Saturday Before Christmas....

'Twas the Saturday before Christmas
and all the day long
My head kept repeating
the same Christmas song.

My thoughts were all spinning
with things left to do,
The pageant to practice,
and cleaning the loo.

More shopping and dusting,
the relatives are coming!
And still "Silver Bells"
I just kept on humming.

"If I could just get that
song out of my head,
I might be a sight more
productive," I said.

But Bing kept on singing
(he does a great job)
and soon, oh my goodness!
My head it did thob.

Now Shopping, Now Cleaning,
Now cooking with butter,
Now wrapping, (not napping!)
My heart gave a flutter.

To the top of the Store
at the end of the mall
my feet made a path
(oh the ache of it all!)

But I heard the song still
as I shopped til I dropped
Silver Bells kept on ringing
'til at home I had flopped.

As I put my feet up
And relaxed in my chair
The Silver Bells stopped!
and what did I hear?

The sounds of the silence
were loud in my ear
I hope that the bells
don't come back 'til next year!

Banqueted Out

I don't go to many banquets, thank the good Lord, but it seems they happen all at once. This weekend I attended two in a row! Lot's of sitting, yakking and eating but too many hours of the sitting.

I was saved from boredom at the office party by the presence of my most precious son. He gave up his Saturday night to escort me, what a marvelous boy I've raised (sound of arm breaking from patting myself on the back...I had help, lots of it!) The food was fairly good and I do see alot of the spouses of my co-workers that I only see once a year so all in all the party was a sucesss (don't ask my backside, it's still smarting from all the sitting).

The second banquet I attended was our church Christmas banquet, a nice party. The food was good and this time I had quite a few family members there to enjoy. I especially liked sitting with my son and his wife. Some other seats at our table were filled with not so wonderful people, but I digress. A very nice part of the celebration was the presence of my niece and two nephews flitting around being the social butterflies of the hour. The smallest nephew, however, was fighting a cold and spent a lot of time cuddled on laps (my own included) and eventually fell asleep on my shoulder. I enjoyed this banquet more also because of the theme...we celebrate the birth of Christ and the singing reflected our praise and worship of the newborn King.

At the end of the evening I was banqueted out and ready for some relaxing. I picked up the box of Sees ( a gift from our Pastor every year) and headed for home. The weather had turned especially cold so I went home to huddle under my blankets until the blasted alarm woke me this morning at 5:30. I woke up to the sound of pouring rain...what a way to start the new week!

Hemming and Hawwing

Friday nights are usually relaxing after a long week. Sometimes Haley B. visits with me while her parents and elder brother have committments at church. We like to read and play games, but most of all we relax.

This week was especially busy so I was very happy to be home and relaxing. Then my son called and reminded me of my committment to hem his wife's dress they made for the Christmas banquet we're going to on Sunday. They dropped it off on their way to choir practice. So I spent the evening sitting in my big easy chair all right, but I was hemming the sleeves and very full skirt of the dress. It was all pinned and ready to hem so that made the job much easier as far as hemming went but very "sticky" for me. (Sara uses very large pins.) It's a very nice, soft, red dress and I'm sure it will look very nice. I don't mind doing hand sewing once in a while....I wouldn't like it for a job...but as a favor to my daughter-in-law who is very good to me, it's just fine. I'm happy to help. (Besides, my son has graciously offered to escort me to the office Christmas Dinner Dance at the Sheraton Hotel tomorrow night, it's the least I could do for him! ) Hopefully there will be some pictures taken of the two of them with Sara in the red dress to post later.

And the Hawwing part...well, hem and haw go together and I'm sure I made a "haw" sound a couple of times by yawning....so there you go.

Tagged as a Bookworm - I'm It!

I was an athletic child, but that faded very quickly when I discovered books. So when I was tagged "It" by my younger sister on her blog today I was less than amused until I realized there was no running involved and lots of reading! So here goes....page 56 of the book I picked up (one of my favorites that I read to Miss Haley B. often) and line 5 - 9?

"Well?" demanded the King again. "Do you or do you not take off your hat before your King?"
"Yes, indeed, Sire," answered Bartholomew, feeling greatly relieved. "I do take off my hat before my King."
"Then take it off this very instant," commanded the King more loudly than before.
"But, Sire, my hat is off," answered Bartholomew.
"Such impudence!" shouted the King, shaking an angry finger. "How dare you stand there and tell me your hat is off!"
"I don't like to say you are wrong, Sire" said Bartholomew very politely, "but you see my hat is off." And he showed the King the hat in his hand.
"If that is your hat in your hand," demanded the King, "what's that on your head?"

From The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, by Dr. Seuss. My mother read this to me as a child and I have loved the story ever since. I've read it to any child that would sit still long enough, and some that wouldn't!

I'm ready for my close up, Mr. Demille....

.

We're practicing for the Christmas pageant. I am (thankfully) not the leader so I get more of a chance to notice the kids while we're practicing our singing. Tonight I watched in amazement as my little Haley girl belted out the songs word for word with a natural gusto that came from somewhere deep inside. At one point I think she almost hit a falsetto, but her pitch was perfect! And her delivery was a joy to watch, she was so enthralled with what she was singing. She's the only one that has already memorized the entire CD of songs for the pageant and won herself a solo for sure. I've watched her grow from the tiny little girl with the big brassy off-key voice that was way too loud to this amazing reformation. I was stunned...and thrilled.

Now if we could just get her to sit still once in a while...

Tis The Season

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
~Charles Dickens

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week there will be a frenzy of baking, packing and traveling to spend Thanksgiving with the family up in the San Joaquin Valley once again. We look forward to a great time of good food and laughter among the kinfolk that will be gathered at Mom's house for the holiday feast.

The crowd changes from year to year, sometimes swelling to such a group that there are barely tables and chairs to seat everyone and sometimes there are just a few depending on the circumstances of the year. This year we look forward to the addition of some of our favorite relatives, some that don't normally join us for Thanksgiving. In my opinion it will help us bear the loss of some of our loved ones that will not be there with us. And we have a new addition to the family on the way which will be a topic of great excitement and joy!

So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your holiday be full of gratitude and love and laughter.

Memories again....

When I was five we moved to Hobart Heights, a tract of homes in the town of Otay on the Mexican border. I remember this because I started school there. Finney Elementary. I know this because my parents purchased an 8mm camera and began to take "home movies" and there are videos of my first day of school. There I am, ringlets, bobby socks and all grinning from ear to ear with no idea what awaited me. I mostly remember naps and recess at this stage...the important stuff. It's funny, but I can remember faces from my kindergarten class to this day. Don't ask me who I met yesterday...I can't remember.

There was a neighbor that decorated their front yard with these sparkly white rocks that fascinated me. My mother was told many times to make me leave their rocks alone. They were really cool! I had never seen anything like it before.

And there was a neighbor lady that had lost her hand in a tragic accident. For many years I thought it was because she had accidentally put her hand in the garbage disposal while it was running. Later my mother told me that was not true, but I have been very wary of garbage disposals all my life because of this inaccurate memory.

In Hobart Heights my favorite sister was born. I can say that, because she's the only one alive to read this. So it must have been 1961. We have home movies of her coming home from the hospital. There we are all gathered around and of course our oldest brother is turning heads to make sure everyone looks at the camera. I remember those times as carefree and happy times, of course, I was a kid and had no responsibilities to speak of. There are home movies of a costume party, but I have no recollection of the event.

The next year we moved across the road to the Hog Ranch....but that's another story.

Dodging the Refrigerator

Now, before you get all huffy on me and think this is a dieting blog let me tell you, it's not. I mean literally dodging the refrigerator.

My son and his wife purchased a new home which came with all new appliances. So the nice refrigerator that they already owned (the one that does keep ice cream solid and not soft serve) was available to me....free....gratis...from my loving kids. Wow! What a deal. Moving day came and with it the refrigerator appeared in my house and was moved into the spot of the old refrigerator. Thank goodness I had the forsight to move the old one out and clean under it the night before. That would have been embarrassing to say the least! The new refrigerator (only two years old)is black, but that's ok with me and it looks great with all my magnets on it.

Now I'm at the new house cleaning so my son calls and says...What are we doing with the old fridge? Just leave it there, I say, I'll take care of it later.

