Mother's Day

I do hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day.   Mine was 99% great.  G gave me a lovely orchid plant.  He said he was replacing the one that died.  That and another one were the only ones I have been able to keep going - in fact, the one that is still alive even bloomed again.  That is a record for me, and it's a shame because I love orchids so much.  But then I used to laugh about all the rosemary plants in the world screaming when I walked by.  Every one I would buy would turn brown.  I finally figured out my water person (G) was over watering!  So now I have a huge, healthy rosemary plant.  I am hoping the same for these orchids!

I had told Daughter I wanted a good pair of fabric scissors because I know they can be expensive.  Well - I got those and another pair that cut nicely through thick layers of fabrics.  Wonderful.  Plus they hosted famly dinner last night, and it was delicious - as normally.

Son and DIL gave me a beautiful rose bouquet along with a gorgeous James Avery cross.  It is a very heavy one, and absolutely beautiful.  I think she likes it a lot too, and her birthday is the end of this month.  I may give her a matching one.  I will check with Son!

The 1% not good was my middle grandson.  He is Son's oldest.  He is three, and he is literally Hell on Wheels!  I think I posted before about him (purposely) throwing a wooden block at Daughter's youngest hitting her above the eye.  He throws things at Simone and chases Shadow.  I had reached my limit about a month ago, and the next week cancelled family dinner because of him.  No one stood up to host, so we didn't have dinner that week, then we were gone.  Son and DIL had it last week, and now Daughter and SIL.

So what got me this time, it was direct, willful disobedience. G was going to borrow a book from SIL.  So it was sitting on the couch, next to where one of the dog kennels was.  W decided that he was going to push that book through the wire of the kennel.  I just ignored that behavior.  Then he threw the book into the far back of the kennel.  I asked him to get it out, and he just looked at me as if to say eat sh*t and die.  So I asked again.  He acted like he wasn't hearing me.  I told him that I knew he could hear me and requested again.  Nothing.  I was ready to paddle his little butt!  I was furious.  But by that time Doodle  Bug had crawled in to get the book.  And to think - she was the brat before!

I really was livid.  They discipline this kid for a lot, but other things he is allowed to run wild.  His other grandparents ( and there are three - real grandmother, step grandmother, and real grandfather) apparently cater to him.  I don't cater to any of the six!

I think it is well known my family are deer hunters thus having racks of antlers about.  W thinks these large, eight-point racks are his toys.  They are dangerous.  They have long tines and are sharp.  When we were at his house, he had one that almost at differing times nearly pierced his little sister and baby brother.  He was trying to put a hole in their leather ottoman.  At Daughter's house, he took one from SIL's desk and was doing the same thing.  Daughter took it away.  DIL doesn't care - says he plays with them all the time.

OK - thanks for reading my rant.  I think he may grow out of this - at least I hope so.  I really believe he is going to give his parents a run for their money.  I am worried a bit though because I see a mean streak in him.  I neglected to say he threw a ball at his sister's head last night when they were outside - beaning her pretty good.  Fortunately, she had a batter's helmet on.  Mom just laughed. 

Now I am done.  Peace

Highs and lows

That's the way our small groups at church are to be started.  Each meeting, everyone gives his high(s) and low(s) for the week - remember, we meet every week in these official small groups.


When I heard that with the first round, I said I thought it was stupid.  Conversation among people begins - there doesn't need to be a prompt.  This is when Daughter and SIL had to do one.  I was so against these groups.  Too frequent, too stilted, etc.


This go-round, there was a small group that was supposed to meet at local restaurants, and was for fellowship - at least that's what I thought.  We missed the first two meetings because we were either already at the SSB or coming home.  I don't want to go to a group after a 5 1/2 hour drive home!


We went to the meeting last week, and to my surprise, G wanted to go back.  There were great people there.  I knew there would be, so I wasn't too concerned about the group - since it was supposed to be a fellowship/dinner group.  


We DID have the highs and lows, but it wasn't too bad. Then the rest of the night we talked and ate.  We were meeting at the church, but I know that was because we could arrange the tables in a manner conducive to talking.


This week it changed.  This week was still at church, still with the highs and lows, but we had an agenda.  It was to discuss the sermon from Sunday.  I. AM. TURNED. OFF. FROM. THIS. GROUP. NOW.


It was even mentioned - well  the last three meetings have been fellowship, but we are going to discuss the sermon.  I do not understand WHY the leadership cannot get it into their heads that the church wants more fellowship time.


That leads me to what kept me awake last night.  Our (my) women's group on Saturday.  I do not plan to run that group like this model.  People usually volunteer good and bad things in their lives.  We meet once a month.  That little dedicated time for this has no place.  Plus - these women want fellowship.  That's something we haven't been able to do much of in the last two meetings.  We were still floundering looking for direction.


We have direction now.  We are going to be making tied fleece baby blankets for a group that supports young women under 24 who have experienced an unexpected pregnancy.  That translates into mostly teens.  They need all the help they can get.  So we are going to learn to make these blankets.  Then we can learn to knit and crochet to make little caps for those babies or premies at local hospitals.  I am going to suggest dresses for little girls in Africa or Appalachia, or pillowcases for the children at  M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital.


