obama was consistent on his stated ways in handling the economic crisis while Senator McCain was erratic and changed his choices several times in how to handle it. And also Senator McCain’s choice for vice president, Governor Palin was not ready to take over while Senator Obama’s choice, Senator Biden does look presidential. Also demeanor was important too, and intellect and he felt that Senator Obama fit the bill on both criteria.

Personally, I have always liked General Powell and had said years ago that he would have made an excellent president himself, but chose not to run since he is a better husband than politician, his wife didn’t want him to. And to be honest that only made him more desirable for the job in my mind, decent man. And I have to admit I respect his opinion and judgment.

In conclusion I truly believe that the Obama/ Biden team is looking very good for the win. But don’t worry about McCain/ Palin team, or at least for Governor Sarah Palin since when her term ends for governor I think that she could either be Tina Fey’s stunt double or Loren Michaels might ask her to fill in at SNL when Tina’s off doing her Emmy award winning show, 30 Rock; after all Tina Fey has just been doing a cameo appearance to help out, since she seems to be missing her twin who is in reality 6 years her senior. Far as senator McCain goes though… I’m sure he’ll find something to do on Letterman since they reconciled.

The book, Audition by Barbara Walter, is still not finished but moving along very well, hard to stop reading, it’s nearly 600 pages, and I only have a little over 100 to go, and I do recommend it highly if you haven’t read it yet. I was 35th on the library waiting list.

As many may have read previously that years ago, and occasionally in my recent past I did buy books, but two things have happened over the years they have become much more expensive and I have a much smaller home so no room for storing them. The library works fine, but the wait is usually fairly long for new releases, and that is the only problem.

Good night to all and to all think as carefully as people who we respect in their opinions.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Turning off the TV news is not such a bad idea

Nothing that earth shattering could happen without our knowledge due to us having this computer on and being subscribed to CNN breaking news releases.

And so today was a fine day to turn the darn BOOB TUBE off.
I walked, made homemade soup, I read and I gardened.

I challenge others to do the same.
We actually received another electric bill for this month that was 35 bucks less than the previous one, but I think it could also be attributed to our barbequing. You see we have an all electric home and the barbecue is propane.
But this was still slightly confusing since we have been receiving rate increases, which they claim, and rightfully so that are due to fuel going up in price.

And so when we don't use some of the everyday things like our electric appliances it does bring the bill down I guess.
I thought it was going to be much higher due to me lowering the thermostat each night so the air-conditioning is much cooler.
I feel much more comfortable sleeping when its set on 75ish.
I know you’re asking if the nights are so cool outside why I don’t just open a window instead.
Well, in Florida we have this little thing of moisture in our air over night and in the early morning called HUMIDITY, and even though it might be in the mid sixties degrees wise our humidity is in the 90% range causing it to feel much warmer, perhaps as warm as the mid to high 80’s, TA DA!
To the good though as the day progresses, at this time of the year, the humidity can drop significantly, to as low as 40% or even sometimes as low as the 30’s percentile range, but the temperature does rise during this period causing the temperature to remain feeling high. An example of this is this afternoon it was 92 degrees but the humidity read only 44%, but sorry to me it was still hot! A dry heat, so they call it in Arizona, but their temps can climb to triple digits and that’s not usual here; thankfully.

My husband as we speak is taking apart an area adjacent to our backyard shed, which we lovingly have been calling the CC or not so sweetly, The Crap Corral in other words a place where he would store junk that he felt in the future may be of some use or need.
I am happy to say that he has finally decided that it is not necessary, and that most of the items stored in this area with a lovely lattice gate and white painted cinderblock half wall will not be used in the near future or at all. You see the tremendous winds that come in our summers destabilized the block wall that was not a permanent structure just piled blocks and so it lost its attractiveness merely by the fact it did not even have the architectural beauty of the leaning Tower of Pisa, but lean it did.
So over the last few weeks I happened to mentioned to my darling housemate what he was planning on doing with it, and he said that he would be taking it down.
Whoopee! I did control my excitement, but its deconstruction is still underway, and already I do see the difference and enlargement of our small yard, a normal quarter acre lot, but with a pool and a pond plus many gardens it is well used.

I was not totally truthful, or maybe I just forgot I did watch the TV today a few PBS programs that we both enjoy two gardening ones and two building shows.
Anyway, that was for only two of the many hours in the day.

Good night to all and to all have fun no matter what you are doing.

Friday, October 17, 2008

What a great day to enjoy a walk, and that's something that is free!

I suppose the fact that I have been waking up after 7A.M. could mean only one thing...Daylight Savings Time is not too far off.

And yes, it is only about two more weeks, the weekend of November 1st and 2nd, a week later than it used to be.
So my body clock isn't too bad since it knows what's to come.

The morning was lovely again temperature wise, and even though I did wake up after 7 A.M. again I didn’t feel so bad about that after I did my normal wake up ritual of having coffee, and started up the computer to check my emails, reading the paper etc. I finished just after 8A.M. so I went out to feed the wild birds and our pond fish, and then went for a walk; it was still only 70 degrees! Skipper, our Bichon, slept in with his Dad, so he would be good till I got back.

The best part about taking that walk was that when I got back there wasn’t any guilt about relaxing and getting back to reading my book; since I did get exercise.

