Goodbye 2007!!

Wow, just when I get used to writing down 2007, the year ends and 2008 is here! How can that be? How did I get so old? Actually it is amazing I lived this long with the wild life I have lived teetering right on the edge of disaster. My sister can avow to that. I have been an adrenaline junkie my entire life, and now all I want to do is sit back and crochet. I was doing just that tonight. I did not even get dressed today! I changed my sheets and did my laundry, but that is about it. I took a long soak in the tub about 9:30 and got into a clean nightie.

2007 was a sad year for many of us. It started out here with a big slam of a storm that put our power out on the 2nd the 5th and the 9th of January. We got 6" of snow on the 10th then we got a deep freeze here for a week. Our Pastor left us without any notice which left us all feeling like an abandoned herd of sheep.

A friend of mine (Dee Couture)died of cancer on the 14th.

On the 21st my hot water heater caught on fire, and thank God I was sitting right near it and saw the flames shooting straight up!

I started water aerobics in February getting 5 other friends and my sister to go with me. (I found out after about a month that I am allergic to the chlorine they use in the pool and it ate my face up). My sister still goes, and she is doing GREAT!! I am so proud of her. She has slimmed down and it has done her wonders.

We got more snow On Feb 28 and March 1st. We had another big blow of a storm on March 11th that put our power out again!

In April we said good bye to Esther's husband "Rocky". He put up a huge battle against cancer. He was an inspiration to anyone that met him or read about him!!

In June we said goodbye to Esther's cousin Dale. Another blogger friend, and I miss his humor and wit. He was found dead in his house.

In July we got a new Pastor and he is great!

In August I had my 40th class reunion. (All the parents showed up but not my classmates)!! At least it seemed that way, everyone but me got old and fat!!
(yeah, right).
On August 23rd we lost a good friend Ellen. She fought that demon called cancer for years, and lost her battle!! She too is an inspiration and we all miss her dearly!

October took two dear AA friends of mine. Ken Michaels and Diana Sandritter. They too fought the cancer demon and lost.
October 4th my brother was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer. He was operated on October 19th and they said they could not operate. He has inoperable adenocarcinoma of the peritoneum that has metastisized. They started treatment December 3rd after three missed appointments that the doctors forgot about!!!!

October 23rd I lost another friend to cancer. He was a Paramedic here on Whidbey Island.

December 15th my brother was taken by ambulance to the hospital after 12 hours of puking his innards out. He stayed for two days.

And one of the saddest things, on December 15th a 15 year old girl got of a bus and was hit by a car as she was walking on the highway. She did not see the car for some odd reason, and the car could not see her as she was wearing dark clothes and it was dark. She was killed instantly. She had been Christmas shopping in Oak Harbor. I know the guy that was driving the car and he of course is not taking this well at all.

So....as you can see, I am glad to see 2007 leave!! I did not lose my Christmas spirit through all of this, in fact it has made my Faith much stronger! We have a huge battle to fight with my brother this year, and will gladly accept any and all prayers!! He had a CT scan on his brain two days ago and they called him back in for another one today because they found some suspicious spots. We will find out next week what they found. Meanwhile, we are taking one day at a time here and praising God for everything He has given us!
I hope everyone has a SAFE new years eve!!
I will be at home on my knees praying the new year in.

God Bless

Another Blustery Wintry December Day!

I took my 91 year old neighbor shopping today and drove to the Ferry Landing to watch the passenger ferry pull in, but it wasn't running. The wind was too strong.
You can see the waves hit the breakwater and fly away in the wind.
This is one of our bus Operator's waiting for the ferry that didn't arrive. They resumed service after the storm calmed down. We get alot of wind here, and I never tire of sitting at the beach watching the waves.
Well I am about ready for Christmas. I go tro Church tomorrow morning then to a funeral at 1:00, then my boss and her family are coming over to exchange gifts, then I will spend the rest of the day making 3 big baked spaghetti casseroles to take to work. The bus wash crew asked me for baked spaghetti for Christmas. They work their butts off in all kinds of weather, so that is no sacrifice to me! Here is one of 'em sneaking into my candy jar (which I keep full just for them).

Merry Christmas everyone!!

A-Christmas-Caroling!!

