Bits and Pieces

Man Did I ever Slug today!!! I came home last night dog-tired! Took a shower and hit the sack. I slept until 3:00 and Sadie woke me up she needed to go...so outside we went, I sat there on the deck in the cool air in my shortie nitie waiting for her to take her sweet little time and find Just The Right SPot to do her business in. Put her back in her pen and crashed until 800. A friend called and said my corn was ready, they were leaving, but it would be on the steps. I hung up and went right back to sleep until 930 when Bob called to tell me the Lavendar was in the back yard. I hung up and went right back to sleep again, until 1000, got up and blogged some, got sleepy again, so laid down to watch the news and woke up at 1230. I am still tired!!! Bone deep tired, so tired I want to go right back to bed, and just sleep.

I cant though, I have 6 Lavendar plants to plant, and a huge box of corn to can, pictures to print for the play, and Then I have to go i to the playhouse until 1000 when I get to come home and do it all over again.

The local Lavendar farm has been in existence for about 5 years,and has over 5 acres of plants. The couple is divorcing and needs to liquidate their business, so they are selling these plants for 5.00 apiece! They are huge!! 1 will fill a whiskey 1/2 barrell. So I am going to put these in the ground and grow my own lavendar!! Ever had lavendar ice cream? Jelly? Bath foo-foo? love it!! It is very calming.

I also have a friend who grows corn for his grandkids college fund, and every year I get tons of ears and freeze them for use through the year. This year I went to get some for canning, and he said wait! he was picking small ears today and he would GIVE them to me, as no one wanted to buy the small ears, so I have about 100 smal; ears to cut the corn off of, and can. I think I will make some corn relish!

2 weeks ago, our grass was dry and brown and dead. then a week of rain and now sunshine again, and the grass is green and wet and growing! just mowed it Friday, now it needs it again!!

I am fighting staying awake, so I think I will go take ANOTHER nap. Geez what is wrong? COuld it be all the lavendar under my window?ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

FOR LESLIE! CANADA evidently won the world cup of hockey. didnt even know there was one.

Autumn

There is most definitely a fall feeling in the air. It is really humid tonight, and as I got out of the Playhouse and headed home, I had to turn down the A/C in the car. As I got out at Prairie Center Grocery Store, the coolness smacked me right in the face. It was clean, and cool. The clouds were rolling in from the West, and you could see right under the layer of clouds to the weather front, where the sun was going down. AHHHHHH It is always so good to see Fall come again.

Night before last I was awake to pee at around 515 and noticed it was still dark. Now not more than 6 weeks ago it was bright daylight then. I lay back down and looked out the window and THERE! RIGHT THERE!!! Just coming out from behind the trees was ORION! For some reason seeing Orion brings me peace. I have no idea why. Maybe I am from another place and another time, and originally came from Orion. Which star, I don’t know, there is no one star that gets me. The Belt does though. Maybe I am from one of the stars in his belt!

I took the picture on top of this post in 1984. My husband and I were trying to work things out and we went over to Eastern Washington to Leavenworth. (must be something about that town eh Brian?) And spent several days wandering around and looking at all the fall color. Western Washington USUALLY does not get the fall color, as it is usually wet and grey, and the alder trees just turn brown and fall off. All the pretty trees are over the top in Eastern Washington. Anyway, We came to Lake Wenatchee State Park and got out and walked around. Down by the lake I saw these Canoes all lined up and turned over like they were waiting for the next season to be used again. It has just epitomized to me the ending of one season and the beginning of another. Life renewing itself, by resting and gaining strength for its push and rush through the coming spring and summer.
A circle of life. Ending and beginning. Little did I know it would be the ending of one part of my life and the beginning of another part. No regrets, I had a good life with Jim, I just grew and he did not. He became the falling leaves I became the new growth.

BLUES!

Ever had those feelings that the world was gonna come to a screeching halt and you would be thrown off? I have been feeling that way for a couple of weeks now. I just can not get my mind back where it should be. I have a play to do, even though I am just producing it, but I really just dont care. I have been working on projects here at home, and I have hit a road block. I don't like my house arranged the way it is, it is just NOT comfortable. I hate my furniture! I hate not having the right light, I hate not being able to sit in my living room and watch TV, I hate cooking, I am just at the point where I just want to walk away and never look back.

I do not know why. Nothing has happened to make me feel this way.....ARRGGGHHHH AND I HATE THIS FREAKING COMPUTER THAT KICKS ME OFF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING!!
and I seriously Hate dial-up!!!



This was sent to me via email, and it just fits!!!! I read my horoscope and it said bury yourself deep until September, because August is gonna be a bitch! Well it sure hit that nail!

I need to go in tomorrow and try and set the lights, then take the head shots and the stills for the wall, and I should be pretty much done for this show. No more shows until MArch when I produce Ten Little Indians.

I think I just want everything DONE at home. All the painting done, the floor finished and everything moved around and cleaned. Then I can relax. I hate being in a state of flux and I feel like I have been for about 6 months now. Maybe it is just not working getting to me. That and the damn aches and pains!!!!!

Ya'll have a fine Sunday...

A BABY!!!

MOM!! C'MERE!

What?

C"MERE QUICK!

Why?