And there it sat, right in the middle of my kitchen for one whole week! I cleaned it out and kept it plugged in for the next person because it still works really well and everything seems to freeze just fine except ice cream and then you're ok if you like soft serve. But what to do with it. I tried the family...nobody needed a fridge. I tried the church...somebody was getting rid of one last week and they guy who finally took it has four plugged in his garage...so there I was. All week long dodging the refrigerator. Every time I wanted to get into the new fridge...there it was. Every time I did laundry the dryer door wouldn't open all the way without running into the fridge. In and out of the kitchen was around the fridge and back. What a pain!

On Thursday I suddenly remembered my friend Margarita. Now, you talk about a network...she's got one. She always knows somebody for whatever you need. I mean seriously...no matter what it is...she's knows a guy, or a gal, or a family. Well, I emailed her at 4pm and by 4:05 she had a taker for my refrigerator. A friend at work is getting married and they are counting their pennies. They would love my refrigerator. On Saturday they showed up and took it away! That's another story....but thank the good Lord it all worked out. A nice couple got a great fridge for free and I got rid of the mountain in my kitchen! I love it!

I've Recovered

I believe I have recovered from moving day. Thank goodness the day was overcast, but it was still hot and muggy the day we moved my son and daughter-in-law from the apartment to the new house. All the stressful waiting was finally over and the work began in earnest. We packed, cleaned and unpacked all day long until we were hot, dirty and tired. But the end result was fantastic! With a few minor mishaps we managed to get everything moved in and set up so that the place was not only livable, but very comfortable.

Last night I went over to continue helping with the unpacking and set up of the new house. I found a very happy couple busily doing laundry in the new laundry room, cooking dinner in the new kitchen and generally setting up housekeeping all over the place. I made myself useful. We had a great evening which ended early (I get up and the crack of dawn and they need their alone time, don't you know!) with a nice piece of pumpkin pie fresh from the oven. It just doesn't get much better than that.

Whew! Glad that huge job is behind us!

Ahhhh Rain

As I stepped out of my back door this morning something wet and cold hit me on the head. To my surprise it was sprinkling!

I had been debating whether or not to face the world today or stay home because of a bug I caught that left me weak this morning after a couple of bouts of chills and fever. The achiness has subsided, but I felt a little weak still. But, trooper that I am I figured if I could get showered and dressed I must not be feeling too bad and could go on to work. With that in mind I went about my morning ablutions and eventually walked out the back door headed for the car to find....rain!

What a delightful suprise. I love rain. It washes away all the dry ashes of a burnt out summer and leaves the world clean and refreshed. And my lawn gets watered, an event that doesn't take place very often. Rain freshens the air and makes you want to take deep breaths. Ahhhhh...rain.

Our Day in Oak Glen

We got off to a late start, but that is not a problem. We've been to Oak Glen every year for awhile so we pretty much know where we're heading and what we want to do while we're there. The day turned out a little warmer than we liked, but not unbearable. And we were a little early for the leaf-changing beauty we normally see. It hasn't been very cold yet so the leaves are hanging around. And it was a little crowded...our secret getaway has become very popular.

In spite of all of the above we still had a great day. We tasted apples, we bought trinkets, we revelled in the autumnness of the outdoors. We explored and we came home tired but happy, full of apple cider floats and fresh air. The company was awesome. Oh, and I now have nice big Cameo apples in my fridge to last for a few days and several new magnets to add to my fridge collection!

We're Off!

Yahooo! Tomorrow is the day! We are headed for Oak Glen and the apple orchards. I'm looking forward to a great time with my son and daughter-in-law. I hope to come home laden down with apple goodies and pleasantly tired from a day out in the fresh air.

Oak Glen

It's apple picking time again! I love this time of year for so many reasons; the cool weather, the anticipation of the holidays with all the wonderful things they bring and apples!

Every year we take a day trip up the mountain just far enough to enjoy the Fall foliage and apples in a little town called Oak Glen. We spend the day wandering around the village looking at all the crafts and tasting all the different kinds of apples in each apple barn. We may run across a bake sale in the old "one room schoolhouse" or watch an re-enactment of some old time battle. One year my son accepted an offer to sing in a Karaoke-type setting at our favorite lunch spot to the delight of some ladies that were lunching there. Sometimes we pick apples at one of the farms. We eat all kinds of apple goodies and come home laden down with apple country savories including apple cider.

It's a delightful way to get "out to the country" without driving more than an hour or so. And of course the apples are awesome. I can't wait for our trip this year. It won't be long now...

Thinking....

Today I had some free time at work so I was reading the blog of a wonderful old Swedish lady that used to be a Physical Therapist during World War II. She writes the story of her life from when she came to America as a young girl through the war years and all of the experiences she had and the people she met.

It got me to wondering how far back I can remember. How old was I when my memories began to stick with me so that I can pull them out and look them over from time to time. I think I was about 4 or 5 years old and we lived in an old house on a place called Castle Rock down on the border of California and Mexico. There were only four of us kids then. We lived in a house on the back side of a creek with a big rock near the bridge and I was told that a King snake lived in that rock. I remember the Lilac bushes that bloomed and how much my mother loved them. We had a bench swing that would hold all of us kids at one time. I know some of my memories are reinforced by the home movies Dad took and we watched over and over on his old reel to reel projector with the collapsable screen. But some of them are my memories...like the old couple that lived on the place with us and how they used to buy huge bags of popcorn for us. I remember the race horses we took care of as part of our rent on the house. One was named Ding Dong Daddy. The house seemed huge to me as a small child. I remember being afraid at night because there was a big tree outside my bedroom window that shook in the wind. I had a cat named Jerry, a gray and white striped cat that was attacked by some wild animal in the hills behind our house and his stomach was torn open. Dad used some horse medicine on it and stitched it back up. The cat lived just fine after that. We had a partially blind German shepherd named Topsy and a short black weiner dog whose name esapes me at the moment.

I went back to see the place several years ago when my son was about 5 and it looked so different...so much smaller. The horse corrals were still in use and the bridge was there. I don't know about the Lilac bushes. We couldn't get close enough to see before the people who live there now came out to ask us to leave. Memories...

Autumn is in the Air

Thank goodness the long hot summer is over and Autumn is breathing it's cool crisp breezes on us at last. This is my favorite time of year. It's almost time for our trip to Oak Glen to pick apples and see the changing of the season in the colorful foliage. The days are shorter now, the street lights are still on while I'm driving to work. I don't mind...bring on the cool weather of the harvest season. I'm looking forward to all the season holds.

Happy Birthday Karo!

Happy Birthday to my little sister! I am so thankful for my sister. I don't know what I would do without her. She understands me like no one else and loves me in spite of it. Anytime I talk to her I can be assured of a good laugh, sage advice and a willing ear for all my troubles. I would go so far as to say she is my best friend in the whole wide world. I wish her all the happiness in the world today, on her birthday, and always.

Our Latest Project - So Proud

As everyone knows the city of Houston has been hit by Hurricane Ike and much of the city is destroyed. As well as everything else traffic signals were wiped out. My company maintains the traffic signals for the City of Houston so, of course, they turned to us for help. The Texas office is fairly new and the work load was tremendous, too much for them to handle. The call went out for volunteers to go to Houston for 3-4 weeks, camping out in uncertain conditions at a prevailing wage schedule much lower than California (by $10 per hour). Twelve men stepped forward and said "I'll go." Leaving the comforts of home and family is enough of a hardship, but the living conditions and needs of 12 different personalities is also in the mix. Never mind the wage change.

I am so proud of our men for their willingness to put personal comforts aside to help out in a time like this. My company will no doubt reimburse them for their efforts and they will also get the recognition they deserve, we're just that kind of people.

I would have loved to see the convoy that left here two days ago. Eight white Republic ITS utility trucks on the road to Texas...Breaker 1 9...we're headed for the Lone Star State...we'll catch you on the flip flop....we gone...bye bye.

Bunny Patrol

My kids are going away this weekend and I'm on bunny duty. Imagine...me...not big on animals of any kind and only partial to the ones in our family, namely my sister's little white mutt. But I am left in charge of two little lop-eared bunnies. I am to feed them and give them fresh water and make sure they stay alive while the "parents" are gone from Friday until Sunday. The pressure is great, but I think I can handle it. On second thought, I'll have to pick up Tim and have him go with me...he's good with the bunnies and if they happen to get away from us he can chase them! :)

Middle Age Is Not So Bad

This morning I pulled out of the driveway and heard a "flip, flip, flip" sound as I was pulling away from my house. Hmmmmm. Flat tire...or at least a very low one.