Another tough day at work! We work hard, so then we can play hard.
A bunch of us got all decked out and went Christmas Caroling!
We piled in a small bus and went to the County Courthouse to serenade them.
The local Police cruised by to be sure we were within the noise level. He covered his eyes and shook his head and drove off!
We traipsed down Front Street, stood in the Tavern and sang a song and went back to work.
We aren't afraid to say MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My Brother Mike

My brother is the one in the white T-shirt. Sherry's brother is the other guy.

Sherry my brother's wife called me this morning to tell me she might not be able to come to the lunch we were going to have today with our Bible Study friends. She said she was up all night with my brother Mike. He got sick last night and was puking for 4 hours straight then she called the ambulance. I went to see him in the hospital and he was in alot of pain. They are keeping him tonight and maybe tomorrow too. His second chemo treatment will be on Tuesday. We are worried about him because he has trouble keeping anything down.
I'm not ready for this. I want to keep my baby brother for another few years. My heart breaks when I see him in so much pain. Poor Sherry is broken hearted too. She loves him so much even after 32 years of marriage!
Mike's son Galen and his future wife Sumre came over to see him and I cooked them all dinner. My poor sister Mary lou is taking this very hard. We want to do something for him, but there isn't anything we can do! We are helpless here. We'll get through this. Mary Lou went shopping for a Christmas tree for herself and brought Mike & Sherry a little 4 foot tree. They are thrilled with it!! Mike usually goes out in the woods and comes home with a little scrawny "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree, so this is a TREAT!!
Mike is sure seeing and feeling the love from friends, and even people that he doesn't even know. My next door neighbor's family pooled together and gave Mike & Sherry some money. That sure came at the right time! Sherry just sent off some bills with a letter saying this is all she can pay right now and had only $26.00 for the rest of the month! Other people are being generous too. People are bringing over cord wood and stacking it for them to heat their house, others have brought over food. My heart is full right now.
I just don't know what to blog about right now so I will say goodnight.
God loves you. Trust in Him and all will be well.

I created a CaringBridge site to keep you up to date on Mike Brett. CaringBridge is a nonprofit organization that helps friends and families stay connected.

You can visit Mike's CaringBridge site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mikebrett.

If your e-mail program does not allow you to click on the above link, just copy and paste the address into your web browser's address (or URL) location.

Please visit our CaringBridge site anytime. You can use the site to check in on Mike, read the journal entries and send us messages by signing our guestbook. When you register with CaringBridge and sign our guestbook, you will automatically receive e-mail notifications each time our journal is updated. Or, you can subscribe to receive these notifications even before you sign the guestbook. (Of course, you can unsubscribe from these e-mail updates at any time.)

Oooops. Poor guy needs a new car!

I was driving back to work Thursday afternoon and came across this car fire.
I saw the black smoke and knew it was a bad one. When I came up on it I took the picture as I was passing it. The heat was intense! I got back to work and called the Editor of the paper and told him I had some pictures of the car fire and he told me to email them to him and he'd put them in the Wednesday paper.



I have no idea what happened, but this Jeep Wrangler is no longer.

I sure hope everyone is staying warm and safe.

In the 60's, people took LSD to make the world weird.
Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

I got elfed!!

Ok, I can't help but share this fun site Office Max put on!
Click here
What fun I had tonight putting friends faces in the elf and sending it on!!
Have fun!!

Old Man Winter has arrived!!

I know December 21st is the official start of Winter, but today it arrived!! We had wet snow flying sideways in the wind but not sticking. We are having major snow in the mountains which is great for the skiiers, but bad for Monday when the warmer weather gets here and melts it all and floods the lowlands.
But this is something that happens alot here. Very seldom do we get snow that sticks and stays for a few days. Maybe in January or February. We'll see.
Today was the Christmas Parade in Coupeville (which I was late getting to) We had a bus in there all decorated. Dang, I wanted to get a picture of it! I got stuck in Oak Harbor doing some last minute shopping for the weekend.
The weather was too windy for the annual boat parade. Too bad, it makes the festivities more exciting. But I guess it would be really exciting if we had a boat rescue during it, huh?
We are supposed to get more of this wintry weather tomorrow and high winds into Monday. I have my candles, propane, food cooked. I'm ready!!

This is a photo from the web.
I decorated my house tonight, so I am all ready for Christmas now!!

Are you prepared for Winter disasters? Can you survive in your house for a week?
You better get your supplies in your car too in case you get stranded anywhere.
Better be safe than sorry!!

Leftovers???

