Category: My Life

I actually posted a great post (I think) last night for today. Then when I was trying to correct a link I erased it all! How I could do that is simply beyond me! In any case I am trying to redo it although I know the prose will not be nearly as good.

I’ve decided to start having my very own Meme on Fridays. It will be called Friday Flashback. I’m trying to create a link back, but please be patient. I know very little about writing actual HTML code, but I am trying to learn.

Okay, the first picture is of my brother, my sister, Mel in the middle, striking a pose. and little squirt me, playing the kazoo. Mel and Dickie were best friends growing up. They were just 2 years apart in age and had so much in common. I was 5 years younger and quite a pain in the neck! Sadly, my brother passed away at the young age of 26 from cancer.

The next picture was taken when I was 15. I had all four Wisdom Teeth removed as well as part of my jaw bone. Back then they actually hospitalized you. I was swollen like a chipmunk, and totally spaced out on pain-killers!

This is my High School graduation picture. I was not yet 17 years old. I loved that dress as it was a mini, mini, mini skirt. I definitely don’t wear them that short now!

This is me with my sister Mel. In our twenties we looked very much alike. I don’t think we look so much alike now. We always joke that we are really twins separated by 5 years!

Lastly, is a picture of Amanda at about four and a half years old. She was the flower girl in a wedding. She did a great job and I was very proud. I have always loved Mandy in  dresses and flowers in her hair!

So Fridays will now be my Flashback Fridays. I will be scanning in pictures and then telling you the story behind them. Hopefully next time I won’t erase what I have written!

The day was gray and drizzly. We managed to get quite a bit done though. After a couple of weeks, where we were too busy to shop, we finally got out to do a full grocery shopping. We had to go to three different shops to get all the things that we needed and we spent a fortune! But with the food that we bought, I think we will be good for a couple of weeks at least.

When we got home I had to put it all away, and bag up some of the meats that we bought before putting them in the freezer. By the time I sat down I felt totally spent.

I managed a nice meal of Swordfish, baked potatoes and spinach for dinner.

Now that the dishes are done I am quite happily sitting with Arnie in my chair, watching “The Bourne Identity”. I did not go to see the “Bourne” movies in the cinema, because I thought it would be a waste of time and money, but I found that I enjoyed them on the TV movie stations.

Saturday finds me getting together with my cousin Janet and my daughter, Mandy. I will take pictures! I’m looking forward to getting out with the girls! We’re going to Janet’s favorite restaurant and I will take lots of pictures!

Meanwhile, Hubby will be home, taking care of the dogs. He is such a good guy!

The great vote is over now, and the town meetings are history. In the past, I have always cast my vote at election time, but this year, I was smack dab in the middle of all the political discourse in our town. Actually, as I stood in the 40 degree (F) weather with a stiff wind, I have to say that with the exception of one candidate, we all got along splendidly! No kidding. We joked, and laughed and talked about our love for our town. I can honestly say that I grew to truly like the people I stood with that day (with the exception of the “Bully”). These terrific people are the reason I love my town. Here is a picture of us as we campaigned. The “Bully” is there, but I will refrain from pointing him out. Just think pretty boy John Edwards.

I got to the Community Center at 6:45 AM that day and set up. I then went inside and cast my ballot. I felt proud to see my name on the ballot, at the same time it was a little surreal. I was Voter # 2 that day. We had a total of 941 people come to vote.

Hubby was a sweetheart. He brought me 2 thermoses of hot coffee, and Holly, one of the candidates went off to get lunch from McDonald’s for us all. I grew to really like her, and we talked almost all afternoon.

I stopped people and told them my name and what I was running for. I always shook their hands. I smiled, but it was an honest smile. I was happy to be there and happy to be running for office.

The other candidates teased me in a nice way, about greeting the voters. I have to admit, by the very end of the day, I almost didn’t know my name or what I was running for.

During the mid day, the sun was out and we all stayed warm, the tough part was the end of the day when the sun had set and the temperatures were falling. Then we all froze.

At 6:55 PM we went inside and waited until they ended the voting. Then we were able to go into the hall and wait for the machines to tabulate the ballots. I sat, thawing and listening to the moderator read the results. He read my name, said I received 905 votes and I felt such a surge of relief and pride!

I said my good-byes to my fellow candidates (The “Bully” was long gone, and he did not win his race either!), I hugged them and we all got in our cars and left.

When I got home I had some hot pot roast that I had thrown in the crock-pot at 6:30 in the morning. It was wonderfully hot and delicious! Hubby popped the cork on the champagne bottle and we celebrated my election!