And the book I mentioned yesterday is Audition by Barbara Walters, her autobiography.
It’s very interesting in the fact that she is about 18 years my senior, my half brother is 19 years my senior, but her life growing up was not too dissimilar to some people I know, and I could relate to many things she had to say about her growing up years. She grew up in three main cities Boston, New York and Miami; places that are not that unfamiliar.

I too went to an all girl’s college in NYC as she mentioned, but she went to Sarah Laurence and I did not, and I too wintered in Miami as a child, due to a father who also had business concerns, but he stayed since he could not leave them behind. Boston unfortunately is not in my repertoire of childhood memories.

I also had many neighbors involved in theater in NYC or TV etc. June Taylor (from the Jackie Gleason Show) dancers were neighbors and my teachers, as well as ex-Rockets; my one neighbor was even in the original ‘King and I’, on Broadway with Yule Brenner playing Tuptim the one brought to the King as a present. She was my voice teacher. I met the cast back stage as a child. Her husband worked for CBS as a producer. So show biz was part of my growing up years too.

I too went to Europe at the end of my junior year of college, but with other students, and a professor and his wife for our parental protectors.
Her marital situations were way different from mine, but I too did have three miscarriages, but fortunately I had one child when it started so my hopes were not dashed as harshly as hers, and was fortunate to have another son, after the first miss, and lost two more after. I just wanted two boys and a girl, but we have two boys, and I am still waiting on those grandbabies, maybe girls?

Her grandparents were from Russia and England, and on my mother’s side her mom and dad were the same as that, and so I feel a real kindred spirit towards her past, if that makes any sense to anyone? And so I find it quite interesting, and that’s why I used that term.

Anyway, I have quite a bit to read on.
And I did not have any of her amazing journalistic interviews in my past, but I did work a short time in entertainment and had the privilege of working with MTV and NASCAR, Grudge Match the TV show, and even did some casting for local and national TV commercials, and that was exciting.
And that is not at all the same as interviewing kings, presidents, and movie stars and the like.
But to me it was an exciting time in my life that has become very calm these last several years.
Even my non-profit fund raising years were much more exciting than my current existence.
And I suppose now that is good.
I’m in no shape to take on the world these days.
It’s all I can do to take on myself now.

Good night and good news, we finally received our stimulus check! The smaller amount that they give the retirees.
We were beginning to wonder if we would ever see it.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Enjoying the freedom to read a book

I suppose I am tired...I just published my title again and nothing else! I guess it may be due to doing mostly nothing today; it was an extremely quiet day of relaxation, reading the book: Audition and doing laundry. When I find that I have been this lazy I get stupid in my reflexes and that publish mistake was just that, a reflex action by hitting the wrong key.

The weather outside was actually quite nice this early morning it was in the high 60's cool and just right, but I again awoke later than I like for starting my walk at 7:30 A.M. I woke up at 7:12A.M., too much rushing for me to get out to beat the heat, and so I did not go.
I promised myself that tomorrow will be another chance since the weather will be in that range of 60's once more, of course it goes up to the high 80’s later on in the day, and right now it is 85 degrees.
All week is the prediction for cooler mornings, and now the rain chances are null, and we aren’t supposedly going to have even a slight chance of rain until the latter part of next week. We are now winding down on our rainy season, although we have six weeks calendar wise to go.
And us with a brand new rain barrel! LOL

The Market closed up again over 400+, good I suppose, but I guess I’ve become jaded and we do have one more day for the Market to do whatever it wants tomorrow, so we will see.

How did you like the debate last night?
I personally preferred the more formal structure of last night’s better, and it made the questions and answers easier to follow in my opinion.

It does seem that this Joe the plumber, single Dad from Ohio; the guy got more than his 15 minutes of fame and Wikipedia page, since now we are hearing that his concerns for those higher taxes have roots in his recent past.
The news is reporting that Joe the plumber may have nationalized his previously private dilemma with the IRS of having tax problems.

Update: our veggie garden is thriving with all four tomato plants having flowers and looking healthy, and our herbs are used nearly daily.

Good night to all and to all give yourself a day off too!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Bull or bear...not so good...just more confusion

The roller coaster express seems to be on Wall Street this week with it up 900+ and then two days later down 700+.
When something happens as regularly as this could it be considered the norm? I sure hope not!
Heart starters or bumpers should be what the stock market should be called.
We are definitely being tested for stability of our working life's systems.
Euphemistically meaning how our bodies can stand all this!
So far it’s a bit nerve racking for most.

But that might be the ones who didn't listen to their financial advisers say...only 10% of your savings in the market! It seems that the lament from them now is you didn't listen. No one takes the blame, but in reality it’s all our faults.
That 10% rule is also what they stand by for you trying to save when they are speaking of your income, but here's where I get lost they also say you should have 6-8 months of a cushion of savings for just these situations, of a down in the market or job loss or illness.

What about that insurance company with the duck, are they still in business?

What about the fact that people on the TV financial shows say cut up those credit cards and pay cash only; if you can’t afford to do that, pay cash, you can’t afford it!
Remember to always pay yourself first when you receive any of your income, percentages again, 10%.

I don’t know about you but when I was a kid most people lived that way, and money was respected and saved in banks. All of us children started savings accounts in elementary school and that was in the school itself and we would add to it weekly with chore money, birthday money, allowance or tooth fairy money, and slowly we would watch it grow, as we got older part-time jobs added to it while we were still in school. I personally started baby sitting at the age of 12, and worked through college.