Ahh, the food was great!! My favorite part of the turkey is the crispy skin!! YUM!
Okay, so it isn't the best for you, but it is good! I must be part southern or somethin!
Last night I was reading in bed and had the great idea to get a big honkin turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce. I jumped out of bed, opened the refrigerator and realized I don't have any turkey!! DANG, I went to my sister's house and didn't bring any leftovers home. I left all my goodies there but didn't grab some white meat for a sandwich. Oh well, I guess today I'll cook the 12# turkey I bought the other day for $3.00!! Yep, 23 cents a pound. Good ole Albertson's!

So what is your favorite left over recipe?

I have two...Turkey salad is one.
Chop up the leftover turkey pieces (white & dark), chop up a small sweet pickle, chop up some celery, salt pepper and mayonnaise. The restaurant I worked at in 1967 always had turkey salad sandwiches the day after turkey dinner and it always sold out. I like to put jellied cranberry sauce on the sandwich too.

My other favorite is turkey enchiladas.
get flour tortillas, limp them in hot oil and pat dry, put chopped white turkey, and some shredded cheese,some chopped onions (or not) roll them up and place them in a casserole dish. Fill the dish, then pour a can of green chili enchilada sauce over it, cook in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or so. Put sour cream over the entire top of the casserole then top off with more grated cheese. Put back in the oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.
I can't wait.

Well I am off to Mount Vernon to Costco. WHY?......just 'cause.

The 1863 Lincoln Presidential Proclamation

This was taken from christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-alincoln-tgiving.html

Following is the 1863 Lincoln Presidential Proclamation - celebrated shortly after Lincoln committed his life to Christ and celebrated while America was still in the midst of its Civil War. It was this proclamation which eventually led to the establishment of our national Thanksgiving holiday.

by the President of the United States of America

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the field of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than theretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony wherof I have herunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

[Signed]
A. Lincoln

I noticed more history of Thanksgiving here. Interesting reads.

Sit back and take a deep slow breath.
Again.
Now take a few minutes and reflect on the past year and your life and find the things you are thankful for. I have many!!
I pray everyone has a blessed and SAFE Thanksgiving!!

How sad

It saddens my heart to read that some insane spammer has found my blog and started spamming me. Good grief, What ever did I do to him? I cancelled my last post because of it.

Update on my brother....

My sister took my brother to the surgeon on Wednesday, and he was refered to the oncology clinic for Chemo..

As she says on her post: "It is bad, but not hopeless...It is an adrenocarcinoma, which started on his apendix and then grew from there. It is tons of little cells like bubbles growing everywhere.

WORST CASE is the tumor can say UH UH no chemical cocktails here, and grow agressively, and then he might have 6-9 months, but the Dr does not think that will happen. He THINKS that the Chemo will retard the growth, and then MAY just stall there for awhile. It will Never go away, but it could buy him YEARS!"

He goes to the Oncologist and his first chemo treatment on the 13th. We will know more then.

We just never know what life brings us each day. We wake up one day and life as we know it is no more. We could get in a car accident, have a stroke, a heart attack. My brother is going through a depression (totally understandable) and it is my job to help him live his life each day as if he will live, and not looking towards dying.

We will cross that bridge when it gets here, in God's time.

He has been visited by many folks and has a whole bunch of people praying for him and Sherry. That alone is healing for the soul. I thank every one of you for your prayers. He feels them that is for sure.

Tonight is my FAVORITE night of the year. I get my hour back that they stole from me when they set the clocks ahead in the Spring!! I feel sleep deprived for months after that!! Now I will feel rested. I wish they would find a time and LEAVE IT THERE!! The cows don't give a hoot what the clocks say....they need milked when they are ready! The kids have lighter mornings for a few more weeks, but darker afternoons. SO WHAT!! SHEESH.

Well, on that happy note....have a great weekend!!

TRICK-OR-TREAT!!

My favorite little girls stopped by for their trick-or-treats!
Scarey, huh? Fancy candy bags too!!

They are so precious. They are always happy and full of mischief. They are the only trick-or-treaters I've had tonight. I used to get alot of kids, but now they have the town close off the main street and all the merchants hand out candy, and the school has a harvest party going on, put on by the local Churches. So much safer.

I hope every has a fun and safe Halloween tonight! Hang garlic on your doors.

I have been bad at posting....Nothing much to say.
I cannot blog about work, and that takes up a third of my life, the other third is sleeping and the rest is busy.
My brother goes to the doctor on Wednesday to see what kind of treatment they will give him.
I will update later.
Until then, have a great week!!