We are going to visit, craft or learn to craft, and make things for someone who needs it.  We are not doing highs and lows, nor or we going to have a set discussion topic.  


In his latest blog post, Pastor went against himself several times in what he sees for the church.  I know he will come to me with what formula he sees.  He even said he doesn't think
"quilting bees, VBS, ... are doing what we need to do.  He even hit small groups as not meeting what we should do - but he is pushing them down our throats, and is happy that so many of us have fallen in from the pressure.  


He wants us to come to church on Sunday, be inspired to go out and minister to the world, and come back the next Sunday to begin the cycle over.  What is wrong with us ministering to each other - with a little fellowship?


I know I am beating this subject to death.  It just lives in me.  I guess it does because I am loving this women's group.  It is going where I wanted it to go.  I am the "leader" only because someone needs to organize it as far as making sure the dates are published, securing the place.  I don't really want this group to have a leader per se.  We don't need it.  I will try to put this particular soap box away.  It isn't easy because I am constantly thinking about this and girding my loins to be strong when I have to stand up to Pastor.


Now to what got me thinking about this.  Our real low for this week is that our ex-Pastor/good personal friend (battling pancreatic cancer) is back in ICU.  Two weeks ago, he had a cyst of some kind removed from his spinal area.  It was a long, arduous surgery.  He is still on a vent, and being slowly weaned off.  But now a scan has found a spot on his liver.  It has been biopsied.  We will know in a couple of days.


I am asking for prayers for him.  Please.  He needs them badly. Thank you in advance.


Peace.

Oh, poo!

You know - if it's not one thing, it's another.  Medical things and I just aren't getting along.

I decided to get the glucose meter to keep tabs on the blood sugar thing.  I stopped at the drug store yesterday, talked to the pharmacist and got a meter he recommended.

I brought it home, went upstairs to work on WK's road track while I experimented with that meter.  After five or so strips, I finally got one to work.  Now - there were far more than five sticks with the "painless lancets."

I decided to try it first thing this morning. After my final success yesterday, I thought I had the hang of it.  No, nope, nein.  I have come to the conclusion that I simply don't bleed.  I ended up with three sticks this morning -in places I thought I would bleed - well. 

The first test was not enough blood.  Hurt like heck, but not enough blood.  The second, by the time I got blood and put it on the strip - the machine had gone off.  That ruined that strip.  So in disgust I simply got up.

At the rate I'm going, I will have used the month's supply of strips before the week is out!

I think what I need to do is get some snow white expensive fabric, make a garment that is 90% complete, stick some straight pins in it, and sew more.  I will guarantee that I will stick my finger on a pin and bleed, as we often say in Texas, "like a stuck hog" on that white material thus ruining the garment!

So I have one more thing to complain about.  Getting really boring!

Peace.

Well, expletive deleted!

Today has been quite a day.  I went for my annual mammogram.  A little glitch there - seems like I called the wrong place to schedule it!  I thought chemo-brain would have been long gone by now.  I guess old age is settling in with a vengeance.

They worked me in on time, and all is well there.  That's always good news.

I was instructed by the GP to get a glucose meter.  So I did.  That's just the tip of the iceberg on that front.  His office just called with the results from my blood work.  All with cholesterol is good.  But it has been for a long time.  The triglycerides are only 100 units high (ugh), but the blood glucose this time was horrible.  It was 145!

Something with the urine - didn't understand her well - was also elevated. So now he wants me to see a nephrologist and and an endocrinologist.  Well, expletive deleted!

I don't want to see either of these people!  I have had enough is doctors!  I don't need two more in my stable.  S***, s***, s***!  I already have two doctors pending because I just don't want to go - the ophthalmologist, and the dermatologist.

I had other things I was going to talk about today, but now all those thoughts have been pushed out with this.  UGH!

This rant has been brought to you by DOCTORS!!!

Well - peace be with YOU at least.

Am I (or are we) being paranoid

First - let me say - let's give it up for Adele!!  What a talent.

OK - now to the topic at hand.  In January, we had our first Women's Group at church.  Things went along pretty well - and open - until Pastor C showed up.  Then, it all stopped, and the group left.

This time his sister, our "Minister for Community ..." came.  Now, we cannot very easily exclude her.  She is, after all, a woman.  But with this brother/sister team working, a lot of us feel that there are multiple road blocks given to any thought that might not fit their plan.

Our children's ministry, as I have noted before, is almost non-existent.  The children meet for approximately 15 minutes for their lesson.  This is during the sermon.  On our website, that is listed as a good thing.  They are able to stay in church with their parents and yada, yada, yada.  The teachers for these kiddos would love for them to be in class longer.  There are a lot of adults that would like to have a Sunday School for themselves.  Simply not available.