Now, a few years ago this would have been a major set back to the start of my day. A hassel. A tribulation. But not today. At this point in my life I have been a card carrying member of AAA for many years and have a very trustworthy mechanic available to me. Older and wiser, that's me.

Not only did I not panic, feel frustrated or upset about the whole flat tire scenario...I actually thought...well ok...I get to go into work late this morning. :) I turned around and went back home, called AAA and waited for the nice man to remove the flat and install the spare. Then I tooled on over to my mechanic and had the tire repaired in no time "flat" (pun intended) for free! I purchased the tires there so they have a policy of free flat fixing....fabulous! I am out of pocket no money for this entire deal.

I arrived at my job to find a nice orange traffic cone reserving my favorite parking spot! Can you feel the love? I saw a co-worker (demoted used-to-be manager)walking in from the street where he had parked and as I drove closer I rolled down the window and politely asked him to remove the cone for me. What a day! I'm still smiling about that one.

Moral of this story...There are a few perks to living long enough to have the sense to take care of the small things before they mess up your day.

Ever Have One of Those Days?

So, I get to work this morning all ready to attack the piles on my desk with all the gusto I can muster at closing time and....my computer was dead.

Now we have a saying around the office that whatever's going to happen will happen during closing. It's crunch time so the office machinery goes on strike, the air conditioner breaks down, the Sparkletts man doesn't show up...you know. Inevitably our accounting software needs to be updated....right in the middle of closing...and it can't wait one week until we're not so busy. And believe it or not some of the project managers (the ones with the answers to the questions we need answered so we can get finished) go on vacation during that time...go figure.

So it didn't really surprise me to come in and find my computer on the fritz. It had been complaining for a couple of weeks and I'd been griping about it, but ignoring it for the most part, so it just quit. By the time a spare was rounded up and loaded up and ready for me to work it was 10:30. It doesn't sound that late, I know, but I start work at 6:30 so half my day was gone.

After I waited for all the updates to load (it was a very old spare computer) and finally got busy I found that my local printer was not responding to the remote desk top. I notified the powers that be but they were busy on another crisis so I went back and worked on anything I could without a printer for a few hours. When the I.T. guy finally showed up it was 2pm and he was still working on it when I left at 3pm. Sheesh!

The upshot is...I will probably get a new computer. I have to make do with the slow running spare for a while until it arrives or until they fix my old one, but I should be up to speed before too long. In the meantime I will appreciate all the hard work my little computer did before it gave up the ghost. I miss it already.
The email program on "the spare" notifies me of new mail with a little gray box, for heaven's sake. I'd forgotten what that looked like. No pretty blue fade in and fade out boxes, only a gray box that says "you have mail, do you want to open it?". What do you mean???? Of course I want to open it!!!! It's the highlight of my day, you moron! It might be an email from my son or daughter-on-law, my sister or one of my neices, for Lord's sake!

I'm A Blooming Idiot!

For several months now I have been nursing a plant in my office. Let's just be clear here, I do not have a green thumb. Every plant I have ever owned has died within of week of being left in my care...a quick thirsty death. I have never been a plant lover...I mean I love the fruit of plants such as tomato vines and peach trees, but I have never aspired to being a grower or nurturer of botany of any sort.

For some reason, God only knows why, I decided to try to grow the little cyclamen plant I received as a token of appreciation for a job well done on "Administrative Assistant's Day". That was April 23, 2008. I will have you know that not only did the little plant survive it has grown to three times it's original size and has been repotted. That was amazing until I came to work this morning and found that the tiny bud I saw when I left here on Friday had blossomed into a full flower! I have proudly shown off my prize to anyone who would listen and look because I am more amazed than anyone that I managed to grow this lovely bloom. So now I am showing a replica of it to you so that you all can see how my efforts have been rewarded.

I know it's a small triumph, but at my age you take what you can get! :)

Fall Cleaning

Happy Labor Day one and all. I am spending the day laboring because I really don't labor very much on the other days. I'm speaking of housekeeping, of course, because I must labor at my job or they wouldn't keep me. Since I already relaxed yesterday due to a change in our regular Sunday Schedule I decided to spend today doing the things I'm always going to "get around to". The dust is flying but the vacuum is sucking it up. The spiders are skeedaddling for cover or else dying in the attempt. The laundry is piling up from the cleaning cloths that are getting used up. I even washed down the back of the house, windows, screens and all and watered the lawn while I was out there.

Lest you think I am overdoing it you should be aware that I have a very unigue work schedule...I work awhile and play awhile...then when I am rested from my labors I work some more and then I sit and play some more, all the while planning my next work session. This seems to work for me. I can get more accomplished than if I try to do it all at once. I set the laundry going which makes me think I'm still working while I'm playing Spider solitaire of some other mindless game on the computer.

While dusting I came across my Yankee Candles and it makes me realize that fall is just around the corner and soon I will be using them again. Now that is a thought that keeps me on the right track.

Dinner with Friends

Last night I had dinner at a very good friend's house. She went all out with a wonderful 4-course dinner that was delectable to say the least. We started with salad and prosciutto wrapped scallops, yum. Followed by orange roughy, sauted asparagus and risotto. There were tasty garlic/oregano buns and a scrumptious lemon cake to follow. Thank goodness yesterday was a busy day and I had eaten very lightly while on the go so I had lots of calories saved up for dinner. I still went over a little, but not too bad.

The best part of the whole evening, however, was the conversation and laughter that we enjoy whenever we get together. My son and his wife were invited and the four of us had a great time of good food and scintillating conversation. (I learned a few things about my kids that I didn't know before..you know, those things they don't mention until they are older and away from home where you can't pound them). The time got away from us and it was late before I realized it. That, I think, is the proof of a great dinner party. Our hostess is a great cook, but an even better friend. Bon appetite!

Back to School - Already?

I can't believe summer is over for the school kids in our area. It's not even Labor Day yet! Still, Tim starts back to school tomorrow and he's counting on me to help him with the homework he's soon to have.

Thank goodness the first year of middle school is behind him and he has a better idea of what to expect this year. I expect smooth sailing for him because he is a bright boy. I'm glad he's really good at math and science because I think I'm a total loss to him in those departments at this stage of the game. It was fine until we hit Algebra. Science is just not that interesting to me. Give me English, Spanish or History and I can usually be of some help. Especially English or Literature, now there I feel really comfortable. Some of the best homework sessions we have is when he's doing his math and I'm reading aloud to him from whatever novel he has been assigned to read. Win-win!

I'm glad to be a part of Tim's life. It makes me feel younger to be anxious to hear how the first day of school went and learning what we have to look forward to in the school year. All time and effort spent in this endeavor is well worth it!

The Gas Problem - The Final Chapter

Remember all that belly aching I did about my gas bill problem over the past few months? The leak we found, the hassel of no hot water, etc. Well, today I received a gas bill that was for a full month that started after the problem was solved. I mean, a bill like I would have been receiving all along without a gas leak. Now, remember, my bills had soared over a year's time from about $65 to the most recent $90 which finally sent me scuttling to the gas company for help.

My bill this month was $11.71. Can you believe it????? I was stunned and relieved. I had to read it twice and check to make sure it was for a full month with no credits or double payments or anything weird. This is more like it. I can handle this! Yahooooooo! Hip Hip Hooray! Hallelujah!

Ok, I'm done now.

Shake, Rattle & Roll

Wow! What a ride...the flu bug bit me Sunday afternoon and it was not fun. Don't you hate that feeling when you're laying in bed and all of a sudden you feel a chill roll over your body? I've had chills to the point where I could not stop my teeth from chattering so when I start to feel the chill...it sends a chill of a different kind right up my spine. I was shaking like a leaf, trying to control the chill factor and began to realize the achiness was present as well, and the headache...oh man...the flu.....

Since my brother is still recovering from the West Nile virus we were all worried that I was headed for the same deal, but thank the good Lord it was only the 24 hour variety and as of today I am feeling almost up to par. What a bumpy ride that was!

Yummers!

Our ice cream shoppe adventure went very well. The drive was long, but since I was navigating I have only myself to blame...there was a shorter freeway we could have taken, but it was backed up so we opted to keep going. I believe it took us quite a bit out of our way, but who's to say we would have gotten there sooner on the backed up freeway? Anyway we eventually arrived and went in to see what was on offer.

Sweet corn Ice Cream! I kid you not. And, of course, it actually was ice cream with corn in it! We had to taste it because it was so unusual and I for one would not ever order it...I mean..vegetables and ice cream????? I ask you. That is just wrong!