How did this happen?
We had good beginnings, then why has my generation, the Baby Boomers, gotten so far out of hand with greed, and passed that on to so many of our offspring?
I cannot say that about our sons though fortunately, in spite of us always trying to keep up with the Joneses at one time; we did pay cash and worked to pay for it as they do too, not on credit. Unfortunately, it obliterated any savings, but we owned what we had.
Today, both of our sons are in their thirties and are extremely good at managing their monies and they own homes, and save and invest as well.

Retail sales are off, at the lowest point in years and that is what seems to have had an affect this time on the market's downturn so they are saying.
I am now making a recommendation to all people still with monies in their wallets, roofs over their heads, food in their fridges …brown bag it to work everyday, walk when you can instead of driving, and save that money to go out and make cash purchases two times a month in the forms of clothing, dining out, or something fun with the family. I guarantee that if all those people will pave the way for the ones that have nothing left by creating more jobs and help the economy in some small way.

Donating time in lieu of monies to your choice organization will make you and they feel better too.
Surprisingly, cleaning out garages and closets can give you spare change, and help others by donating what you know needs just loving care.

We are so capable of changing our thinking.
If people will be getting, hopefully second chances with mortgages, credit and car payments we can do this.
Erase our past mistakes and start anew!
After all we are now bankers ourselves and the more screwed up our financial monarchs become we will learn what not to do.
The secret word seems to be…CASH, that’s right Groucho!

Good night to all and to all we can do this and we will!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Frustration in life is sometimes not due to ordinary distress

It can be malleable to the point of irritation.
Catching up with friends and relatives on occasion can be stressful.
As much as we care about or love these people there are times when it’s best not to know what they are doing or not doing.

Cryptic you say; I meant it to sound that way.
How often do we tell someone that we love them and mean it?
Is it just a reaction to making nice with a person who expects that from us?
What does the word really mean?

Merriam Webster's definition:
Main Entry: 1love
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'l&v
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lufu; akin to Old High German luba love, Old English leof dear, Latin lubere, libere to please
1 a (1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

Actually, there is much more, but you get the idea, and some of the additional definitions are slightly embarrassing and made me blush. 

And I am not trying too hard for me to sound stupid, but I thought 'lufu', was a scrubbing sponge from nature to use to exfoliate, now I am told it's from the Old English for love? Who would of thunk it?
I guess smooth skin from a loofah is a loving act done to ones self.


So when we use it so lavishly on so many people do we fully understand the connotations and feelings it promotes in the person or persons we bestow the obligation of such a significant exclamation?
The times we live in call for us becoming more frugal, and so I am now proclaiming the using unconditionally of such a powerful word should not be utilized unless absolutely necessary! So from now on investigations into how, what and why it will be used and under what circumstances and a team of specialist will be chosen to utilize severe scrutiny in this study must be considered prior to our allowance of such a potent usage.
And I also declare that we will immediately consider all peoples of this nation’s opinion on this extremely important topic by taking a vote on all these decisions, but since most of this nation is not really capable to come to such an important decisive conclusion we will appoint persons which we have predetermined to be better suited for an assessment of this important judgment from each one of these United States and the amount of persons involved will be chosen by me, since I brought this whole concept to this point, by my greed of needing the word to be used freely and without much thought or care.
Carelessly spreading the fallout of what that may create in these delicate times of too many possessions that had always been tangible in nature, and where the intangible has not been noted to be of much worth financially.

It’s all I got these days!
Take it or you may have nothing too.

Good night to all and to all get silly!

PS Did you hear? We are now all in the banking business.
PSS And no weather is coming at us!

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Bulls came back to Wall Street; WOW a 936 gain!

All we Americans can hope is for this to be just the beginning of the light at the end of the tunnel, and all those other positive clichés.
Hope is still something we want to be tangible to all who are suffering, financially, loss of jobs, and even homes still in the foreclosure process, now perhaps those things will change for the better.

The world will respond as they have been daily, and then we will see how they are doing too. We are truly a world economy, and what affects us has an enormous power on the rest of Global Market.

Saying that we are all in the same boat is an understatement, but a family just trying to make ends meet to afford groceries or gas or to try and look for a job to be able to find a place to live other than a shelter or their vehicle; it is hard to imagine anyone else having any difficulties when yours seem so insurmountable.

Unfortunately, these snapshots of circumstances are way too common all over the country, and all over the world. The Grapes of Wrath comes to mind; that is not too far fetched. We have people actually living under bridges right here in our county. And I am sure that is not that too uncommon where you may be living. My heart goes out to these people that aren’t necessarily at fault for their circumstances in these hard times.

As a community we have been stretched to our extremes for volunteers, and monies, as well as food available in kitchens that usually provide meals for the needy. The numbers are just so overwhelming, and the people who used to help are now either needing help now themselves or struggling to keep their heads above water too.

While watching TV I did hear of some sites to help us all for good deals while helping others or the earth: redo.org, which is for recycled materials for building and earth911.org, for paint electronics etc. The reason they help others is the monies from the sales goes to organizations like Habit for Humanity, Salvation Army Thrift stores, and the Red Cross of course.

Things are tight but we can pitch in even just a little, and when we do help it makes us feel better too.