If you are a young person past 6th grade (13.14) there is no educational program for you at all.  There is no LYO, there is nothing.  It is stated that they have the opportunity to go to meetings all over and meet others.  Not. So. Much.  Never, Has. Happened.  This year (out of four others) is the first confirmation class.  And only because it meets at the same time as one of the preferred "small groups" that meet EVERY week meets.  So it is a cycle of 10 meetings, then another 10 meetings.  After that - you are on your own, kids.

Back to my original.  Our lay minister was there.  Things felt strained already.  We began the meeting - still looking for hopes and dreams from the women there for this group.  Everything we proposed was shot down.  I was left hanging trying to run the meeting.  She found reasons for not doing anything we suggested.

At the beginning, she said she had to leave at 1:30.  The meeting began at 12:30.  That was to include snacking, visiting, and making some decisions.  One hour wasn't going to cut it.  When that hour came, Lay-minister said to decide on one thing and pray.  Then get out.

She was successful in getting the meeting to end - somewhat.  When she left, our Education person also left. That caused others to also go.  But we didn't decide on one thing to do, nor did we pray.  I put off the prayer - I had one topic that HAD to be covered.  We wanted input on childcare for the ensuing meetings.  We had to decide that.

So Sister left.  Several others also filtered out.  Daughter was able to come in then.  Lady Bug had a basketball game, so I knew they were going to be late.  I saw them come to the door, but then walk away.  I wondered why, but we still managed to have 8 of the 11 people who were there for the meeting.  The conversation was going well.  We were really talking about the things we were interested in doing.  Far away from Sister's idea.

Later Daughter came in.  She was talking to Pastor C.  Well - guess what.  He was there because Sister had to leave.  My daughter told him we were having a women's meeting, and he should stay away until it looked like things were breaking up, then come down to get something to eat.  She has obviously developed a good relationship (friendship) with him.  She warned him before she would tell him like is was.

This situation bothers me.  I have a good relationship with Pastor C as well.  We have taken him to eat many times, we have gone to his outreach things during the day, we (and this shouldn't matter) are in his top 10 giving families.  He should know I have chosen his church over his friend's church (it was our family church until one of the big blow ups that runs people off from that church).  He should know I love our little church, and I want the best.  He really does not have to be there.  We are not planning an overthrow.  I feel really sad that this group that has all our generations in it is being monitored this way.

We want to do things like fund raising.  That is a dirty word to C.  He doesn't feel that it does any real good.  We want to get our name out there.  This is the desire of the "Top 10" as well.  We are not being radical.  He has tried his way, please let us try something.

I have the feeling that we have the positives of this group meeting the negatives and secrecy that has been prevalent with our Ministry Team.  They have turned so many off already.  My real prayer is that this group can continue to grow in fellowship and service to each other, the church, and the community.  Right now we feel we should concentrate on each other and the church.  They feel the community.  

Sorry for the long rant.  Had to get my feelings out.  Out of internet for the next week.  Catch you all in a week.

Peace.

Systems check

Eyes - pretty clear and dry
Nose - mostly clear, occasional stuffiness
Sinuses - not much of a headache

All in all - things are looking up.  While I have taken to the antihistamine WITH decongestant along with the nasal spray that does four things including shrinking swollen nasal passages, G has just suffered - for two weeks.  He thinks he has a cold.  I don't think so, Skippy!

With the heat we have been having, I think it is probably mold.  Most of the pollen counts are fairly low.  Trees either haven't begun to bloom or were so stressed by the drought last summer there isn't really tree pollen.  Grasses, surprisingly, haven't begun to grow vigorously, thus no blooming.  So that leaves the dreaded mold whose spore count is always high.  Even during the summer last year, the mold counts were high. Go figure.

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us.  G and I decided that Family Dinner would be cancelled.  Usually the kids have other things to do.  And not to disappoint,  Son and DIL have plans - with her mother.  Ah well, "a son is a son ..."  I really didn't expect to see them anyway.  I really thought they would be with some of their "friends" that are rather questionable anyway.  But I guess it is all the family from her mother.  We may go to Daughter's if they don't invite the world.  She said no,  but that can change.

I really could/would/should just stay home Sunday.  I care nothing about the Super Bowl.  I used to watch pro football, but it has lost its luster for me.  When I see those guys "playing a game" for all that money, it makes me ill.  This carries over to all pro sports though.  I used to be a real basketball fan.  Not any more.  You have to have a money tree to go to the games, and then for the players and owners to have a lock-out.  That was the final straw.

If you took just one salary of a pro player, you could probably hire at least three teachers for a year.  With the higher paid ones, you could run an entire small school district.  Shameful.

OK - I try not to get on soap boxes like that, but I have just one more thing while I am b*tchin' about money and salaries and the like.  When I look at the money spent on elections, I get livid.  There is no excuse for that kind of spending.  Not to become a public servant - oh, forgot.  They don't serve us.  They are also professionals.  Hummmm, is there a link there?