JUST C'MERE QUICK!

I'm coming....

I head down the hall and Donna is in the bathroom bent at the waist staring at the floor. Now I can bend at the waist too, but my nose comes nowhere NEAR touching the floor. Her's almost did.

What?

LOOK!!!

I don't see anything...

THERE!! A BABY!!!

What?

A BABY SNAIL!

WHere?

RIGHT THERE!! SEE??? RIGHT THERE!!! He came in on my shoe.

As I get as close to the floor as I can without tipping over, I see a TEEEEEENNNNNY little speck on the floor.

Looks like dirt to me!

NOOOOO! IT'S A BABY SNAIL!! HOW CUTE IS THAT!!!!!

well...let me get my camera and we can enlarge the speck and hopefully I can see something besides a speck.



Well by God Donna, you are right, as I enlarge this TEEEEENNNNY little speck in the picture, sure enough it has antennae! A BABY SNAIL!!! SO How cute is that?

Careful where you step folks there be babies there!

Happy Birthday Michelle!

Today is Windspirits Birthday...Ya'll pop on over and wish her a happy happy birthday. I know she will come home to all kinds of mail that arrived while she was gone!

Rain!!

Well never let it be said that it doesn't rain in August in Washington. It started on Friday night, and has not let up at all. We are getting the left overs from a typhoon that hit Japan 2 weeks ago, and with it all the rain! Very little wind though. The underpasses are flooded, the basements in apt bldgs are flooded, even the Playhouse had standing water on the rug downstairs. It flooded the parking lot, then rolled right down the sidewalk and right down the stairs.

I don't recall ever seeing this much rain at one time here. Its so needed. The fires in the forests are getting drenched and the firecrews are all rejoicing.
I told you about the rain on Saturday, and the fair, it let up a little on Sunday and then Rained like hell on Monday and Tuesday and let up a little today. More is expected tomorrow and Friday and MAYBE some sun on Sat.

Our reservoirs have been way behind where they should be at this time of the year, mainly because we did not get a good snow pack up in the mountains to slowly melt and fill them. And no spring rain, but we are fast catching up. When it rains hard here, we MIGHT get .50 of an inch. But we have been getting 2 and 3 " in some places, in an HOUR. jeez! You'd think we were in Houston or Austin or sompthin!!

Sadie has decided that she will be a little Bitch and not go out to do her pottie. It is too wet out there, and she has not seen rain like that. So I have to chase her to get her outside, and when I catch her she will do the submissive peeing thing. I throw her out and she stays right under the eaves and cries. And Whines, and scratches the siding, and then the door. So I let her in, and she'll poop right in front of the back door.

She is a year old now and has been pottie trained since she was 5 months old, but this rain has sent her back. She will run and hide under the bed, unless Lint is around and wants out too. If Lint goes out, Sadie will. She is such a stubborn little witch!! She is sooo smart, she knows when I am on my bed to read, and she will come lay beside me and cuddle, but if I am in bed for the night she will hide under the bed, so she doesn't get put in her pen. Now mind you her PEN is just a kiddee gate across one end of my bathroom, and she can see me in bed so she isn't out in the cold and wet. She knows when she is in there it is nite-nite time.

You should hear the birds in the morning! They wake up singing their little rain song. And running back and forth through the leaves taking their showers! They are loving it!! I have two bird baths that I keep out for them for water, but they were really loving the showers!!

Well off to bed. I learned how to edit comments tonite, had to take one off at the authors request, and did not know how, and could not remember my password. All fixed now.

Brisket!!

Have you ever tasted something at a company picnic that just made your mouth water? Ever tried to get the recipe and keep getting thwarted? I have a friend who worked for me for many years at the Navy Exchange, who would always bring brisket to potlucks. For years I tried to get the recipe from her, but she always laughed and said I'll get it for you.

This brisket was melt in your mouth tender, covered in BBQ sauce and sliced in thin slices. The kind that when you eat it in a sandwich, may come plopping out of the bread and drip down your chin onto your boobs. You know the kind?

Well as I was retiring, she told me her secret, but said I couldn't have the whole thing. It was her husband Kenny! He is the one who cooks in their family.




I got a phone call today and Kenny asked if I was gonna be home, as he wanted to bring me some brisket. OF COURSE I'm gonna be home for that. He brought over a nice package of it and some extra sauce for it. I opened the package and there was enough for Donna and I for dinner. But I couldn't wait, I split it in half and zapped my half in the microwave and sat down to eat it. And then I promptly went back and got Donna's half too. And Ate it! it was soooooooo goooood!! And he has given me his secret rub and told me how to make the BBQ sauce. So man I am gonna try it next weekend!! It is to DIE for.

(wiping BBQ sauce off of boobs and chin.) BURP

Island County Fair

Every year at this time, the county fairs start making their appearance. Each County has it's own flavor of fair, depending on whether or not the county is rural or urban. Ours is VERY RURAL! IT is held in the same town, on the south end of the Island. Langley, and the town is far too small for the Fair! NO PARKING! August is usually very Hot and dry and this year was no exception except for this weekend! IT POURED!! AND POURED!! AND POURED some more! I have not seen it rain that hard in years! I wanted to go on Saturday because the headliner on the Promenade was Juice Newton, and I adore her!