Good night to all and to all feel better.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Tropical Storm Nana is as harmless as her name portends

We are so lucky when it comes to products that we had purchased in the past.
This time a filter in the shape of a Bull Frog called a Clarifier with a UV lamp instead of chemicals to keep our pond clean, and it had been doing an excellent job until it broke recently causing the pond to appear somewhat green and gelatinous. It seems that not only did the bulb burn out but the whole encasing had been compromised by the shear fact that the seal broke and water had seeped in. But my husband called the home store where we originally purchased it from and sure enough, in these hard times they said bring it in, and they would replace it!
Even when my husband said he couldn't find the box or the receipt, wow; what luck, and the new one has already been installed; something small to be happy about.

My husband was involved in slight incident when another return customer went a little berserk when he thought that my darling was somehow getting preferential treatment, since this angry man did not have his receipt they weren't going to to take his item back. He threw a fit, and my husband suggested that the young refund woman, alone in her department area, for her to contact a manager for her own sake and just to be careful. She complied since earlier she had seen my husband’s retirement deputy badge. Two big guys appeared that were store managers, and magically the man found his receipt and all was well.

On his alone outing he also purchased additional parts to readjust our new rain barrel location and gutter direction. And a few surplus items that I requested, well at least two of them, lavender plants, and for his own desire one more tomato plant of the cherry
variety. And so my afternoon chore was to plant the new additions to our garden, which I did.

The weather here has been more like summer than fall, even warm for us at this time of the year. And that does worry me slightly since the warmer waters in the Gulf are more susceptible for development of tropical storms and hurricanes.
Not a good thing in my book.
The prediction is still for three more hurricanes this month, and it’s already the 12th.
Wind shear seems to be making Tropical Storm Nana not worth my worry.
She should be gone in no time at all.
I really was hoping not to have to go back to my meteorology reporting its a little nerve racking. Anyway, so far so good, and in the case of weather no news IS good news.

Good night to all and to all appreciate little things, any little thing you cane think of.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Fog was in the morning atmosphere

And yes it looked like a day in London…town. La, la, la
For my own reasoning of being concerned of not being able to be seen, and with the humidity needless to say out of sight, actually in sight, plain sight that is; I decided to nix the walk for the day.

We did not return the gutters, by the way; my husband in his Rube Goldberg finest made them work. He cut aluminum to use as flashing fitting neatly into the gap that caused the leak; problem resolved.
The aluminum was used years ago to repair and old deck boat we had that had gotten smushed by a wave and it was only the surround above; the rest was unharmed since the body of boat was fiberglass, and so we still had a surplus remaining.

He worked diligently in repositioning the gutters though to flow towards the end of the yard on the other side of our arbor. My bad the first position that I thought would be good to the left of his bathroom window since it was a blank wall. But I hate to admit it, it is an eyesore, a garbage can, even on a pedestal it is still a trash can, even when it’s used for a rain barrel.
The other difficulty was, if you recall that it had done its job and was filled with water from a few nights ago, so we watered everything to empty it. We agreed to banish it behind the grapevine arbor out of sight but not out of mind creating a more aesthetic view in our backyard, but still within a handy useful location.

The configuration of the downspout with what we already have in our possession, aluminum pieces that survived Hurricane Charley; need to be used in a different way than before and my own in house self accused Rube Goldberg is taking a break from figuring out this latest dilemma. He just announced he was going to visit our neighbor across the street that is a wood carving artist/ construction guy, and a good source for local gossip.
One of the few original neighbors we have from our ten years here in this home and a homeowner that’s wife is a NMT, nuclear massage therapist.

All I know right now is how tired I am; it’s been terribly hot here all day, in the mid ninety’s and every-time I got comfy or tried doing something creative like making homemade soup, or just getting the laundry done today it seemed that I was summoned out of my air-conditioning out into the sweltering heat that my husband has never had an issue with to check on his decision to do something with the gutters or how it was being done. I don’t need to feel that self important, and he is more than capable to make those decisions himself, I guess he was lonely or enjoys my company or was helping me stay away from the frig or I don’t really know what… BUT IT WAS HOT OUT THERE!
And I really didn’t want to go out if I could help it, but dutifully I did.
Anyway, it has gotten cooler since and at this hour, about 7 P.M. it is all the way down to…90!

Good night to all and to all stay cool!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Pet peeve...just a little local problem(s)

There is one thing that everyone can definitely agree on that the world is in a mess.
So being overwhelmed with things that we have no control over has sent my head spinning, and I have decided to bring it home to a more manageable annoyance and not as earth shattering as the rest.

I feel like I have been writing all day long emails; this I will explain later on.

The weather was great today but a little warm and I did take my walk this morning, and even went for an afternoon dip in the pool.
Sounds like I shouldn't have a care in the world.
When I returned from my walk I had noticed while walking that as far as scenery goes it is quite depressing around my neighborhood. There are so many empty homes and neglected, many with tall grasses or just in need of paint or a little TLC.
Thinking about that and other things like feeling that something should be done about the fact that when I walked over to the next block and smelled the unmistakable scent of rotten eggs/sulfur; someone had on their sprinkler system and that the odor meant they were on a shallow well.
We are on water restrictions here all year long to hopefully balance the extremes, and so you are only allowed to water one day a week and before 8 A.M. Yes, even wells are restricted due to our aquifer being in jeopardy yearly when our yearly draught comes after this rainy/hurricane season we have our dry season; December 1st through May 31st.
They were in accordance with the law, but we had rain last night over a half an inch, and believe it or not our new 52 gallon rain barrel was filled to the brim. I called the water authority if it wouldn’t be a good idea to mention to people about a simple remedy called a rain gage which automatically shuts the system off when enough rain has fallen. Therefore no overuse of water and so all is copacetic.
When they politely agreed with my logic I took it one step further and wrote my long awaited return to commentary and sent a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, and mentioned the rain barrel concept, and now that we are all getting new larger uniformed trash barrels that will be picked up by automated machine on our new once a week pickup…I thought everyone could use their old trash cans for rain barrels, and suggested just adding a spicket or using a bucket or scoop! It’s all about saving money isn’t it? Since we and many others are on expensive city water.

