Spoons and Forks and Spatulas, Oh My!

Wow, I rode Alanda's bike to the Community Unlimited meeting last night because I had left later than intended. Bicycles and I are not good friends, more specifically, bicycles and my KNEES are not good friends. Although riding the bike downhill on Park Street with my cape billowing behind me was incredible, today I am paying for it.

On the walk to town to use the library computers, not only did Alanda have to walk behind and give me a gentle nudge up the hill, but when we got to Town and I faced the steps to the sidewalk, I learned that I couldn't bend my knee to go up them. Tried, got one step, and learned that I couldn't put the pressure on the knee to actually move up the steps. Had to walk the long way around to where the sidewalk levels out, which would be ok except that in order to avoid even the single step in front of the library, I would have had to walk another half-block and then back. Which, of course, my knees were hurting too much to permit. So ended up sitting on the short wall and swinging my legs around, and let Alanda pull me up to standing. How embarassing, not to mention painful. At least she knows enough to not just jerk on my arm, or I would be in even worse shape.

This is so pathetic. I hurt too much to walk but am not to the point of needing a wheelchair. Which is a very good thing, as I would never be able to get in or out of my house, since the landlord removed the ramp at the back door when they tore down my garage. Thank Goddess that George is able to walk better since he had the stent put in, or I would have to sue the landlord to get another ramp. He had an awful time making that step, when he was having so much trouble with his legs and balance. So guess that I shouldn't complain. But dammit, my knees hurt and I am tired of living like this and the condescending looks from people that think I am less than worthy because I don't have a job. People would be a bit more polite if I had an "obvious" disability; Parkinson's, for example, or a cast or brace, or something that shows the whole frigging world that "Yes, I do have physical issues, I am not 'just being lazy' or 'thinking I am too good to do certain jobs'." There are days that I want to just pull my hair out by the roots, except it hurts too much to lift my arms that high. (Thought: is that why I am determined to grow my hair long in spite of the care hassles? Trying to get it long enough to pull out without having to lift my arms? Hmmm, could be....)

I realize that there are people in the world with much worse problems than my own, so don't start lecturing me on how I should count my blessings. Believe me, I do appreciate what I do have. Starting with friends like Dusty, who passed the Spoon theory on in her blog. Gives me something to make funny remarks with, such as the time I said I had not only used up all my spoons but had even worn out the spatula. If I couldn't be sarcastic or amusing or whatever you want to call it, I would be so whiney that Dr. Jack would break his parole... For the good of everyone around me, of course; ease their suffering of having to listen to me! (See, more funny ha-ha comments.)

Now that I have typed all this, I am looking forward to going home and sucking down a handful of pain pills. OK, really just one or two. With the arthritis I probably couldn't actually hold a real handful, so put down the phone, I am NOT suicidal. But I will have to put off the pain pills for a few more hours, because tonight is Ruthi's band festival at the high school and I really want to go; and while the pain pills work (sort of), they knock me out more than anything. I don't want to lay down for a little nap before the festival because of the pain pills; I know that it would be more like "Wake up it's MORNING" instead. So, the pills will wait until much later. Wish I could find a compromise, something that makes the pain go away without making me sleep for ten hours... Oh well. (Deep subject: turn it sideways and you have a tunnel. Sorry, had to throw that comment in for old times sake!)

Going to mosey over to My Yearbook and MySpace and see what is happening with the rest of the world. See you in Cyberworld!

Everything in a Nutshell (and I'm the Nut!)

My mom is the bomb. She found a bunch of old photos--- and I do mean old! We went to the library and I scanned them and uploaded them to my Flickr account. Now to get hold of various relatives and see if anyone can identify some of the photos. There is one with about thirty women; we know my grandmother, her mother, her sister, and her grandmother, but the rest are unknown. Taking a wild guess that it was a special family reunion, though, because my grandma and her mom are wearing matching dresses. And my grandma only wore a dress two other times in her life; once for grandpa’s retirement party, and once for her father’s funeral. So I can guarantee that it was SOME special event!