I talked Bob into going with me, but told him that I was going whether he did or not. We went to see the 500 show. We found a parking place right directly across from the gate, which is a FIND! There were cars parked a mile away on the side of the road. I told him if we could not get closer then we were gonna have to drop me at the gate, and he could walk the mile up and back.

Now mind you as I stated above, IT WAS RAINING! We had our umbrellas but it didn't do much good, as the rain was coming down so hard and the wind was blowing. The GOOD thing about this was it kept people away! The exhibits were visible and it was rather pleasant walking around soaked to the skin.



We saw the chickens and the 4-H cats and dogs and rabbits, and hogs, and then went in to the barns to see the sewing and food and photography. Now folks you have to realize that this is Island County in Washington State, and Not the usual big Mid-western type Fairs. There were about 10 hogs, maybe 5 cats and 100 bunnies and chickens. 2 turkeys, 10 pidgeons and doves and about 8 ducks. THAT IS IT!!



As we made our way down to the main stage area where the show would be held, I spotted the Cotton Candy booth. I only like cotton candy freshly spun, on a white paper cone and preferably BLUE although I will take pink if I have to. I get up there and there was NO one in line. NO one. I ask for the cotton candy and he reaches under the counter and opens a cardboard case and pulls out a bag of cotton candy that is all mooshed together. I looked at him and said no thanks. I walked on down the food mall, and there was everything you could think of BUT cotton Candy.




A fair with no cotton candy just royally sucks. They had ice cream on a stick, and hot dogs and salmon burgers and corn on the cob dripping with butter and shaved ice cones, and oriental food, and pizza and ribs and chicken and keilbasa but no cotton candy!!! I was bummed. I found Bob at the kielbasa stand and he asked if I wanted one, nope says I and then my stomach said oh yeah you do. So I took his and he ordered another. It was awesome. Big juicy kielbasa smothered in grilled Onions and drenched in mustard, on a nice soft bun. AHHHHHH!!! Good stuff Maynard!!!




I took it and headed to the bleachers to get a seat for the show. No one was sitting on them as they wee soaked! AH well we were too, so I went all the way to the top where I could rest my back against the building and just plopped my ass in the puddles, and settled in.




Juice Newton came on and sang for an hour! Short show, but it was free, so I cant complain. She sang a majority of her old grammy winning songs, and some of her newer ones too. It makes you wonder why someone that was as big as she once was and as good as she is would be working a tiny little fair like ours? I was thrilled though because I love her music, and thought I would never get a chance to see her in person. My favorite album of hers is QUIET LIES. I have literally almost worn the tape out and there are no CDs of it out there. I have one other CD of hers, and when I go on a roadtrip by myself, in goes juice at full blast and I sing my ass off!! I'm good too!

We walked out of the fair after the show feeling really good, good food, good music and soaked to the skin, but knowing that we had a great time, and we really needed the rain.

Sunday Funnies

PROVERBS

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Virginity like bubble,
one prick, all gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who run in front of car
get tired.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who run behind car
get exhausted.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man with hand in pocket
feel cocky all day.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Foolish man give wife grand piano, wise man give wife upright organ.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who walk through airport turnstile sideways going to Bangkok.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man with one chopstick go hungry.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who scratch ass should
not bite fingernails.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who eat many prunes
get good run for money.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Baseball is wrong:
man with four balls cannot walk.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Panties not best thing on earth! but next to best thing on earth.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
War does not determine who is right, war determine who is left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wife who put husband in
doghouse soon find him
in cat house.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who fight with wife all
day get no piece at night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It take many nails to build crib, but one screw to fill it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who drive like hell,
bound to get there.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who stand on toilet
is high on pot.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who live in glass house
should change clothes
in basement.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who fish in other man's well often catch crabs.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Man who fart in church
sit in own pew.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Crowded elevator smell
different to midget.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The ISLAND is FULL!!!

Yesterday I had to run into Mt Vernon to Costco, and We left around 3:00. Now to set the scene right, I live 1/2 way down the island which is about 60 miles from Mt Vernon. I have to drive up the Island past Oak Harbor to Deception Pass Bridge. Cross the Bridge to Fidalgo Island, drive across that Island to the Swinomish Bridge to the mainland and then across the Skagit River Flats to the CITY!! This is really two cities, which have merged together through all of the malls along the Interstate. There is almost nothing there that you cant find. Except for a good bookstore! They really need a Barnes and Noble or a Borders books, and then they will be complete.

As we crossed the Bridge (we call the Deception Pass THE BRIDGE) we noticed a line of traffic coming onto the Island. Not all that unusual on a Friday afternoon. AS we drove the ten miles across Fidalgo, and got to Sharpes Corner, where Hiway 20 splits and comes on to the Island or goes straight into Anacortes to the Ferry Landing to the San Juan Islands and Canada. Our 1/2 of the hiway makes a left turn onto the Island, and there is a 4 way stoplight there. As we turned Right to go over to the flats, we looked at the left turn lane. It was FULL! The line went all the way to the end of it's turn out, and then continued on along the shoulder of the road for another mile through another light and up the hill!!! We were Shocked!!! I have only seen it that bad once, and that was when the Base had an open house and the Blues were flying. I rolled down my window and yelled "GO BACK!!!THE ISLAND IS FULL!!!!" People laughed at me, and Bob shook his head.