My baby brother....

These past two days have been surreal.
I picked my brother (Mike) and his wife (Sherry)up at 8:00 Friday morning and took them to Providence Hopital in Everett.
Mike has had stomach problems for months and they finally did some extensive tests and found some "suspicious masses" in his peritoneal area.
Friday morning they went in three different places with a laproscope and camera and biopsied the masses. They told Sherry that the procedure should only take about an hour and a half. He went to the operating room at 12:30, and at 2:30 Sherry and I looked at each other and said "Dang, this doesn't feel right". About three o'clock the doctor came out and told us they found numerous little tiny masses in the area and they are cancer. He said they cannot operate to take them out as there are thousands of them. They are around his colon, appendix, pancreas, everywhere. He said the only hope (if any) is chemotherapy, and that will only prolong it. I asked how long, and he just stared at me. I asked "Weeks? Months? Years?" He could only shrug his shoulders. This type of cancer is very rare. It is mostly found in women.
Mike stayed in the hospital overnight and came home this morning.
Sherry, bless her heart stayed at the hospital with him right by his side.
She was devastated when we were told. She started crying and said "how can I go on without him?" They have been married for 32 years. I told my brother that he is a very very lucky guy. He has a woman that has loved him unconditionally for 32 years. That is a love we ALL search for in our lives. His son Galen is 30 years old and is a good man. He brought Mike and Sherry home this morning.
Mike has a doctor's appointment on Friday and will get more answers then. In the meantime it is a waiting game.
Prayers are good. He keeps his Faith and that is good. It gives him hope for Heaven. He has alot of questions, and had been agnostic most of his life. He accepted Christ a few years ago and was Baptized in the ocean two years ago. His Church will bring them food and some wood for their woodstove. People are offering help with transportation to and from treatments. Mike knows how loved he is, and is on his knees with gratitude. Times like this brings phone calls and cards out of the woodwork and feeds the soul. Thank you everyone for all the prayers. Please keep them coming as there is always hope....he hasn't started treatment yet, and who knows...God can still work His miracles.
What ever the outcome, I am so thankful for the time I have with my brother.
I love him dearly.
I wish I could fix him.
I wish it was me and not him.
Really.

Mushroom

Never in my life have I seen such a HUGE mushroom. I was training three new drivers today and as we were pulling up to a bus stop I saw this 8" in diameter mushroom right at the stop!!
Of course we picked it and brought it back to the base but they threw it away because it was poisonous. It sure was pretty though.

Today we lost our power about 3:30 for an hour. Our first storm of the season and lost our power already. I'm keeping track this time. They said there were 13 reported outages last season. I guess the midwest got quite a storm too. I hope everyone is okay out there!!
Time for bed, I am taking my brother to the hospital tomorrow. I'll report when I get back.

We know exactly where one cow with mad-cow-disease is located among the
millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't a clue as to
where thousands of Illegal immigrants and Terrorists are located. Maybe we
should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

Look out, here comes the winds!

Well tomorrow we are anticipating strong winds and heavy rain. We'll see what really hits us. Sometimes when they predict a dangerous storm, we get nothing. But just in case, all my flashlights have fresh batteries, candles are out and I found some matches.
Here is what they predicted:
Forecast for Admiralty Inlet Area (that's me)

High Wind Warning in effect from 6 am to 6 PM PDT Thursday...

Thursday
Rain in the morning...then showers in the afternoon. Very windy. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Southeast wind 30 to 40 mph with gust to 60 mph.
Ok, brace yourselves!
I actually like storms. I love to drive out to the beaches and watch the huge waves hit the driftwood and splash over the roads. I like to watch the eagles and seagulls fly in place against the wind. I like it when the lights flicker and I light the candles and bundle up with a good book. Well I don't bundle up with the book, it would be a bit scratchy, I use my down throw to bundle up with and grab a good book to read.
I don't like the damage to personal property and injuries to people.
Well I must get to bed and get some great sleep before the big storm tomorrow!

All of us could take a lesson from the weather.
It pays no attention to criticism.

Hodge-Podge

The spiders are out and the fog has settled in. It was 38 degrees last night when I went to bed about midnight. The Canadian Geese are here for the Winter I believe, as they fly over my house every morning and evening. I love their sound.

