My wish

My Wish for You in 2007

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for  $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words ............
May 2007 be the best year of your life!!!

Contract

After serious & cautious consideration.....your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2007 !

It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to screw it up!!!  

Quiz

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.
The Midland
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Northeast
The West
North Central
Boston
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Got this from Mortimer
Tags: quiz, American accent

Got thru another one

Another Christmas come and gone. The only thing left to do this year is ring in the New Year. Well not really the only thing... I have to clean the hose again, put the decorations back in their boxes, eat all the food that is left over, and I am sure a million other things that must be done. Everyone tired of Christmas food? I am. I think I want a big bloody steak for dinner tonight!

Pat enjoyed his Christmas. He loved the pool table. Now we are working on putting it up. I have lots of rearranging to do in order to get it up. 4 room s have to be done over in order to make room for all the stuff that was in the room the table is in. Finally I get to get rid of the 2 old computers that were in there. Maybe now I will get a room built for the horse tack. Toys, lots of stuffed animals are going away. Anybody know where I can get rid of some vinyl?(old people know what that is!) Maybe E-Bay....

Nothing goes back to the store. Everything fit and everything was wanted! WOW this is a first!

We got my daughter a digital camera. With all the camera flashing from her I forgot to take any pictures of my own! I will have to get them downloaded on my computer so I can see them and post some.

Okay I an done for now. I will see everyone later

Tags: After Christmas

A child

                      He will bring us goodness and light.

Shopping?

So is everyone through shopping? I am. LOL Pat is not. He is actually doing his shopping a day early. He tends to wait until the last minute. He only has to buy for me. I buy everyone else's present.   I cannot understand why he always waits so long. Is it a man thing?

This holiday season has had its ups and downs for me. There would be days when I could not do anything and others when I was a whirlwind. I think one of the problem was my meds were out of whack on my thyroid. My new doc checked my TSH levels and decided that they were to high and upped my dose. Talk about putting me in a tailspin. I could not do anything without my heart racing and feeling like I was in a panic attack. I could not sleep all night and I was hot. ARGGGGGG. So he did a recheck and guess what, they were too low so he put me back on my regular dose. It is getting better but I am still having a racing heart just not as bad.  

 My house smells good. I just took 4 loaves of brown bread out of the oven and letting them cool before wrapping them up.

Here is a picture of my Christmas village. It has a few more pieces in it than when the picture was made. I found some more at Goodwill and had to get them! 

Tags: shopping, Christmas village, brown bread, thyroid

working out

Here is a small video of Brook working out with her nunchuks. I know it is hard for dialup to see. It takes time for it to load but it does eventually. LOL I am dialup so I know! Slow dial up at that! I usually get to see about 10 -15 seconds of a video before it cuts off. At least that is how it does on uncut video. I may try utube.

 

Tags: taekwondo, nunchuks, video

Love that man!

I just love how fast Joe responds to a comment in Magic Smoke or an email! My kind of leader! Love you Joe!

Tags: Journalseditor, Magic Smoke

update

My daughter is doing better. The cyst has reduced in size. It is no longer painful. The biggest danger they say if if it gets an abscess. Being in the chest and neck area makes an abscess a bit dangerous. She can live with it safely as long as she keeps an eye on it. Rarely does it develop cancer but it can. The surgery is normally an office procedure. I pray she can get it taken care of soon.

Tags: cyst, daughter

My daughter

My daughter went to the hospital this morning. She has a lump at the base of her throat that is about 3-4 inches round and raised up about an inch. It is red and very painful. She showed me this lump and it scared me when I saw it. I knew that where it was at it could be a number of things, none of which is pleasant. The pain finally made her go. No insurance is what was keeping her from going and doing anything.

After a bit the doctor said that he believes it to be a cyst but needed to make sure. He ordered blood work and a cat scan with contrast. The cat scan showed a mass that was not attached to anything! I was worried that her thyroid might be involved. It is a cyst that is not liquid filled. He said it is filled with a cottage cheese type fluid that is unable to be drained. It will require surgery to remove it. He gave her some antibiotics to take and thankfully it only cost $2.63 at Walmart to fill. He gave her the name of a surgeon but I don't see it happening anytime soon. She cannot afford to pay to get it done. She has no insurance and cannot get any government help because of her past.

The doctor said that the cyst could have been developing since she was 3 years old when she had to have her neck and throat operated on. That it could have been caused by an air pocket in the tissues around the incision or it could have been caused by an in-grown hair! He believes that the most likely cause is the surgery even though it was 25 years ago when she had it.

 I don't know what she will do. She is worried. He told her no it is not cancer but that it has to come out. It can cause problems. I am going to look around and see what I can find.

Person of the year

The annual honor for 2006 went to each and every one of us, as Time cited the shift from institutions to individuals -- citizens of the new digital democracy, as the magazine put it. The winners this year were anyone using or creating content on the World Wide Web.

Hey folks! That means US!

flu

I found out last night that one school alone had 250 students out yesterday due to the flu. At Brook's school in one class there was 11 of 18 students absent yesterday. The bus drivers are driving double routes because half of the drivers are out with the flu also.

Hopefully everything will be better by Monday. So far school will be in Monday. I will eat and then do party. If there is a significant number of students absent Monday they will close school early for Christmas break I think. Tuesday is the last day of school before Christmas.

Time to get back in the kitchen. I have brown bread in the oven and more peanut brittle waiting to be made.

school

School has been canceled for tomorrow. There has been a widespread outbreak of flu and strep. Hope that means that Brook will NOT be exposed now. She had her flu shot but strep is bad enough!

I am a bit disappointed. Tomorrow was supposed to be Christmas dinner at school. I was going to be attending it with Brook. Maybe they will have it Monday. The Christmas party is Monday. I was supposed to send in some money tomorrow. I suppose I will go by the school tomorrow and give it to her.