I wonder if Islands can sink? If Greenland can be pushed 1 mile down by the weight of the Ice, couldn't islands be pushed down by the weight of the people and the cars?

Just a thought....


JUICE NEWTON tonite at the Island County fair....WHOOT WHOOT WHOOT!!!! I LOVE JUICE!!! Great road trip music....Plug in her CD and SING YOUR HEART OUT!! I cant wait!!!!! I am making Bob take me, but even if he did not want to go, I would go myself. JUICE NEWTON and COTTON CANDY!!! Doesn't get much better than that!

Autumn?

We need rain so badly!! Everything is brown and dying. We don’t use sprinklers here because of the shortage of water. So I was out filling the birdbaths and noticed that the Hydrangea bush was dying. I then looked around the yard, and the only thing really green is the crab grass! Even the weeds are dead!

Last night heading out to rehearsal I saw a finger of fog sweeping up the street. AS I got closer, I noticed that it was lying low on the water, and I knew that the strait would be foggy. I took the back way into town, along the beach, and the fog was really thick and low! The ferry was in, but you could barely see it. As I headed up the hill towards Coupeville, I popped out of fog and back into sunshine.

As much as I complain about the summer weather we are having, it has been nice. But it most definitely is taking a fallish turn, you can tell by the way the breeze smells. There is a sense of ending in the crispness of it. Even though it has been hotter than normal, the nights have been cool. The Marine Layer of air comes in just before sunset, and the fog thickens and covers the water, and climbs up the hills onto the land.

Our fog is alive. It crawls at night, the cooler it gets the thicker the fog gets, and the higher it crawls. Up the hill, through the openings in the trees, along the valleys, up onto the roads, and eventually up over the top of the trees like a giant hand reaching up from the Sound to cover the land. I love autumn!!!

This morning the fog brought with it the smell of the sea. It was really thick and still, getting ready to start its crawl back out to sea, and smelled just like the ocean, mixed with the smell of the paper mill across the Strait in Port Townsend. I watched it slowly start its move back to where it sleeps during the day. It went slowly at first, and then picked up speed and retreated back the way it came, faster and faster until all of a sudden I was blinded by the brightness of the sun. It was gone again until this evening when it will try to cover the land again.

Wednesday Blahs

DOnt you just HATE coming up with titles? I know, I know I can get rid of it, but it helps me realize what I posted about.

Have any of you used one of those excersise balls? I saw one on Oprah today, and it actually looked like fun! Sposed to help your back. I know I would get one, and slip off the damn thing, and lay there on the floor yelling for help while the cats slept on top of me, (because that is what the do when I am Prone) and Sadie licking my face. I just might check in to one though, and keep the phone in my pocket!!!

I have a craving for CHOCOLATE today, and have none in the house. That reminded me of a recipe that DOnna sent me years ago. you have got to try it! It is OH SO GOOOOOOODDDDDD!!!!!!!


Alfred's Chocolate Orgasm Cake

2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
12 oz of Ghiradelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (Chopped fine in a food processor)
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup of Hershey's Cocoa
1 bundt cake pan


1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. meanwhile, oil and flour the bundt pan or use Baker's Joy Flour spray.
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using either a mixer set on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat together the butter & sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Then reduce the speed of the beating to low and beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour.
4. Whisk in the chopped chocolate and blend thoroughly.
5. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and place in the center of the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Transfer to a rack and cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert cake on to rack to cool completely.


Alfred's Chocolate Orgasm Glaze


2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 pound Ghiradelli semi sweet chocolate pieces

Combine the cream and chocolate in a medium size nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the chocolate is completly melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and stir to cool, lifting the mixture out of the pot several times with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until it cools slightly. It should be glossy and slightly thick. This is the tempering process.
Spoon the mixture over the top of the chilled cake, allowing the overflow to drip over and down...the sides. Cool slightly. Enjoy feeding each creamy mouthful of cake to your worthiest lover.

Happy Birthday Donna!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Donnaaaaaaa!
Happy Birthday to youuuuuu!!!

I Love you sweetheart!! Just think, only 3 more years and you'll be out of those dreaded 30's!!!

************************************************************************************

She requested that I post this to my blog:

Patriot act ammendment

Birthdays

This weekend every year we have a family BBQ. It is my Daughters Birthday on the 17th and my SIL on the 16th. This year i held it. we always celebrate them together to make it easier on everybody. Dearest Darling Daughter Empress of The 20 Universes, decided that she would go home this weekend. So we had birthday party without her. here is a picture from a few years ago, nobody has changed that much. I call this picture "the HEAD" I dont know how long I had been looking at it before I noticed anything. FUNNY!! Donna is the Blonde, Sherry (SIL) is the redhead.



I forgot to get the cake, so we stuck candles in Sherry's pecan pie, and she blew out the candles on her birthday pie.

I BBQ'd chicken Hind Quarters, Phyllis brought potato salad, and Bob cooked the corn on the cob. It was yummy, all of it!!