Anyway, our plans for the weekend aren't big.  I plan to lock myself in upstairs and sew.  And get pictures to post here and other places.  We made really cute little heart candy holders that we embroidered and then they are to be woven together.  Got the embroidery and cut them out - not sure about getting it woven.  Wasn't going well before I left, so I just threw it in the machine trolley and scatted.

Hope you have a great weekend.  But then I believe most weekends are good.  Mine aren't as good as when I was working, but then I have a week of weekend days.  Too bad it took me so long to get to that point.

Peace.

Ho-hum

Another hot, dry day.  That means staying in the house, which doesn't really bother me, but it is driving G insane.  That, in turn, is driving me insane.  He begins his tirade on global warming again and again.  He is so irritable about the whole thing.  He insists that he is  not staying here in the heat and dryness next summer.  That is really stupid.  I don't know where or what he is thinking about doing, but it is stupid.  Plain and simple.

Last night I had about enough of it, so I asked why he is getting so upset about it.  Really.  It doesn't make sense to rail and rant about something if you cannot really do something about it.  I have too many other things that I CAN do something about.

I agree that there is climate change.  It is obvious.  I try to explain that some possibly be a natural cycle in nature - which I really believe.  I also know humans are just about to put the final insult on our world.  But ranting and raving about it, threatening to spend thousands of dollars to live someplace else for several months to get away from the heat ...   It would really be funny if he follows through on that and ends up where heat follows - or gets into flooding conditions.  Stupid.

Enough of things that smack of politics.  I don't do that here.  I try to stay away from politics and religion.  Sometimes things sneak in, but that isn't what I focus on.  I get enough around here.

Simone is still restless at night.  That means she is banging and scraping furniture in the bedroom.  Either that or she is trying to get into her crate which is an impossibility.  I am trying to give her more and more time without the e-collar.  She is pretty good about not attacking her stitches, but I have to put it back on if there is a chance I might not be really watching her.

Last night, I decided that I would put the antibiotic ointment on the stitches.  She doesn't like to roll over - at least right now.  G gets upset with her, and the other night he said he wished I would do the ointment.  So I did last night.

I had her in the bedroom with me.  I got on the floor with her and made her roll over.  I was able to get a lot of ointment on her.  Then it came time for me to get up.  I realized I had made a crucial  mistake.  My ortho guy has told me not to kneel.  He fears titanium pressing on the floor with the thin little knee cap between.  Well, there I was.

After about 10 minutes my solution finally came to me.  Thank goodness we had the attic taken in several years ago when the kids were teens (to get them and their teenage messes out of the way).  I had made the mistake at that time to put the stairs in the closet space that was in the hallway - just outside the master bedroom door.  I had always  disliked that placement - after it was too late.  Last night I was delighted with that placement.  I scooted out the door and pulled myself up the steps until I could stand.

Yesterday afternoon I went to work on more of the baptismal blankets.  My machine HAD been working like a dream.  Note the operative word there - had.  I completed the shell which is so very stitch intensive.  I moved onto the date.  That's when all hell broke loose.  The thread formed a huge "bird's nest" on the back side, ripped the stabilizer, and stretched the blanket.  The machine and I fought for at least an hour.  I came back down to cool off.  I was about to pitch that machine out the window and say good riddance.  Anyway - after I went back, there were still some problems, but I completed the blanket.  It isn't perfect, but by that time there was way too much invested to just throw it away.  (I guess I need to serve you some cheese after that whine!)  I only have (ONLY???) five more to go, and then I am free for a while.

So this is the excitement in my life.  A grumpy husband, a sly dog, and terrible weather and fights with my sewing machine.  Sigh.

Peace.

Odds and Ends

There are some things I really don't address here anymore, and cancer is one of them.  I know it is in my information section, but I just don't really write about it.  That doesn't mean that the thought isn't always in my mind.  All I have to do is take a shower or otherwise change clothes.  I see the scars.  Yesterday, I was changing clothes and got a terrible cramp in the muscles in the area where the mastectomy was and reconstruction took place.  Reminder?  You bet!

Then I have an appointment with Dr Death in September.  That always brings you back to the reality that regardless of the fact you are getting close to the "magic five year survival,"  it might come back.  With the other things that are going on right now, I have to wonder.  My headaches - withdrawal, sinus (since Texas is turning to flying dust), brain tumor ...

There is pain in that right side of the thorax.  One of our dear friends had her breast cancer return and that was a symptom.  But then I think there is some nerve damage from the muscle being pulled from my back to my breast.  But I will bring it up in a couple of weeks.

I sound like such a whiner.  But these thoughts live in the recesses of my mind.  G went to the bank to try to deposit some of the monies from his mother's estate.  They pulled out an actuarial table.  He was told he has 18 1/2 more years.  I wonder how many I have?  Do I really want to know?  Aren't there far too many variables in my life?