LOL Brook is ready to go to Tae Kwon Do. She wants to go to 2 classes tonight so we are off now! See everyone later!

Brook's test

Brook's test

I uploaded 24 seconds. Can anyone tell me how much they are seeing?

a bit of catching up and a video

The weekend was slow for me. I caught a case of the blues and so I just vegged out all weekend.

So Yesterday was a day of excitement around here. Brook woke up and informed me that today she gets her red belt. LOL No good morning or anything. It was red belt everytime she had something to say.

So without further ado I present Brook!

cold

I am cold and that makes me only want to go to bed. I have been worthless today. I think I will go to bed.

ouching

Today has been one of those days. I broke the tree as I was putting it up. First I break the stand and it kept falling over. I fixed that with the stand we use to place the horses feet on to trim their hooves. Next I break the hole that holds the top of the tree. I fixed that by stuffing in. The day is far from over as I soon find out. 4 strings of lights mysteriously have quit working after being placed in the box after last Christmas. I like a lot of lights but not this year! I decided not to replace them. After Christmas I plan on buying a new tree that already has lights on it! 

Remember when I said the day is not over? Well a bit later on I go outside to show Pat where I want to place my candycane lights and bonked my head on a rail that is eye level! I did it hard enough to see stars! Next I place a load of clothes in the dryer and bonk my head again on an open cabinet door! I am telling you. It was not my day!

Pat and I go down to the barn to fix a wall between the stalls that had been kicked out. He holds the board and I drive the nails in. In my right hand I am holding a hammer. My left hand is holding nail. Right hand then proceeds to hit left hand with hammer! I scream, Pat drops board, board hits knee, I scream again! I now have an excuse for limping!

Brook has the tree halfway decorated. We will finish up tomorrow after she comes home from school before leaving for Tae Kwon Do. Her test is Tuesday for her red belt.

My fudge came out a bit soft. I think I need to cook it for another minute.

It is going to be cold tonight! It is 22 right now with a wind chill of 10. This is the way it will be for the next 3 or 4 days. Hopefully the pipes won't freeze. I have the water dripping now. I am afraid to not let it! Our waterline is 860 feet long. That is a long way to go and anywhere along that line it can freeze if it does not move! The water has been turned off going to the outside hydrant and I opened it up so any water in the lines will expand out the opening and hopefully not burst the pipe.

I think I will go to bed now. I am so tired. Pain sure does make you sleepy!

      

ouch

Last night I went and got Pat's gift out of layaway. I did not realize until that moment just how heavy his gift is!Somehow or another  I manage to get hit with it. It fell on my knee. Well actually it hit my knee on its way down to the floor! OUCH! Have you ever been hit and the pain was so bad you felt like you were going to throw up? That was how I felt. I had to keep on going though. I told them I did not want that table. They got another one and out the door we went to get it loaded on the truck. Candy's boss was helping us. We took it over to Candy's house to leave it there until Christmas. He will get it Christmas Eve because there is no way I can get it here after he goes to bed! We will be eating over there on Christmas Eve so that will be the best time to give it to him. Then HE can help get it home! So I have to get busy cleaning up the room it will be going into. It is full of junk and saddles and tools and stuff like that. I also need to wrap up all the gifts that are in there.

Tonight I am going to get the tree put up. I will not be decorating it yet. I will wait until tomorrow to do that. I will put the lights on in the morning and when Brook gets home we will put the stuff on it.

I made fudge today. Tomorrow I will make something else. Maybe some peanut brittle and/or pralines.That's it for now. See everyone later.

tickle

Come join me! Have fun taking these tests too! No cost to join. They will send you some of the tests you pay for to take for free, It is fun! http://connect.tickle.com/invitation.html?uid=JO_4DSPbvg_vLExv&
-- Celeste Celeste, you're inspired by Learning New Things

You can't help but be amazed by all the wonders of the world, from the way things work to how your friends relate to one another. That's because you're an inquisitive individual with a sharp eye and a quick mind that never stops questioning.

Whether you're spending hours glued to history programs or enjoy perfecting a new skill like anything from karate to knitting, you've got a serious thirst for knowledge. You probably constantly impress your friends with your diverse talents — and the facts at your fingertips. Besides, your constant curiosity charges you with a fun, childlike energy that others can't help but get a kick out of. So keep on with your curious ways. You're sure to stumble onto the next great thing any day now!

weekend

This weekend was spent at a Christmas tree farm. Pat and I went down to my nieces place and helped her with her tree sales. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. People were everywhere! They were wandering in and out of rows of trees looking for that special one. Reaching out and touching the branches, putting their hands up toward the top of the tree, measuring if it would be right. Soon they would find just the one they wanted. When that happened someone always went to their knees. The saw would be pressed against the truck and in a bit the tree would fall. Some people would drag or carry their tree back to the tables where I was, others would wait for a Gator to come and pick the tree up. First place all the trees came to was where I was. I was working the shaker. Greg and I would place the tree on the shaker and I would hold it and with a click the tree would start shaking. Leaves and loose needle would fly everywhere. Bugs, bird nests and even sticks  would come out of some trees. The top of the tree would be spinning around like a propeller on a beanie. Next We would drill a hole in the bottom if they use a stand that needed it. Then we would find out if they wanted to put a net wrapping on it for transporting the tree. The net helps to protect it if it is going on top of a car. After that we would pass it on to the next crew which would load the tree unto a Gator and take it to the vehicle and tie it down. This went on all day. During the day on Saturady we ate ribs in-between customers. On Sunday it was more of the same except we ate BBQ pork and Brunswick stew.

I learned several lessons helping out. 1. It is hard work 2. keep your shirt tucked in and sleeves pulled own when using the shaker ( it can really scratch you up in a hurry if the tree is up against you while shaking!) 3. I really liked doing it!