I had a busy week at work, and went to AA last night to get "re-charged". My friend Ken that I blogged about on Aug 31 passed away on Sunday morning. We will miss him dearly. He was the "Rock" at our AA meetings. He had 28 years sobriety and hardly ever missed a Friday night. He was there for the newcomers when they walked in the doors and he offered them coffee, showed them a chair and gave them a list of phone numbers to call for support. He made everyone feel welcome when they walked in the doors. He will be up at them "Pearly Gates" to greet us when we pass on to the next life.

I went to lunch today with a group of AA gals and had some fun. Now I am tired and ready for a nap.

I read Leslie's blog last night and my heart dropped to my toes. She had some bad news from her doctor. Go read her message. Please keep her in your prayers for a complete healing! Dang, I hate to hear news like that!! She is a strong gal and will beat this I'm sure.
Well on that note I will close for the day, and leave you with this funny I got in an e-mail:

A lady walked into a Lexus dealership just to browse.

Suddenly she spotted the most beautiful car that she had ever seen and walked over to inspect it. As she bent forward to feel the fine leather upholstery, an unexpected little fart escaped. Embarrassed, she anxiously looked around to see if anyone had noticed and hoped a salesperson hadn't been near. But, as she turned back, there, standing next to her, was a salesman.


With a pleasant smile he greeted her, 'Good day, Madame. How may we help you today?' Trying to maintain an air of sophistication and acting as though nothing had happened, she smiled back and asked, 'Sir, what is the price of this lovely vehicle?' Still smiling pleasantly, he replied, 'Madame, I'm very sorry to say that, if you farted simply from touching it, you are going to shit when you hear the price.'

'Tis that time of year again.

My goodness this week just FLEW by!! It doesn't pay to take two weeks off of work....I went back and had two weeks of work waiting for me plus more!!
I'm not complaining one bit. I hate to be bored, and I sure wasn't this week!

Our town has a scarecrow contest every October, and we put in a great display this time. We have about 4 new employees that are really enthusiastic and jumped in and designed this display. I guess it is a wizard that zapped a pumpkin into a bus.
We'll see how we place in the contest in a few weeks.



My brother Mike had some disturbing news this week. He has some mysterious masses in his peritoneal area in his stomach, and they need to go in and operate to take them out on the 19th. The doctor told him it looks like cancer and they will see if it is malignant when they operate. So anyone that prays, I am asking for prayer power here.
CNN had an article a while back on prayers in hospitals and the doctors do believe they work. (I know they work). I love my baby brother and don't want to see him sick! This will be a very long two weeks!!

I hope everyone enjoys the weekend!

Here's some interesting facts:
It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky. (Huh?)

A pregnant goldfish is called a twit. (uh, ok....why?)

A perfect Autumn Saturday Afternoon!

The wind is BLUSTERY, light rain, 50 degrees, a big soft purring cat on my lap, what more can I ask for? Ah, maybe I'll put on a pot of stew!
I sure hope everyone else is as comfy and content as I am right now!


Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day;
teach a person to Use the internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

My "Felted Purse"

This is my first attempt at felting a purse. This is the before picture. I crocheted a purse 27' wide by 17' deep with wool yarn. I then threw it in the washer with the hottest water and washed it. It shrunk to nearly half it's size (which I wanted).
I made the handle first and washed it and it didn't shrink very much length wise but shrank half it's size in width. I sewed the handle on with a pocket in it for a cell phone. I sewed the handle all around the purse for sturdiness. The top was warped which disappointed me, but I sewed a gather at the top and I like the outcome. I had some left over from the handle and made a pocket in the inside. I used some velcro to close it. I cut a strip of the loopy side and folded it over glue side to glue side, and it works GREAT as a closure on top. It took 8 2 and a half balls of Lion Brand "Lion Wool Prints" yarn to make the purse, and about 4 days.
TA-DA.

Some people are like a slinky...
Not really good for anything,
but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.

Lessons from my cat

This vacation is for me. To rest and just do things on a whim. Today was a day of rest! My cat has taught me to just hang out and sleep! He can make napping look so comfortable! I woke up today at noon (went to bed at 3:00am) I did some crocheting then laid down and woke up at 5:00pm!! I must've needed it!
I went to bed at 1:00am and cannot sleep (I wonder why) so I came in to the computer and noticed Elliott on my living room pillows all sprawled out!
This is how he sleeps. He is warm all the time with all his fur, so when he sleeps he sprawls out to cool off I guess. But he sure makes me smile! This is a happy house!
Okay, time to go to bed and have some happy dreams!!