OK _ enough gloom and doom.  I really believe if I don't think about the Little C it will just go away. (Dreamer!!)  G is still wandering around here mumbling "global warming" with every news cast.  I have tried to explain to him that we have a variety of factors involved with the weather, and yes, we humans have done a really good job of ruining our environment, but he is absolutely sure the high that settles over  Texas in the summer (last for sure and apparently in the future) is caused by coal burning electricity plants.  Now it would make more sense for us here in Texas, where there is an abundance of clean burning natural gas, to use that gas for powering out plants.  But that would mean the politicians ( and I don't care if they are Democrats, Republican, or Tea Partiers - all want the same thing - re-election) would have to use some COMMON SENSE.  That is lacking in each and every one of those jokers in political offices from local school boards to the White House.

Oh, right - I don't become political here.  Forgot. But I do think they are all clowns, and when you cut through the outer BS, they are all the same.  Just deeper BS.

So I sit and listen to him complain about global warming and ranting that he will not stay here next summer.  He will go somewhere else.  I finally told him the other night that I wasn't going.  I didn't add that I wasn't going to come home to find the house falling down on our heads because the slab dried out and cracked into 50 million pieces, the pool was the Black Lagoon - at least the four cups of water that would be left, and the pool equipment burned up because there was no water going through it.  Stupid!

Oh - here come the men in the little white jackets to pull me off my soap box.  Sorry!  Sometimes I get a little wound tight.  This is one of them.  Time to go play nice again.  That means three loads of laundry before I head off to sew dresses.  Yep - still put that baby off.  What excuse can I find today?  Gotta go look for one. Later ...

Peace be with you.

Oh - hi there!

I have been running since last week, and haven't come by here. As usual, I am running because I procrastinate. So it is time to pay the piper.

We celebrated a birthday and a dedication last weekend. I don't think I moaned about the dedication. It is verse two to Son's family. Little Bitty was dedicated on Sunday. I am old school Lutheran. I make no bones about it. Never have, and this dedication thing goes all over me. I have gone through that before. Of course the "service" was still a rock concert - at least it was Christmas carols done to rock. Then the communion method really goes all over me. When the congregation was invited to come up and take the communion back to their seats (!!!), G leaned over to me and said something like "over my dead body." My problem is that it remained just wine (don't know) and bread (wafer?). As my previous pastor remarked there was no voodoo over it to sanctify it. (BTW - L was the greatest pastor we ever had, and he made the love and message from God more real than anyone I have ever been around before. He has had honest dealings with God, and he is still God's servant)

After the dedication, we went to the reception. Daughter was afraid DIL's brother would be there, so she nicely had their church program as an excuse not to go. The brother was overheard to remark how he hated all of us because we were such snobs and pretentious. Well, G and I were there with Lady Bug. The brother wasn't. And we had a great time with DIL"S extended family - at least I think we did!

Yesterday I slaved over the sewing machine. I felt like one of those third world people in a sweat shop laboring over a sewing machine. Well, not really, but I am making each child a machine embroidered gift tag for each of their presents. Little Bitty only has a gift card holder this year. DIL wants money so she can buy clothes for the spring and summer. Hey - ok, I'm there. Sounds really good. I hate doing things like that, but a three month old isn't going to be opening anything!

I will get a picture of these. I am proud of them. There will be three different designs - to fit the three gifts for each child - how about that!!

Back to Little Bitty - for her dedication, I made her a pink "lovie" with a really pretty cross, her monogram, and date plus seven little bibs from quilted material with various designs. I told Lady Bug that the eighth design had a lady bug, and I would never put a lady bug on anything for another little girl in the family.

I wish I could say it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, but it is not. Yesterday it was 81. Miserable. I know other parts of the country (and world) are having beastly weather, but for us it is not Christmas like. We have a little cold front move through, then heat again. Even if I set the thermostat on automatic, it is wrong. Too hot/too cold.

Yesterday afternoon I had PT again. The therapist grabbed me before I could leave the clinic post injection. It has been at least a month since I have had PT. She only put me through two processes, and I AM SORE!! Shows I need it. I just hate giving up that much time for PT right now. Ah -well just more moaning about things. I am so terrible.

I have rambled along way too long. Sorry if it is too much in places. This is called stream of consciousness I guess. But then - that's my life. Just a jumble of things

My stupidity!

I should have known better. I've been stung before. But I did it anyway. I was stupid enough to buy another Dell. I deserve all the hell I get, and it is happening already.

When the Gateway crashed, I lost a program that is so essential to me - my happiness at least. It is a little program that turns the program name of an embroidery program into an icon. Now to the average person, they would probably say "big deal - so what's the problem?" Well when you have several thousands of deigns, it really is a big deal.

If I want to know what a specific design looks like right now, I have to open a program that is meant to change the extension on that file that makes it work on my particular machine. Now why the different machines have to use different files, I don't know. I think it would be wonderful to just get a program and slap it into the sewing machine and go! But it is not to be.

And it appears me seeing the pictures of what that little file looks like when it is stitched out is not to be too. As soon as I start to download the file I get an error message, that on the information page of sites says, it is a problem with the wonderful, highly touted, lousy Windows 7.

So I wrote to the manufacturer of the program. He apparently believes that I can even get into the program, so to be sure, I erased the program and downloaded it again. Same problem, and I emailed him again.