   

cute

I have been watching an adorable movie, The Polar Express. I highly recommend it!

weather and stuff

The weather today is going crazy. At 6 am it was 69 degrees and now at 9:15 am it is 45 degrees. There are big black clouds all around but the sun is shining where I am. The wind is whipping anything loose in the yard all over the place! The chickens are hunkered down in a corner trying to keep from being blown away. The horses are standing in the wind. They never seem to go into the barn except in extreme weather. Pup is under the tree curled up and there is not a cat to be seen. According to the forecast we are suppose have a 40% chance of rain this morning with the temperatures dropping to the 40's by afternoon. So far they are 100% wrong!

Not much is going on right now. Brook is working on her belt test. It is on the 12th. Not much time left. She is the only one that is testing for red belt. She will have  it hard because of that. LOL She will probably have to spar with a black belt instead of another testee. We will  see.


I need to get busy. I want to get some decorations up today. Tomorrow we are supposed to go to my niece's house and sell Christmas trees.

See everyone later!


                     

Frustrating, satisfying day

 

Today has been one of those days. First thing I had to do was to take back a gift that I had bought Pat. He saw it in the store and called it stupid so I knew I needed to return it before he opened it on Christmas. Oh well. I have already got him something to replace it. And of course I have the secret gift the pool table). After I got home every thing was going smoothly. I was getting my kitchen cleaned up when I received a phone call. It was a neighbor telling me that my horse was out and near the road. Great! Just what I needed. I go outside to get her halter and lead rope from the barn and I spot 3 large dogs in the field. Bingo. I knew exactly why my horse was out. Unfortunately I had to catch a horse before I could do anything about the dogs. Pat had his gun but could not shoot because the dogs started running towards Crystal and Patches(my goat). They dove into the creek and I herded Precious up towards Pat. He had a feed bucket handy and she will not turn down food for any reason! She was all sweaty and so was Crystal. NOw top thing on my list was checking her over for cuts and/or bites. Luckily she only had a small cut on her chest. I grab my fence materials and head out to see where she went thru at. I knew she went thru the fence, she is to fat to jump! I found the downed fence. It had broken wire and boards and a broken post. Right next to that spot is a patch of bamboo. It was flat where she fell thru the fence. Precious is herd mare. She will fight and lead danger away from the herd. I was hoping to see one of the dogs while I was fixing the fence. I had my Colt 357 magnum strapped to my hip waiting for a chance.

Back to the house again. I get started on the living room now. Did some serious vacuuming, carpet shampooing  and moving things around. I moved the birds over here by the computer desk and then cleaned the area where they were at real good. I washed the curtains and hung them back, washed the windows and then placed a candle light in the window. I washed out Scampi's kennel and dried it outside. I arranged my plants (which will probably get moved). I combed out Brook's hair and my daughter's hair with a Robi Comb. Trying to stay ahead of that lice crap again. I don't know if it kills lice or not but I rested it on an ant and it killed it! Next I made some turkey and dumplings. I was going to eat it here with the kids but then I remembered that they had to be home by 7 because they are getting a delivery around that time of their new dryer that I bought them. They are paying me back. I put it on a card and they will be paying that. I know they will because they have done it before. My daughter is real good about paying her debts. I did raise her right in that area. So now here I am all alone talking to yall and eating my dumplings ( I sent the pot home with them to eat). I am going to read a few journals and then play some POGO.

woof woof

What Breed of Dog Are You? Celeste, you're a St. Bernard!

No bones about it, you're a dedicated, trustworthy St. Bernard. Loyal and good-hearted, you're as reliable as they come. Your naturally protective personality is reflected in the way you treat people close to you. Sheltering your nearest and dearest from harm (or bad news, for that matter) is high on your priority list. That attitude earns you lots of gold stars, not to mention respect. People admire your strong morals — and how well you stick to them! Focused, steadfast, and determined, you always aim to please. It's a breed like yours that makes the world a better place — woof!

They keep sendingthem, I keep taking them

They keep sending them and I keep taking them. This one is so true. I love a bargain!

Celeste, you're a Bargain Hunter

 

In your life, you're willing to go the extra mile in order to find a good deal. Whenever possible, you hold out until you can find the least expensive version of something you need. Your patience and persistence generally leads you to significant savings, which you likely take great pride in. While some may mistakenly think you are cheap and puzzle over why you prefer thrift stores to overpriced boutiques, you're content to let them squander their cash while you chase down a great bargain.

When it comes to your financial state, you tend to feel like you're about where you think you should be.

In your life, you're willing to go the extra mile in order to find a good deal. Whenever possible, you hold out until you can find the least expensive version of something you need. Your patience and persistence generally leads you to significant savings, which is a great source of personal pride. You also likely use the things you already have until they absolutely must be replaced, thus maximizing your total purchase value on those items.

Among other test takers, 23% are also Bargain Hunters. Like them, you tend to see paying top dollar on something as wasteful and impractical. While some may mistakenly think you are cheap and puzzle over why you prefer thrift stores to overpriced boutiques, you're content to let them squander their cash while you chase down a great bargain.

It's likely that one reason you spend your money sparingly is that you have a good sense of the value of your dollar, and you want to stretch your funds as far as possible. If you don't have to bargain shop for financial reasons, you may also be afraid of not having enough money someday, and thus splurging or overspending may feel more dangerous or foolhardy to you than it does to most. You may also simply enjoy the thrill of haggling and the challenge of the hunt for a deal, deriving pleasure from your great finds.

What is your relationship to money test

just a bit

Time for me to get out the Christmas decorations. I went to the store this morning to pick up some chicken feed, dog food  and bread. While I was there I found poinsettias marked down to 74 cents! At that price I can afford to use lots in my decorations!

Pat is getting used to his new job. He hated it at first. But is just realizing that every job has some bad points. Most of the stuff he just had to get used to.