The Green Apple Sorbet was delicious...I had pictured a lime green concoction, but instead it was minty green in color, light and very delicious. I ordered it and was very happy with my choice.

My son opted for an old faithful, peppermint, which was very good and he seemed completely satisfied with his choice.

My daughter-in-law chose the Rootbeer ice cream, which tasted very much like a rootbeer float (the crunchy parts where the ice cream freezes the rootbeer) very nice.

We would have loved to bring home a hand packed half gallon, but the drive was quite long and we felt the ice cream might not survive. Probably better for us calorie wise anyway...but all in all we had a good time. On the way home we took the shorter freeway and sure enough the traffic was backed up, but we were having a great time and the time went by quickly enough.

Would we go out to Fossleman's again? I think yes, if we were in the area and the weather was cooler so that we could bring home some of the good stuff. It's close to Pasadena and we do get out there from time to time, so...you never know.... :)

Ice Cream!

One of the best things about summer is ice cream! Although we enjoy ice cream in all the seasons of the year it just seems more satisfying and refreshing in the summer. This week we are setting off to try a new ice cream place that I heard of called Fosselman's. They have been in business since 1934 and have many, many flavors to choose from. The one I am anxious to taste is the green apple sorbet...sounds interesting. They also have Licorice and Green Tea flavors among many of the other well known favorites. So this Sunday, if all goes as planned, we're heading off to Alhambra to check it out. I'll let you know how it goes.... :)

Ahhhh, Saturday

Remembering Dad...

August 4th has always been a special day, Dad's birthday. I miss him again this year. If he was here he would be requesting a lemon cake with coconut frosting, home canned peaches on the side. Maybe I'll have to locate one and enjoy it in his honor. :)

Happy Birthday Haley B.!

I took the day off yesterday and celebrated with Haley B. on her seventh birthday. We had a great time. First we visited IHOP and enjoyed a marvelous breakfast (much better than my usual peanut butter toast and tea). We ate until we decided we'd had enough and then we mosied over to our favorite french shopping boutique "Target" (pronounced Tar-Jay)and found wonderful birthday presents for Haley, necessities for my house and, of course, the birthday book. It is my custom to buy presents for my niece and nephews for birthdays and Christmas and I buy toys or clothes or whatever they choose, and books. You can never have enough books and in this way I hope to encourage their reading. So far it has worked on the older child...he is an avid reader (YAY!). Haley is still trying to embrace the idea. :)

After shopping we went home to relax and enjoy the toys, eventually eat lunch and take a nap. Haley's brother joined us in late afternoon to catch a ride home. He had been staying with a friend in my area. Then we all went to Baskin-Robbins for an ice cream (I did not indulge) and over to my son's house to meet the bunnies. Haley had been looking forward to the bunnies all day and was so excited that she was a little too ansty for them so we didn't stay long. Finally I drove the kids home so that they could get ready to go to the Circus with their parents and grandparents. I went home exhausted, but Haley B. had a wonderful birthday. Mission accomplished!

All Shook Up

I was standing in the kitchen at work yesterday getting a glass of cold water when the kitchen began to rock and roll! Being a native of California I knew exactly what was happening and stepped into the nearest doorway to ride out the 5.4 earthquake that was shaking us up. It lasted about 20 seconds, but when your world is rocking 20 seconds seems like a long, long time, like it's never going to stop. I heard traffic signal equipment falling to the concrete in the warehouse. But it did stop and I began to hear hesitant voices calling each other's names and asking "Are you allright?"

After we had all assured ourselves that we were fine we hit the phones trying to locate our loved ones. This is standard procedure after an earthquake of this size so of course the phone lines were jammed for awhile and we couldn't locate anybody. Eventually, however, we were all able to get ahold of our loved ones and check for damage.

Then the stories began to roll in of where everyone was and what they were doing and how they felt when it happened. The phenomenons of weird experiences; seeing light poles swaying, driving with what feels like a flat tire, and the weirdest one I heard of a fluorescent tube shattering in a truck for no reason just a few minutes before the quake hit. The adrenaline rush lasted a few hours until we all decided we must get back to work. There is a lesson in this experience somewhere, I'm sure....something about not getting so caught up in ourselves that we forget to appreciate each other until something like this happens...or maybe just a reminder of how small a part we play in this huge universe. But whatever the lesson, I think we are all more appreciative of the little things we take for granted today. We're all a little more aware of how much we appreciate each other, and how much our loved ones mean to us.

After each "epi"sode we all eventually breathe easy again and laugh about the strange things that take place during earthquakes. An employee of our Texas office happened to be visiting yesterday who had never been in an earthquake and we laughingly said "Welcome to California!" as he described his experience (He was at lunch with the managers when it hit and they all took off running and left him sitting at the table, not realizing that he would not know what to do). Earthquakes are part of our lives and every so often they have to remind us that they are still there by shaking us all up.

Taking Control of the Utilities

Yahoo! I got my gas bill for last month and it was half of the previous month AND the problem was not solved until the middle of the billing cycle so I'm thinking that the bill for next month will be even better! Yahoo! I can't wait to see what that bill will be. All the inconvenience, the lack of hot water for almost a week, the mud in my driveway, the repairmen roaming about the place, etc...all worth it to see the lower gas bill!

Then I got to thinking about my "communication" bill. The one bill that covers my house phone (yes, I'm still in the dark ages), my internet connection and my long distance service has been continually growing even though I don't make very many long distance calls. So I contacted the company and whoa! Turns out I can get the same long distance service I've been paying $20 for now for $2 as long as I don't mind a ten cents a minute charge when I make a long distance call. Ten cents a minute! I ask you...doesn't that mean a 30 minute phone call would be $3.00???? Plus $2 makes $5. And when am I ever on the phone for 30 minutes???? So, with that changed I believe I will see a much lower communications bill as well.

Man, these people try to gouge you any way they can...well..that's it. I'm taking control. There are some things I can't do much about, but the ones I can do something about are under my scrutiny now. Watch out!

A New Goal...Enjoying the Research

Wow! Just when I had started complaining about no vacation time my son comes up with a brilliant, beyond brilliant idea. We should take a trip to England! Not this year and maybe not next, either, but we should start saving and planning now for a London vacation. We figure that half the fun will be researching and planning and saving towards our goal.

I have always been fascinated by Great Britain, and England in particular. I read voraciously and probably two-thirds of the books I read take place in England, are written by British authors or both. So I have picked up a smattering of information about all things British.

We began our research yesterday by having Sunday lunch at a restaurant in our town that serves British style cooking. My son, his wife and I enjoyed Cottage Pie, Cornish pasties and Steak and Ale meat pie, all with mashed potatoes with brown gravy and vegetables on the side. We tasted each other's entrees and found all to be very good. We even sampled a "pudding", which is dessert in the British Isles, which my son loved and his wife and I tasted, but decided not to waste the calories. It was just okay. We look forward to our next research dinner with anticipation. As we were waiting for the check the waitress sailed by with a basket full of something that smelled delicious and we were told it was "Cod fries". Can't wait for next time!

No vacation in sight....

It seems that everyone in my office is planning or has already gone on a vacation this summer. I, in the other hand, am not planning any time away from work. It's very heart wrenching to go to work day after day and realize that it will be a long time before you've racked up enough vacation hours to have a decent vacation.

I think it's harder for me because I used to have lots and lots of time away from the grind. After 20 years I had built up 4 weeks vacation, besides holidays and sick time, so it seemed I always had a surplus of days off to choose from. While I am not, I repeat NOT, complaining about my job the one drawback that I notice is that I never seem to have enough time off. Every week I turn in that 40 hours time card and the green on the vacation thermometer moves up just a hair.

It wouldn't be so bad if my co-workers weren't all taking off for places like Hawaii, the River, Bass Lake and Yosemite and coming back with wonderful stories to tell. And as I get older I realize there is a reason you get more vacation the longer you stay with a company...by the time you've worked up to 4 weeks you need it because you're old!

At this point I can only reiterate THANK GOD FOR BOOKS! It seems that my travels in imagination are the only ones I'll be having for awhile.

Hanging in there....