Then I got the brilliant idea to email Dell. What. A. Joke. I got to the guts of the 5 page process, and got the message that process was down. Well, of course. So I guess I will have to call for help (India I'm sure). At least with the lap top they cannot put me down on the floor, dismantling the computer this time.

I guess there is a silver lining!

Peace

Just like a bad check

I guess I am being very hard hearted, but I know some people will never change - even if that person is 18 years old.

SIL's daughter who lied to get them to "save" her from going to California to the tune of $15,000 only to leave the next year when mom moved back to their town, is calling them every day again. She doesn't have any money. Mom won't (can't really) help her. They have been the proverbial grasshoppers from the old fairy tale the ant and the grasshopper. They were aware that college was looming. What did the daughter do, especially this summer, to get ready? Why she got nails (only to gnaw them off later - she is and always will be a nail biter), and hair extension with the money she made from the job she had. She didn't have it long. The boss had the audacity to tell her what to do! So she quit.

She has learned well from mother. Mother does the same thing, and when she went to court to get the child support raised to over $600/month, she blew that money too. Daughter didn't see a dime of it, and the college fund still remained at zero for them.

Birth mother decided Daughter should have the experience of a large away from home college. So they went to that college. Why anyone would want to go there is a puzzle because it is miles from civilization, but that's just me talking. The two of them even got this child a dorm room assignment.

SIL and my Daughter said they would pay tuition. BUT it was to be at a junior college in her city. Months went by without a single call from his daughter. Nothing. Finally when registration time came around, my daughter said if they didn't begin hearing from his daughter - all bets were off. No tuition.

So when she figured out this was a serious condition, she decided to be seemingly obedient. She called. Now that she moved out of her house (at my daughter's request, and I think it was wrong), she is calling everyday. She knows she has stepped into a pit of **it.

I just think this is a big mistake on my daughter's part. This girl said very nasty things about her when she left after the fight for her to be moved away from birth mom. She continued to be very rude to her for years.

I guess I am not very forgiving. I wouldn't take all these calls. I really think this girl is setting them up to get more money. She sees the bank there. My feeling is that she isn't the first person who has had to work AND go to school. If she has all these terrible living conditions both at birth mothers home and her dad's home, then she has to figure out how to live on her own. I just see her trying to get a really easy living with Dad and Step mom footing the bills after being treated like the lowest of low for 15 years.

I just don't see it. Tough love isn't so bad.

Peace.

Ah, today's complaint

There are just so many topics to choose from today! Today, we are really getting the "dirty" side of Alex. He was a big little blow, covering most of the Gulf. There are some areas that have really gotten slammed with the rain. It is the usual story around here. We need the rain - desperately, but we get it
all at one time. Oh, well. I can see that the millions of dollars spend around here for flood control worked. Thank God!

I could go into the subject of complaining about my daughter, but that is beating a dead horse. It also is one that I cannot change. She is going to be a procrastinator, and I just have to live with that. Lesson 1 with her - don't depend on her to do something - if you are her mother.

So I guess I will come to the subject that I have tried to change, and it doesn't seem to work. That is the computer/browser. The browser I prefer to use is Firefox. It has worked seamlessly for me for years. But all the sudden it seems my computer and Firefox don't seem to like one another much. If there is another file open, Firefox just won't play. I can sit for hours, and it will not go fetch on the internet.

I have Explorer (like who doesn't?), and I will turn to it in desperation. All my bookmarks are in Firefox, and it won't share. The more I write, the more Firefox sounds like a petulant child! For some reason Explorer runs s l o w. But it will open if there are other files open on the desk top.

I thought when I put McAfee back on the computer, that would cure my ills. Surely didn't.

Another little snit time with the browser is when I try to comment on some posts. You would think I had asked this computer to put together a program for me to break into the Mint. It hangs up - really good, and I have to re-boot.

If you haven't heard from me, that is why.

The cure as I see it - take little Gertie here to the computer physicians. They will put her in the hospital for a few days (weeks) rest, until they can run the diagnostics to find that nasty virus or whatever. I really hate to do that, but I just don't see another way. Old clumsy, slow Dell, here I come - later.

Peace be with you.

Humph!

OK. I waved the white flag. I gave up, and I needed help. Told Daughter I would appreciate her turning some of the neck coolers. She replied "do I have to pick them up today?" I said no. I didn't think I could possibly turn all 50+ of them alone. Well, I sat down after doing other things that needed to be completed, and I began turning. I did all but one last night, and that one I just did.

So today I will press them, find the opening, stitch the other end shut, pour in the hygroscopic stuff, and stitch out label on that opening. This will certainly take some time, but I will find a rhythm, and then it won't be so bad.

But when she discovers that I have finished, crocodile tears will be in order.