The BBQ got way too hot, and caught the chicken on fire. Too many pieces on the grill at the same time. Live and learn. SO I turned off the gas and finished cooking the chicken via the burning fat on the bottom of the grill! Hey what ever works right?



Sorry, I have no pictures of me, as I am always the one behind the camera. That's just fine with me though. Phyllis is gonna have a fit, but this is a pretty good picture of her.

Family BBQ's are such fun. somebody always gets in an argument, and today was no exception. We just laugh and chalk it up to THE BRETT'S!!! everybody left in good humor though.

Now I think I will clean up the kitchen take a nice soaky bath, and go to bed and watch the Olympics. I took the two extra kitties back to their Mommie today, so I am all alone with me crew. AHHHHHHHHHHHH

Saturday Barn Dance

Every year during the Coupeville Arts and crafts festival, the Sundays in The Park, Concert on the Cove series, moves to a big old barn on the Ebby's Prairie. This Concert is called Dillingers Clambake, and let me tell you folks, it is HOT!!!

I took pictures, but they turned out pretty dark, but I will post them anyway.



This is a jazz group of 6 old men about my age, a drum set, trombone, trumpet,guitar,and Sax and a bass. The audience was all old! and when I say old, I mean older than ME! All with purple hair and the guys had baggy pants and suspenders. The barn is cleaned so that there is a concrete floor for dancing and then there are hay bales stacked all around the edges, for seating. As soon as the lights went down, the Christmas icicle lights came on, and they had them hanging everywhere! The first note had not hit the back of the barn yet when the old men were asking the purple hairs to dance, and brother dance they did! They started and did not stop. It was WOnderful to watch folks that age kicking up their heels and enjoying themselves. At intermission, the youger crowd was starting to arrive, and it was a hoot watching these teenagers out there on the floor trying to mimic the energy and the moves that the old folks were showing. It was so much fun to watch the interface between the oldest generation and the younger generation.



About this time, a young child about 18 months went running out to the floor and was dancing and waving her arms with her Daddy right behind her. Who says there is such a thing as a generation gap? the single women were dancing with each other, the old men were having fun dancing with the younger women, and the rest of us were just sitting around tapping our feet and clapping.

I enjoyed it immensely!! Bob does not dance at all, and with me back, I did not think I should either.

I miss the days of dancing, when all the people danced whether they really knew how or not.

What has happened to this society that they dont have barn dances, or parking lot dances, or gym dances once a month or so? I know they would be attended, May not make a lot of money, but that is not the point, it is the intermingling of the generations, letting each know that the other can have good clean fun.

Bob had spent the day splitting wood, so we had to leave early, and the old men with suspenders and the purple hairs were still kicking up their heels. I LOVED it!

Saturday Morning

I felt a little better yesterday so I headed to Albertson's to buy groceries. Half way through the store, my back started seizing on me, and sent shooting pains down both legs, and my lower back! ARRGGHH! I made it home, and basically laid flat on the couch on my stomach for the rest of the day. If they can sent an explorer to Mars, why cant they fix a back that goes out? (with minimal costs of course)

There were several comments in my last post about Pickled Peaches. They are not as gross as they sound, It is an old recipe and some times is called spiced peaches. My Aunt Dutch used to make them, and my Mother would hoard them when she got a jar or two from her. Mom never did much canning, but Donna resurected the memory several years ago, and I have been looking for a recipe ever since.

It is basically water, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon sticks, ginger, whole cloves, whole allspice and peaches. You heat the ingredients add the peaches, let them sit over night, then heat them back again and can them! OH SO GOOD!!!!! My peaches are not the best in the world, and are bruised because the tree split down the middle because of the weight of the fruit, so I picked them semi ripe. If you had nice big peaches, you could stick some cloves in them first.

I am a nut for different recipes, and I love to can! I have a table full of green peaches, that I have to figure out what to do with, so if any body has any good ideas, let me know. I was trying to save the tree, not the peaches, so if I lose them, Im ok. The root stock is still good, and I can trim it back and it should recover.

Whoops! Olympics are on, gotta go channel hop!! CBUT out of Canada has them on real time, and usually has better coverage overall than NBC does, so I switch back and forth. I like to know about ALL of the athelets not just the US ones, Although they are who I "root" for.

Be back later...

oops!!!

Is anybody having a problem logging OFF of Blogger? Donaa can't log me off so she can log on to her blog! THis means I cant even get into Phyllis' blog to play nasty tricks on her!! Is it just me?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I dont know what is wrong with me lately...all I want to do is crawl into a hole and pull the opening in with me. I am sleeping waaaaay too late in the morning, then getting up and blogwalking for a few hours then napping and then putzing, then Napping again. I dont know if it is the heat or what, but I am NOT normal! I am taking my ZOloft, so im not worried there, I just feel this since of fear, or foreboding, or DREAD! I woke up three nights ago terrified, but of what I wasnt sure, and I layed awake the rest of the night. It is almost 600 pm here and I am ready for bed! I should be at the playhouse, although I am just the producer, so I am not really needed there every night.

I have a tree full of peaches that are ready to can, and I made a batch of pickled peaches yesterday, YUMMY!! and peach Honey, and put up two batches of yellow plum jam. Bob brought over a tub of fresh picked blackberries, and left them in the sink, so I stuck them in the freezer. The pears on the tree next door are almost ready, and I still need to find some tomatoes to can.