Have been working on some of my crochet projects; overdid it yesterday and today so am paying for it with very sore and tired hands. Makes the typing a bit slower (not that it CAN be much slower…). But I got my purple project bag done, the red one for my neighbor done, the red one for my friend Joanne done, and the autumnal-colored smaller bag done for my mommy. Even got photos, this time! The film is at the store awaiting developing, should be back by Wednesday but then I have to get to Coldwater and have $$$$ at the same time. One or the other I can usually do; it’s the simultaneous activity that throws me off. Hopefully the photos will turn out, since it turns out that my batteries finally died. They do last a long time…. But not forever!

George goes in Thursday to have cataract surgery. Hopefully he will be able to see better afterward, and able to read again. Next step is to get him a hearing aid, so he can stop YELLING BECAUSE HE CAN’T HEAR HIMSELF OR ANYONE ELSE! Not that I am complaining… there are times that his hearing is perfect, usually when you don’t want him to hear you. But the majority of the time, he mishears you just enough to get a good fight going. And of course, he swears that he heard you right. One of my favorite quotes comes to mind: I know you think you understand what I’m saying, but I don’t believe that what you heard is the same as what I said. Or something like that; used to have it on a card somewhere. Now that card is in A Safe Place.

Updated my Myspace profile a bit, check it out. Gotta get home and read the Charlaine Harris novel that the library got for me. And all the other ones in the stack! Easier on the fingers than crocheting, but at least with the crocheting I can watch TV or movies while I work, the kinetic memory works while the brain vegs out on brain-numbing Hypno-gourd activity (if you don’t follow that reference, then go and read anything Xanth by Piers Anthony!).

Still here!

Good grief, I knew I had been busy over the last couple of weeks, but didn't realize that it had been a month since I posted!

George had to go to the ER earlier this month, spent just under a week at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. There is a special place in heaven for the nurses on the cardiology unit, for putting up with him when he started to feel better! He is a grand pick (yes, I meant to type the "P"!!) when he doesn't feel like crapola. They never really figured out exactly what caused his "spell," but did plenty of tests and sent him home happier than when he went in. Of course, at the ER when the doctor wanted to transfer him, he didn't want to go; so the nurse, being a smart woman, handed the consent form to ME to sign. HA HA, we gals stick together, old man! Sometimes men just have to be taken care of, whether they want to be or not.

The one good thing about his stay, was that he got to talk with some of his sisters that he doesn't get to see very often, and he even had visits from his niece and one of his daughters... who brought her month-old baby with her. We are always the last to know..... Wish he would have been able to get a photo, but will be content with his happiness to see Soo Ming. Now that he is home, hope that family and friends will continue to STAY IN TOUCH WITH HIM. Some of us appreciate family!

Our favorite granddaughter got to spend this past weekend with us, so he was REALLY feeling happy when he saw her. She doesn't get down here often, and never gets the message when we call her (thank gods for email!), so Poppy doesn't get to see her as much as he would like to. She is a good kid, and I actually like having her around; the ultimate compliment from me! Ha...

Found George's family tree album, and need to do some updates with all the new nieces and nephews that have been born since I originally compiled it for him. So, will end this post and go do that right now. And make a sign for the laundrymat. And print a pattern for Joanne. Will try to do better with my postings for the next few months..... really!!!

New Sites and Other News

Hey, I'm still here! Have been playing with a couple of new sites, one for Alanda's poetry and one for mine. (Hers is better). These are still works-in-progress, as I both have more poems to upload AND I plan to re-edit the pages currently online. So, be forewarned, these are not Shakespeare (this is a good thing!) but they will pass the time. Click here to view Alanda's poetry, and here to laugh at mine. Then wander over to Myspace and see what I am playing with there... Photobucket is a great site, I found some GREAT craft graphics to put in my scrapbook.

