Yippee, I'm going away!!

Yep, I'm going away for the weekend.
I have a women's retreat at Warm Beach Friday night, all day Saturday and leave at 1:00 Sunday. Fun will be had by all!!
I am ready for some spiritual time with my Christian sisters after Halloween and that "ghostly" picture! I still have no idea what was in that picture! It wasn't my breath, or all the other pictures would have it, and you'd see the breath in all the kids. Nope, no breath or smoke or fog or double exposure.
Oh well, something for the kids to talk about and thrill about in the years ahead. Hehehe a legend in the making here. I made some copies for the kids. I also gave one to Lorena, the woman in the picture. She looked at it and thought YIKES!!
Have a great weekend everyone!!

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Halloween photos

I finally got to post the pictures!!
Ok, this is weird!! I took pictures of all the Halloween costumes this year with all my favorite little goblins.

They were all dressed so cute and they were all very polite!
Then Chris and Brian and the other little devils showed up
Then this photo of the cute little one with his mom. But what the heck is all that foggy stuff??? It wasn't foggy tonight, and there was no smoke at all, and I am using a digital camera! All the other photos are fine except this one!! WEIRD!!!
I took this one right after the other one and everything is clear. Did I really get a ghost????

Halloween '06

Well I have been trying to post with a picture for two days now and blogger will not let me for some strange reason! Hmmppf!
I'm alive and kicking, just busy busy busy.
Hope everyone had a safe Halloween.
I'm visiting alot of you, but just don't have alot to post about, and I can't seem to post pictures now.

What disease did cured ham actually have?

October

I love October. The hot weather is behind us and Fall is here. The smell of woodsmoke in the air and decorations all over town made from cornstalks. I'm sure my sister will post some pictures of the scarecrows in the town too. This is from my friends that grow all the beautiful dahlias. He has a big vegetable garden and makes a huge sculpture in his front yard every year. Last year it was a horse and this year it is a scarey black cat. They love to do stuff like this, and I love them to do it!

As you all know my computer was off line for a week. I am switching to Comcast cable for high speed internet, and a phone that I can call any where in the U.S. and Canada for FREEE!!! So to all you Canadian friends of mine, email me your phone number when I get my new email address.
I was supposed to have it done on October 12th, but I had to go to work so I cancelled the appointment. I rescheduled the appointment for November 8th, but they forgot to tell the people that turned off Verizon! So, I was without the net for a week. I survived.
Elliott says hello too!

I will be catching up slowly, as I am still busier than I want to be at the moment, but life is good!! God is good!

Why does a round Pizza come in a square box????