Birthday Bash

On Saturday I went to a marvelous birthday bash at the park. My son and his wife have birthdays a week apart so this year they decided to celebrate together with a big shindig at the park. They hired a taquero, a man who comes to the park with his grill and cooks amazing things to put into tacos as well as rice and beans. You could help yourself as much as you wanted for the three hours that he was there and we all ate more than we should have, I'm sure. There was also plenty of fresh fruit, watermelon and chips with salsa. It was wonderful! The theme of the party, other than the food, was luau-ish with huge Tiki mylars and a life size blow-up palm tree with an oasis at the bottom to hold ice and drinks. The cake was a pink luau pig baked by my son and decorated by his wife, yum! and very cute! The pinata was a 5' hula girl complete with grass skirt and long black streamers for hair. The children ejoyed running around with the hula girl head on after the pinata was broken. The goodie bags were filled with water pistols and silly string and there were water balloons to follow. Lots of family and friends attended and a great time was had by all. The weather was awesome...just cool enough to be enjoyable with a slight breeze...no mosquitos!...and as we were leaving at 9pm the sky was showing a lighting display as if to say Conratulations! and Happy Birthday! All in all, a huge success!

Ooohh Ahhhhh

Finally, hot water again! We never know the simple things we take for granted, like being able to take a hot shower, dry clothes in the gas dryer, cook on the gas stove and believe it or not....wash dishes! I was without hot water for almost a week and believe me I will be appreciating it for a while. There are ways to get around most of the problems you run into when there is no natural gas...clothes can be hung up to dry, cooking can be done in a toaster oven or microwave oven or even go out to eat, but showers...that's another story. And who wants to pack up and go to someone else's house just to take a shower?

It made me think how far we've come from the days when electricity and gas were not commonplace. When candles were precious and water had to be hauled up from a river or creek or well. When food was grown or bartered for instead of purchased at the nearest supermarket. It made me really glad I don't live in those days. I certainly enjoy my electricity, gas and running water right there in the house. So, as in all of life's hiccups, I have remembered to be thankful. And just think.....my gas bill will be so low this month! :)

A Wonderful 4th!

I enjoyed a wonderful July 4th this year. We started off with breakfast at Mimi's Cafe on a gift certificate that my son won in a fund raiser. Delish! Then after a restful afternoon (for me)I joined my son and his wife and her family for a barbecue in my son's backyard. Very nice. Since he lives within a mile of Angel Stadium and Disneyland we had our pick of firework displays to enjoy just by walking a few blocks out to the main boulevard. The weather was great and a good time was had by all. I came home to relax and still had my Saturday morning to look forward to. I really enjoyed myself.

I hope your holiday was wonderful too!

Gas Company Woes

I can't believe I'm feeling sorry for my landlord. Our relationship over the last nine years has not been the best. At times he has frustated me by his decisions and even violated my privacy by entering my home without permission. At one point he decided to repaint the exterior of the duplex and painted all our windows shut and splattered paint over all of our belongings outside the house merely because he didn't let us know they were coming to paint. He was verbally abusive when frustrated with his problems and I've seen him virtually throw a temper tantrum because he wasn't smart enough to be able to replace the hot water heater without help. This is a man in his 50's we're talking about. However, we eventually came to a satisfactory working relationship and these days we can even hold intelligent conversations and agree on some things. He has been a negligent landlord, but at least he doesn't hover, so I can live with that.

So, we come to yesterday. I had noticed my gas bill continually rising to astronimical proportions for the amount of gas I use so I contacted the Gas Co. to have a rep come out and check my appliances. No big deal, right? Wrong. The gruff, but civil, rep appeared and duly checked my appliances. After he shut them all off he said the meter was still running. Thus, a gas leak somewhere. He told me to contact my landlord to get a plumber to fix it and proceeded to turn off the gas and lock the valve. You'd think that would be an excellent plan. NOT!

My landlord was very quick to return my call that a plumber was on the way and he came quickly as promised. However, with the gas off and locked he was unable to locate the leak with a gadget he has called a "sniffer" which would take him 5 minutes. Instead he has a three hour job ahead of him under the house in 90 degree weather to test all the pipes at a cost to my landlord of over $1,000.00. The gas company will not return to turn the gas back on until the leak is repaired. It seems a law was passed February 1st of this year stating that the gas company is not required to do anything beyond the meter and they are allowed to turn off the gas until repairs are made irregardless to cost to little old ladies and drowning landlords. My landlord was of course very frustrated at the expense. He has grown a little, though, and spoke to me very graciously while berating the government and the gas company equally for the problem. To his statement "I wish you had called me first" I replied, " I don't normally call you when my bills are too high". and he acknowledged that, of course, that was true. No ranting at me! No shouting at me! We were actually commiserating with each other. I felt bad for him and his dilemma. I wish I had known before what I know now...but we can't turn back the clock. He said he could not get the repairs made late yesterday afternoon and I was happy to say "no problem, I can deal with it" and let him off the hook.

Now, grant you, I expect to see an increase in my rent in the next few months...what else....but at least for the moment I can understand how he feels. That, I believe, is progress....

July Heats Up....

Summer...there is no doubt that it's here. The weather has been in the 90's here in Southern Cal. July is a hot month, and it really warms up for me in another way because both my son, my daughter-in-law and my very precious great-niece all have birthdays in July. Plus, with the a/c on most of the day the electric bill will not be good.

However, tomorrow is the first of July and the electric bill is paid up and two major birthday presents are out of the way. My daughter-in-law spent her lunch hour today buying my son a birthday suit from his mother...not the first one I've ever given him (no pun intended). Thank goodness I have her to shop for me since she knows exactly what he wants and what size to get. The shop he likes is close to her job which made it very nice and the suits are very affordable, always a plus. Also, she needed a new phone so I was able to help with that, a chocolate maroon...hmmm...whatever that is. Two presents taken care of and two young people extremely happy. That only leaves Haley B, a very easy person to please when it comes to birthdays, and her birthday falls at the very end of the month so I have time to prepare. I'm feeling good about July.

July 4th is coming up, a holiday for me (yahoo!) and my son and his wife have invited me to brunch at Mimi's on some tickets they won from a fund-raiser. That sounds very nice to me. Also I am invited to their home for dessert in the evening with the Kaplan clan. I'm looking forward to a very nice holiday.

July 12th is the actual birthday bash for my son and his wife. They have hired a taquero (taco bar with agua frescas included) and purchased a huge pinata. There are to be water balloons and lots of family. It will be a great picnic to celebrate the birthdays and we're praying for good weather. Maybe I'll have pictures to post!

Anyway, Happy July and stay cool!

Goodbye to the Junk Car

There has been 1993 Dodge Intrepid parked in my driveway for over two years...yes...I know...procrastination is my middle name. My son drove the old clunker until he was able to get a new car and then it just sat there, unused for a long time. His friends called it "the green bomb". Almost a year ago we were cleaning out the garage and needed a place to store some rummage stuff. My son loaded up the inside of the old jalopy and there it has remained until this day.

But...it's time. The parking situation where I live is such that every space counts and since I now live alone I should not be taking up that much space. My son has graciously offered to "clear out" the old car and the "Junk My Car" people are coming to take it away while I am at work on Monday.

I will miss the old girl, she was a beauty in her day. I can remember when I first saw the Intrepid. A friend at work brought in a brochure. He knew I had been searching for the new car of my dreams and he brought me a picture of the Dodge Intrepid, a brand new line for Dodge. Wow! I was besotted. I remember the day I drove her off the lot like it was yesterday. I was in heaven! I can't tell you how many times people would admire her sleek beauty. She got much more attention than is usually granted to a new car, unless it is a luxury car.

Well, that was then. Now, she is covered with cobwebs and the paint is peeling. She has had her day "in the sun" and is now headed for the great junk yard in the...to tell you the truth I don't know where it is...I found it online! :)

Just Like Dear Old Dad...

My father may not be with me to celebrate Father's Day tomorrow, but I feel like I have the next best thing....a date with my son. A few years ago I wrote a poem for Dad and today I believe the poem has come true. In so many ways every day my son reminds me of my father...and that's a good thing.

“Just Like Dear Old Dad”

There’s an old saying, “She married
a man just like Dear Old Dad”
and for lots of folks that’s true.
But for me, if I had my druthers,
here’s what I’d like to do...

I’d raise my son to be a man
“Just like Dear Old Dad”
If he came to be just like him
I could never be so glad.

He’d grow up big and tall and strong
just like a big oak tree,
with a heart as big as Texas
and patches on his knees,

from hours spent in fervent prayer
for God’s will to be done.
And hands that help his neighbor
until the work is done.