I know it sounds like a lot, and why shouldnt I be tired, but I used to do all of this and WORK 12 hrs a day. MAybe I need a job. I am just pooped out! Maybe I need another kitten or puppy to give me something to do.

Maybe I just need a looong road trip somewhere, away from civilization, with my cameras, I havent used my 35mm's in several years, I miss them. I love my Sony Digital though.

YAWN!!!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ oh, guess I had better go do something....

Jokes

Dublin News Personal ads ????

Heavy drinker, 35, Cork area. Seeks gorgeous sex addict interested in a man who loves his pints, cigarettes, Glasgow Celtic Football Club and starting fights on Patrick Street at three o'clock in the morning.

Bitter, disillusioned Dublin man, lately rejected by long-time fiancee, seeks decent, honest, reliable woman, if such a thing still exists in this cruel world of hatchet-faced bitches.

Ginger-haired Galway man, a trouble-maker, gets slit-eyed and shirty after a few scoops, seeks attractive, wealthy lady for bail purposes, maybe more.

Bad tempered, foul-mouthed old bastard, living in a damp cottage in the arse end of Roscommon, seeks attractive 21-year-old blonde lady, with a lovely chest.

Devil-worshipper, Offaly area, seeks like-minded lady, for wining and dining, good conversation, dancing, romantic walks, and slaughtering cats in cemeteries at midnight under the flinty light of a pale moon.

Limerick man, 27, medium build, brown hair, blue eyes, seeks alibi for the night of February 27 between 8 PM and 11:30 PM.

Optimistic Mayo man, 35, seeks a blonde 20 year old double-jointed supermodel, who owns her own brewery, and has an open-minded twin sister.

Red Hat Society

When we were at the Concert on Sunday, two ladies came and sat right in front of us. I noticed the first thing about them was that they were dressed exactly alike. Purple tee shirts and red hats, with red and purple scarves.



There is a club for women over 50 called the Red Hat SOciety. You must be over 50 to join, and wear a red hat. If you are under 50 you can be an honorary member, but you must wear either a pink or a purple hat. ( Im not sure which) They go en masse to different functions, all wearing their own unique red Hat.

When I get old I shall wear purple with a red hat! and man they do!!! Gotta Love em!

Here I go again!

I started full time with the Play yesterday, so I will be kinda scarce until September 10, when the Play opens. We took the stage yesterday, and have a ton of work to do to get it ready, but we will get there. The play is THE CEMETERY CLUB the story of three women all widows, who meet every month at Ida's house for tea, before they all go into the cemetery and visit their husband's graves. during one of these visits, Lucille runs into Sam and invites him to join their club. Then the fun begins. It is a very funny but poignant story, and should be a breeze to produce.

It is soooooo HOT here again this week. It was 90 degrees at 900 when I went through town. UN REAL for here. I slept on top of the covers and STILL woke up sweating! All of the fruit is coming ready NOW, so when I get home tonite I have to make a batch of yellow plum jam, and try to do something with all the peaches I had to pick early because the branches were so overloaded the y were breaking off. I lost the top of the tree, and two big main branches. I have 50 pounds of little half ripe peaches on my table right now. I may have lost them, but I am gonna try to make some peach honey, and jelly.

Next will be the pears and apples and tomatoes, and Corn! I plan on making some corn relish if I have the time. But that is not until September.

My FTP still is not working right, I need a guru to help me. It is the remote site side of the screen that is not right. And I have no clue how to fix it. Somehow it has forgotten where galaxynet.com is. I have my IP address and it does not want that either. I hate being so stupid!! I want to know it all NOW!!! show me, dont tell me to read the book, that does not work. Anybody out there smarter than me?

(Hey Carl, I'll let you keep your left nut if you help me fix this mess ;) )

SEAFAIR in Seattle

This has been one of the perfect Seattle Days. Mid August, Highs in the 80's a nice cool breeze blowing in from the Strait to cool you down. Seafair was this past week, and continues on through the month. The Hydroplane Races on Lake Washington were held this weekend and the US Navy Blue Angels put their airshow on over the Lake also. Every year since 1950 the Hydroplane Races have been held. They were originally called the Gold Cup Races, and then it evolved into SEAFAIR. Big doin's in town, the Torchlight Parade, Friday Night a week ago, where all the floats are lit with tiny christmas lights. SOOOO PRETTY! Then the Crowning of Miss Seafair, who will go on to represent Seattle in the Miss Washington/Miss America Pageants.







THe Races on the Lake are the High light of the whole shebang. Over 300,000 people all merge on the edge of the Lake to watch these races. The Log Boom is set up along the course so that boats can tie up to it. A giant floating DRUNK!!!! THen during the break between the heats, the Blue Angels put on their fantastic airshow. Until you have seen it in person, you just can not imagine how close and how fast these guys fly!! I am awestruck every time I see them, and I have seen them once a year every year of my life!



We watched some of this on TV then headed down to the park for the Sunday Concerts on the Cove Series. Northern Lights Jazz Orchestra. They were fantastic!

