Monday, December 31, 2012

Travel with me a little while

You know how it is. You eat something and you have lots and lots of energy??

And then you have your next meal and you don't feel so hot??

Well, the doc told me I needed to cut out the carbs---something to do with unbalanced cholesterol.

Anyway, I thought bacon and eggs, sausage and steak, all the good stuff.

So yesterday for lunch we went to the Mexican place that has the best fish in town. I had fish for lunch and a few chips. I had salad with my fish.

Did not even need a nap!!!

Finished the fish for supper and a piece of chicken fry, and a lettuce and tomato salad.

Slept like a log until 6.40 this morning.

So for breakfast I had 3 pieces of sausage. Still feel good.

Energy is back. Sleeping good. I even want to get on the dreaded stationary bike and spend some time there.

So, this is my conclusion-------

When I eat or drink anything, if I don't have energy after--oh say ---30 minutes---I shouldn't eat it.

Period.

More later, Linda

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Have you ever......????

This is my wake up call. I got a pretty good report from that blood test that Jerry and I took two weeks ago.

But, you know how they ALWAYS weigh you when you go to the doctors office?

YIKES??

I got my wakeup call and it came at the best time.

Right when I needed it.

Right when it was the most important time for me.

I have to keep in good health because I have to take care of Jerry.

And that much weight on this short body is not good.

Wakeup calls are good!!!

More later, Linda

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Lost and Found

So this is what I had to do. Somewhere in this house MIGHT be a copy of the family genealogy.

Maybe?

Sorta remember one being here. Jerry's mom gave it to me a long time ago.

Well, sister in law Mary needs it for her research. I can't find my copy.

So I did so,e research of my own.

I didn't know until tonight that Phil Gowan did some TV work on the NAT GEO channel or it might have been on the History Channel. He has done some major research about the families on the Titanic. It aired in April.

Wonder why April?

I always said we have a lot of things that happened around our anniversary. Lincoln got shot, the Titanic sank and we got married.

Anyway I finally found how to contact him through the UTA, that's University of Texas at Arlington for those of you NOT from Texas.

Hope and pray he still has a copy. That would make my day.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Yesterday! B-word Day

 Somedays, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed.
Some days are worse than others.

TODAY is B-WORD day!!!

I got the shampoo out and the conditioner and the towels and off to the kitchen we went. Now I know what you're thinking.

Not the sink in the kitchen.

YUCKO!!!

Well when you have knees that are hurting from the cold, you'd rather spend lots of time sanitizing the sink after the b-word, than kneeling down onto the cold floor to bathe her in the bathtub.!!

So into the kitchen we went.

See there I finally figured out how to keep her in one place. Hands in one bowl and feet in the other.

Worked great!!

Poor Baby! She is really NOT liking this.!

Out of the bath and covered in the towel. Now Sarah weighs 15 pounds. She's wet and squirming in that towel. And I am trying to take a picture of her without being able to see into the finder thingie.

OOPS!!





A little cuddle in the towel so it can absorb a lot of that water. She has long thick hair and it takes a while to get it dry.

OUT! I want OUT!!!

So now she starts the rubbing against the furniture. It helps get that hair back into place. Works like a charm and no noisy hair dryer. She really doesn't like a hairdryer.

And around and
around she goes until-----

she's dry enough to put the bow in her hair and she  GEORGEous

There's my baby.!!!!

More later, Linda





 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Today!!

Today is my birthday!! Got calls from our Dave and Lynn from Sulphur, Nonie texted me this morning.. She had black coffee and popcorn for breakfast. And a yummy sounding butternut squash and apple soup for supper.

Got a card from Mary Kay's Darryl Overcash and my friend Betty Phillips.

I am so blessed.

Got a text from our Lynn.

Today, I have decided--- no cooking or cleaning!!!

When you reach 71, you can say the same.

That one of the perks of being 71!!!

Have a wonderful day , I'm going to.



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Sarah's trip to Alaska

We had snow Christmas day which makes it difficult for a furry person that is so close to the ground to find a place to do her business. No what I mean?