Which brings me to the other news: I *FINALLY* started my things-I-have-made scrapbook, actually putting pictures and comments into a REAL notebook. Well, the photos that I HAVE, anyway; there are so many things I have made that were never photographed. Like the crocheted motorcycle that I designed and made for my MAN back in the day. Never wrote down the pattern because I fully intended to NEVER make another one again. Yet here I am years later, without the motorcycle, without a photo, and without a pattern. Oh, and without the MAN, so I doubt that the motorcycle even exists anymore. Moral of the story, crafters: TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS!

Countdown

This is going to be a very popular site: click here to view an online countdown to the end of The Reign of Stupidity.

More Political Humor

Still haven't found the morphing DevilBush, but will share the location of many other anti-Bush humor. Click here to find some really excellent photos and laughs. My favorite is still the button I bought that says "BU__SH__"... even though I had to explain it to a few people. Not everyone is good at Fill-in-the-Blanks jokes...

Hopefully, our country is still free enough that I won't end up in Guantanamo Bay for posting this! Democracy rocks... now if only it were a democracy instead of a millionaire-ocracy. But that's just My Humble Opinion.

Anti Dubya

Now if only someone would send me the animated gif of Dubya morphing into Satan...

Reunion is a great site!

Hey there world! Look who I found hanging out at Classmates.com and reunion.com! This is Mike, also known (back in the day) as Moose, or Big Mike (to distinguish from the younger Mike, Little Mike). We hung together both in high school (what I remember of it, have spent ---a few-- years blocking the memories of those years in general) and afterward. Mike was in the car the day that Daveykins almost lost his license, but I cried until the cop took pity and let him off with a verbal warning. Those were the days...

It is so nice to know that I still have friends left alive... at least two of my classmates that I *wanted* to see at reunions have died, one from a heart attack, one from a car accident. Another classmate died of pneumonia, another from a heart attack (but he wasn't my "pal" like Crystal was), and yet another from cancer (not too long after graduation, whereas the rest have been in the last ten years). Guess I should be grateful that we are all too old for active duty, or at least I hope we are, because I haven't heard of any of my classmates dying in Iraq or Afghanistan. Yet. Now that I have opened that can of worms for the Fates to get ideas from...

Anyway, I am just a happy little camper now, and what would make me happier would be if Mike didn't live on the other side of the frigging country now. But I can't blame him, the weather is much nicer there and the employment opportunities have GOT to be better than here. And he owns his own house! Hey, Mike, looking for a roomie? JK, or am I????

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Goddess Bless the Internet!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my only Little Sister, Dawn! Didn't get her present done yet, and haven't gotten a decent card to send her. So decided to post her photo for the world to see, and let everyone know that she is now.... over forty. Don't ask for details, we don't do numbers here!!!

Died in the Wool

What incredible crappy luck. The library got a new copy of Died in the Wool by Rett MacPherson, and damn if it isn't from the same bad run! Eight pages of Annabelle and Flora, who have absolutely nothing to do with the story.

I may have to take a bus to St. Louis and get a copy directly from the author, at this rate!

At least the other novels by her are all okay, so I am re-reading them (again).

I did get an email from Rett, that her next novel will be out next year: The Blood Ballad. I offered to proofread it for her for free... haven't heard back yet. Hey, I am addicted to Torie O'Shea, I admit it!!!

Still kicking here in Hicksville...

Just wanted to let the world know that I am still here. For what it's worth. Pretty sad that my adopted kids love me more than my blood offspring, but true. Guess it's less embarassing how *CRAZY* I am when they aren't genetically related. But that's OK, because someday it will all come back to them. The wheel turns and all that you send out returns threefold.

There, I've had my say. Wicca Rocks, thank you very much.