BIT'S AND PIECES

Today started out like a typical Friday the thirteenth! I woke up to the alarms and the next thing I know it was 8:19! I usually get to work at 8:30. I pushed the snooze too much that I ran out of it. I jumped out of bed as fast as my crippled old arthritic body will let me (about 5 minutes to get to the bathroom). I got my makeup on and did my hair, got dressed, fed the cats, took my daily pound of pills and got to work in 1/2 an hour (my commute is about 5 minutes). I sat at my computer and realized I left my new glasses on the bathroom counter. Oh well not to worry, I have a spare in my desk (of course). I picked up the spare and POP goes the left lens!! Well I only felt like working at half pace any way. I did the work I meant to do then went to Oak Harbor to sign up some new Paratransit riders.
I visited Hannah while I was there. Hannah is 91 years old today.
I dropped in to see her Wednesday and she recognized me but could not talk. I asked her what was wrong and she tried to say something but babble came out. This is not like her. She has her wits about her and can talk, but can't hear. I asked the gals out in the hall what was wrong with Hannah and they looked at each other and told me I needed to talk with the Nurse. The Nurse said they are doing some tests and that her lungs were clear. WHAT? LUNGS?? She can't TALK!! Then she said they did some blood work and will do some urine tests because her urine smelled strong. NO SHIT! SHE'S BEEN SITTING IN IT ALL DAY!! SHE NEEDS CHANGING!!!
I was really upset, and she knew it. Her son showed up yesterday so she will be clean at least while he is here! I think her system is ready to shut down. She does not look well at all. We are supposed to go to lunch tomorrow so I will see what they say when I show up to get her. I gave her a dozen pale apricot roses and a card.
I went to band practice then got to AA 15 minutes late. There was a young black guy there that needed a ride to the hospital. He said he needs to get mental health tested and the ER said he could come in tonight. I asked him when the last time he drank or took drugs, and he said about a week. He looked like a nice kid but lost. I told him I lived in Coupeville and would give him a ride. OK folks, we live in a rather small town and I am used to picking up strangers and giving them rides so don't start telling me I'm stupid, 'cause I know I am. As we were going to Coupeville he told me his mom kicked him out tonight and he is 23 years old and very mixed up. I asked if he had a Church and he said yes. We then talked and I could sense a very scared lost person here. I asked him if I could pray over him, and he smiled and said he'd like that. HAVE I GONE CRAZY??? Friday the 13th, picking up a strange man in an Alcoholics Anonymous hall, taking him to the emergency room 10 miles away, playing gospel songs on my CD and praying over him!! HAHAHAHAHA Wow, things have changed in my life that is for sure.
It just felt like the thing to do at the time. While I was praying for him and asking God to open the right doors for him and to send his Angels down to watch over him, the guy was crying relief tears. I think right now he feels like this is the rock bottom of his life. 23 years old and kicked out in the cold foggy night with nothing. I pray he finds the help he needs.
Well on that crazy note, I will head to bed and read some of my murder mystery.
Sheesh, reading murder mysteries then picking up strangers in the middle of the night on a cold foggy October night! MWAHAHAHAHAHA
G'night, folks

How important does a person have to be before they are considered
assassinated instead of just murdered?

TSUNAMI!!

Well not really. I woke up in the middle of the night and went to the bathroom and a couple hours later I woke up to a strange noise but thought it was a helicopter landing at the hospital.
I woke up at 7:00 to go to Church and heard a loud roaring noise! It was weird. I went to the bathroom and it was really loud in there. I got dressed and looked outside and water was spraying out from underneath my trailer!!
SWELL!
I called the park manager and he came and turned off the water and told me anything under my house is my responsibility.
No shit, Sherlock. Thanks for reminding me!
Now this will be a few hundred dollars as it is Sunday and plumbers do not come cheap!
I decided to go to Church and deal with it later.
During the sermon the Pastor was talking about when Jesus went to a woman at the well and asked for a drink of water. The Pastor then asked if anyone of us has remembered the last time they were thirsty. I giggled and said yea, this morning! He went on to talk about water the entire sermon. (how ironic)! He mentioned a man that fell off the Navy ship in the Indian Ocean and was treading water for 3 days, and was thirsty. He mentioned also that the man had Faith and some fishermen found him and rescued him.
After Church I was telling a friend about my water problem and lo and behold he and another guy said they will come right out and look at it! They made two trips into town and a couple hours later the problem was fixed and they would not take a cent for it! Not even for the parts. They also said they will be back in a few days and repair the rest of the pipes as they look pretty old and they should be fixed. Wow, I was rescued from my water problem too!! I cried after they left. With tears of joy and thanks to God for putting the right people in my life.
My heart is full of happiness and love!
God is good!

When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.

My goodness, where did the week go??!!
It is almost Wednesday already, and I am just getting going on the week!
Saturday I left at 7:00am and was gone all day to a Church conference then a few of us went shopping and then to dinner, and I got home at 7:00pm. I was really tired!!
Sunday I was sick with a head/chest cold so stayed home from Church and slept until noon, then stayed home from work yesterday with the same, and went to work today and did catch-up, and tomorrow I go to Mount Vernon for a meeting with the other transit company and then before I know it, Thursday will be here!!
Well now that was fun! I don't think I have anything to do this weekend, so maybe I will take Hannah out for lunch. We haven't spent any good time together for awhile.
I think it is bath time and cuddle in with a book for awhile!
G'nite folks!