He’d be a man whose word is truth
and honesty’s his law.
With a wealth of understanding
that’s free for one and all.

Of all the heroes in the world
any culture’s ever had
I want my son to grow up like
my loving, “Dear Old Dad”.

By Laurie Bray

Written for Frank Bray on Father’s Day, June 15, 1997

The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer...

School is officially out for the summer in my little corner of the world. To me this means fewer days of picking up Timothy and more days of doing whatever it is I need to do after work, even if that is just going home to relax. I leave work at 3pm so there are many hours left in the daylight to take care of lifes necessities and still have some time to take it easy. The days are mild and beautiful right now even though I know it won't be long before we feel the scorching heat of deep summer.

I picked Tim up afer school for the last time on Tuesday and we went to celebrate, him with a triple thick large chocolate shake and me with a vanilla ice cream cone (you can't beat McDonalds price if you don't mind soft serve). I will still pick him up from time to time but I won't be on a tight schedule to meet a bus. And no homework! Whoo Hoo!

It feels great to be home early and I know Tim is enjoying the relaxing, too.

Making Lemonade

This past week I had occasion to spend several hours waiting in a hospital, first for my sister-in-law to go into surgery and then to wait for the results. There is not a more boring occupation than waiting in a hospital, in my opinion. Because there are other relatives and friends waiting with you it's not very polite to read a book (my favorite pastime). The relatives that are available to talk to are usually not the ones you would choose (if you had your druthers) to make the time pass more quickly. But I got lucky...I had a very close friend waiting with me.

My very close friend is a friend of 30 years, a loyal and trustworthy friend, nearly a sister. Because of our busy lives we don't get the chance to sit and talk like we used to, to catch up on the latest news of our families' ups and downs. Once in a while a phone call that was brought on by another purpose will find us talking for awhile and I'm always amazed at how much has happened that I've missed. It's the kind of friendship that no matter how much time has passed since you've last spoken you know that the other one is thinking of you and when you come together again it's like you've never been apart.

We spent hours that night in the hospital waiting rooms, cafeteria and wherever else we needed to be just talking and catching up. It felt so good to be able to talk to someone who knows your deepest darkest secrets and loves you anyway. Someone that is not your family, because family loves you because you are family if for no other reason. To talk to someone you don't have to watch your words with because they understand your meaning and feel the same way.

So instead of counting the lemons (and hours) while waiting at the hospital and being all sour about it, I was able to have lemonade. And when her husband came in at the last and asked (as usual) if we had solved the problems of the world again, I felt very confident in saying, yes, of course.

The Flip Side of Youth....

Thank goodness Friday is here. It's been a long week, filled with a roller coaster of ups and downs, anxieties and relief, long days and short nights. But now....at last....it's the weekend!

I believe weekends were created so that we can recover from the work week. At least that's what I always seem to be doing. When asked what my plans for the weekend are my usual thought is "do I need plans?" No plan at all seems like a great way to spend the weekend.

Granted, for me Sunday is not a day off. By my own committment I spend most of Sunday involved in church activities. So that leaves Saturday. In an earlier post I expressed my feelings about Saturday so I won't belabor the point.

I guess what I'm getting at is that when I was young the weekends were meant for all the fun things I could handle and the work week was for recuperating from the weekends. As I get older those two things have switched places. Now I spend the weekend recuperating from all the activities I'm involved in throughout the week. My job takes up most of my day, but then there is homework with Tim, errands to run (Library, Bank, grocery store, Wal-Mart or Target, post office, etc), dinner with my kids if I'm lucky or dinner with friends, babysitting of the nephews and niece and all the fun stuff that goes with that. So by Friday night, instead of staying out late because there is no work tomorrow I am bushed by about nine o'clock and ready to hit the hay. But no, Miss Haley B. is still here with me so I will get to bed after she goes home. :) Not a bad life, but busy.

So, it's finally the weekend and I have no plans.....Heaven.

Crown Me...

Remember the post where I mentioned finishing my dental work before month end? Well...I did it! Yesterday was my final appointment until it comes time to do the cleaning again in December. I spent an hour in the dentist's chair yesterday while they installed the two crowns that completed my dental work. Thank goodness it's over. While I don't mind the dentist like some people, it isn't a pleasure to go there and the aftermath of dental work is always a "pain" to deal with. I'm lucky to have a great dentist and good insurance so I will not complain.

Having been "crowned" the guys at work are calling me the Queen. At last, the respect I deserve....:)

The Unknown Soldier - Memorial Day

In Arlington Cemetery there is a tomb dedicated to the Unknown Soldier, the soldier whose remains could not be identified, but whom we honor just the same. I memorized the poem you see at the left when I was a child and every time I recite it over the years I am touched afresh at the sacrifice of our military and their families. I feel a small part of the wrench the families must feel to receive news of a lost loved one and I am grateful that I have not known that experience in my life. Yet, I enjoy the freedoms that they have died to preserve. I have lost loved ones, not to war, but to disease and sickness, so I can imagine the pain.

This Monday we have set aside as a nation to honor our soldiers that have given their lives and are still giving their lives. While the backyard barbecues and picnics take place all over the nation there will still be soldiers on the battlefield. I will be saying a special prayer for our soldiers and leaders. I hope you will too.

Double Payments...

Today I bit the bullet and sent a (almost)double payment to my auto loan provider. It was a little bit scary, I tell you for sure. I've made double payments to creditors before, but never in this amount. It was also a little exhilarating as I began to see that in a little over a year the car would be paid off if I can keep up the momentum.

It's inspired me to get more gazelle intense than I have been lately. And to help me out, Shegazelle posted a notice of Dave Ramsey products on sale on her blog. The motivators have been ordered and are on their way to boost my intensity level. They are well worth the price (especially at half off). I find that if I start to lose energy in my journey to get out of debt all I have to do is pop in a Dave Ramsey FPU CD and it gets me right back on track. I'm up and running....Watch my speed!

Saturday Morning....

Saturday morning is my favorite time of the week. When someone says to me "Let's get together on Saturday," my first thought is, Not in the morning! All week long I get up at the crack of dawn (literally before the crack in the winter) and go to work. On Sunday I get up at a more leisurely time, but I still spend most of my day in getting ready for or attending church services. While it is a committment I willingly make, it is still a committment. Saturday is my only day to do exactly as I please. Therefore I am very stingy with my Saturday mornings.

I usually rise early, since I have a habit of it throughout the week, and putter around the house, doing a load of laundry, putting away some clothes or just messing around on the computer. I might read awhile or do a crossword puzzle, but nothing very much. Then sometimes I go back to bed and take a nap....Heavenly. The point is I can do whatever my heart desires with no committments to the outside world.

Lately there has been an added pleasure to my Saturday mornings. My son got married eight months ago and every Saturday morning that he is able he comes home for breakfast while his lovely wife gets to sleep in. Whether I cook for us at home or we take a drive and get breakfast somewhere while we are out, it is a time I look forward to all week long. It is the only thing I have found so far that I am graciously willing to give up my Saturday morning for.

We cherish our Saturday mornings as a time for us to keep in touch with each other, to hear about the joys and sorrows of the previous week. To talk as we can't talk to other people, completely, honestly from our hearts. It was just the two of us for so long that we jokingly sang "You and me against the world" and I miss him around the house. I am very happy that he has found a good wife and is happy in his marriage. But I am grateful that he is willing to give up his Saturday morning to spend it with me.

All Points Bulletin...

My dentist office called me today. Not for an appointment or to dun me for money. Not to explain any procedures or try to get me to try a new treatment. And not just to say Hi. They called me to see how I was. Now, I've been to the dentist off and on my whole life and not one has ever called back to see if I was treated properly or to ask me how I felt after a procedure. But today it happened to me. As I woman I know very slightly would say...there's a real good reason for that.

I spent four hours in the dentist chair Tuesday morning. I was gone from work so long that they were getting ready to send out the national guard to look for me. My family was leaving voice messages and emails all over the place trying to track me down. I was MIA for four whole hours and I only went to the dentist.

The crux of the matter is this...a few weeks ago my company announced that they were changing insurance companies as of June 1st. We had just finished open enrollment in April so this was quite a surprise. Well, I got to thinking about all those things I had been meaning to have done at the dentist office and how much time I had left to use up the existing policy. Dentist work is not cheap. So I decided to use up the benefit on my old policy while it was still good and then come June 1st I would have another company and a brand new police to use.