Brook is working hard on her belt preparations. There is a slim possibility that she will test in the spring for her black belt but I doubt it. She would have to be willing to put in a lot of extra time working on her belt.

Time to get busy. I have to shampoo living room carpet to get ready for tree to go up!

 

a ride

Pat and I went for a ride today and this was one of the sights we saw. It was a good ride!

the season has begun

The season has begun. The day after everybody has stuffed their face, buggies were stuffed. Did I go? Yep, I sure did. My first ever foray into the shopping world of BLACK FRIDAY. Yes , first time. Until yesterday I was a virgin of after Thanksgiving shopping. I thought to myself that I would give it a try just this once. Shopping started at 5am. 4:30 I was pulling into the parking lot. After finding a space 2 miles away(just kidding it was halfway down the row in front of the door), I walked into the store. There I was greeted by no buggies in the store but I was smart, I brought one in that I had found in the parking lot. I walked around the store looking for the coveted things I wanted and I few I did not know I wanted. Many things were wrapped in black plastic waiting for the time to reach 5 am. People were standing around with their hands on the items they wanted. Aisles were blocked bit amazing people would move if you said excuse me. I asked myself where something was and because I spoke out loud I was answered by 2 different people. Surprised me that anyone would be considerate at all. I have heard so many horror tales of what happens! % am came and the wraps come off and hands go to reaching. Around the store I went getting the items I wanted. Some people were walking out with handfulls of things Some had buggies piled to the ceiling with big items. People were in lines for high ticket items, some for hours. I did get everything I wanted with the exception on 1 item. I was going to get a computer for $148 but there was only 10 of them and they had 20 people with hands on them! I think I bought more for me than I did for anybody else! I walked up to the register with 1 buggy (that I had rearranged several times) and walked out with 2 buggies! I also walked out with a much lighter pocket book.

So what did you do on BLACK FRIDAY?

What is your eating style?

What is your eating style?

Celeste, you're an Indulgent Eater

You, more than others, truly gain satisfaction from eating. And because of this, you sometimes have difficulty slowing down or just saying no. You enjoy eating and what's great about that is you understand how to appreciate certain aspects of food that others do not. You see food as more than just a source of nutrition or energy. For you, dining, or just plain eating, can be a really enjoyable experience. On the downside, however, you might sometimes indulge too much in the satisfaction you get from eating.

turkey and stuff

1 pecan and 2 pumpkin pies, 1 turkey thawing, dressing made, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, orange fluff, carrots, mushrooms, celery, salsa, 2 dips all done. 5 am comes early tomorrow and today is not over yet. I have more cooking to do. Potatoes to peel, beans to cook, brussel sprouts to cook. Apple pie and rolls to fix, and I must make some tea. I have no idea who all will show up. His family never rsvps. I just cook and eat. Who ever wants to be here will be here. I will be here and I am ready to stuff myself now!

In the news

In the news this morning is a story of a protest staged in airports across the country. The protest in is support of a nursing mom who was thrown off a plane because she refused to cover with a blanket. Why should this baby have to be covered? Do you like to be smothered while you are eating? Somewhere along the lines, nursing an infant became taboo in public. I am not sure but I believe it is mostly an American taboo. I support public nursing.

Another story in the news is more local. A school bus in Huntsville Alabama plunged off an overpass after possibly being clipped by a car. 4 teenagers are now dead. There are more children in the hospital in critical condition. Please send prayers and good wishes.

And the results are in! The puppies were not born to the cat! Did anyone really believe that story??

More news.... Whopping cough is on the rise. Personally I have seen 2 cases of whopping cough, 1 an adult the other a small baby. It was horrible listening to and seeing that poor baby with the cough. Apparently it is on th rise because the vaccine wears off. there is now a booster vaccine available for ages 11-64.

And in beauty news.... People are growing gardens and making New Orleans bloom again. I am glad that color will once again be coming to that beautiful town. I have always found that growing things gives hope of renewal.

And that is the news. Time to start cooking!

 

times sure does fly

I got up yesterday and it seemed like before I knew it I was going to bed. For some reason time sure did fly yesterday! I don't know why. I really did not do much of anything. Wasted a beautiful day vegging out! I made a couple of pies  and a couple of dishes for dinner today. Washed a few loads of clothes and dishes. Fed all the animals and checked on our new trees. Oh yea, we went and bought some new shoes for the truck and then we went and played pool. PLayed on computer and watched tv. That is it. Nothing really got done beyond normal stuff.

 Did I tell you that I love to play pool? Yep I do. I did not start playing until about 10 years ago. Got pretty good too. I joined a pool league and went to play in the national championships in Las Vegas 2 years in a row. The second year I was playing on 2 teams that made it to the national championship, a ladies team and a mixed player team. That was a busy year for me. I was also playing on a semi pro 9 ball circuit. I ended the year in the money! Since then I have not played as much due to some vicious rumors and vicious females.

 Did I tell you that I met Pat on a blind date? In a pool hall!

Guess what I am buying Pat for Christmas this year!?????

Quote

Courage and perseverance have a magic talisman before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air. – John Quincy Adams

request

 

I had a request for my dressing recipe. I do not have a written recipe. I make my dressing by taste LOL. I just keep adding until it is almost the flavor I want. The taste gets stronger as it cooks.

Cornbread dressing

10 inch pan white cornbread(using white cornmeal)

egg

celery,chopped

onion,diced

chicken broth

salt

pepper

sage

Fuji apple(my secret)

Crumble cornbread coarsely, mix 1 or 2 eggs in. Saute onion and celery in chicken broth until soft but not mushy. I use about 2 cups celery and 1 cup onion. Add half to cornbread. Add salt and pepper and sage. Use about 1 tablespoon of sage. This is a strong spice. Make sure that you use rubbed sage not ground! Add more to your taste. Add more of the sauteed onions and celery to taste. Grate apple, skin and all into dressing. This adds sweetness to the dressing. Next add  turkey broth until dressing is very moist, not soupy but close to it! Make it look like cornbread before cooking it. If you do not have turkey broth you can use chicken broth from can  Bake in 350 oven until brown on top. Do not overcook as it will become dry.

chit chat

So let's see, what is going on. A whole lot of little things.