Patches had two kittens yesterday, as of 5 this morning they were still alive and healthy. Not to be negative, but we'll see how long that will last. The last few batches of kittens have all passed to Bast before reaching one month. Sad, because they were so frigging cuuuuute. But Al got a kitten from a neighbor, that is actually the offspring of our beautiful missing Casey, and Amour (she named him) is doing beautifully and being a treat to have around. I told her today that when she moves out I am keeping her cat. She didn't like that idea at all, so I told her that if she moves somewhere that she can't keep him (like a college dorm room) then we would be happy to take care of him while she's gone. That went over better.

Will someday get around to posting a photo of Casey, he has been missing since we sold the van this spring. I don't know if he snuck in before it left, or if one of the neighbors shot him, or took him into their house and kept him, or if he just ran off to die somewhere. Or found some fresh you-know-what to interest him and took off after her. But we miss him, he was a sweet cat for being a crazy Siamese.

OK, that's it for now. Need to go home and wash dishes. How exciting is my life?!?!?!?!

Day Late...

Day late and a dollar short.... not a surprise, huh?! Anyway, happy anniversary to Patsy and Frank Simington, 40+ years yesterday. I would say it seems like yesterday, but as I was just a toddler at the time, I honestly don't remember anything other than photographs.

This photo was taken back in 1993 at a Union City basketball game that their son Rick was playing in. The sign refers to the fact that the last time the Chargers won the state finals was in 1961, and this year the team was going for a repeat. Sadly, they didn't make it to the finals that year, but got awfully close and gave it a heck of a shot. I will never forget the sight of Matt (approximately 5'4") literally jumping over a 6' player from the opposing team. Or for that matter, the expression on the other player's face! Somebody somewhere must have it on video, I would like to see THAT posted on YouTube! Don't look at me, though, I didn't even have the still camera with me that particular night...

Rick did go on to set a school record for points scored or rebounds or something like that. Don't ask me, it's a sports thing.... the only sport I do is Quiz Bowl! I did make him a maroon and gray quilt with a Charger horse, and his sports info embroidered in the corners, for his graduation. I do have a photo somewhere, need to find it for my famous Scrapbook (the one that currently exists only in my mind.... and that's a scary place to be lost!)

Paradise on Planet Earth

OK, I'm happy now.

Even though the Rett MacPherson novel had some printing difficulties (eight pages were from a totally different book!), it was a wonderful read. Think I'll wait for the next printing before I buy my own copy, hopefully they will fix those little errors then.

But best of all, and the reason for the title of today's rambling, is that I *FINALLY* got to go to BC Burgers in Battle Creek and get a hamburger. Divine is ten steps short of accurate... these burgers are better than Shaner's (sorry, dude) and even better than my bomb-burgers. Brought one home for Alanda because she didn't get to go with us, and it was still warm after the twenty-minute drive home. And still dee-lish-ous... (I offered to eat it for her, but she would have taken my head off if I had actually tried.) I am telling you, these burgers are fabulous.... and I have missed them so much!!! If the terrorists would eat beef, I would bring them all over here (a few at a time, the building isn't that big) and buy them all lunch at BC Burger; and thus would end all wars forever. Because you can't feel anything negative after eating one of their meals! YUMYUMYUM!!!!! I could almost deal with the high school right now (and that is saying a lot!). Shoot, I even forgive St. Martin's Minotaur for screwing up Rett's new novel, and you KNOW that is a big deal!!!

Mmmmmmm, I will feel good for awhile now... even though I will be booted off the computer here at the library in a couple of minutes so need to end this and get it posted. Remember, when you are feeling down just get to Battle Creek and get a BC Burger; cheaper than Valium and a whole lot more effective!

Finally Got my Book!

The librarians finally came through, and I am going home tonight with a copy of "Died in the Wool" by Rett MacPherson!

Looks like I won't be painting tonight! About time I get the paint off my arm from the last time I painted the bathroom, first... no, that can wait until I am done reading the book.

So if I don't post or email anyone for a few days, you know what I am doing: reading, and probably RE-reading, Rett's latest novel!

See ya later, everybody!!!

