The Idiot Child~~

I have a plant in my kitchen window that needs repotting.

I found some older potting soil in the barn today that needed some breaking up and rehydrating before I could use it.

I found an unused pot in the barn to repot said plant and filled it with clods of potting soil. I took this pot to the kitchen and broke up the dirt and filled the pot with some water to make the soil workable. Awhile later it was dinner time for the retarded fur faces and after filling their bowls with food on the front deck I went to the kitchen to fill their water bowl. I grabbed the wet dirt pot from the sink and took it out to the deck to the picnic table. The golden retriever son and the german shep-mix daughter both thought I had brought them a bowl of dessert. I showed Annie the bowl and she turned and left. Snowshoe wanted to see the bowl too! I showed the idiot child the bowl and he took a bite~~~

Did you know retrievers can spit?

My Life Lessons and Sunday Funnies~~

I feel like I have a hangover, without all the happy memories and mystery bruises.

This has been some week!

Somehow I think our bodies sometimes slap us

down with sickness just so we have time to reflect?!?

Some lessons and thoughts from this week....

I'm not half the person my dog believes me to be,

but because he keeps believing that I am~ I keep trying to be as good as he believes me to be.

I've learned: that loving someone doesn't mean you should be with them.Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

No one is in charge of my happiness except me.

What other people think of me is none of my business.

Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

I am too blessed to be stressed.

My job won't take care of me when I am sick. My family and friends will. Stay in touch.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

The best is yet to come.

Some signs that made me giggle.....

Have an awesome Sunday!

New baby!~~~

So everyone~~~~

Meet Cassity!

I got the phone call yesterday that he was ready to be

released from the Kitty Rescue Hospice.

He had a run in with what they believe may

have been a raccoon or nutria. He is so sweet and such a

mellow guy!

So far Shoeshoe thinks he is the puppies meow and

Annie is still outside. She is a little pushy and I think I'll give him a few hours to settle in before I let her Mother him. He isn't quite sure what to think of dogs yet.

Now~ Squash is all hissy fitty lol. He has never seen another cat except brother Buddah. I'm curious how the next few days will unfold. I'm hoping they will all become fast friends!

He seems to like my bed and any and all window sills.

I think he will be just fine......

First Real Meal...

Well this evening I got my appetite back! After a week of cooking nothing more than a piece of toast or a cup of soup... this evening I got the urge for something spicy, garlicky and yummy. I had actually cooked up a bunch of chicken breasts last night but wasn't really hungry so I used them to make Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas!

Oh gawd I AM the Most Humble Goddess of the Kitchen!

Smell it????

On the Mend....

Made it to work today,,, and lasted all day!

Pups were happy to have their dog parties back, I was happy to hit the sheets after feeding them when I got home. Man I was whooped. Got a great nap and now I might actually make it through LOST!

My Nursemaid...

Still down but dammit I'm not out. Going to maybe try going back to work tomorrow. Feeling under the weather is the way my body lets me know that it's time to take a break. It's best to be easy on myself at times like this and not to keep pushing onward. Learning to pay attention to and respect my body is part of the process of becoming more mindful.

And I had a darn grand nursemaid today. He never fights me for the remote!

Out Sick

Well dear readers.. I hit the 10,000 hits mark

and I can't even enjoy it.

[Insert a whaaaaa here]

I am sick and will check back in a day or so.

Hugs to all and a smooch on the cheek.

Sobering day~~ but clean!

I'm afraid I am at a loss for many words about the events at V Tech.

My heart is heavy for the families of the victims and the shooter. It's just a sorrowful day.

But on a little lighter note.... I won't stink tomorrow.

It's DONE! And my uni is clean.....

Sometimes the little joys in life help.....

Tomorrow~Laundry Day!

Molding is DONE DONE DONE

Tomorrow is appliance day

And a weeks worth of dirty clothes lol

It passed the lazy Squash test...

He is such a grand supervisor.

Sticky Situation

I got the floor leveled today...

But I had a little help from a friend...

The culprit The damages.....