P.S. If you go to my Mary Kay website, you can enter to win $1,000.00 no purchase necessary!!

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your
pocket and then give him only two of them.
-Phil Pastoret

Friday!!

Whew, this was a long busy week! My first after vacation, so I was busy catching up.
I had to go to Mount Vernon then Camano Island today (125 miles round trip).
As I left Coupeville I noticed a huge thick fog bank hanging around the water by Ebey's Landing.
I love the way the sun was shining on the cut fields then the tree tops sticking out of the fog.
As I was going over Deception Pass Bridge I had to snap a photo of the trees growing out of the rocks! It just amazes me that big strong trees can grow out of solid rock, and the plants I try to grow all die! What's with that?
I had to stop after I drove over the bridge and take a picture. It isn't as good as some I've seen, but it shows the bridge and then the fog. Half the bridge was gone, and 200 feet below is the deadly water. It looks spooky like this. Stephen King would have a hey day writing about this Island! I called Dick & my sis to tell them to grab their cameras and head for the Bridge. Dick was busy at home in Mt. Vernon doing his homework, and My sis wasn't home. I found out later she was out taking pictures of the fog!!
This last picture is me driving into the fog on the bridge.
Well when you are at a loss of words for a blog, pictures work well. I never tire of taking pictures!
I have another busy weekend ahead of me so I must try to get a little sleep!
Enjoy the weekend!

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea.
-Robert A. Heinlein

Sunset of my vacation

I picked up Florence, my 90 year old next door neighbor and took her to the beach to watch the sunset yesterday. She wanted to sit in the car, but I told her I want to sit on the beach and get her picture, so she got out and sat on a log on the beach.
We sat there for about 1/2 hour talking and watching the sun slowly settle into the water.
Like I said in a previous post, you can almost hear the sizzle as it hits the water.
If you look to the right of the sun on the horizon you can see a ship leaving Puget Sound.
We then drove up the bluff to get a better view.
Ahhhhhh,
Isn't this a beautiful area? As we were driving home I saw this last photo to take. You can't see the water, but it is in the middle of the picture.
My 10 day vacation is over. Time to get back to the grind of work. I have alot to catch up on, so I am anxious to get back and get to work on it all! It will probably take the first day just going through my inbox, and the 10,000 emails! Hope everyone had a marvelous weekend!

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather, who died peacefully in his sleep,
not screaming like all the passengers in his car."
~ Author Unknown

Today Keewee and I decided to meet for lunch in Freeland. I went to get Mary Lou and she just got up and decided not to go. Well you snooze you lose. We had a great time! Keewee was disappointed that Mary Lou wasn't there, but said she would stop by her house on the way home from shopping in Oak Harbor. Hurry Mary Lou, grab the broom!!
We asked the waitress to take our picture. Keewee (Jennifer) was disappointed that she wasn't smiling, but if you look real close, you can see two fingers peeking up from behind her head. hehehehe
We had a great yuppie lunch, and did alot of giggling. She is a real sweetie! Her accent (New Zealand) is adorable!
We will meet again soon!!
On the way home I noticed a power pole looking a little diffent on top so I pulled over for a closer view and noticed a birds nest.
It looks like an Eagle's nest or a Hawk. Those buggars will build wherever they please!! Kinda like us humans, huh? The best view is better!
Time for a nap. My vacation is going way too fast!!

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance,
and to turn around three times before lying down.
-Robert Benchley

Bloggers Meet

Today Mary Lou and I went to Burlington to meet Dick. We actually met him on our blogs and have been chatting back and forth for awhile and I thought it was silly not to meet each other since we only live about 50 miles apart. So Mary Lou and I went to Costco today and met Dick at Starbucks before we went shopping. It was fun. Dick is a very nice guy. He is a retired Metro supervisor and he does photography on the side. His photo's are superb!
Tomorrow We go to Freeland (15 miles away) and meet Keewee!!
I'll post about her tomorrow.