My other writing was to the county commissioners, tax appraiser, and the editor of our paper.
This time it was just a nasty gripe that just annoys myself and my husband … you see in this state we have what is called Homestead Tax Rebate, which is a discounted amount on your home taxes when you prove residency in that home. And whenever I see something out of kilter on my walks I try and research the home to find out who it belongs to, and then either tell them or the powers that be.
While researching some of the empty homes, I found out that they were still receiving the Homestead rebate, and either had renters or no one living in the home, in another one the owner was even deceased, but they were listed as still living there. Now ordinarily this wouldn’t concern me one iota, because it doesn’t have to do with me personally, but oh it really does!
You see in this economy and in our depressed neighborhood/county/state where our homes have depreciated like the rest of the countries, our taxes have gone up!
I think it might be because of the shortfall of taxes not collected from the ones that aren’t being honest or totally fair about their living arrangements. It is just a drop in the bucket with all those other horrors of foreclosures and such, but some are making profits from rentals that they say they are living in and benefitting from the Homestead rebate!

The Market had its worse week ever and some are even admitting that it has crashed, but does that word actually make anyone feel better?
I guess it’s just the validation that we are not all crazy and we do have an extreme problem that has been recognized.


Finding money in anything we can from saving on water bills to not over paying on taxes seems like not such a bad thing. And why can’t we rationalize why these things might be happening?
This is something to think about and possibly something for us to do when things seem so out of control.
We can do a little bit to help ourselves and others.

Good night to all and to all do something!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Setting an all time record...

Yes, we unfortunately did when the Market again dropped another 678+ points; the lowest in five years.

Nebraska with good faith passed the Safe Haven Law where parents can drop off children to hospitals, police stations and fire houses and such when unable to care for them. The original concept was to prevent un-wed mothers from doing horrible things as tossing of newborns in trash receptacles.
The only problem is that the cut-off age in this particular state is 18, and many parents with difficult teens, an oxymoron, have been dropping them at these facilities.
Sorry I didn’t mean to sound so cavalier; I’m a mother and I too was once a teen, and yes it is often extremely difficult getting through those years. But there are appropriate agencies when family is unable to help, and now they will be notifying the public of these resources, dialing 211 is one of these acceptable numbers for help, not just for teens but for a plethora of information. I believe the United Way runs the number in most national counties for this free access.
We are all in the same major boat. Resources should be shared and networked.

My husband brought up a concern that makes sense; what is going to happen to all the displaced people from weather disasters and foreclosures when they want to vote in this election, which could have a major affect on all of their futures, since all their addresses may have changed and or possibly what state they may be in? Will they be able to vote?
Has anyone addressed this problem? Excuse the pun.

Today we worked very hard around our home on different projects, which had me painting runs of wood 20 feet in all in two different colors.
One piece was for a broken slat in our fence that the neighbor’s lawn mower guy crashed into, and fortunately replaced when called about it. That I painted white.
The other two pieces were for trim under our sunroom windows used for a rest when installing the hurricane covers; they were painted the tan color of our home.
I did this while my husband hung gutters, which may very well be going back since they gap way to far out ¼ of an inch, and they were caulked according to the instructions, and when tested they still leaked.
Oh well, all that hard-work.
I also planted a pretty perennial called a Mexican petunia in purple that I divided into three separate plants; in three different sunny locations.
I often find more than one even in the smallest containers they’re my bonus plants!

Short one tonight... but good night to all and have a pleasant one I am very tired now, we both are. Good tired from good tanglible work.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Biden's here in Florida and he's not being fashionably late, Governor Palin was

What did you think of the debate between our presidential candidates last night?
Nasty comes to mind when I hear Senator McCain who in my opinion was so revolting in his way of not looking at Senator Obama again, and then topping it off by calling the Senator, that one!
Shame on you Senator John McCain! I'm sorry he maybe older, but he sure is proving to me he is definitely not any wiser or nicer either. Must be attributed to his time as a POW being treated that probably horrendous way you would think he would be much nicer to others. I suppose he learned to behave like his captures so it seems to me, could be Stockholm Syndrome, and I understand that he does suffer from PTSS, poor man. I guess I should be more understanding to this man's inappropriate behavior, he really can't help it.
But that only worries me more; he doesn't appear to have the temperament to handle really stressful situations; makes one wonder?
Now on to Senator Obama he appeared cool, calm and collected when under fire from questions asked impromptu, the man had controlled and intelligent carefully thought out answers.
Those are just my opinions whatever they are worth.