Be staying in town this weekend. My niece got all the trees tagged, measured, counted and priced. They are ready for the sales to start next Friday.

I would like to go riding this weekend, horse, bike I don't care!

Brook has qualified for taking her red belt test on December 12th. This will be a hard one! No one else is testing except for some of the lower belts. One more after that and she tests for her blackbelt. I believe I will need to get her a sword or a bo staff or maybe both in the next couple months. She will have intense weapons training in the next 6 months to a year.  Not sure which she will focus on, probably the sword. Her favorite weapons are knives and stars.

Me? I am working on Thanksgiving dinner. Cooked my cornbread today for the dressing. Got my shopping done(I hope). The turkey is in the little fridge thawing. Got a 20 pounder so it will take a bit of time! Next week will be the biggie! Brook will be here because they are out all week from school so she can help me!

Did I tell you my chicken pen collasped? The chickens are okay. The roof caved in on the pen because of the 3 inches of rain we got in less than 12 hours. The power went out the other night. The storm was long past when it went out. It was out for 12 hours! Let me tell you something. If you have ever been in a power outage in the country at night then you know just how dark it can get! It was so dark that my cat Buddy ran into the computer desk after I blew the candles out! I could not see my hand in front of my face. Total and absolute darkness. Scary!

Well that is all for now.

 

They sent me another one!

Celeste, you are not a typical youngest child.

Unlike other youngest children, you are not likely to be especially social, express your creativity, or be particularly affectionate.

In fact, based on your answers to Tickle's Birth Order Test, you are actually more like a middle child due to your even-tempered nature. Similar to middle children, you are probably very stable emotionally which makes people feel at ease around you. You have learned that the best way to resolve conflict is by remaining calm and open to compromise. You tend to radiate warmth, affection and maturity. You are likely to display an extraordinary ability to remain composed even in stressful situations.

Well, seeing as how my niece and nephew lived with us I guess that is why I am more like a middle child!

Here is the test if you want to take it. Birth order Answer no to the last question so you d o not have to answer a bunch of sales questions!

just things

Pat started work at his new job. He seems to be okay with it while I talked with him on the phone. I will find out more today after he gets up.

 Brook had Tae Kwon Do last night. She is doing so well now. She wants new numshuks now. She has foam covered ones right now. She want some wooden ones now. I think that just might make a good Christmas gift! Her kicking has come a long way. She is no longer afraid to get both feet off the floor now! LOL

I got my new blood testing meter yesterday by Fed Ex. Turns out my insurance does not cover the strips for my old one anymore so they sent me a new one. I like it a lot better. It is the One Touch Ultra 2.

I have 3 new hens to replace the ones I lost. I have them in the dog pen with a tarp over it to keep them in. LOL Maybe I won't lose them to dogs and maybe I will get some eggs! Nothing like good farm fresh eggs! They are so rich in flavor!

Well that is it for now. LOL Only 9am so nothing has happened yet.

Is anybody else having trouble with journals this evening? I can open some and not others. I can comment on some and not others. Now i cannot get into my own except by IMing it! If you can read mine and can't leave a comment feel free to email me.

This and that and measuring things

So I believe I am due to do some catching up here.

Pat's aunt died last week. She was the hateful one that lived next door. I did not care for her but hated the way she had to live the last few years of her life. She had Alzheimer’s Disease. Her sons had nothing to do with her. One lived in FL and never came to visit even when she broke her hip. (I feel he is the reason that caused her to advance faster. She was doing fairly well until one Thanksgiving when he came up to visit he knocked on door and she did not answer -it was dark-. So he went back home and never came again to see her. She never believed that Thanksgiving had come after that because he always came on Thanksgiving.) The other son starved her so bad that she was stolen away from her house and taken to hospital where she was admitted for severe malnutrition then sent into a nursing home. We did not go to the funeral. They changed the date of it 3 times.

In other, happier news... Brook and her "squad" made the cut for the talent show. They will be preforming in January. You can be assured of plenty of pictures!

Master Lee will be back this week. He went to Korea to see his wife and to take a few black belts for some studying under a grand master. She has been there since summer to complete her masters degree. She will be gone for 3 more years! She will be coming home for Christmas break and staying a few months.

I am tired. Pat and I went to Nicholson Ga to measure Christmas trees. This is a long and tiresome job! All the trees have to be counted, measured and priced before Thanksgiving when the sales start. Pat and I will be going back to help with the sales too.

Well they kept the pressure on where he was working at. Offered him first shift and a 50 cent raise! What an insult! He turned them down and today he starts his new job.

We have some trees to plant and a few holly bushes too.

Well that is all for now. Got to get my baby ready to go to his new job.

 

Pat

Pat was so upset yesterday and all night long he tossed and turned. After he gave his notice they came on strong with him. Telling him that he does not want to leave, it would be a mistake.  They talked about how he has been there for 14 years(he has been there 20 years) and how he is so valuable to the company( they give another worker the prefered shift that has been there less than half the time he has). They said they have great plans for him(after telling him that they plan on making 2 of the young guys the top dogs). Not once did they mention a pay increase. They are scared because they KNOW that when he leaves they lose their workhorse. He said when I tell them I am leaving all of a sudden I am their golden boy but just the day before I was their whipping oy. Now which is it? Truth of the matter is, Pat is a very hard worker. He goes on and on just like the Energizer rabbit. If they asked him to do something he did it no matter what. Stay late? Yep he did. Go out in a monsoon to work on a truck on side of road? Yep he did it. Stay up all night driving around in zero degree weather starting trucks after working a 10 hour shift? Yep, done that. Drive 2 hours work 16 hours then drive back 3 hours AFTER working an 8-10 hour shift? Yep many a time. If they offer him first shift and a $2 hour raise I don't want him to stay. He would just be staying for the same crap!

some sad news

Last night a fire broke out at the Chattanooga Zoo. 8 animals lost their lives. There were no loss among the bigger animals. The part that burned had small animals and sick/injured animals.