Good health is merely the slowest rate at which one can die.

YIKES!!!

We NEVER get thunder and lightning storms, but today I was sitting at my computer and the sky got dark, and the rains came. It poured like it pours in the East. (we usually get drizzle). I was standing on my deck at noticed there was ice pellets in the rain. I went back in and was again sitting at my computer and FLASH, KABAM...CRACKLE...POP!! Then the phone rang. I answed saying HOLY CRAP!! My sister didn't know what I meant, then I told her. Then Elliott came running inside faster than he ever ran, his hind legs in front of him he was running so fast...hair sticking out like a Christmas tree!! HAHAHAHA He is laying next to me now all cuddly and warm. The big pussy!!
Stay safe.

Cooler weather brings out the roses! I took this picture early this morning with last night's rain still on the flowers. I went to my mammogram appointment at 7:15 AM, then came home to take a nap at 8:30 and woke up at 1:00pm! Well that was fine.
I went in to Mount Vernon and ordered two pair of eyeglasses at Costco, did some shopping and got home at 8:30PM!
That takes care of my first official day of vacation! Nope....did not even start in my spare room. Wait a minute....yes I did! I emptied the trash can last night so there, I started!!
hehehehe

Interesting fact: Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.Hmmm, now that is good to know! I'll remember not to lick the butter when I break into someone's house!

Calgon......Take me Away!!

YIPPEEE SKIPPEEEE....YABBA DABBA DOOBBIE....YAHOOOOO....NANNER, NANNER, NANNER!!
HEEHEE...HAHA...HOHO...!!
I have two whole weeks off!!! I love my job, but I get two weeks of sleeping in each day, hanging around, cleaning out my constant cluttered room, get in the car and just GO when I feel like it!! Well almost, Monday I have a 7:30 AM Mammogram appointment. 7:30 AM, WHAT WAS I THINKING??!! Thursday I am having a Silpada Silver Jewelry party. That should be fun.
My cluttered room....It seems the more I clean and rearrange and try to dispose of, it gets MORE cluttered! I have an 11x11foot spare room which is my garage, hobby room, Library and Computer room. I store my Christmas decorations and other "stuff" in my closet, I have shelves on each wall and STILL no room to put things!!
SEE?!




Ok, I just shamed myself! I better get to work on it so I can take "after" pictures!!
Time to get to my AA meeting!!

Now you know...Most lipstick contains fish scales.YIKES!

Another day in Paradise!

What can I say, but................AHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh.


23% of all photocopier faults world-wide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.

The weekend is over

Ahhh, I had a 2 hour nap today. It felt great!
Yesterday's Luncheon was a HUGE success! We had 106 gals show up. The biggest one yet. They came from Duvall, Seattle, Marysville, Vashon Island, Orcas Island, Freeland, Clinton, Langley, Anacortes, Sedro Wooley, Mount Vernon, Burlington, Kirkland, Custer....and many more. It started out as a small get together for women in Alcoholics Anonymous on Whidbey Island here 23 years ago. It grew and we handed it to the South Whidbey group to take over with about 35-40 gals attending in the Methodist Church in Langley. They handed it back to us (me) in 2004 and that year 55 attended and we were excited. The next year was 75, last year 95, and this year 106!! The CPO Club can have about 200 total so we are safe for a few more years. Some people think it is hard to put one together. I put together a "tickler" book the first year keeping track of what we did in what timeline, and who needs to do what. Each year I just bring up the task list and have a lunch with anyone wanting to help, and the rest takes care of itself. The most stressful part is hoping everyone will pay me and show up. Each year I stress out about a week before the Luncheon, then by the Luncheon date everyone pays and shows up and fun is had by ALL!! (Even me)! So next year if you hear of me stressing out about a week before the luncheon, just remind me that it will end up just fine. Have FAITH!!
Each evening I can hear the Canadian Geese fly over. Those Canadians sure are a noisy bunch!! It sounds good to me. It means Fall is heading this way and the Geese are coming closer to home for the Winter. The mornings are foggy and I can lay in bed hearing the fog horns from the Admiralty Inlet. It won't be long before we get our first frost then the Storms. I love this time of year.

Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

She's home

Mary Lou came home today, and she is doing MUCH better.
I will let her post the news on her blog: http://www.whidbeydreamer.blogspot.com/ .
I am going to be a busy little bee tomorrow. We are hosting an AA women's luncheon at the CPO club in Oak Harbor.

I estimate 100 or more gals showing up. I need to be at the door greeting everyone and making sure they paid or letting some in that doesn't have the money to pay. (We have some gals pay for two just in case one doesn't have the money to come). Fun will be had by everyone there!
I can't post pictures because it is ANONYMOUS! A secret club, how exciting, huh?
Then tomorrow night a friend I sponsor will be the speaker at a different meeting. I won't get home until around 10:00 or so.
Enjoy the weekend!!

Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.

Well that is more than I want to know.

UH-OH...Guess where my sis has been all day!

I got a call this morning from my sister asking me if I could get away from work for 1/2 hour and drive her to the hospital. She hasn't been feeling well and called her doctor this morning and.....well I'll let her tell the story. The bottom line is, she is in the hospital for a day or two for tests, and is doing just fine.
(Whidbey General Hospital 360-678-5151 room 18).
I took this picture and told her I was putting it in my blog hehehe I took her a robe and slippers. She will probably be home tomorrow night or Thursday morning.


Did you know.....A shrimp's heart is in its head.
Whaaaa?

I was making my bed yesterday morning and the phone rang. I came back and found a huge lump in the bed! Well of course it was Elliott, making a dull humdrum depressing day into fun and joy!
I lifted the blanket and he wanted to "play"! I wanted to get my chores done but nope....not now!

He was adorable for a few minutes longer then I decided to let him stay there for awhile and take a cat nap.

How in the world can someone not get joy from a cat like him? I spoil my cats rotten, and they give me back much needed love and joy. It balances out just fine.
Ahhh, I have another day off today!

The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language. Okay, say that real fast three times!

Slug Season!

Okay, what the heck are these slimy critters up to here? They are wrapped around a transluscent kind of blob. Are they doing the nasty??? That's all we need, MORE SLUGS!! Are they creating a big blob? Remember the movie in the 50's "Beware of the Blob"? I think it was the first creepy show made.

Tonight I went to my AA meeting but instead of the meeting, we had a "living wake" for one of our special friends that has cancer and maybe a few months to live. It was kind of weird having him there, but we had him sit in a recliner with his wife next to him and we all had a chance to share our feelings with him. I shared that he made me feel welcome at the first Bluebox AA meeting by him getting up and offering me coffee when I walked in the door. I thought I was special until I noticed he did that to all newcomers. He will be missed dearly. About 200 people showed up to give him love. We all shared then put in a few laughs. This picture shows that we all hug each other and AA has a special bind with each of us. He is the one on the left with his back to us. I blurred the photo so no-one would be recognized.

Boy, this has been a tough week with Ellen leaving us, the wake for My friend here. Another friend showed up to the meeting and she has the same prognosis! But the good thing is, they each have Faith and that gives them much courage and hope.
Hope for the here after. Hope that when we die, we will be in heaven and our pain and addictions will leave us! We will shed these bodies (which I will GLADLY shed) and who knows what we will look like? Be like? I just know that we will be with Jesus and that makes me happy! Some of you don't believe that, so maybe you won't be with Jesus. Maybe there is another place you are going to that will be better or worse? Whatever your belief, that is fine but I sure like the feeling I have believing in Jesus and living with the hope of meeting him and being forgiven for my sins! Whew! AMEN!
Well I have no idea where all that came from, but I am heading to bed now.
Have a marvelous weekend and please drive safe!
If you drink....please don't drive!!

I'm still around

I have been busy and tired. I have not left the blog world.....just taking a small break.
Hope everyone is fine and enjoying the last of the Summer.

Have you ever noticed that Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their Chair at a meeting.

Farewell Sweet Ellen!

You will be missed........dearly.
It was fun meeting you and your Hillbilly husband Curtis in June 2005.
You two were the perfect match, and I truly believe God put you two together.
You put up a fierce fight and you were a lady to the end.
I'll see you on the other side.
God Bless you Ellen.

What is God?....Who is God?