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams

A Lazy Autumn Sunday Afternoon....

Today was actually a perfect Sunday to me. I got to Church at 8:30 for Worship Team practice then Church at 10:00. After Church we had our first Alpha meeting. We ate lunch afterwards then we did some visiting, and I was home at 12:30pm. The picture of the tree is right outside the window in our Church.
The weather seemed to turn over night, and it got really cool.
When I got home today I decided to take a nap after watching Elliott and Punkin laying around.
I got up after an hour and got on my computer. After watching Elliott for awhile, I went back to bed!
I got up and had something to eat then went back to bed!
Now I am up maybe for an hour or so and back to bed!!
A perfect Autumn Sunday if you ask me!! The weather was overcast with some rain showers, and rather windy, so it was a perfect sleeping day! I think I will make some hot cocoa and put a dab of vanilla ice cream it it and sprinkle it with cinnamon. Come on over!!

I have the weirdest thing going on with my computer.....I cannot get into some peoples comments! I cannot get into my comments unless I click on my sidebar and visit someone then back arrow to my blog again then I can open my comments. So when I go to Ellen's Blog, I need to do the same with her blog to get the comments to open! The same with Esther, and Sally!! So if you don't see comments from me it is because I cannot open them!!
I'm reading y'all, so please don't think I abandoned you!

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves
himself.
-Josh Billings

Mercy Me at the Puyallup Fair!

Seven of us gals from Church went to the Puyallup Fair to see the "Mercy Me" concert. They made the song "I can only Imagine" famous. They are great! We left my house at one pm and headed North to pick up a few other gals, then stopped at an espresso place for Latte's. The drive was great until we got to Everett, then it was 20 mph for the next 20 miles, then again close to Tacoma. I don't like being a road warrior, so to break the ice I snuck in the green teeth here to break the monotony of bumper to bumper traffic. Debbie caught on and put in her pink teeth. (We got them at the latte stand). I thought the other gals were gonna die!! It was so funny. One car drove by and one guy looked over at me then kinda smiled and shook his head. Everyone else were on their cell phones and not paying attention. Now that is scarey.
One guy saw Debbie, then sped up. We think he got mad or something. Then we got my big flashlight and were singing into it like a microphone and passing it back and forth to sing into. We are 60 to 35 year olds cracking ourselves up.
Seattle always brings a smile to me when I see the Space Needle. It looked pretty today with the blue sky behind it.
We got to the fair at 6:00 and ate some icky hamburgers and greasy onion rings, then found our seats. We had good seats. rows 9 & 10. There were 10,000 people there of all ages! There were two kids in front of me and when the band started playing they got on their seats and raised their hands like the rest of us. It was touching.
The music was fabulous, and the weather was perfect! A great time was had by all.
It was awesome to be in the midst of 10,000 Christians singing Praise to the Lord! Whew!
Cheryl here was up clapping her hands the entire concert. Well so was everyone!
OH!!! After the Concert, we walked around the Fair and I bought a big BBQ turkey leg (to take home for dinner tomorrow), then I saw a hat stand with really tacky hats. I was looking at them and saw a black fuzzy hat I kinda liked so I bought it. I then saw a sewing machine and asked what that was for, and the lady said it is to personalize the hats if I wanted to. I asked her how long she had her booth at the fair and she said 40 years or so. I asked her if she used to sell those tacky hillbilly hats. She smiled and said yeah. I asked her how much they sold for, and she told me probably about 1 or 2 dollars then. I handed her three dollars and told her when I was 15 years old I stole a hat from her. She laughed and said forget it. I told her to take the money anyway. I am an alcoholic, and we are supposed to make ammends whenever possible. Then I had to explain to my friends the story. When I was 15 Lorraine Palmer, Sue Norton and I went to the Puyallup Fair. We were buying the hillbilly hats, and the guy turned to get some money from someone else, and Lorraine grabbed my arm and said c'mon!! We started running with the hats, and the guys were chasing us and we ran into a barn with animals and ditched them! Well I can rest easy now, I paid my debt! HAHAHAHA I am so glad I don't have kids!
We walked around the fair some more and ran into that woman again and she yelled over at us "I am STILL laughing at this"!!
We left the Fair about 10:30 and got home about 1:00am. Whew! Am I tired.