Little shithead!
Floor is glued in and tomorrow is installation of the molding
wooohoooohooooooooooooooo

And my thoughts on

Bro-in-law's Camera finesse

Thoughts on Taxes...

"It's income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil,

and stab yourself in the aorta."

-Dave Barry

If all tax advisers were laid end to end, they would not reach an opinion.

In tax rules, miscellaneous is always the largest category.

Where there's a will there's a tax shelter.

A penny saved is bound to be taxed.

If the chance of getting a tax audit is 1000 to 1, why is it 50/50 that it will be you?

A detailed analysis of tax strategy usually reveals that the best time to take positive tax action is last year.

There are two sides to a debate on tax: until you take one
For every tax problem there is a solution which is straightforward, uncomplicated and wrong.

Due to taxation, politicians find it increasingly difficult to reconcile their net incomes with their gross habits.

Golf is a lot like taxes -- you drive hard to get to the green and then wind up in the hole.

Isn't it appropriate that the month of the tax begins with April Fool's Day, and ends with cries of "May Day!"?

Do your tax return before breakfast and nothing worse will happen to you all day.

A fool and his money are soon parted. The rest of us wait until income tax time.

George Washington never told a lie, but then he never had to file a Form 1040.

["The IRS is concerned that if the taxpayers begin deducting the cost of gasoline to drive to the post office to mail their returns, the Treasury will be bankrupt in no time..."]

Foul~Fowl~Grin

The Roadrunner was feeling very amorous one day, and since there were no other female roadrunners around, he decided to look around.

He happened to spot a lovely dove. Bzzzzzz... down he goes and feathers are flying, lots of dust in the air and the dazed dove is lying there with a smile and says, "I'm a dove and I've been loved!"

The Roadrunner is still not satisfied.

He spots a Lark flying around and zooms down on her. Again, feathers are flying around and dust is in the air and the dazed Lark is lying there and said, "I'm a Lark and I've been sparked"

The Roadrunner is still not satisfied and spots a Duck.

He zooms down and again feathers are flying and a lot of squawkings and dust flying in the air, and the roadrunner takes off.

The Duck is lying there really pissed off, and says

"I'm a Drake and there's been a mistake!"

Getting there....

Well the laundry room saga continues....

After the washer decided to explode Easter evening.. and the mop up was finished, I decided it was time to do some longggg overdue repairs to the laundry room. As you will see below it was in a sorry state. Years of dampness seeping into the floor at the door had caused some major dry rot. Once upon a time my younger brother was coming in the back door and went right through the flooring. I just patched the damned thing as I had numerous kids in college at the time and figured awwww someday.... well someday arrived! I just didn't know just how bad is was till I ripped up the flooring......

Hehehe notice the spare piece of blue Formica? this was to keep Squash the Curious out of the floor joist area.
My heart sunk as I pulled up the first layer of floor... Dry Rot.. the bane of any homeowner.


Took some doing.. and geometry... But the insulation was replaced and the new flooring cut to size.
At this point I was second guessing my choice to paint the paneling.. but it worked out.. but took 3 coats.

I think I am REALLY going to like the new linoleum!


It is so amazing how much bigger the "cave" feels.

Needless to say... dinner at in the dining room is out of the question for a few days...been just pissing rain and cold during this little home improvement.
I HAD to hang SOMETHING up on the wall lol.
The back door will be replaced very soon.. I have to order it... and a new Squash door too!

Gawd I'll be glad to be rid of this 28 year old flooring! Only spot it still survives in the house is this hall and the laundry room... but I have to wait till Sunday to do the flooring. After that replacing the bottom molding, Tuesday the new appliances arrive, and then I'll post completed pics! This has been a huge chore, but I do feel as though I have accomplished something. I think the painting was hopefully the biggest hurdle!

Comma,

The older I grow, the less important the comma becomes. Let the reader catch his own breath.