New stuff on the website

Yay, I'm finally getting the website updated. Check here to see the "New and Improved" site... Hey! Wait a minute! Give me a few minutes to get it reposted!!! {grin}

Daddy's Home, and Other Ramblings

What a week...
George went to the hospital last week, was transferred to Kalamazoo and had a pacemaker put in. He is feeling better now than he has for the last couple of years. I am feeling a lot of relief, I must admit. Just have to learn how to cook again, now that he is on a low-sodium, low-cholesterol diet. Low sodium wouldn't be a problem, I use every spice except salt it seems like; however, there are so many things out there that don't necessarily have salt but their sodium levels are outrageous. Even cottage cheese! Luckily, he is LOW not NO sodium; as long as *I* dish out the food he will be ok. Before, he would eat the entire container of cottage cheese; now, with me playing Cook of the Day, he gets a small serving (about half the recommended serving size) and that is all. Of course, last night I went "fancy"... I put some cottage cheese in a bowl, added some peach low-fat yogurt, mixed it all together and tossed some fresh-picked strawberries on top. Looked cute, and was even tasty enough that he ate every last bite. I know it sounds kind of yucky, but that's because I don't like cottage cheese myself. The finished result looked and tasted like a pudding. (Personally, I still prefer chocolate!)

Darrell and Savvy were here for the weekend, a great time was had by all. He fixed the neighbor's friend's kid's bike for him, mowed my lawn (which is what George was doing that sent him to the hospital in the first place), and gave the kids a good lecture on how to behave when Daddy got home from the Cardiology Unit. Savvy totally defeated my lectures to everyone in town that Darrell is NOT my boyfriend, by calling me Mom. But since she is one of my Adopted Kids, I can cope... after all, at one point she was my granddaughter, before her birthmother decided that she wasn't my stepdaughter after all. Talk about your one-branch family tree...

Anyway, the Weeks Family Reunion is in a couple of weeks, and I am hoping to get to attend this year. Have an old family photo that I am HOPING someone can identify. We know the man in it is Grandpa Smith, but the woman is unfamiliar. A pox on the people that don't write names and dates on the back of photos!!! (Or that do, then glue them in an album so that you can't read the backs!) For that matter, a pox on whoever got me interested in genealogy! With names like Smith, Jones, Brown, Weeks, and Carpenter on the family tree, Tylenol is a good investment...

Cheaper than tequila, too....

Help Me!!!

Finally found a photo online of the christmas stockings that I *used* to have the patterns for. The site that had this photo said that the pattern was in the December 83 issue of Crochet World, and I found that issue for sale on ebay, but turns out that it is the wrong issue. I am 99% sure that it WAS in Crochet World, and 100% sure that it was a December issue (duh!!!), but only know for sure that it was during the 1980s. If anyone has the pattern or can get the pattern, PLEASE let me know! I am getting desperate, I really want to make a few sets again and I DON'T want to try to make the pattern myself! Please, all my crafty pals, help me out here! Anyone that finds the pattern and gets it to me, I will make you a pair if you want!!!
Thanks folks. I needed to vent a bit there for a second!

Photos to Blackmail With...

Just had to post these photos, because it is so much fun to tease the kids that "I put your picture on my blog/website/myspace..."
The first one is Alanda, in her room, I don't know exactly when it was taken. Recently, that much I am sure of.

The second photo is of Eric, no idea when Al took this of him but do know that it is in the gym at the high school. You can tell because the lighting pretty much sucks for photography in there. But he still looks cute...
Eric was one of the stars of the recent comedy hit, "Nothing But the Truth," put on at the high school by Community Unlimited. Did I mention that my camcorder power died fifteen minutes into the first act? Luckily, Kim's dad got everything on tape---and I do mean, EVERYTHING,burp---and that's a story for a different day...