Unfortunately the old fart across the street called the cops on the noise ordinance again, so they had to turn the amps down. Now mind you there were about 200 people there to hear this big band sound, and most of them were waaaay older than Bob and I, and were dancing along the sidelines. 200 old people thoroughly enjoying themselves, and one old fart has to ruin it all for them. It must be sad to be that bitter about life.

I will put more on here about the audience in a bit.

Well Maybe I won't. My FTP site lost the www thingie, and now I cant get in to post pictures! And I dont know how to put the www thingie back....WAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I can get ftp just fine, but when the right side lists everything, it used to list a www line, and I would click on that, and that is where I would transfer my pictures to. It's GONE!!!! HELP!!!

Canada is for Lovers?

I was just over at Leslies place and she was talking about a shop that was needed with a total romance package available. Flowers, destinations, quality chocolates, wines, champagne, "sleep"wear, satin sheets etc, with a few props and toys in the back. These would come with a booklet telling what they are used for and what results may be achieved. Sounds like a superb idea, as long as it is tastefully done. We have a shop in Burlington called LOVERS but it is just lingerie and fun things. Not the whole package. She then asked If we would shop at a place like that.

DUNNO!

In the late 80's my Daughter wanted to go to a RUSH concert in Seattle. Since she did not drive at the time, she asked me to take her, and she bought me dinner and paid my way in to the concert. (she was 20) We lived on the Kitsap peninsula at the time, so parked the car at the Ferry landing and walked on. We got off in Downtown Seattle, and walked the mile up to the Seattle Center for the Concert. On the way past Pike Street and 1st Ave, she detoured into a "shop" It had tons of leather and chains in the window, and I knew what I would find. I THOUGHT!!!

the "LADY" behind the counter was tall, dyed black long straight hair, white lipstick and a leather bustier, with a Spiked Leather DOG COLLAR around her neck. SCARY!!!!

I was very uncomfortable, and was just browsing at the front of the shop and trying not to look so conspicuous. Didn't work, LADY knew I was there, and kept asking me if I needed help. Donna meanwhile was having more fun than was allowed, She knew how nervous I was and worked it!!! I must have been thirty shades of red, and wanted out fast. Finally Donna yells from the back of the Store, MOM! Come look at this!!!! And holds up a vinyl 20" batterypowered Dildo, which she had turned on, It was WIGGLING at me. I was mortified!! Especially when the LADY shrieked laughed loudly and said for the whole world to hear...OHMIGAWD! THAT IS YOUR MOTHER!!!! HOW WAY COOL IS THAT!!!!

I turned around and walked out of the store leaving her and Donna behind laughing like fools. Donna came out with a purchase...I did NOT want to know !!!! There are some things that Mothers' shouldn't know!

She still loves to torment me. Thinks it's funny!! BITCH!

Kitten on Keys....

Oh My this kitten is SOMETHING! He has fully made himself at home!! The older Siamese has too, but not to the extent that Tyler has. He has been playing under the computer desk with (q1) a cord that was not hidden very well, and now has managed to dislodge the power surge protector, and it is now laying on the floor with all the plugs right there where Sadie can chew on them. Then he decided that he was going to come up and play with my fingers as I typed. He then crawled up on my shoulder and purred into my ear like there was no tomorrow. He was purring and turning inside out all on my shoulder. Rubbibg his face all over my chin, and licking my mouth. He is a LOVE.

Tippy is getting along fine with the others but she still does not accept Sadie. And Sadie LOVES to chase and bark at her. They growl at each other and hiss and bark at each other and love to hate each other. It is fun to watch them circle slowly around each other while all the other cats sit on the sofa and just watch. They just ignore Sadie anymore. Soon Tippy will too.

Tippy-canoe and Tyler too. That is their names.

I have my nice clean car back, with nice fresh oil and full window juice containers, and full brake fluid, and a totally detailed interior. Bob did that for me, Because I loaned him my car to take a friend to Seattle to the Hospital on several occaisions. It was not necessary, but it is really appreciated!! Almost looks new again. They gave me a Jetta for a loaner, and I felt like I was driving a skateboard, it was that low to the ground. Driving was no problem, but I almost needed a hoist to get out of the damn thing. I LOVE my SUV!!!


OOPS DOnna is home, gotta go...

All is Well, Safe thee rest...

Whew! I got up at 700 with Donna yelling at the kitten to hush. In case I did not mention it, I am cat sitting two kitties for a friend who is on leave. Last Nov. Her Husband of 50 years died of altzheimers, and the very next week, her Himalayan cat of 17 years died. Dottie was devastated but knew she could not get any more cats until she was through traveling all over the country to see her kids. She had been stuck on this Island because of her husband, so now she is making up for lost time and seeing her kids' kids.

Last week on the WAIF web site, there was a 2 year old kitty a Siamese, and I immediately thought of Dottie. I told her and she said she had seen her, but she was going to go see her son and just couldn't take her. So I volunteered to keep her until she got back. Well she came back from WAIF with two cats. One was a 3 month old black kitten, who the Siamese had adopted as hers. Soooo I have two more animals in this house. Sadie wants at them so bad! They climb right on up me when that happens, so they are in the bathroom when Sadie is in. Last night Sadie went to her pen in my bedroom and the kitties were on my bed. This was not a good thing, as MY 4 cats were not allowed to get on the same bed as they were on. Mama, was spitting and hissing big time. Has them all floored! Sadie layed in her bed and growled all night.

right now Sadie is in and the kitties are in the bathroom, but you oughta hear the conversations going on through that door!! Whoo!!!