I really feel like the little, red hen. You remember that ol' gal. She did all the work, all the while asking for help. It was only when she completed the task (baking the bread) did she get offers of help - to eat that bread. Well, that's the way it is around here. I ask, hint, whatever for help. There are excuses, then all want to share in the finished product

I told Daughter that during the July 4th holiday I wanted to set up a dry run of our craft set up. We need to get things arranged in a cute way - one that is planned out, not thrown up. How did she sound? Well if you can get into negative inflections, that's where she was. I could hear the wheels turning to find a way to get out of it. She finally said she had a four day weekend then. Who wants to set up a table to guess when I will have help? Those of you who place your bets on never will probably be the big winner, but the pot will have to be split too many ways to make it worth your while.

Why don't I get G to help, you say? Even the sound of fireworks can't cover the emissions of curse words coming from his mouth. If he has to do something that isn't on his list of things to do, he becomes a three old with temper tantrums. That is why I don't ask him for help - ever, and when he wants suggestions on where to go, what to eat, and all the rest, I just say "I don't know." After 43 years I have learned that if it is something he didn't want, be it a place, food, or anything else, he will certainly let me know.

Why don't I ask Son? He's married with a child. Does that answer that question? It should.

So this explains why I do whatever needs to be done; it's just plain easier. I am paying for that. My joints are really showing the result of abuse and over work. They have just given out. It is why I don't ask - I just do.

I have made my life sound miserable. Well, sometimes it is, but then everyone hits a point like that. All in all, I have made this bed, and I will sleep in it. Right now, I can "look forward to" S's parents arriving. We are oil and water. They are, in my estimation, the scum of the earth. Fortunately, my house is a mile away from where they will be. A nice, good mile! I will try to raise my estimation of the in-laws. I shall be praying about my feelings for them. I will be praying for them to raise themselves too, but Ill bet they tell S they need gas money to get back home in San Antonio.

Peace be with you.

Preparing to go to the SSB

Warning: This is a vent!!!

Hurry - check your weather radar and you will see severe storms bearing down on Swampland!! I thought I had at least 30 minutes more before I had to load the ice chests and travel tote into the truck. Nope. It is raining cats and dogs right now, and I have both Simone and Shadow under my feet. Wonderful!

That brings me to today's rant. During the hot months (and that's about 9), we can't load the ice chests, et al the night before. That leaves it to me so we can leave as soon as G comes home. This time there are two ice chests. We had about 100 pounds of ice left from the reunion. We are going to take it to the SSB because this is the season it is needed for packing game.

Who gets to load all this s**t alone. That's absolutely correct. I could only get 40 pounds of ice in the old chest, and the new one is full of food because Daughter's clan will be there Sunday. (SIL's aunt died in Little Bitty West Texas Town Wednesday night and they will be using the SSB to break up the trip for the kids.)

Now when we get there, G will have the audacity to complain about the weight of the items I packed - alone. I will be duly ticked!

Gotta go now. I loaded in the toad strangler, so I have to dry off to get wet again when I play shuffle the vehicles. Perhaps I need a job outside the house too???

Happy weekend to you.

Peace.

Free (?) trials

Today I was over at Susan's blog, and she posted something that brought my blood back to boiling. She was writing about "free trials" and automatic renewals.

In my desperation to lose the weight that managed to find me again after my chemo (and bring friends), I looked into Weight Watchers on line. I found that the web site wasn't easy for me to calculate points. I think that is a good program, but it was time consuming and not easy for me. So I cancelled. No problem.

So what's the problem? Well, I had been very successful with Atkins. I know South Beach is very similar, and I found their web site. I decided to give it a try. Of course, the free trial asks for a credit card.

I used the web site for about a week and again found it not to be what I wanted. Their "canned" menus for the day involve what I consider bizarre foods. I though I was on a month to month program, so I didn't think there was a hurry to cancel.

When I got my credit card statement, there was a charge from them for about $200. (I don't remember the exact amount). I called to cancel and was informed that I had been given a "special deal" that was for the entire year, and I could not cancel. In fact, at the end of the year they were going to renew the contract for another year.

I ranted and raved, and guess what. No refund and still getting sporadic emails (that should have been daily).

Ancestry.com does the same thing. If you want their free trial, you have to give your credit card number. They will also roll you over automatically. That didn't bother me because I intended to join them anyway, but I cannot, in good conscience, tell anyone else to give them a "try" because it is too easy for that trial to become a year membership.

These days, I don't respond to a free trial. I had always lived by the old adage that "nothing is free, and if it seems too good to be true, it is." I learned that lesson the hard way. All I can say is that South Beach diets must be in dire straits if this is the way they get business. Live and learn.

Peace.

Snotty answer

When I replied to my answer from the sewing machine people, they were rather snotty. I referred to the newest update as 2.2. After I did that I realized that it was actually 2.01.

Well, the person replying definitely jumped on that. They went on to say that perhaps I should make sure of what I was talking about.

I guess customer service is another dinosaur that is decomposing out there somewhere. I absolutely HATE calling customer service for a computer matter. I don't think I really have to tell why. When I bought a new computer several years ago, I bought one that is manufactured here in Texas. I, naively, thought that when I needed help, that person would be here in the US. Nope! I still hate that computer - with a passion. I had a major problem with it, and those people had me down on the floor taking the blasted thing apart.