The beginning of the journey. Snow on the rug INSIDE the door.

There goes Lynn and Keith. They made it over for leftovers for Christmas dinner.

Snow, it's beautiful!!! It's cold!! and it's a pain.!

This year Sarah decided to take someone with her on her trip to Alaska. She picked Jerry.

Obviously she got off course.!!! I wonder if she went to Hawaii instead??

Now she has to do a BIG job.  Figure that one out and you get one of our new Dimensions lipsticks!!

Exploring??? REALLY???? Looks like it!

Yep, there she goes trying to find Hawaii!!!

Trip is over and now it's time for a cuddle and a smooch and --- not from Sarah!!

More later, Linda








 

Monday, December 24, 2012

What do YOU do in your living room??

Bet I can beatcha!!

Over the years we have had IN OUR LIVING room a boat motor.

Not just the motor---the whole intact motor!!

Oh no!!! We had one in pieces. Next to the front door we have part number one.  Next to the hallway door we had part number whatever it was.

Dave was 4. Lynn was 6.

For a WEEK!!

Until the parts came in. Then we took the boat motor back to Grandads house to show him what Jerry had done.

Grandad kept it. Now that it was working.

Grandad also had an old rifle that didn't work so we brought the rifle back to Duncan and spread it out on the table this time. For another WEEK!!

Jerry figured out that one part had been put in backward. Changed it around and it worked. So he blued the barrel. Man does that stuff stink.

It also stains the bathtub.!

Took it back to Grandads house and he kept it. Cause it worked now.

So, after he passed and Granny was in the nursing home Jerry, Loyd and Peggy got together and split up the furniture. We got Grandads old Lazy Boy. His mom bought it in 1975.

Well, it finally needed fixing.

And-----you guessed it!

The chair is in the floor of the living room!!

Something is fouled up!! The lever doesn't work.

Well, he figured that one out. A lot of the pieces that had been glued so many years ago came unglued!!!

Got out the wood glue and glued that hummer.!!

As it was drying-----

Sarah decided that it made a good hiding place.

or maybe a
place to sleep!!!


Jerry is a fixer----and thank you JESUS the things we have had in our living room never has bothered me.

Once, in England we had a motorcycle in a box in the living room for 3 months--then he found a good mechanic that put it back together and we had a Norton cycle in the garage.

He killed a cat that got into the house in Tunisia.

In the Living Room!!!

And Lee said "and my mom thinks I do strange things in the living room".

That sounds cruel---except that the cat had rabies and we had Mandy at that time.

Anyway, this has gotten way too long.

Merry Christmas everyone,

and More later, Linda


 

Sunday, December 23, 2012

I did it NOW!!!

Have you ever gotten on a website to order anything.??

Well, I just tried to order Spanish Latin America from Rosetta Stone and had a few problems.

I was trying to use my card to pay for the course. That's not the problem.

The card was the problem. It expires in January 2013.

That's the problem.

So I was going to just pay for the whole thing at once. Instead of 5 payments.

I was gonna be charged for 2 programs.

So I backed out and tried again.

I was being charged for 3 programs.

I only need 1.

So I looked at the bottom of the page and there was a phone number.

I ordered one and used a different card. Got my 5 payment plan and free overnight shipping.

This is way cool.

The sales lady told me to just back out of the program to cancel the other sets. Which I did.

CIAO, senior and senorita.

More later, Linda

The FOG

Do youremember that movie "The FOG". Scary!!!!

More than SCARY---down right nightmare making!

Of course, my Lynn would tell me it wasn't because I think Willie Wonka is scary. Did you really look at Gene Wilder's face when he was talking to those children?

No??

I didn't think so!!!

Or, you too, would think it is one of the scariest movies ever made.

But back to "The Fog"


There it comes. Rolling up from the ground until it completely covers the sky.
 
 
And then there it is in the front yard. It reminds me of that poem about how cats move silently around the yard and slither and creep. Sands wrote it long ago.

There it is on the west of our house now. Cool and damp it runs around the sky with its slightly wet fingers sticking to everything.

And there is the sunrise. The shining light amongst the darkness.