After settling the animals down, I blogwalked a little bit drank some coffee and then hit the road. I went to the playhouse and got Janice going on the presentation. She is thrilled with it. WHEW!!

Then it was off to Burlington 45 miles away to SEARS for a Die-hard of my very own. Got that installed, went to Michaels' for some card stock, and then to PETCO to price doggie bark collars. 119.95! OUCH!!! Think I'll try something else for a bit. May have to go the 'spensive route, but I hope not.

Stopped by Dairy Queen and tried their Brownie Batter blizzard. "eh!" it was ok, but not as good as their commercials are funny. Sadie of course begged and pleaded for a doggie dish of soft serve ice cream. So she got her treat.

So now we are home, the presentation works, Sadie is sated, I am sated, the car is happy again with a fully charged DIe hard battery. And it RAINED!!!! Not very much, but it got the windsheid messy, and washed it off!!!

How can it get much better than that? THANK YOU!!!!!!

NOW what.....

This day just totally sucks!!! I woke up later than I planned on, and came in here to look for GODDESS pictures, Because Chemystery says I have to call her the GODDESS now and the EMPRESS of the UNIVERSE, because she got my powerpoint presentation to save to the F drive, which is where my CD burner is.

I got up, checked it out to make sure it worked before I ran all the way into Oak Harbor with it in hand, and IT WONT OPEN!!!!! ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH SO I played for several hours trying to get it to open, but nooooooooo luck at all.

I went out to get in the car and head to the playhouse to show Janice what I could, and my car is deader than a doornail!! Doesn't even click when I turn it over. So I had to call AAA to come out, MEANWHILE, I had attached my presentation to an email and was sending it that way to Janice. (106MB) so I could not use my phone. (dial up , only one line) Out I go to the car to get the cell phone which I leave in the car, and Janice was laughing and saying what else can go wrong, and the phone died!!

SO I come back inside, dig out the charger, plug it into the wall, and then into the phone, and try it that way. NO SIGNAL!! So I am hanging my head out the kitchen window trying to get a signal, so I could tell AAA where I live, Janice that I would be running late, and DOttie to see me when she saw me. ( I am cat sitting her two cats)

AAA came, got the car started, the phone was charged, I got the cats, went to the playhouse, Janice was gone, but I checked the email, nope, wasn't there yet. I sat there for three hours and still no email. I got home hit the space bar and it was still sending. Only it was not sending it was just hanging there.

I give up! It is only volunteer anyways right? I don't have to do this right? Hell yes I do, I said I would, and I never go back on my word, knowingly.

the cats are in the hall bathroom, 2 inside, and 4 cats and a dog on the hall side, all talking to each other under the door. Sadie is soooooo territorial!! Her house, no one else's!

I am going to finish working on this presentation, and tomorrow at 300 John from the computer clinic is gonna come show me what the hell I am doing wrong. It may be the burner, not me.

I wish I had some Drambuie, I'd have a nice cup of coffee and some drambuie on the rocks. And Just Reeeeee-laaaaaax!

yeah, right!

Brain Droppings...Chandler style

No I am no where near as funny as George Carlin, But then I'm not as Nasty as he is either! But I do like to watch his better years, and laugh. He was so irreverent. And sick! I Love sick humor. My sister and I are the Queens of sick humor much to our SIL's dismay. It's the way we handle things. Everything is funny, somehow. Now we don't make fun of PEOPLE. We may laugh WITH them. But never at them. We do not find humor in derogatory remarks or making fun of disabilities, (unless of course they are our own!) Just about anything else is fair game. We laugh at Death, we laugh at each other crying at sad movies, we laugh at our bodies, and the problems that have arisen since we both got old and fat.

I have said before, that Phyllis will get hers one of these days, as she is the practical joker of practical jokers. She LOVES it. Gum that turns your mouth blue, candy that is laced with hot pepper, Fart machines, whoopee cushions, kidnapping frogs, etc. The whole Island is looking for a way to get back at her.

We get this from our Dad. He was the sick one in the family. Hair creme in the toothpaste tube, pepper in the salt shaker, tops resting on the bottom of the salt shaker which is upside down. Scaring us at night. He did it all. Mike is not quite the joker the rest of us are, but He has a pretty good sense of humor too. Subtle in his case. Poor Sherry was a sweet young southern girl from Virginia when she met Mike, and she did not know how to take us! They have been married for 27 years now, and she is just starting to spit back!!

Needless to say our family get togethers are a hoot. It is time for a BBQ again, which will bring most of us together, Mike, Phyllis, Sherry, Galen, Donna and me. I would love to have Tim home but that is never going to happen.

I think I will plan one for August 15, that is Donna and Sherry's birthday week, and we should have everyone home. It is also The Coupeville Festival, a sidewalk arts and crafts fair, over 250 booths and all kinds of stuff on sale. Yep, that would be a perfect weekend for it. We can shop the booths on Saturday, and eat on Sunday!

Ya'll come!!! Be most proud to have you!