I went to a friend's house tonight for an AA meeting. We are holding them at his house on Wed nights for a few months. He has cancer and the doctors quit the treatments he was getting and told him they will give him pain medication to make it more comfortable for him. He told me tonight he thinks he might last until Christmas......maybe.
He started out the meeting asking us to relate our feelings about "God".
I know there are a few people that have a hard time trying to grasp the "God" idea because of troubles in their childhood or just no teachings in their childhood.
I related that I had a wild youth and young adult years and had God up on a shelf until I was two years sober and started working the 12 steps.
Step three:
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God As we understood Him.
That was the hardest step for me. The idea of letting go of my own control was hard for me to grasp. I guess I am a controller and have been told all my life that I am responsible for my own life. I have to live with my choices and pay the consequences.
I remember I used to be afraid of just about everything. If I was in a thunderstorm I would cower until it was over.....I would come home from work to an empty house and search each closet and under the bed before I could relax....I was afraid to go to sleep at night, afraid I wouldn't wake up....I felt lonely and hollow inside.
I finally "surrendered" myself to God in my prayers and told Him He can have me.
It is His will, not mine be done!
I quit worrying about getting a higher position at work, and guess what, I got it! I can actually live one day at a time now and not worry (too much) about the future.
My friend tonight told us he is curious about what it will be like, then he smiled and told us he will find out before us, and we need to find out for ourselves, because he isn't coming back to tell us!!
Ellen has only a few days before she meets Jesus,
another friend of mine Diana has maybe a few weeks.
Another friend of mine is fighting a long battle with cancer too, and we keep him in our prayers.
We all will die someday, that is the only guarantee in life.

Here is a prayer for Step Three I found in my workbook
"The Twelve Steps, A Spiritual Journey":
Lord,
I am learning that there is an awful lot I can't do.
I can't control life the way I used to.
I can't make people be what I want.
I can't stop the pain inside me.
I can't even fully submit to your plan yet-I'm still too frightened of you.
But I know that there is one thing I can do right now.
I can make a decision to turn my will and my life over to you.
Making the decision doesn't mean I have to make it happen.
Making the decision doesn't mean I understand you or your plan.
Making the decision doesn't even mean I'm entirely willing, but it does mean that I know your way and will is right.
Lord, turn my simple decision into reality.
AMEN

After working the Step, I say a prayer every night giving myself to God:

Lord Jesus,
I turn my will and my life over to you.
Mold me and do with me as you will.
I trust you to guide my steps, and
I enter the world with hope that I may better do Your will.
I ask for your forgiveness and acceptance.
I welcome your Holy Spirit's power, love, and guidance
In everything I do.
AMEN.

I pray that everyone can find the peace and warmness I feel since I have found God. I am no longer cowering in fear,
I no longer fear death,
I no longer feel lonely,
I no longer cry myself to sleep at night,
I feel loved unconditionally,
I feel forgiven!
For all of that,
I feel very very thankful.

Another parade!

Well I sure get the fun jobs! We had another parade here on the Island today. The Island County Fair in Langley. The entire route was only about 1/4 of a mile.

Phil, one of our newest drivers wanted to go, so I let him drive and showed him how to "ham it up" for the crowds.
Saranell, one of our C.A.C. members would get out of the bus, go in front and gesture to the bus to "kneel" then Phil would lower the bus to to the pavement.

The kids really loved it! The little boys were fascinated by it.
After the parade we parked the bus and ate our way through the fair. I had BBQ ribs (Nummy and greasy) and a funnell cake (really sweet and greasy), then went back home. I was home at 1:30 then took a long nap. Now I am wide awake at midnight and heartburn from all that nummy greasy food!

I have been totally exhausted for the past few weeks. Probably because of the sinus infection then two weeks of Augmentin. (Plus a full week of fun and activities with my 40 year class reunion)!!

I hope that horrid storm misses land and fizzles out in the Gulf!

Something to know:

Have a Sunburn? - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water.

I really didn't want that baked potato with my dinner! I hardly ever eat potatoes...so sticking that potato in the oven was just what I did.....I did not puncture it with a fork. OOOoops. I'm glad I have a self cleaning oven.
I drove to Seatac yesterday to pick up a friend of mine that arrived from Texas. We went to school together and tomorrow we are going to the 40 year class reunion. FORTY YEARS!! We are meeting in the town park with the rest of the school alumni. It should be fun. I guess I shouldn't look for the kids I went to school with, I'd have better luck looking for their parents! Although Linda looks that same as she did 40 years ago! It isn't fair! I look like my mom!
We had to take a picture of the Space Needle in Seattle while crawling through the city during rush hour.
I slept until 11:00 today. I am exhausted from my time off, but I enjoyed every minute of it!
Two more days.