 

another 1

 

I found this on Adventures of an Eclectic Mind

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

testing 123

I took another test today. I get these emails from Tickle since I signed up for them. Sometimes they have tests to take in them. with free reports. I will not PAY for them. No way! Anyway this one was to find my best qualities. Frankly I was surprised at the whole report but it did hit me as being pretty accurate for me. Here is the link if you want to take it for yourself~ What is your best quality?

Celeste, your best quality shines through in how Intelligent you are

The fact that you're a smart person who is more able to understand complex concepts than many other people are really draws people to you! But that's not the only thing. Your answers on the test indicate you're an honest person who values the truth and is sometimes willing to make sacrifices in order to uphold it. You are an inventive and creative person who usually has an abundance of imagination and ideas, too.

In all, there are 15 qualities that help define you when you're at your best. Those are the traits potential employers, friends, and partners look for in you. What makes you unique is your particular distribution of those 15 qualities.

We've found that your particular combination of qualities is rare — only 1 in 10,000 people share the same general mix of traits. Those are great odds if you're trying to show a potential employer, colleague, friend, or date why you're exactly the right person for them.

better?

I am getting better, I think.

Saturday we went for another ride in the park and I was so tired when we got home. I laid down on the couchto watch tv and went right to sleep. Pat woke me up around 7 to let me know he was going to go shot some pool with a friend. I said ok and went right back out. All I know after that is getting up in the morning! Somehow I went to bed and even sent a text! No memory of any of that! Sunday I woke up feeling better but weak. Monday was more of the same. Not really feeling like doing a darn thing! I will probably gain 10 pounds. I can't taste anything yet and keep trying to find something I can taste! I really need to give up on that quest.

Today I am still so congested. Still can't smell or taste anything. Guess it is a good thing I can't smell. Brook said there was a skunk outside this morning. Today will be busy. I have to go to the store and shop. I also have an Author's Tea to go to at 10 am. The author I will be hearing? Why Brook of course! LOL  It will be at her school. Then at 3pm I have to be back at the school for talent show tryouts. Yep, Brook is going to tryout along with several other students. SHe and 3 other Tae Kwon Do students are going to be preforming some routines. PLease nobody say "break a leg". She will be the one to actually do it!

Okay. Time for me to get busy with something, like I think the first thing I will do is fix the door. Brook let go of it and the wind caught it, bent the dodad on the bottom that makes the door swing shut. Not hard to fix, a hammer, screwdriver and a vise to hold it. BBL. Have a good day.

 

just a few

Just a few photo opts this week.  My monster bride.

Up next is Don't believe everything is fake!

 

Next is just me.

Wild life seen on my ride yesterday.

Need a closer shot?

 

 

 

Tags: Halloween, scared, bride, hawk, deer, wild life, horse

I have a head cold. I am so miserable! The coughy and sneezing and running nose is getting to me. Trying to ruin what is left of vacation! I will enjoy even if I end up major sick next week!

dang them

I got up this morning unable to sign in to AOL. When I finally got online I find an empty mailbox. AOL decided to send all my mail to AIM! I am not sure I am going to like this free AOL but I will keep it. I do like the KIDS Only feature.

Tags: Free AOL, AIM

alerts

Anybody else noticed that the alerts are different?

Inkblot

I took an inkblot test today. If you would like to try it it is available on Tickle.com. I took it free. I think it is free until Nov. 5th.  My results were... well here you look at them.

Celeste, your subconscious mind is driven most by Kindness

This means you have a deep desire to be kind and fair to others. You may even be preoccupied with finding kindness in the world around you, far more than you realize on a conscious level.

It is possible that the underlying reason you seek kindness in the world around you, is that you fear cruelty, the opposite of kindness. That could drive you to unconsciously project kindness wherever possible into your world. Regardless of its origin, your steadfast adherence to being kind to others is felt by people you are close to.

You are probably more susceptible than others to being overwhelmed by emotions — both yours and others'. It is possible that your unusually empathic nature is a result of your natural sensitivity to others' pain, and your desire to help them avoid it. For this reason, things might affect you more than they affect your friends and family. To protect yourself from too much emotional intensity, you might want to keep an eye out so you can recognize it when it starts. That will allow you to slow things down until you feel grounded again.

Overall, your strong orientation towards kindness gives you an optimistic nature, which translates into you seeing the best in the people around you. Because you're not one to be overly judgmental, others may seek out your company when they need a friend to talk to. People close to you likely know that you care deeply about the inner lives of others and can listen to what they have to say without imposing your views on them.

This is just the short version. The long report is deep. Dang it is good. I need to study on it a bit.

 

Eat chocolate and be happy!

a bit more

Just a bit more about our ride including pictures!

 We are riding in Chickamauga Battlefield. It is a beautiful place to ride or hike if you are so inclined. The ride started off pretty good. We started with an easy walk up a grassy knoll where  a bloody battle was fought in the Civil War. Crystal jumps sideways when some birds fly up in front of her, Precious just plods along. The trail is covered with leaves that has fallen from the trees. Red, yellow, orange and brown all mingling together to form a beautiful carpet to walk on. Sunlight filters through the branches and creates dancing sparkles on the drops of water that are on leaves and branches. The sound of the traffic is muffled, the feeling of being free from the world settles in. Soon another rider joins us. He is riding a gelding that is so calm that Precious pretty much pays no mind. Precious is a boss mare and this horse yielded right away to that fact.