Sun!! Light!!! Dark is gone.

Then I went back in to the house and this is what I saw. Cheery oranges and browns.

Light in the darkness.!!

And this reminder of what the season is all about.

More later, Linda




 

Friday, December 21, 2012

Inlaws--we all gots them

It seems as if a lot of us have inlaw problems.

I'm so sorry. One thing I found out last week end is that those of us who don't let people know the truth about what's bothering us, why we are mad, why we are crying, we have to just look at the whole picture and realize how sad it is to be so fearful that they cannot tell us--their family--that they are mad with us.

Can you imagine? Well I can!!

I used to be the same way.

And then I realized that it's just not a productive way to be.

This blog is, after all, about confessions.  Soo, I am confessing that I used to be passive agressive.

It made for upset stomachs, hives, crying jags, and lots of other symptoms that I cannot remember at this time.

When I realized what was going on, I knew I had to change.

So it was little steps.

I now stick out my tongue when my husband makes a remark I don't like. Instead of going into the bathroom and crying into a towel. Or slamming the kitchen cabinet doors until they REALLY made noise.

A quick lip change and I feel TOO GOOD to be anything but happy. I have made my position clear. I don't like what he said. Nuff said.

And on we go to the next time.

No stomach problems, no crying jags, no thoughts of leaving home.

WONDERFUL!!!

More later, Linda

Passive aggressive -- or just plain guilt maker

Have you ever come across people who just set your teeth on edge.

That's bad!

What's worse is if this person is an inlaw.

The only way to work with there passive agression is to nip it in the bud.

Gently, but firmly let them know that their tactics are NOT working!

Good luck!

More later, Linda

Thursday, December 20, 2012

I Finally figured it out

I finally decided why we have so much fun with Sarah.

Besides the fact that she is too cute.

Jerry has finally found his furry soul mate.

I mean it really.

I mean who does she turn to when she has a problem??

NOT me!!

She goes to Jerry.

And then he gives her to me to fix the problem.

When we had Mandy, she picked me out. And when she passed away, it took me years to get over it where I could even mention her name.

And when Georgie passed, she had started to take a shine to Jerry because he was home all the time by then.

And then comes Sarah!!!

Picked him out right from the start. !!

It is way cool to see them.

In the mornings about 9 am Sarah thinks it's time to watch the Western channel and sleep on Jerry's legs.

It is too cute.

And when I call her she goes to Jerry and looks at me from the corner of her eye.

I am so glad that we have Sarah to play with.

More later, Linda

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Andrew Called

I have THE best grandkids!!

Yesterday, Tyler called to wish Papa Happy Birthday. He was very upset because he was too busy to call on Saturday.

Not too long ago Tyler got his CDL and is now driving trucks. We are so proud of him.

Tyler, we love you. And it was a wonderful thing for you to call. Thank you.

Then, Andrew called. He an Lynn were shopping.

Andrew likes to cook, create recipes and find out the history of food!

So, he called me because they couldn't remember the name of Mexican candies that have hundreds and thousands on them. I mean sprinkles!!

Hundreds and thousands is a British name for "sprinkles".

Pastilles is the name of that sweet. Then he called back.

Beans, Nana, how do you cook your beans?

So I told him.

And bean soup. I gave him the recipe.

Nonie calls and tells me about what's going on in her part of the world.

And David Ray calls about his art work. He's working on stationary. I know he can do it. It sounds innovative, and really colorful. He's good with color.

All of our grandkids are deep thinkers and eclectic in their interests.

Love it. Keeps me hopping to keep up.

That's a good thing!!

More later, Linda

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Today is Different

This morning Jerry had his allergy shot. Now, he's been doing this for about 3 years. But on Wednesday.

We were supposed to go to Texas on Wednesday, but a good friend passed and her funeral is on Thursday--so we put it off until Friday.

So Jerry had his allergy shot today.

I had to go because WE had to have blood drawn for this intensive blood work to find out what's going on and if we need any minerals or vitamins. It seems as if this is a new thing to do.