Another Party

Last night we had a going away party for a friend of mine. I have watched him grow up and up and up sice he was two. That is him in the black shirt. He is going to YWAM in Montana for 6 months.
After that he will be a missionary going to who knows where. I am so proud of him. Boy, the girls will faint when they see this 26 year old single hunk walk into the college!!
I told my sister last night that I was doing nothing tonight, but I forgot about the EHAT meeting. So I got home at 8:30 tonight.
I am off work now for 10 whole days!! Tomorrow I am going to the Puyallup Fair then to the Mercy Me concert!! I am going with 6 gals from my Church. It will be so much fun!!
Well I must get some rest before the big day!! More pictures tomorrow.
OH! And I am now a Mary Kay consultant! EGADS, will I ever stop??!!

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
-Will Rogers

The Luncheon was a success!

Well the only real stress I had was the last minute phone ins, and getting their name badges made.
We had a great speaker and she seemed to touch everyone with her story. I related to it that's for sure!!
Candy is nearly 80 years old and a real kick! We knew each other before sobriety, and it was funny meeting each other in the halls of AA!!! Her blouse looks like her arms were tattooed which really wouldn't surprise anyone at all! She has helped many a gal entering into sobriety. Me as one.
These four posed for the camera knowing I was going to put it on my blog. The one in the white blouse is Rex's friend.
These gals also posed for me. Roxie in the middle reads my blog and usually answers via email or phone call. I try to get her to start a blog. Maybe some day.
I can't show you any more pictures without breaking some people's anonymity. The entire day was fun and went fast. The meal was boneless teriyaki chicken, vegetable lasagna, green beans, rice pilaf, salad bar and assorted pies. I think everyone was satisfied. I didn't hear any complaints.
So how was your Saturday?

Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you
are wonderful.
-Ann Landers

AM I OUT OF MY MIND????

Why do I do this to myself?
When I took over the Ladies AA luncheon three years ago there were about 35-40 gals that got together in the Methodist Church in Langley.

They passed the baton to me to take North for us gals to do in 2003. Well in 2004 there were about 70 gals, and then 2005 were 90, and now there are about 120!! I came home tonight and there were 10 messages on my phone. Some gals want to come tomorrow for the luncheon! There is room, but I don't know if there is enough food! I told the Chiefs Club that I had 108 confirmed and maybe a few to pay at the door.

FEH (as Special K would say). What will be will be. If there isn't enough food, so what? We still have a great speaker, and if she doesn't show up I will speak! That'll teach 'em!!

Off to bed I go to get rested up for D day!! 120 sober alkie women on a full moon!! WHOOOPIE!!

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
-Rita Rudner

September fog

I love this time of year. The mornings are cool and the afternoons are hot, but just over at the beach is this fog bank creeping in to take over! It sneaks away then rolls back in teasing us. I took this picture up on the hill by the cemetery today at noon. The old beat up tree trunks help make the scene look eerie. The Winter winds howl through the Prairie here. Just around the bend is Admiralty Inlet where some of the strongest Winter Storms barrel in from the Ocean, whipping through the Prairie then pounding at my house. I just love to lay in bed and listen to the storms hit the side of my house. My bed is right at the window that overlooks the prairie where the winds come. The rains pounding at my window while I am snuggled in my down blanket reading a book, listening to the police scanner calling out those poor firemen to go out and clear a road from downed trees! hehehehe that was me about 5 years ago!! I miss it, but not too much! I am too old, fat and decrepit any more. I'll just drive the bus to move people when I am called.