We get to the main road and I wondered if we would have any trouble crossing. To my delight Precious waited until I gave her the command to go. This is a pretty heavily traveled roadway on the weekend. Some horses have problems crossing a road that have cars on it. Her first time went well! On we go. Soon we come to a fork in the trail. One path leads all the way around the park, the other cuts through the center. We decided to take the path through the center. After all the days are shorter and I am riding a fat, out of shape horse. Yes she is fat, weighed in at 1049 pounds and is 14.2 hands tall. It is a beautiful day and all the animals are out. Rabbits and snakes, squirrels and deer are all seen moving around. Open season on deer and we are seeing them everywhere. LOL No hunting where we are and the deer know they are safe.

We are moving along pretty good and Precious starts getting a bit antsy. In a bit a group of horses come up on us. All of a sudden Precious is full of it. I get Pat to stop and allow those horses to get ahead of us and out of sight. I could feel that they were the source of her antsy behavior. Soon she settles back down. Pretty soon we come to a creek that we have to cross. This is another new experience for Precious. At my urging she stepped forward and walked into the creek and bent her head down for a drink then walked out. I was so proud of her! Now we are at an open field and she spots the other horses again.Oh boy here we go again. They get out of sight again and she settld down. Thsi is really making me nervous. I just know what she wants and I DO NOT want to be in on it! Now we are coming up on a real biggie. Walking up a creek and going under a road at the same time. My word, my chest just filled with pride as she did it like she has been doing it all her life! She is trusting that I will not take her into danger! Now I know these are all new experiences for her. She was just back from the trainer when I bought her and I broke my back 1 week later, so she has never had these things happen before.

UTOH trouble ahead! the group of horses that had passed us is resting up ahead. Pat says lets join them and takes off in a gallop. Precious is right on their tail only I know she is looking for trouble!Too soon we meet up with them. The gelding comes over to Crystal and Precious decided to do her thing with me on her back. She rears up a bit and Pat grabs her after the second time when he notices. Actually after I yelled at him! Unfortunately that did not end it. Precious turns and tries to kick. I yank her head up and then she tries again. This time Pat grabs her head and leads her off. He finally understood when I told him that she wanted trouble. We let them ride off before starting on the trail again. Soon we meet another horse coming towards us, a lady riding bareback. She is riding a beautiful black mare. I catch up to them and maneuver Precious to the other side of Crystal to put her in between us since they were stopped and talking. that was working fine until the mare steps forward and nips Crystal in the face! She jumps back and in the blink of an eye Precious has whrilled around Crystal and is positioning herself to kick! I pulled and turned Precious and yell out that she will kick and the lady takes off. Scary moment! I know that all she was going to do was protect Crystal. See Precious is the boss mare and Crystal is the trail boss. If Crystal spots a bugger then Precious leads her past it but other wise Crystal sets the pace and direction on the trail. If there is danger it is Precious's job to protect.

The rest of the ride went uneventful. There was a lot of hard climbing and both horses were tired. Soon we get back to the trailor. Precious was drenched with sweat. I have no doubt she lost weight! LOL Gave her a good rub down and brushing and treated her to some carrots. On the trailor andback home again.

I am sore from my ride. Apparently when she whipped around she pulled some muscles in my ribcage. It feels like I have been punched there. I will get over it. I am looking forward to our next ride. I hope to go tomorrow!

Chickamauga Battlefield is virgin forest, meaning it has never been cut and is made up of old groth trees. There are lots of fallen trees in it from the tropical storm that movd through here a few years back also from the major ice storm and blizzard we had. They do not remove the trees. They lay where they fall. the only ones that get removed are the ones that have fallen across a road or a trail. Those are cut and pushed aside. This makes for a bounty of places for animals and insects to call home. It is not unusual to see deer and other wild animals. During the winter bobcats come down from the mountains into the park. Sometimes they are captured and removed. Bears, if they come into the park are always captured and removed. Foxes and other small animals thrive in the free from hunting environment.

Animals are not the onlything you will see a lot of. Throughout the park are monuments to honor the fallen. There are cannons all over and 100's of plaques telling what happened there at the spot. This was the site of a bloody battle, a hard win and a hard loss. History was made here. You go go all day and longer reading these plaques and learning about what happened, who was there and who died. I am not just talking about the generals and those people. I mean the soldiers. You can learn who they are and where they were from and where they died.

Tags: horses, Chickamauga, battlefield, park, ride,

Pat is on vacation this week and we are having fun! Yesterday we went horseback riding in the park again. Precious did so much better. I did have an incident with her. We came up on this group of horses and she decided that she was going to play boss mare and tried to kick one of the horses while I was on her back. It was a bit scary!
I got her in control with a bit of help from Pat. She needs to be introduced to other horses 1 at a time. We rode with another guy that we met on th trail. It was nice riding with someone. He had a 14 year old gelding. For some reason she seemed to be okay with him, did not get close to him though!

Are you a lady?

You Are 60% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman. Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?

oh happy day

Today has been a good day. It was raining today, hard miserable rain. Wrecks all over and there were powerlines down. But it was a good day.