I am not a computer repair person. My best friend went to night school so she could get out of teaching and into IT. She can take one apart, but I also remember her telling me that there were some parts that retained stored electricity. Electricity + touching = SHOCK!

But I was tearing that thing apart. My modem was fried. So now that computer only has a cable modem and no dial up because I was instructed to take that part out.

Eventually they actually sent someone out. That is what I thought I paid for in the super-duper extended warranty. But you have to take the blasted thing apart yourself two or more times before that is even offered. Oh, and it still needs a new mother board. When the third repair person came out, he didn't think that was needed, so . . .

It seems to me that businesses really don't care about making their customers happy. Perhaps it is because there are so many really terrible people in the world that demand too much from these companies. I know dealing with customers can be a pain for them too. A lot of people are not nice. They treat others worse than dirt.

With this silly machine, I have tried to be nice. But when you are looking at mid four figures for a machine, I think you are due some really good service for that machine. I haven't gotten it at all. All I get to do is drop more dollars into it.

Peace.

Wasted day

We began the day taking my car to be checked out. General things like oil change and the check to make sure my little old lady school teacher car that is 11 years old will make the trip to Deluth later this summer. It qualifies as the little old lady school teacher car because it only has about 67,000 miles on it. I taught really close to home! That car wouldn't have that much if it had not been on out trip to the Bad Lands a few years ago.

It is OK. So it will be going. I had kind of hoped to go by train. Oh well.

The rest of the day has been spent trying to load the update for the sewing machine that is supposed to "fix" everything onto the machine. It appears to load, then when I restart it - the same version shows.

So I emailed the customer support with my problems of the bobbin thread coming through to the top of my design. I told them I was doing everything that is suggested - loosening the tension, adding stabilizer, using THEIR bobbin thread (pre-wound by them). When I got the answer back, it included me doing all those things.

I resent the problem telling them that there are several of those machines out here that do the very same thing and the company really needs to address the real problem instead of blaming the operator. They also said to have the dealer check it. I replied I had just gotten it from the dealer, and the dealer doesn't have a clue about these machines and this problem. That is true because one of their instructors is having the very same problem. The dealer is trying to find out why!

Oh well. As I told them I am just loading the bobbin with the same thread so when it gets pulled through, it doesn't show.

Moan, grown. I just am so misused. I did get the scrap book cover for my grandson, Monkey Boy, almost completed. Now I just have the girls' to go.

Peace.

Probably controversial

I try to keep away from controversial topics here. The reason for this blog is not do have idealological arguments. I usually just want to share little life happenings, and it started for the grandchildren. Of late, I keep wondering if I want any of them to read it because of some statements I have vented about family members.

Anyway, I really need to vent about this topic. When we had schools close here due to the flu, some parents were up in arms. Now for the ones who are supposed to be at work, I can really understand. They have no other placement for school age children. A day care isn't going to take them for a week or two - even if they have space, and they don't have programs for older children in place at this time of year.

The mother that took the absolute cake for me was the one who said she wouldn't be able to feed her children. She depended on the school to do that. I know times are tough and very tight for a lot of people. Your children are supposed to be at the top of your expense list. A child doesn't eat that much. I guess she depends on the neighborhood programs in the summer too. Feeding your child is your responsibility.

(Now out comes the soap box for more)

Teaching really made me aware of how little some parents want to parent. They want to turn all the sticky stuff over to the schools. They want after school programs to be provided by the schools. In reality, many want before schools too. I honestly believe they would only like their children home for a couple of hours.

Having been trapped in middle school for most of my career and teaching 7th grade science, I was one of the cadre of the chosen to have to teach sex ed. I am a full believer that subject is an absolute necessity. I didn't mind doing it. I know too many parents are just simply not comfortable to talk about IT.

The problem is when you consider all the nationalities and religions we have in the public school. All parents wanted sex to be taught "their way." We had such a canned unit that it was really scary to teach it the way it was supposed to be taught. We did have an alternate unit for those parents who didn't want their children in class. I'm sure they learned all the subject matter on the bus on the way home, but they were given a regular health unit.

We separated boys and girls, and to show that none of us were shy about the subject matter, we would rotate between the two groups. The scary part I referred to was the dreaded anonymous question box. Remember - I am talking about 7th graders. Some of the questions were good. Others were put in to see what the reaction would be as well as the answer. Now, those questions very well might have covered some of the material that was purposely left out of the curriculum.

In reality, I think all questions should have been answered. We have entirely too many teen mothers here. What we are doing isn't working. But . . . We had to watch our mouths because if something got home to a parent that they didn't approve - well you can finish that thought.

Back to my original rant. I don't want to see children go hungry, do home to empty houses that could tempt them to do who knows what, or be poorly educated. It isn't the child's fault. But depending on the school for the nourishment of your children!!! I think it is time for today's parents to step up to the plate and take responsibility for that child. The schools cannot and should not be everything to everybody.

Peace.