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us?
I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul --
chicken, pork, half a cow.
They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!
-Anne Tyler

Labor Day Weekend

I had a wonderfully full weekend!
Saturday I went to a Birthday potluck with my Church friends. Man I have never seen such FOOD!! Great ribs, Italian sausages, burritos, salads, potatoes, cake. BURP!

I left that potluck and went to my neighbor's 90th birthday party with her family!
Check out the fancy cake!! Well she actually had a homemade peach pie, homemade apple pie, homemade ice cream sandwiches, and fresh brewed coffee.

The gals gathered around for a picture,

Then the guys all gathered around for a photo!
Hmmm, her smile seems much bigger with her men! Oh how she loves her men!

I came home and two close friends came over and we all chatted for the rest of the night, then we went to my friend Debbies beach house.
Today I went to Church early, then a bunch of us gals went to brunch at the Chiefs Club, then I came home for a nap. I woke up at 6:30, and noticed clouds had crept in and the sun was beginning to set. I jumped in my car and drove to the beach to capture God's Beauty!
There are alot of forest fires in the State here and that makes for an awesome sunset.

I sat on the beach and watched the big orange orb fall slowly to the ocean, and as it disappeared into the water it was so quiet you could almost hear it sizzle, and I said "...and that was the last we all saw the sun for 20 years..." a couple on the beach looked over at me like I was weird! HMPPF! Must be Californians! hehehehe

I turned to leave the beach and saw these clouds. I was surrounded by beauty! I feel sorry for people in Kansas that have no idea what they are missing here.

GOD is good!

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire,
but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

FRIDAY!

I stayed home from work today.
I have been feeling kinda weird this week, and couldn't sleep last night until about 4 this morning. I woke up at 6:30 and called the office to say I was sleeping in. I went back to sleep and my sis woke me up at 8:30. I got up and was getting dressed and decided I was staying home. I just couldn't get moving. Soon as I called in, I couldn't go back to sleep so I started putzing. I decided I have a "rabbit trail mind". I start to do something and then see something else and go for that and by the end of the day I am exhausted and see I didn't do what I started out to do. Well today was one of those days. I did get my computer fixed though. It was so S-L-O-W since I moved it to the spare room. I called tech support and they said I am on DSL but it seems slow to them too. (Now how can they tell?????) that scares me. I asked the guy if I needed to get dressed. He kinda chuckled and said no. (Well that serves him right if he could see me any way)! HEHEHEHE
He decided he was going to send a repair person to check out my house and connections. Well after that I found a different telephone cord and decided to try that instead of the old one I had hooked up. Well that wasn't an easy chore! I had my brother come over the other day and drill a hole in the wall from my bedroom to the spare room so I could run the cord through and hook up to my computer instead of installing a rather expensive outlet.
HAHAHAHA That took all morning.
I had to get on the floor next to my bed to feed the new cord through then try to get up! HA! That took a few grunts and moans. Then I went to the other room and squeezed behind my rolling shelves to get to the cord and when I bent over I was stuck between the wall and the shelf, head down. Hmmmppff! I jiggled my way out of that and saw that the cord never came through. It was fed into the wall space! Sooooo, I decided to get my long forceps (don't ask) and stick them into the wall to try to get the cord.
After about four times going from room to room, I finally got the cord fed through and everything hooked up and put back together!! WHEW!!
I worked up a sweat which is good because I had a bit of a fever.
My computer is working just fine now. I guess the cord was bad. Hmmm. The repair guy called and I told him what I did and he said great. I felt so smart for getting it all done without crying or throwing a fit, in fact I was giggling alot thinking about how I must look. Thank God for Zoloft!!
I went to my Praise team practice tonight and we played 4 great tunes and then I got to my AA meeting. I went shopping and got home at 10:30.
All the time I was out I kept tugging at my T-shirt. It felt like it was creeping up and choking me. Well no wonder.......I had it on backwards!!! DOH!
And how was your Friday?

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail
instead of his tongue.
-Anonymous