Im taking a few to just breathe. Why is it when you undertake a project it all goes smoothly in your head but when you start that said project it takes on a life of its own? Doesn't it know I am the alpha female? Doesn't it know that I am trying to give it life? Doesn't it know that I only get just so many hours in the day? Doesn't it know that my step stool only lets me reach to within 2 inches of the freakin ceiling?

Do any of you happen to know where the hell my BIG ladder ran off to?

Sigh

Under Construction

I will be pretty much gone the next few days. My washing machine exploded Easter evening and now I am ripping out the floor and sub floors in the laundry room. Thought I might as well replace the floor and paint in there while I had it empty. The flooring has been a woe for a few years anyhow so I'm trying to fix the room up before the new washer arrives Tuesday. Wish me luck!

Can you image ~~Cheese Doodle in a tool belt?

In a Fog~Picture from the Land of Awwww

OK~~

It is a rain or shine hike but...

It's so foggy out

I had trouble seeing to the bottom

of the stairs on the deck

I love my friends
I love Linda

But I am not going to break my neck for them

And If I can't take pictures....

Well ok~

My bad...

But-

My Bed?

Warm!

Happy Toasty Easter

{yes I am a whimp but I am rested}

"Until one has loved an animal,

part of their soul remains unawakened"

Saving The Easter Bunny...

A man was blissfully driving along the highway, when he saw the Easter Bunny hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the Bunny, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of his car and was hit. The basket of eggs went flying all over the place.
The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road, and got out to see what had become of the Bunny carrying the basket. Much to his dismay, the colorful Bunny was dead. The driver felt guilty and began to cry.
A woman driving down the same highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong.
"I feel terrible," he explained, "I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny and killed it. There may not be an Easter because of me. What should I do?"
The woman told the man not to worry. She knew exactly what to do. She went to her car trunk, and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead Bunny, and sprayed the entire contents of the can onto the little furry animal.
Miraculously the Easter Bunny came to back life, jumped up, picked up the spilled eggs and candy, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped on down the road. 50 yards away the Easter Bunny stopped, turned around, waved and hopped on down the road another 50 yards, turned, waved, hopped another 50 yards and waved again!
The man was astonished. He said to the woman, "What in heaven's name is in your spray can? What was it that you sprayed on the Easter Bunny?" The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said:

"Hair spray.

Restores life to dead hair.

Adds permanent wave."

And some easter funnies!

I recieve the sweetest gift today.. The new Deli on my route gave me an Easter Basket! The owner thanked me for spreading the word when they opened... I thanked him for yummy soup and a clean bathroom lol....

Sunrise Hike?

You may find this incredible, but I can predict the future. I can tell you with great certainty that this Saturday, the day before Easter, my phone is going to ring.

It will be my friend Linda.

"Cheesy,'' she will say, "come hike with me up Spencer Butte tomorrow!''

I can tell you this because this is exactly what happened last year. And the year before. And the year before that.

The Easter morning, sunrise, rain-or-shine hike up Spencer's Butte is a hard and fast tradition among folks at work. Linda’s annual attempts to bring me along are part of her ongoing effort to enrich my life through physical activity (aka "suffering'').

The thing is, I have a lot of great qualities, but I don't "do'' uphill hikes in the dark. So, basically, the only reason I ever step to the base of this butte at dawn is because Linda drags me there.

But I never go without a fight.

So last year, when Linda called to invite me, I gave my usual excuses:"Linda, I'm so tired! I have fences to mend. I need to hide eggs for the wee ones. And sunrise is so early. And I don't even like walking in the dark let alone hiking in it.''

These excuses have never stopped her.

"Oh, but it will be so brisk, and we'll drink hot tea at the top - and you can take pictures!''
Pictures? I could take my camera? Why hadn't I thought of that. Suddenly this hike sounds interesting.

And that is how I found myself shivering in the parking lot of Spencer Butte at 5:00 last Easter morning.
As we began the hike, I followed the group and tried to keep from tripping over tree roots in the murk of dawn while I reminded myself of Linda's promises of hot tea and picture-taking.