With that thought in mind I called my dentist and explained the situation. They scheduled me immediately and I had four fillings and two temporary crowns taken care of all at once. They had to let me have a poddy break for heaven's sake! Of course a few other patients were tended to while I was numbing up, or having x-rays or waiting for the clay in my mouth to make a good impression. But all in all I was there 4 hours.

So, today...they called to see if I had survived. I laughed and told them, of course, I'm tough. They breathed a sigh of relief and that was that. But I got a good laugh out of it. :)

Mother's Day

I am so blessed to have a wonderful extended family. This year my son and his wife spent Mother's Day with her mother (by pre-arrangement, next year is my turn) and I was invited to have lunch with my brother's family. We had a very nice time, ate too much, laughed alot and enjoyed the children. They are always sweet to include me in any family gathering. I received very nice cards from all the kiddies who, when I thanked them, each whispered "Mom picked it out". Credit where credit is due, I guess. :)

Then tonight, also by pre-arrangement, I had a lovely dinner with my son and his wife at their home. They are very good hosts and treat me like a queen. We ate barbecued ribs with all the fixings and cheesecake drizzled in chocolate sauce (drizzled is a relative word, it was more like drenched) and whipped cream...so lucious....and laughed alot. The card they gave me was precious. I am very blessed to have such a wonderful son and daughter-in-law.

For all the years I've spent taking care of my son when he was ill, making sure he got to school and band practice, spending all the extra money there was on his clothes, doling out more "life lessons" than he could absorb, attending every concert or performance possible and generally just loving him and tryin to be a good mom....it's paid off. I am reaping benefits more abundant than any sacrifice on my part. Happy Mother's Day to me.

IRS Supplemental Check arrives....

A lovely sight met my eyes this morning when I checked my bank account. There was my IRS supplemental payment boosting my balance! Every little bit helps and $600 will really boost my emergency fund. Whoo Hoo!

Two Months Later....

March 7th I sent off what I thought was to be an end to my association with Wal-Mart credit department. I sent a letter and a check closing my account. That was the beginning of the nightmare....

By March 20th, the day the monthly payment was due, the check had still not cleared my account so I called and asked what the hold up was. They said my account was definitly closed but they had no idea where my check was. "It might have been shredded", was the response I got and "wait seven more days" to see if it would clear. On March 24th I received a letter from Wal-Mart that closed my account and said I still had the same balance. I knew I was in trouble. I called my bank and stopped the missing check. Then on March 28th, three weeks after the check was mailed, Wal-Mart found and deposited the check. On the 29h, thinking that I had taken care of the first check I went into the store and gave them another check for the full amount (over $1000) to close the account.

On my way home I stopped at the bank to deposit my state tax refund and found that the first check had been processed regardless of my stop payment. I hurried home and called the bank. They said the check was off by one digit so they didn't catch it in the stop payment. So I immediately stopped the check that I had just dropped off in the store, the second time I had to pay $25 to stop a check! Now I had to wait and see what happened.

A few days later the bank reversed the first check and put the money back into my account. The second check never hit my account and was stopped by the bank. I waited a week and then mailed the third check for the full amount to Wal-Mart. This check was deposited in a timely manner and cleared by bank with no problems. Now I waited for the statement that I knew would come with all sorts of stupid charges on it that I would have to ask them to remove.

Yesterday I got the statement and called Wal-mart. They had posted two returned check charges, one late fee and finance charges on everything. I was very polite and explained the situation to the pleasant speaking employee. She finally understood after about 5 minutes and said she could remove the returned check charges but that was it. I told her that I would not pay a late fee when I had been trying to pay off the account all month, way before payment was due. She put me on hold for 3-4 minutes (a very long time) and finally came back to say that her manager would refund the late charge but there was nothing to do about the finance charges. I said..$23.00!!!" You can't remove $23.00?" She said no, there was nothing they could do to which I said, Yes, you can. You can remove the finance fee as well.

She wondered, not very politely now, if I would like to speak to her manager and I said, yes, of course! Another 3-4 minute hold ensued in which I'm sure she was hoping I would just hang up, but I waited. Finally she came back on the line and said that her manager was waiving the finance charges as well. I said, "So you are telling me that my balance is now $0.00, is that correct?" to which she replied, "Yes, ma'am" and I said, "Thank you very much and have a nice day."

I was exhilarated! It only took 2 months and $50 to be free of Wal-mart credit. I thought about asking them to pay my stop payment charges, but decided I better not push my luck!

Equal Time

After my post of yesterday about my wonderful son being the best mother's day present ever my daughter-in-law emailed me, first of all to find out what aplomb means, and secondly with the question, "So, does that mean I am the second best mother's day gift you've ever received?" My answer was instant....of course! And I guess what follows is that when they have children they will be third and fourth and so on.

The point is that she was right. I couldn't have asked for or even ordered a better daughter-in-law. She's thoughtful, kind, considerate of all my foibles (believe me there are many) and puts up with my old fogey ways without too much fuss. We have good times together even when my son is not around, and sometimes because he is not around. :) She's not afraid to contradict me and sometimes gets a real joy out of proving me wrong--all in good fun. She's witty and fun to be with, but most of all she loves my son with all her heart and it shows. She has become a very important part of my family and by now I think she knows it.

So here's to Sara! Equal time has been granted.

May Thoughts

It seems impossible that tomorrow will be May. As I get older the days seem to race past me...well, not exactly race...it's more of a relay race with the hours between 7am and 3pm doing the turtle strut. But the rest of the time flies by as if on the wings of eagles. May is the last ditch effort at wonderful weather before summer takes it's toll. I despise the heat so I am hanging on to May for dear life.

May also brings Mother's Day, a day I have loved for 22 years. My son is a very thoughtful young man. He is always very good to me, but on Mother's Day he makes an extra effort to make me feel special. I'm sure he is aware that the best mother's day present I ever got was on July 2, 1985 at 1:50am, the day he was born. It was a record breaking hot and miserable July that year, but who noticed? Not me! I was in the air conditioned hospital saying hello to the love of my life. 22 years later he is happily married (I must have done something right) and still the most important person in my life. I am blessed to have a great daughter-in-law who is also very good to me. She puts up with all my inhibitions and idiosyncrasies with great aplomb. Bless her!

May brings those beautiful flowers that the April showers are supposed to bring and along with it allergy season...oh well...you can't have everything. Welcome May! Put on your finest array and let us enjoy!

OMG!

So, I stopped at the gas station yesterday because I was very low on gas and about fainted. $63 to fill up my 17 gallon tank!!!!! I'm thinking it's time to get on the band wagon with my niece, Shegazelle, and figure out ways to conserve my fuel. I already drive like a turtle so I think I have to give up those short hops on and off the freeway in the afternoon. I think speeding up to get on the freeway must use a lot of gas and if I just stick to the side streets I'll be better off. Freeway? you say...there's no freeway between your job and your house. And you would be absolutely right, however, I pick up my 13 year old nephew and bring him home with me and there there are two freeways between his house and mine! I'll either have to stock up on "his kind of music" or get a book on cd that we can both enjoy while we plod along. :)

Celebratory Dinner

Last night my wonderful neice and nephew took me out to dinner in appreciation for helping with the children. As if I needed to be rewarded! But, it was very nice and I accepted. I was celebrating my lack of credit card debt so it seemed an opportunity to do both. We had a very nice dinner at the Olive Garden and I ordered the Chicken Gnocchi Veronese which I love and rarely get a chance to have. I have purchased the kind you can get from the grocery store in vacuum packed packages and added my own sauce, but it doesn't compare to the one they serve at Olive Garden. YUM! It was delicious and I had a very nice time with the family. I feel really blessed.

Today's the Day!

In the words of a famous rabbit..."He bidged, he badged, he budged! Today is the day!" I mailed the last credit card payment today. That's it. I'm done with credit cards! It feels soooo good not to have those payments hanging over my head. I can't tell you how many years I have been paying on credit cards. While I am not very different from most people, I still feel a sense of shame at my stupidity. However, that is in the past. I am a smarter, more savvy, less gullible member of society these days. 90 days is NOT the same as cash!

I was counting up today and it has been one year and three months since I started on this journey to get out of credit card debt and I am so happy to be free! I have practically freed up my greatest wealth building tool. Now it is time to roll that snowball over onto the car payment and get rid of that one as quickly as possible. Then on to building up the emergency fund and retirement.

Happy, Happy Day!