New Topic: Today we went out on a mission to finally get a natural way to water our garden, and after searching the net we found a more reasonable compromise to the cistern concept, a good old fashion rain barrel.
But we had to conquer one small problem…gutters.
When our home was rebuilt after Hurricane Charley I felt that the gutters helped with the wind taking off our roof, when they went they pulled it with them. And so until today over four years later we didn’t have any, but we had to have them for the downspout to come from them to fill our new rain barrel! All these attachments still make me slightly nervous, every-time we get a hefty wind I worry that our solar panels will go flying off taking our roof too! So far it hasn’t happened.
And so we went out to accomplish this mission.
Guess what, all great missions occasionally have glitches thrown into the process and so ours did too.
My husband started up our car with less than 31k miles on it, but a 2001 the year we bought it new, and the battery was dead; it was its second. The first one had a crack and was replaced by the dealership for free. This one was just too old to do the job anymore. Sticker shock and we went to a discount store, $70; oh I forgot to mention how we got there. No we didn’t call for a tow although we do have that coverage, we own a battery charger.
After that we did have second thoughts about spending the additional monies, but in the long run we will be saving on our city water bill so we felt assured that we were doing the right thing, spending money to save, and we pay cash no charging for us.
I guess that’s how we have been managing on half of the income as well as the fact that we scaled way down to a very small home 10 years ago; kids gone didn’t need the big ones anymore, which were as many as five and four bedroom, and the last one before this was nearly 4000 square feet. This one was aptly stated by a dear elderly friend that has since passed away, it is enough, and what more does anyone need?
And now we see on the news that we are the fashionable ones, smaller is less stressful!

Good night to all and to all try to think about what is good in your life, and count those blessings, in these times we must remember what we know to be good and right.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

We're in the national news again, that is Lee County fifty miles south from here

Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott has been accused of this indiscretion:

The Hatch Act of 1939 (53 Stat. 1147) restricted the ability of federal, or civil service, employees to participate in partisan political life. The goal of the act was to ensure that the civil service would remain politically neutral and efficient. However, many believed that the restrictions infringed on the constitutional rights of federal employees. In 1993 Congress adopted amendments to the act: "It is the policy of Congress that employees should be encouraged to exercise fully, freely, and without fear of penalty or reprisal, and to the extent not expressly prohibited by law, their right to participate or to refrain from participating in the political processes of the Nation." Those amendments are the latest in a series of attempts to respect the constitutional rights of government employees; in particular the rights to speak, organize, and act peacefully to carry out their personal political views, while at the same time ensuring that the public administration of government is carried out in a neutral and efficient manner.


Apparently, as he introduced Governor Sarah Palin yesterday while in uniform at the hockey arena she so aptly spoke at he did create quite a stir.
Not only being there, which has caused a federal investigation, but what he said using Senator Barack Obama’s middle name, which is unfortunately, for the times we live in, it is really, Hussein. And that alone causes anger in many, and stupidity in just as many thinking of the horrible cold blooded killers of 9/11. But that is quite a common name in many cultures, and it is just a name.
But the image he innocently or I truly believe not so innocently bestowed on the GOP crowd at the arena promoted the hatred that I cannot believe a man of his knowledge and education could not realize would occur. It was downright with mean and nasty intent in my book, and many now feel racist intent, myself included. And a truly disturbing reality to believe a man of such stature in a uniformly racially mixed community that he would stoop to such a low horrendous blow to his opposing party.
Not nice at all or fair.
No one is that stupid!
Think before you speak more carefully Sheriff Scott!

Tonight is the Nashville Presidential debate, and I do believe it will be a fairly free form.
That is like a town hall meeting with real people asking real impromptu questions as well as people online doing the same. Tom Brokaw will be the moderator this time.
It should be very interesting.

The Market took another nose dive today losing another 508 points.

Life is hard and we need each other more than ever; so help your neighbor, love your family, moral support is free, and call your friends for the same moral support that we all need now more than ever before.
Listening is not an expensive commodity and we don’t need to say a thing, so its cost effective energy wise since no energy is expended.

Good night to all and know we are not alone the whole world is in our same boat.

Monday, October 6, 2008

More relaxtion than fun today!

Yeah! I did go for my walk this morning.
It was pretty much uneventful although I really wish that something could be done about our over abundance of Moscovie ducks; I lost count at fifty.

Rather ironic for me to say that; just a few years back I was notorious and known as the Duck Lady. We fed them, protected them from predators and even adopted one duckling that had lost his Mom. This went on for about a year, and was annoying to most of my neighbors to the point that they called the authorities on me and my husband.

The health department told me that they were not an indigenous species to our state, and they told us to stop feeding them; we had been buying duck feed at the farm supply store, and even had a water tray out.
They also said at that time that they ate all the natural seeds that our indigenous birds needed to survive; we became lepers to our neighbors.
The only way to stop their visits were to stop providing food for them, and we did, but a little too late, our neighbor on one side of our lot put a six foot spite fence up blocking our view down the canal.

That was way back in 2000 or 2001, and since then I have seen the light of their feces remnants and intrusions on our small feeders for the mocking birds, cardinals, sparrows etc. that we still do feed today. Fortunately, our little Skipper, our Bichon does not seem to care for them either and chases them while barking.
He is our only deterrent. Oddly enough I have found others today that do feed them and told them my story, and said that they shouldn't if they didn't want the law and authorities to come down on them.
One woman was so nasty when I told her what I had gone through and so insistent that they were a part of a long history to our state and that she has lived here all her life, and that is why she knows this, etc. etc. I just had to call, the devil made me do it; to see.
And sure enough she was right, and I was wrong, since my dreadful experience apparently research had been done and they are a part of our Florida's fauna; shocker who would have thunk it.

My hubby mowed the lawn today that looks great. I basically chilled, and called my cousin Y., just before dinner. Her husband, W., my biological cousin, said she was resting and had a very good day with her physical therapist, and walking around the house etc. so good news was in the air.