I soon discovered, however, just exactly how out of shape I was. I had recently bid off my walking route due to Dr.’s orders. . It made me sad to think after years of walking at least 7 and up to 12 miles daily, how quickly the body forgets how to work properly. I had to stop several times to catch my breath on the way up, and by the time I reached the top, I was feeling a little queasy.

But as I stood there, watching the sunrise and fumbling to operate my camera through my gloves, I realized the queasiness wasn't going away. Actually, I felt downright sick.

"Linda,'' I croaked (I was shaking pretty badly now), "I think I have to throw up.''
"What?''
"I think I have to throw up!''
"Are you sure?''
"Yes! I have to throw up!''

She dragged me away from the group to a secluded spot. And before I could even find the presence of mind to bend over, I tossed my proverbial "Easter cookies'' all over the last of the dirty snow.
Gross.
At the time, I thought that nobody except poor Linda witnessed this horrendous scene, but as I looked up from the sickening puddle in the slush, I saw a red-haired, bearded man sitting on the rocks above us: another hiker who was not in our party.
As I looked up at him, he stared back at me with the eyes of someone who has just witnessed a train wreck and really, really wants to look away, but can't.
Dear bearded man who had to watch me toss my memorable Easter chunks: I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. Trust me.

Since that fateful day, Linda has offered many helpful suggestions for how I can avoid this problem next time I hike Spencer Butte. (Notice how she assumed there would be a next time.)
"Maybe it was too early in the morning for your body," she said. "Maybe you were dehydrated."
I am an early riser so I doubt on that point she is right. But I am not going to give myself the opportunity to find out.

Honestly, though, I am glad that I have friends like Linda who get me to try things I would otherwise not likely try. My life would be pretty gray without them.

And I have to say, it really was a gorgeous sunrise. The crisp air, morning light and falling mist thru the light fog made for some great pictures. I would encourage anyone who enjoys hiking and getting up at unholy hours to grab some friends and make the trek up Spencer Butte this Easter morning.

I'll be cheering you on - as I lie at home in my warm bed.

Say "hi'' to Linda for me.

Thursday Thinker....

And I wonder why my taxes are so high......

Nancy Distracted Me!

So I was rejoicing in the fact I got the day off... catching up on the blogs I adore and getting ready to start on the old taxes.

But...

Then I land on Miss NancyPants blog. I love writing challenges and this one was short and sweet. Perfect!

Yet... I make a comment that led me to go into my picture files. Gawd I am so easily distracted..

It's a sickness I tell you!

So here is one of my comments and here is where it leads me.

OK back to the taxes... somebody please just kidnap me?

Retrievers are just exceptionally golden marshmallows.

Seemingly Boneless Cat

I started this post a year ago right after Thanksgiving. That is when I had to put my beloved cat Ginzu down, but then acquired the kitten brothers. I am glad I found this. My family treasured her.

We had to put her down the other day, the petite cat that had been around for 17 years.
Now in the house that she patrolled daily for vermin, a little of the background music is gone. And I am suddenly missing, of all things, a cat.
Ginzu was a good cat, don’t get me wrong.
She had only 15 personalities, far fewer than most cats. Far fewer than many of the people I work with.
There was the docile cat and the attack cat, the amorous cat, the loud cat. She could be Britney Spears one moment and Sarah Vaughan the next.
She could be a street corner junkie. She could be a fading beauty queen.
We acquired her during a little league baseball game back in the 20th century, which was a pretty darn good century, looking back on things now.
The kitten was being passed around by a bunch of little urchins during one of my boy’s evening baseball games.
You know the urchins, the little brothers and sisters who play in the bleachers and harass the snack bar moms during an older sibling’s game. I helped birth about half of this particular group. They spend the game getting as dirty as humanly possible. Dickens would have loved them.