Smooth Sailing

Well, folks, the weekend has been smooth sailing for me after all. I helped a little with the child minding, but mostly the grandparents were up to the task. I have had a quiet weekend. I did some shopping that needed done and puttered around the house a bit. Saturday night Tim came to stay over and today Haley is visiting, but at the moment she is quietly napping so even my Sunday afternoon is peaceful. I heard from my own children and the travelers have come home safely so all is well. I hope you had a nice weekend,too!

Hold on to your Hats!

Hold on to your hats, folks, we're in for a bumpy ride. This weekend my neice and nephew are leaving town for a much needed weekend away. Since her parents (and back up child minders) are having a few medical issues I have volunteered to help with the three children. If the grandparents are not feeling well I will have all three children for the entire weekend. Good thing I already read the Series of Unfortunate Events, huh? I am prepared!

I love the little tikes, and everything will go smoothly, I'm sure. I just feel tired ahead of time knowing that I have forfeited my weekend. Still, it's all in a good cause. And just think how happy the rug rats will be to see their long lost parents again and how much more they will appreciate them. I am very close to the little buggers on a regular basis so I'm sure we will have loads of fun....or laundry, one of the two!

On a final note, I am very happy to have the lovely children in my life. They are a joy to me and give me hours of pleasure with their antics and their love. And I get to read to them! This week Haley (6 years old) and I are reading Six by Seuss, some of Dr. Seuss's most famous stories. Tim and I are reading "The Clay Marble" and Jayden, well...he doesn't read yet, but I'm sure he'll sit with me for a short book.
Wish me luck!

My Space

It seems most of my family, friends and acquaintances are jumping on the "My Space" bandwagon. I understand the enjoyment it brings to people to connect with one another and express themselves in their own way. I, on the other hand, am content with my blog. This, in essence, is my space. Here is where I write about whatever pops into my head, post poetry that makes me happy and show pictures that express my feelings of adventure. It doesn't reach the same number of people as a "My Space" account does, but then, I am content with less.

Thanks to those of you who check my blog. I hope that once in a while you find something interesting to read on "my space".

Armchair Traveler

Today I am visiting Martha's Vineyard...no, not really, only in my mind. But I have a pretty clear picture of what it looks like because I'm reading a series of books that take place on Martha's Vineyard and it is described to me as I read book after book in the series. Besides that, I get curious about the places described and look them up on the internet.

I have always longed to see other places, but am too timid to leave the comfort of home to do it. So, the next best thing is to read about the places I want to see. For some reason my "journeys" have taken me mostly to Great Britain. Of course, many places in the United States as well, but when I think of traveling I usually think of actually leaving the country I'm in. I sometimes think I could recognize Picadilly Circus or Hyde Park if by some miracle of science fiction I was beamed there. In Britain there would be no language barrier even though, believe it or not, they speak English much differently than we do here in America. I've read enough books written by British authors that I feel I would understand them quite well. In fact, some of their sayings creep into my conversations from time to time without me realizing it.

While my journeys only last while I'm actually reading, I feel like I've been transported for a little while to a different way of life. Today Martha's Vineyard....tomorrow....who knows?

The Next Installment...

One of my favorite experiences is to discover a new author that I enjoy. This is especially a treat if the author has a series of stories using the same characters and I can start at the beginning and follow the progress of the protagonist through many episodes and become so familiar with their lives that I feel as though I really know them.

There is only one hitch....it takes a very long time to write a book. As I come to the end of a series as it stands I realize I will have to wait for the author to write the next book in the series and wonder if there will be one! I don't begrudge the authors the time it takes to write the book...my goodness...I couldn't write one. But, as a result, I am usually waiting for the next installment on several authors' works. Since I am an avid reader the number has grown immensely over the years.

Every so often I browse Barnes and Noble.com to see who has a new book out and many times, to my happy surprise, there is a new book in the works for one of my favorite authors. Now I only have to wait for it to show up on the New Books section in my Public Library! While I don't need to buy books (I'm getting out of debt!) I don't mind $1.50 every so often which the price to rent a brand new book for a week.

So, I guess what it boils down to is...I'm a serial reader!

Automation

We've all heard how that some day our jobs will all be replaced by machines or robots and I think it's a little far fetched. But sometimes when I have to deal with automatic answering and information announcing systems I start to think they might have a point. When you finally make it through the labyrinth of numbers and reponses to an actual person the first thing they ask you is if you used to automated system and then they tell you about more automated systems to solve your problem. Even the U.S. Postal service charges you more money if your envelope is the wrong width or dimensions to fit their machine slots.

This week I finally dealt with the problem of the missing payment. Early in March I announced the death of a credit card account and mailed the payment off to end my debt to that company. To this day they have not deposited the check. I got a reply to my "close this account" letter saying that they had closed the account but that I had a balance due. How did they get the letter and not the check????? So...being told by the wonderful customer service rep (she really was nice) that I should wait seven more days for the check to clear I decided it was time to take action. Three weeks to deposit a check? I ask you...

I called my bank and asked them to put a stop payment on the check which they were happy to do for a mere (sarcasm) $25 bucks! After explaining my situation the lady offered to sign me up for a program where I could go online myself and pay bills so that this would never happen again. "It only costs about $6 or $7 a month and it's great. I use it all the time. And the stop payments are free!"

Let me get this straight....I can pay $7 a month for 12 months and get free stop payments (which I have used twice in my lifetime of 52 years) for a total of $84.00 or I can send out my car payment, insurance, rent, gas and electric bills for...hmmm...let's see...five times $.41 is $2.05, times 12 is $24.60 a year. Yeah, I don't think so. I think I can still write a check and mail it for that price.

This is the first payment that has ever gone astray for me and if I was a betting person I would bet that the reason it went astray is because it was not in the designated payment envelope and there was more than one transaction in said envelope. Even though the payment address was the same and I specifically wrote "payment center" on the address it still did not fit the criteria for the most likely "automated system" at the other end. The poor schmuck that received my envelope took the letter out and decided that nothing else could possibly be important enough not to shred. Thus, my predicament today.

I think I will go in person to the department store and make a payment "in house". That's my best option to make sure that my payment arrives safely and is recorded. Automation can be good...I love my ATM card...but it can be a curse, too. Automatons may be the wave of the future but real people can never really be replaced.

Happy Easter

I love Easter because it celebrates life. This morning at Sunrise Service as we received communion I was made thankful again for all that the Lord did for us when He gave His life on the cross. With my family gathered around me, the little ones bundled up against the cold morning air, we watched the sun rise on a new day...another day to celebrate the fact that He is risen and because of that we now have hope of a life everlasting.

I have plans to be with my family today and there are treats for the kids. I will celebrate the life that He paid so dearly for. I will enjoy the beautiful lilies that grace the altar this morning in worship service and remember His sacrifice. I will sing about the "Old Rugged Cross" and be glad that it didn't end there. He's alive...and it's good to be alive, too, on this Happy Easter day.

Happy Easter to all!

Welcome Spring!

While I don't have a green thumb myself, I certainly appreciate the results of others' efforts. The riot of color when you walk by a well tended garden is appreciated as much by me as the person who toiled to make it so, only because I do know how much work it takes and have watched the work being done from the haven of a cool house.

You see, when I was young I made a pact with my mother who was an avid gardener. Saturdays when everyone else was made to work in the yard (we had a huge one and it took all of the family to keep it up)I opted to clean the entire house instead of doing yard duty. I have always loathed dirt and bugs, two things that definitely go with gardening. I don't enjoy being hot and sweaty, either. You can imagine how much I despise them when I tell you it was better for me to clean an entire house and bring iced tea to the yard workers than to have to get out there myself.

Of course, when the yard was beautiful with freshly mowed grass and lovely flowers and the garden was yielding all those wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables I enjoyed them as much as the people who had actually been out there working.

The entire family cut grapes one summer to help raise money and I had nightmares for years about the spiders and the heat and sand, leaning over the hot trays to spread out the grapes to dry. At one point I was working with my brother and he had three Black Widow spiders on him. I was terrified. My mother calmly flicked them away. Mother and father grew up with the "Grapes of Wrath" people, the migrant workers that came over from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to work in the fields and orchards. They didn't think it was a big deal to cut grapes for a few weeks to make some much needed money. I, for one, am very glad those days are gone.

So, I welcome Spring. Bring on the flowers and grass, the fruit and vegetables, the new life all around us. Just, please, don't ask me to weed it!

Respectfully submitted.