And now we have to go back to the allergy shot place to get Jerry's evaluation on how he has progressed since the last time.

This is VERY unusual for us.

But it's cold out and so I guess it's better than mowing grass or planting flowers in 23 degree weather.

It's almost 11 and it's still 27 degrees out there!!!

YUCKO!!!!!

That hoover's!!!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Back Again!!!

I have been absent too long..

Sorry to all of you. I have been helping my daughter.

Now all of you with daughters know that when they ask you for help--you help!!

Well, our Lynn came to me one day and asked for help with a project at church.

A 40foot panorama of the front of the football stadium in town..

I have done things like that. I have worked my, well, you know what , off on projects for myself.

So when Lynn asked I jumped into it with both feet.

I was not counting on the heat---even though that made the paint dry faster.

I didn't count the years between projects.  About 22 years--to be exact.

I forgot about all the backaches and the knee aches and the those other things that go along with being 70.

I just knew my daughter asked for help.

I didn't get a picture of it all together, but one of the comments made up for no picture.

One of the teens at church said "OH you even have the 12th man room. And the track and it looks JUST like it is""

They liked it and that's all the picture I need. Remembering the smile on her face is a picture.

More Later, Linda

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Flashbacks

At our church we are doing a Christmas play.

There is nothing so drastic about that. It's about a family, at Christmas. Sounds great doesn't it??

NOT!!

The first night we practiced with the actors, I had a terrible time. We were almost through with the whole shebang. Going good. It was funny where it needed to be and somber where it needed to be and going good.

Then we got to the part about WWII, or for all you people born in the 1970's and up -- World War Two.

The radio station intro we did was for a fake radio station in San Francisco.

That's what did it.

I lived in LA from 1942 to 1951.

Lived with the camo netting over the streets.

 Lived with only one headlight on a car. And very few street lights.

Lived with the black curtains over the windows.

Lived with ration cards, and taking the labels off the cans, washing them and putting the tops and bottoms inside the smushed cans and putting them on the curb.

Putting all papers and grocery sacks in bundles and out to the curb they would go.

Glass jars and broken glass was put into a box and went to the curb too.

We had to wash all the labels off and colored glass and white went into separate boxes.

It's not a new concept.

And then there were the BIG, GIANT lights that would shine up the sky at night. Spot lights.

Our dad told us that they were looking for pennies in the sky.

Nuuuh Unnn!!!

They were looking for Japanese planes.

Some did make it into the lights, so probably most did not.

Those same lights were used for years at every premier of any new picture in LA. I think they probably finally wore out.

I got teary eyed. I wanted to throw things. I felt really strange.

If that's what our military has to go through, I now know how to pray for them.

Tonight is the first of the two nights that we will do a performance. I don't have any mental reflections now.

I know that our military does.

God bless every one of them.

More Later, Linda 




 

Friday, December 7, 2012

Sarah went to the Beauty Shop

Yorkie's need to go to the beauty shop or as Sarah calls it the

Booty Hop!!

Jackie is so good with the furry people who go to her place. She has a gate that they can see through separating the front and the back of the room. So that the furry people can see what's going on but can't get out the door when someone comes or goes.

Some of the furry people don't like that because their person didn't come to get them, but I think they are just being silly about that.

So anyway, it was time for a nail trim, a booty trim, and a trim around her ears, hands and feet.

Time to call Jackie. She got her in in about a week.

I told you Jackie was busy.

And Yorkie's have pretty little bows put in their hair. They are too cute when they come from the Booty Hop. Now this is not the best picture. There is nothing wrong with the camera.

She moved!!

They are just like babies. always moving!!

Here's a better one. She really likes the phone camera because it doesn't have a flash.

If you can't tell---she is about to get po'd!  Too many pictures.

Paparazzi !! RUN !!

This is the last one. I promised her.

And then she slept!!!


And this is what that pretty bow looked like the next morning!!

Oh Well!!!

She had a pretty bow for about 15 hours!!!

But you know and I know pretty isn't just a pretty bow or a pretty dress.

Pretty is from the inside. So she's pretty even WITHOUT that bow!!