{N. and J. circa 1988}

Anyway, during this particular game, one of the urchins showed up with a homeless kitten, a little blotchy gray and tan morsel with green eyes.
They passed the cat from kid to kid to kid, trying to figure out if there was any way of scamming some parent into taking home a fine kitten like this. Heck, you could look into this kitten’s eyes and see she was a person of remarkable character.
“See this cat?" my little girl asked her Daddy; she was 8 then.
“No.” he said.
“Daddy, I’m holding a cat.” she said.
“No.” he said.
I remember the season more than most. My boy was also 8 [a twin to the girl child], a kitten himself, and playing against 12-year-olds. Some of those 12-year-olds were like lumberjacks, with little wisps of facial hair and sideburns.
There was a rumor going around that one had a wife and kids. What chance did a little 8-year-old have against a flame-throwing left-hander with a second mortgage?
That season, I worried over my boy’s every at bat. So when the urchins came around holding the cat, the hubby and I couldn’t have been less interested.
“Daddy, see this kitten? See how good she is?”
“No.”
Besides, he had always been a dog person. To him, a house was not a home without at least one dog. He would sooner go without furniture than go without a dog. He would sooner go without food.
He thought most dogs didn’t have a deceitful bone in their bodies; they are protagonists, even heroes. Ever hear of a rescue cat? A hamster would rescue people sooner than a cat would.
Most cats seem to have no political affiliation, and if the republic crumbled tomorrow they would secretly rejoice. Cats spend most of their days curled up on your favorite jacket plotting a palace coop.
“Shouldn’t the smartest one be in charge?” cats think to themselves. “That would be ME.”
Of course, we got the cat.
I explained away the acquisition, saying the little kitten was amazingly well-behaved at the ball field and great with kids.
Ginzu was probably the only living creature that could survive being held by my 5-year-old.
She had this ability to relax in a youngster’s arms so that she no longer had a skeletal structure at all.
When a small child held her, her eyes would go all lazy, and she’d seem to drop into a kind of coma. Her bones became tissue.
Even fully grown, she was still waiflike. Holding her was like cradling a mottled, green-eyed cotton ball.
But with hubby she was a thousand claws, thus her name.
On the rare instances he held her (“Here, Daddy, hold Ginzu!”) she would suddenly become as rigid as a pipe wrench and be afraid for her life.
We lost Hubby when Ginzu was about 5. Now she is gone.
Her mental facilities went about a week ago. She lost interest in the things she loved, even the remnants of the nightly ice cream she adored so much. She lost her ability to be continent on Thanksgiving Day. She had waited to let herself go until all the children were home for the holiday.
So on an otherwise unremarkable Friday, the kids and I placed Ginzu in a little towel lined box and took our little friend for her last car ride.
“The angels came and took Ginzu,” a teary man/boy child explained to me later.
She was probably putty in their arms.

{The grandbabies w/ Ginzu~

The 2nd generation of kiddos she loved}

Cleaning up Files

Was sitting at my puter this week cleaning out some old files etc. when I decided to finish some writings that I have accumulated over the last couple of years. It's a crazy week at work and it's that time of year when keeping up with the north-south-east and west 40 is a handful for a short girl with strong legs, so posts will either be short or skipping days. Some of the files I opened I truly wondered why I didn't finish. Sometimes I guess life just happens. And work ALWAYS gets in the way! Enjoy your week all... hopefully you are experiencing some lovely sites, sounds and smells of spring!

Sunday Funny

Updated

Today was spent cleaning house and taking advantage of intermittent sun bursts for work on the front 40. No pictures taken~ nuttin much other than catching up on my work that had been sorely overlooked due to my day off spent up north helping my Mom. Hopefully this comic comes thru lol.. Hope you all had fun, safe, relaxing weekends!

Here are the words for those who couldn't read it lol

Cell 1:[brunette] Hi seems you are not feel very well today....[blonde]Yes I have a sore throat. It seems that I will get ill...

Cell2: [brunette]I know a very good medicine for your throat. Each time I have a sore throat I blow my husband and the next day I am great. [blonde] Hummm... ok......

the following day..Cell3:[brunette] Hi. Are you better today? [blonde] I'm fine. Your idea worked GREAT!!

Cell4: [blonde] Your husband couldn't believe it was YOUR idea!

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter"

ee cummings