I drove in the rain this morning and I made it to where I was going and back again. I walked in the house and my hunny gave me a cup of French vanilla cappuccino. In a bit I made us some BLTs to eat. Afterwards the phone rang. I hate hearing the phone ring now for some reason. It was a good call for once. Pat got the job. Starts in a week if he wants. More pay, more respect, probably the same BS but with different voices. LOL Soon Brook is home from school. She asks to go to Tae Kwon Do open class so off we go. I go to Goodwill and find some new Christmas mugs to replace some broken ones. A good day still. We go to Walmart to get some cookies and get a Halloween costume instead. It was marked down. Saving money always makes a good day. Oh yea I forgot earlier today I got to tell a bill collector to shove it. You know how they try to make you pay all of it at once and threaten you without actually saying it. This one crossed the line when she said she was going to take me to court and I have been making payments! I lost it. Boy did that feel good. Now where was I? Oh yea. Now it is time to take Brook home. I was dreading that. I really did not want to see my daughter. I was greeted with the news that they will not be moving. At least not for awhile. I think I got at least 2 more years. I pray. Thank you for all the good wishes, prayers, and thoughts! They worked! Now I am home alone and happy. Today has been a good day.

my heart

My heart is breaking. Candy just told me that they are moving to Dallas in Decemver. Just for 3 months she said. BS nobody moves for 3 months. You don't pull a child out of school in the middle of a semester and cause them to miss school, change them to another school, and then 90 days later change them back. This will cause her to be held back for 3rd grade. You can't  move kids in the middle of a grading period. Does she have any idea how much harm this will cause? She promised that she would not move her out of her school before she finished 5th grade. She will miss out on getting her black belt in Taekwondo because she will miss 3 or more months of training. Right now she could possible test in the spring, September at the latest. That won't happen if she is not in constant training. She will miss all her friends. She will lose her medical coverage.

I don't know how I will survive not seeing her. I know she says 3 months, but what  if she decides to stay there? They probably will. After all, all of his family is there. She said she will be surrounded by family. I don't count, I guess. She will be surrounded by strangers to her. Her family is here. The only family she knows.

I said if it is only 90 days, why not leave her here so her life is not disrupted. No, she says. She is mine. She goes where I go.

My head is exploding, I feel like I am going to be sick.

Southernness

Southernness

Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.
_____

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up "a mess."
_____

Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of"yonder."
_____

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is, ... as in: "Going to town, be back directly."
_____

Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.
_____

All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.
_____

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!
_____

Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.
_____

Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.
_____

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.
_____

A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.
_____

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, ... and when we're "inline," .... we talk to everybody!
_____

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.
_____

In the South, y'all is singular, .... all y'all is plural.
_____

Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.
_____

Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.
_____

When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!
_____

Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it -- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.
_____

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her heart" .. and go your own way.
_____

To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southerness: Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning. Bless your heart!
_____
And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, ... bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin' to have classes on Southernness as a second language!
_____

And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, all y'all need a sign to hang on y'alls front porch that reads "I ain't from the South, but I got here as fast as I could."

BUGSSSSS

Here we go again. It is that time of the year when head lice gets going around. Yes I know it is a year round thing but the fall and the first real cool weather seems to increase the instances of head lice in school.

Last week Brook was sent home with the bugs. Not a fun thing. I allowed her mama to take care of it. She shampooed her hair with the stuff and combed her out. Did all the other stuff too I assumed. Well today the school calls me again. "Come get Brook, she has the bugs again." I was totally teed off. I call the doctor for a script of the good stuff. There is no way I am going to be doing this every week! After picking up Brook I asked her if her mama did certain things and come to find out that there were many things she did not do. Simple basic things like wash all the sheets and towels, vacuum, wash the pillows on Brook's bed. Now my head is itching! As a precaution I will be treating my head too! I hate this! I will be keeping Brook here with me until my daughter can do what needs to be done, including treating her head and her husband's head. Going to the store and getting a BIG jar of mayo too! and some bonnets and some more vacuum cleaner bags. Oh happy day.

I better put some moving along happy music on so I can get this stuff done!

changes

There are changes in the air here. I am not just talking about leaves changing and cold weather coming on.

Pat had a talk with his new boss yesterday. He was told that he(new boss) is putting a young guy on first shift that has not been with the company very long. He is going to give him top pay with the top position. Basically he told Pat that he was too old and there is no place for him. He has given this company 20 years. With everything that has happened at work this week and last he is tired of it all. It has made home life a bit tense as you can imagine. Today he did something about it. He put in for a job in another place and it is looking good. All that is needed is for aproval to come from home office. So possibly in less than a month he will be somewhere else. Yes, changing jobs come with a risk. they could fire him in 90 days for no reason. Actually in TN you can be fired at anytime for no reason and not be able to collect unemployment. Another risk is, he could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. We may have to tighten our belts some, and right at the time of the year with all the holidays and taxes are due and a bunch of other stuff. But we will survive.

Oh yea. They will be starting him out more per hour with a raise in 90 days.

Time to go get Brook from the bus stop. Take care.

JOURNALS!!!

Kate is making a new journal index. She is asking everyone to go there and leave your link and she will try to organize them. This is with hope that maybe someone looking for a new journal to read or perhaps trying to find an old favorite that has been misplaced can find what they are looking for.

Go here and leave your link and share this link with all you know.

**

Back home and back at it

I am back home now and once again back at the old grind. My niece is doing well all things considered. Although she and Gary have been together most of her adult life, they have only been married for the last 7 years. She will have it tough for awhile but I feel that she is strong enough to survive. That was not always the case. I am proud of her.

Everybody was real happy to see me. Not sure who missed me the most, the dog, the cats or Pat. I know I missed all of them very much.

Yesterday Pat and I went on a ride in the park. It was the first time we have ever taken the 2 horses together anywhere on the trailor. They did very well I thought. Today I feel like somebody worked me over! We rode for about 5 hours. I am not used to that. For that matter , neither are the horses! Precious needed it bad. She is so fat! Towards the end she was having a bit of trouble carrying me. She stumbled a bit. We got back to the trailor and she went straight to sleep! LOL. They were real happy to get home. I was too!

Today I will see Brook for the first time in 10 days. It has been a very long time. They went to Dallas on her fall break. I miss her! I have not been apart from her for that long since.... well I guess since she was born! She will be here in about 3 hours! I can't wait!

Okay I guess I need to get back to my cleaning.