More later, Linda




 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Charlie left Something

On Sunday we had our Thanksgiving.  It's always so much fun when the grandsons get together. This time we had two Dave's youngest, Tyler, and Lynn's youngest, Andrew.

Dave taught them how to play cribbage. Now, mind you, my set only goes to 91 points. Dave tells me that all the ones he has known about go to 121. I don't know WHY this one is like this. I do know that it folds in the middle. The box did NOT say it was for travel.

Anyway they liked it so much that everyone of them took pictures of the board when they quit so they could finish the game at Christmas. Genius at work.

Or it could be that they grew up with phones with cameras, and iPads, and Kindles, and clouds, and all that other stuff I have never heard of.

That brings me back to finishing up the straightening after they left. By the way the table was clean when they left. No plates, no cups or glasses, no crumbs!!

Clean as a whistle. Thanks to Holly and Lynn.

So I sat in a chair to write a card to Marie, and my foot made contact with this huge rawhide bone. I know it wasn't Baby Girls because she had been here for 2 days and I had not seen it.

So it had to be Charlie's.

NOT ANY MORE!!!!!



She MIGHT leave a small morsel for Charlie when he comes again.

NOT!!!

More later, Linda

Monday, November 26, 2012

Thanksgiving at our House

This year we did MOSTLY traditional Thanksgiving.

Well, you have to know more about my family.  Our traditional Christmas Eve is Enchiladas!  Green, Cheese, Pork, Chicken with homemade salsa, pico, Lots of chips, guacamole  and the famous Papa salad of iceberg lettuce and finely chopped tomatoes.

This year I am going to get some tamales from my friend Martina--if she makes any during this busy time of year.

But, at our house, the accent is on having fun. Being together and laughing. It is so much fun to reach around the table and get a spoonful of this or some of that or ask someone to put a dab onto my plate.

This year we used paper plates. I swore I would NEVER use paper plates for a holiday meal, but I only use them for holidays and I didn't get them out and wash them before hand. So paper it was. On the left is Holly, next to her is Andrew, then Dave, Tyler and Keith. Dave and his son Tyler are really having a discussion.

It wasn't long before all the food was being passed or put onto someones plate.

A REAL happy time.

I wish for ALL families to be like that, but I know they are not. It almost makes me want to cry. They are missing out on so much.

 This is a not so good picture of Holly and Andrew, and our grandDOG Charlie. He is so cute and into everything--much like Sarah
And this is a better picture of Charlie. I can see the mischief in his eyes---even though he is trying really hard to make me think he is just a sweetie pie!!
Charlie and Sarah thought it would be a good thing to fight all afternoon and into the early evening, and all the time they were together. Charlie went to sleep before they got to the big road a quarter mile from our house. Sarah made it a little longer, but when she went to sleep she did not move and we had to carry her to bed.

She did NOT move all night long. AND we had to carry her into her living room bed this morning.

I don't believe that they played so long that neither one of them was worth a plug nickle this morning, but that's the truth.


Sarah is NOT happy about Charlie being in her house.!!!

Baby Girl, she's gotten used to -- now, NOW we have someone else to put into line.

And she did FINALLY!!! But Charlie was fighting right down to the end.

Charlie and Papa talking about Sarah. I think I heard something about keeping her in line. I don't know if Charlie meant he did it or for Papa to keep Sarah in line. It doesn't matter---Sarah WILL do it HER way!!!


This is the big Cribbage game. Somewhere I had picked up this Cribbage game. Dave keeps telling me that it only goes to 91 points where as all the others go to 121. 

This is what they did when they decided to quit for the day.

They took PICTURED on their PHONES of where the doohickey's were so they could start from the same spot. It seems as if the points were 57, 58 and 59!!! Not bad for those young boys going against the master cribbage player!!! And in the second game at that!!
As you can see THIS is Tyler. Our youngest Grandson. He is now old enough to grow a mustache!!! I cannot believe it. And he has no grandDOG for us. He has grandCATS!!

Please don't tell Sarah!!!

That would be a disaster!!

Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas Season to all of you, More later, Linda