How Times Change with the Kids

Had an email about how things change from your first kid to your third kid. Don't have it with me, but do have the additions that I made for it:

Baby Books. For your first child, you take 200 photos every week, save their umbilical cord when it falls off, have their little footprints in the book, and fill out the family tree back to Adam and Eve. Second child, you get their birthday photos in, maybe, and the family tree goes back to your grandparents. Third child, the baby book is still in the wrapper at their fifth birthday party and you still haven't developed the film from their third birthday party.

hmmmm, nipple questions too: first child, you breastfeed every single drop no matter how inconvenient the location. second child, you breastfeed and pump for the bottle for when you are in public. third child, you stick a nipple on the pepsi bottle and go from there.

Hey, no one is arguing with me! LOL

Now, to come up with some witty stuff about baby blankets...

Lots of Gallimaufries Today!

To all my Pagan pals, HAPPY BELTANE!!

Tonight the plan is for a Birthday/Beltane Bonfire Blast, to celebrate Alanda turning 18. I get to chaperone a bunch of teenagers, yippee. At least no one has griped because I demand it is booze-free; when she turns 21 it will be a different story. Until then, no underage drinking on my property. After then, probably still no drinking on my property! Too many things can go wrong, because so many people just don't know when to stop. What can I say, I'm a party-pooper. {ha}

Printing up the graduation invitations for all the people that I don't have email addresses for. Since I haven't worked for awhile, don't get welfare, and just found out that I won't be getting a tax refund after all, anyone that I can email gets their invitation that way. God, how I do love the Internet! Except for Yahoo right now..... I want to take their "Error 999" and stick it right in their USB ports....

Eddy is still dead, but my favorite techie emailed me directions to diagnose the issue. Also got input from a local, and had my own thought as a result of his suggestion. Hopefully one of the suggestions will work to resuscitate poor Eddy; since I am not likely to receive another free computer in this lifetime, and if I DID get one I would be hard-pressed to find a name for it. Maybe I should start going with names of Girl Singers instead of Boy Singers... except that all we females KNOW that computers are male. (Could always compromise with Boy George or Alice Cooper...)

Alice Cooper was on Last Call with Carson Daly this week, and has written a new book. Alice Cooper, heavy metal rocker for what--thirty years?-- is a golf addict. And admits it on national tv. What guts! And to prove it, here is the cover as shown at Amazon.com. I just might request this at the library, just to see what The Man has to say. Like our library would get a book by ALICE COOPER, ha that's a good one! The man could write a book on Bible Study and they would find an excuse not to get it because of his "history"... hey, Vincent, if by chance you read this, I challenge you to write that Bible History Study so I can prove my theory of intolerance at my local library! And I promise to buy a copy if you will come to Union City to autograph it for me!

Here's a great quote from his website bio:

However, if that's not stomach-churning enough for you, then consider this, perhaps his sickest outrage: Alice Cooper actually ran for President of the United States against that other paragon of perversion, Richard Nixon. What's really sick, though, is that Alice lost. [italics and bold print are my addition.]

Hey, if The Terminator and Jesse Ventura can be elected governors, why not?! Vincent, run again: you will definitely have MY vote! And now that Alanda is 18, I can't guarantee her mind but would bet my yarn stash, or even my Sharyn McCrumb novels, that you will have HER vote. (If not, she is not my clone after all!)...

OK, I will get off my political soapbox for now. And start saving up my pennies for Vincent's campaign drive! Need to get home and start frying hamburgers for the Bash, and pick up the cake on my way home. Didn't get the original cake that I wanted, had to settle for the mundane-yet-appropriate purple flowers. (Alanda means "purple flower.") So if you are reading this today and in my neighborhood, stop by a burger and some cake and ice cream!

And don't forget, graduation is next month!

In the spirit of Family and Friendship: You are invited to join us in celebrating the graduation of Alanda Bernadette-Cheri McRae

On Sunday, June 3, 2007 At 2:00 PM Union City High School

430 St. Joseph Street Union City, MI 49094

Come early for a good parking space!
Please join us for cake and punch after the ceremony at our home Three blocks from the school.
School Colors: Maroon and Grey

Class Colors: Maroon and White

Favorite Colors: Silver and Black