I mentioned my good news since the national news was not so good.
The Market dropped below 10K for the first time since 2004, guess the rescue-bailout has not helped yet.
More injustices are being exposed on how we got here. A lot of good that does now that the die is cast.
Jim Cramer from the CNN show Mad Money said on the Today show that we should get out of the market and that it has the potential to still fall another 20% before all is said and done.
No one really knows does one, but he is much more knowledgeable than me for sure.
If I was going to listen to anyone about finances he would be on the top of my short list; he’s extremely on target more than most.

That’s it for now, good night to all and to all be cautious don’t get frightened but be careful.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Uh oh some promises...even to yourself can be broken

Yes! It is true I did not go for a walk today outside, but I did stay vertical for a few hours while wandering the isles of the Home and Garden Show and the grocery.
And I do believe that counts for exercise?

After our major grocery shopping spree on Friday we realized even with our list that we had forgotten a few items.
Today after the two hours spent perusing the show on the way home we stopped again to remedy our mistake, and decided to pick up dinner supplies.

My husband suggested sausage subs homemade, but I said thanks since that is something that I shouldn't have. And so we compromised with healthy choices of a Butterball brand that makes a turkey sausage with only 10 grams of fat, still not great but better than 30 or 40 grams, which most sausage is. Now far as the sub bread goes he agreed to multigrain sub style (which I have been slowly introducing into our diet in sliced bread from our bakery at the grocery) and we added yellow, orange, and red peppers with some hot green jalapeños for me plus a sweet onion and baby bella mushrooms for toppings all sautéed in extra virgin olive oil. I made sweet potato fries baked in the oven with sprayed Pam canola oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. We both ate it all and agreed it was quite scrumptious.

The show was basically the same as the spring one not much new, but did give us something to do for the afternoon, and it was air-conditioned.
I know, you northerners are wondering why we needed air-conditioning, well it’s still near ninety in our afternoons here in good old Florida. Even now we are just a rain cooled 80 degrees, and it’s nearly 6:30 P.M. The mornings have been in the 60’s and 70’s that is why I usually walk then, but today I woke up too late for my usual 7:30 A.M., and yes I guess I slept slightly better without the Tramadol. I still woke up several times but did sleep in between.
From what I read it appears that if you take something for your stomach say Pepcid you will get the effect that happened to me. I told the doctor about the Pepcid, but I guess she didn’t realize I meant nightly or know about the problem which I read about online the next day after my situation occurred from the Tramadol. It was a Saturday so I couldn’t call the doctor.
Sometimes when these problems have happened in the past I called the pharmacy, but this time I figured it out for myself online.
So now for me it will be a toss up since nightly I need the Pepcid.

Spoke to my cousin, Y. after dinner tonight, and she is happy to be home in her own bed, and has a great attitude and prognosis so I feel confident that she will make a full recovery!

Good night to all, and only 30 more days to make that big decision…I already have but I’m not telling anyone on here… although, most who have been reading this Blog probably have figured it out.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Oh what a night! But the day was OK.

Tramadol, as a pain reliever is not cracked up to what it is supposed to be; at least not from my perspective.
Not only did I not sleep better; I didn't sleep at all!
And by the morning I was so nauseous I ended up vomiting a couple of times.
I know TMI, sorry.
And in my condition I couldn't go for my walk, but I did go for my half hour walk on both days on Thursday and Friday. And so if I must I must I'll change my rule of never walking on Sunday and go if I am able to tomorrow.
Needing to do the right thing health-wise is now in my hands, and I am obligated to fulfill that promise to myself.
I did do our laundry today and got that mundane task caught up by emptying the hamper.

Mid-morning I called my cousin Y. in the hospital to make sure things were getting better after her having to have that transfusion yesterday; I was still rightfully concerned.
She is doing well except for the ambiance in the hospital… what I gathered from her telling me is that dirty is too minutia a statement for describing her room, since she has reported that the bathroom was stained with bodily fluids, dirt on the floors and other horrors too many for me to remember, and absolutely ridiculous for any health facility to have! (And this is a woman who never ever complains.) The staff too was not at all pleasant or co-operative, and for her sake I’m so glad that she will be going home tomorrow.

Continuing in this vein of checking up on loved ones… my husband felt the need to call his Mom, which was great.
She is still not speaking with his kid sister, and she has not heard anything from the West coast of the country where his older brother and his family are.
I asked Mom to call them and relay all updates; she agreed.
Our sister-in-law in Washington State is a survivor of ovarian cancer, and she was going through chemo just about this time last year.
And Mom was our contact to let us know how she was doing, since his brother did not seem to tell us anything when we emailed him to find out.
To his good we did receive beautiful photos of his adult children and the grandkids, he’s up to five now, 3 girls and 2 boys, even him and our sister-in-law.

Tomorrow I have pretty big plans…I really would like to go to the Home and Garden Show in town, of course after my walk, and I promised to call Y. that evening after she settles in at home.

Good night to all and sleep, and I hope I do too!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Well, it's done for now...

On the rescue-bailout the vote was 263 to 171 in favor of the bill; the majority being Democrats voting for, interesting. President Bush signed it into law, uh oh now that scares me!
And it gives the treasury department the ability to give 700 billion to help out the financial markets with overseers to keep an eye on the process.
What did you think of the vice-presidential debate?
I found that Senator Biden smiled quite a bit, and that Governor Palin appeared to be somewhat evasive with straight answers not being forthcoming.
Some are saying she won, but I really thought that it was just a debate; not the election?
That’s on November 4th, isn’t it?
And aren’t the only candidates we have the ability to choose from: Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain?
Vice presidents just come along with OUR choices, I thought, but I’m not that smart…I could be wrong, nah…I’m not.