At 9 PM I was in bed with all the dogs and my day had ended.

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Today I noted that a “Bob House” on our quickly thawing lake had fallen through. Another one is so close to open water it will probably go in overnight. If you look beyond the one “Bob House” you can see you can just make out the tip of the sinking “Bob House”!

I think we will have an early ice-out on the lake this year.

So, are you ready to play Plinko?

Definition of plink: “Plinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water.” Plinko is also a carnival game we play at Oneighty, but pot-luck shots fits this meme better, I think.

So here are your random plinko questions lined up in a row just like tin cans:

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet? 10 years?

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? No I stopped buying when I joined Weight Watchers.

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to? I would love to learn!

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager? I think so.

5. How many of this year’s Oscar-nominated movies did you see? None. They never get this far up in the woods. However, we are going to see Jeff Bridges movie on Friday.

6. If you’re going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself? Having blood drawn is no problem, but I don’t want to watch myself being stitched up and I didn’t watch the carpal tunnel surgery either.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why? Sunday. Newspaper, coffee, relaxation!

8. Do you miss anyone right now? Yes. I miss my daughters.

9. Do hospitals make you queasy? No.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Not that you ever would, you responsible person, you. Coldwater Creek!

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items? Sometimes. Although I love a good deal.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels? I love eye contact, even if the news is bad. I will always look you straight in your eyes, so be prepared.

OK … ready, aim, PLINK and LINK!

I took a bath. I know, you are all glad that I finally climbed in the tub and washed my limbs, right? But you know, I think in America, at least, most people are in a hurry and so they shower and go most days. On Sunday, I put on some nice music, locked the doors (Hubby was out) turned off my cell phone, got a hot cup of chamomile tea, filled my tub up and sank in!

Oh how wonderful that felt! Hot water, all around me, while I slowly sipped my tea. I was on the verge of falling asleep right there in the tub, when I heard the pitter patter of little feet entering the bath room.

Yes, I had the great company of Arnie and Anneliese. They love it when I take a bath and come and visit me. I think part of them is really curious as to why I am happily sitting in a tub of water? So they come and see me each time.

Fritz figures the safest place for him is in the other room. He watches me, but from a ten foot distance. I’m sure he thinks he can outrun me if I decide to put him in the tub for a bath!

Greta sits on a bathmat across the room (the bathroom is actually pretty large) and usually takes a little nap while I’m relaxing.

Eventually I started to look like a dried up old prune and the water began to cool off, so I got out and toweled off and dressed.

I’ve just got to plan more tub time. It’s just the best way to relax!

After a week where I saw the bad side of a few people in my town and the surrounding area, at our local School Budget Meeting, today I was able to go out and just see the beauty around me. This was something that I really needed to do.

I took Anneliese and went to get the mail. Now on Saturday, almost everyone goes to pick up their mail in the late morning before the Post Office closes for the day. We saw so many wonderful people. Older neighbors and young families. I spoke to everyone I saw and I smiled. Boy, did that feel good!

My wonderful little town has not been so wonderful during this election period. There has been back stabbing, lying, cheating and empty, smiling, promises. I know, this is common in “Politics”, however it has not been the case in my sleepy little town, until this election. A woman who moved here just over a year ago has managed to take a group of people who had been working well together over the years, and has turned everyone against each other. She has also found her “John Edwards” pretty boy candidate, and gotten him in place to take over the school board, despite the fact that his wife is a teacher with a great deal of power in the system.

The pretty boy candidate is also a Bully. Yes, he is the Bully I served notice to the other day. I do not like liars, cheats and people who take advantage of others. This man and his crew are the epitome of small town evil. No joke.

Most of the week I was feeling very depressed about all of this. If you wondered why I was not writing much, this was it. I have just felt sick about all of this.

So today I needed to get out and walk around and speak to people and remind myself why I love this town and most of the people who live here.

I was not disappointed. They’re still here, the good people of my town. They are the ones who are born here, work here, live here and die here. They may not be the richest people, but they are good, hardworking people.

They are why, I am running for Library Trustee, and also why I have joined a community service club.

The other night I actually got up and spoke for the lower income families in my community, in front of over 500 people. Anyone who knows me, will tell you that is way out of my comfort zone. But I did it for the little children that I have worked with in this town, whose families have very little, and whose voices aren’t being heard right now. You simply have to keep taxes down, or these families will be forced out of our beautiful town.

I am all for good education, but not if it forces families out of our community.

Anyway, today was my day to fall in love with my town again and to find the goodness, and I was not disappointed. It was there, right where I knew it would be.

Home!