New topic: My cousin, Y., had a rough day. It seems that she lost too much blood during surgery, which today called for her to need a transfusion. She is fine at this writing but that was very scary as told to me by my cousin W.!

I had my doctor’s appointment today and my blood work test for toxicity of my higher cholesterol medicine was negative, and that’s with me drinking my wine again and everything. My liver was checked for that, and all was well.
I was slightly concerned due to that wine consumption with the medication, but all is well, deep relief on that front.
I also was given medicine for my pain, which I thought that they weren’t allowed to do, but I was prescribed and picked up my Tramadol at the pharmacy. This was filled with my high blood pressure meds, and yes last visit it was up again. Now I’m back on three prescriptions that include the cholesterol medicine, and aspirin as a safety measure to prevent stroke and heart attack. One doctor actually wanted me to go on Plavix, which is $400 a month without any prescription coverage, considering the aspirin was prescribed by my old Neurologist who saw my MRI with the TIA’s, and this doctor was just an Internist that prescribed the Plavix that I did not qualify for aid to purchase monthly anyway. I’m sticking with the lower medication price but apparently not lower value. So far it appears to be working, I’m still here, aren’t I?

Errands were done all morning long, actually into the early afternoon, but we were very logical and ate our lunch before our grocery shopping.


Good night to all, and now I should be able to sleep much better...Oh you thought I said that because the bill was approved... no, of course not...I got Tramadol!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Best laid plans and all that...

And so half of the planned rescue-bailout was passed, but earmarks are in the small print and are not altogether kosher, mostly silly junky stuff, but the House has the final word tomorrow. Rumor has it was just the metaphoric carrot on the end of the stick so the Republicans would pass it? But I’m not that smart, and that could just be innuendo, but who really knows.
We can only hope that all gets straightened out tomorrow.
I feel the need to say: and the sad saga of life in America continues…but we are not a third world country; then why are there so many trials and tribulations for the people of one of the riches countries in the world?
The vice presidential debate should be very interesting tonight, huh?
Historical and possibly hysterical with both candidates known for their gaffes.

New Topic: My cousin Y. is doing pretty darn good considering what she has been through in the last twenty-four hours.
Y. does things BIG TIME, no small stuff for this one, breaking a hip and her leg at the same time, compound fracture in two places, and having emergency surgery to repair the damage.
I suppose it was fortunate I called her this morning before we were going out to leave to see her; she was not ready for company.
Here’s where I smacked myself in the head, like in the V8 commercial with recognition of the realization she was in extreme ouch and that’s an understatement, so the last thing anybody in that condition needs is two people ogling her in her pain.
She asked us to wait a few weeks when she was at home, we agreed for now, she could change her mind.
Y. informed me on our evening call that physical therapy in the hospital had begun, and will continue when she gets home, at home. She called to thank us for sending the Bee Well flowers from Teleflora.com, cute with a bumble in the center, stating the prior mentioned play on words on the Bee's belly, she loved it.
Y. does have a long haul to recovery, but I let her know that we would be cheering her on, and I already started by reminding her of her great ability to accomplish anything she wants. This woman finished undergrad school at night, in 8 years while working fulltime, and then completed two master’s programs in education while working in her chosen profession, the teaching field, I’m sure that she can do anything! This will be a piece of cake. She has always had the capability to persevere.
Right now, I’m thinking; can I pick strong never-give-up types to be friends and relatives with? LOL makes one proud with her own decision makings.

So everyone sleep well and good night to all and to all think happy thoughts.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Hold the presses my cousin broke her leg and had to have surgery!

My cousin W. called earlier this evening to let me know that his lovely precious talented wife, Y., fell in her art class so severely that she had a compound fracture, and had to have emergency surgery to put pins into her leg to hold the bones together. Shocker, but she is resting comfortably, and when I just called the hospital she was having her dinner, a good sign. Have to get more details from her.

These are my cousins that were teachers in NJ and that retired here to Florida about 8 years ago. Together they taught over 60 years.

And I am slightly behind schedule on my Blog, because I have been searching the net to try to find just the right gift to cheer her up. Something to make her laugh, she’s not a flower type person, she loves art and fashion that I do know. I will have to think on that one.
My husband said we will look for something in the morning since we decided we will visit her there.

Different topic: Rescue and lipstick what do they have in common?
Well… lipstick on a pig doesn’t change the fact it’s still a pig, and now we are going to rescue Wall Street; RESCUE is the new name for the market bailout, but isn’t it still a bailout?
Anyway, all day people have been hoping things would not get any worse, and as far as the market goes it only went down a meager 19+ points today and that is not too bad considering its previous days this week.

Walked this morning, and was happy to say that it was totally uneventful.
Unfortunately, I’m still just doing a half an hour but that gives me plenty of room for improvement.
Barring any weather related issues I should be on my merry way again tomorrow.
I’ve managed to walk four days this week already.
My doctor’s appointment has been postponed until Friday that's just as well since tomorrow we hope to visit Y. in the hospital.

Good night to all and to all watch your step!

Speaking My Mind: STOP HOLDING UP THE TEMPORARY TRUCE!!!

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