Safari has created a monster

As we all know, for some reason my favorite place - Chrome - has decided it hates me and won't let me post pictures.  Well, Safari feels sorry for me - probably even more so because I still don't have any Apple based computing stuff.

But I do have pictures to post, and Safari will let me put them into Blogger.  They love pictures I guess.  I just wish I were better doing it.  I will not spend the next half hour putting them where I want them!

Ok - these are THE dresses.  Getting this picture involved Daughter coming back toward home to meet SIL and Granddaughter #2 at Starbucks because the doll was in her car.  The destination for Granddaughter #2 was school and "Show and Tell" day.  I didn't ask how the presentation was received! 

This is a dress I made for her last year.  It is Rodeo time in these parts partner, and we dress as such.  Believe it or not, the Houston area really does have a number of horses about.  In fact, when we first moved here - we had three!  Now back to the point.  Today and tomorrow at school, the kids are doing some kid are doing some sort of dance thing, so western wear was in order.  This dress has little horseshoes in the print, and the vest is fake ultra-suede.

So here are the pictures!  And surprise of all, I managed to easily get them put into the text. The text with the first one was centered all the time, but I was verbose enough that  it doesn't really look like that - at least not too much - I hope!

Happy Rodeo days (all 20+ of them).

THE dress

Well, the dolly and me dresses were a hit.  Looking back on that phrase, the English minor/major in me cringes a bit.  I am pretty sure it should be dolly and I, but ...  There it stands as written.

Anyway, the look on Granddaughter #2's face was worth every bit of it!  I commented on a post about how expensive fabrics have gotten, and it's true.  I know I bought extra fabrics, but those dresses ended uposting me all together in excess of $50.

The look on her face was worth every dime and every minute I spent on them.  You would have thought they were  made of 24 karat spun gold!

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I hit the wrong key in the above, which for me is par for the course.  If I make more than four words without a typo, it is really unusual.  Between my lack of typing skills, my sticky laptop keys, and the fact that I am a very poor speller, that is a common thing.

It  made me think about using my Kindle Fire.  I was reading the book Monday Morning, which is the basis of a new show on TV that interests us.  G used to work in a hospital, and as such they had their Med/Surg conferences on Tuesday mornings. These are held in the hospitals to go over cases.  Since his was a teaching hospital, these conferences were part of the teaching aspect.

I am getting way off topic here with the explanations, and this is way off.  He even missed Son being born because I went into labor on a Tuesday.  He had to get there to post the results on the chalk board.  This was 36 years ago - no computer usage as such then!  And the hospital said I would be hours giving birth.  Nope, Son had other ideas.

Anyway, the book was talking about giving the patient fluids through the IV.  When I used the speech part of the Fire, the computer voice would read this as "4."  The doctor was named Villanueva.   I still don't know how the computer voice translated this because I could never understand it.

All this certainly changed the way I was reading (listening to) my book!

Back to dresses - SIL is supposed to send me a picture of the two of them as they went to school for "Show and Tell" day.  I hope he does, and I will go to the other place and post it here.

Sigh.

Yesterday was one of those days - you know the kind where everything you touch turns bad!  I could have phrased that differently, but I don't do that here.'

Everything I touched - I dropped or it found another way to escape.  I went upstairs with a great idea for ruffing ribbon.  Well, it was wonderful to me.  To cut to the chase, I dropped the main part of the foot of the machine that everything else attaches to, so I ended up moving furniture in half of the room to find it.

I really don't understand why when a small item is dropped onto carpet, it will bounce three feet and usually end up under something.  And the something that is hardest to access.  That was what happened to that foot.

So since I was already under there, and a good cleaning had not happened since before the Christmas rush, I decided it was time.  Which brings about another question - how do threads travel so far?  And why do they end up on the floor even though I try to be so careful to put them into the little bucket meant for those threads?

So the craft room - a room of unanswered questions.

Needless to say, I didn't get much done with all the furniture moving and vacuuming.  And the ribbon - that is a lost cause.  The big machine didn't like doing that task.  It does have a mind of its own, you know.

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Sadder events transpired since we last met.  My good friends from church lost their mother (grandmother) yesterday.  Grace was admitted to the hospital last Wednesday.  She was unresponsive for a long time.  She has been having little strokes for quite a while which turned into what appeared seizures.  These are called TIA's.  Little blood clots going through the brain.

She became a little responsive on  Friday, and they were able to remove her from the ventilator.  But things turned bad for the family when it was suggested Grace go into hospice.  Somehow the family got the idea that Grace would, in effect, be smothered and starved to death because hospice wouldn't allow a feeding tube and oxygen.

This bothered me a lot.  I had hospice for my step- mother and dad.  G had them for his father.  Our experience was very good.  With my step-mom, it was a little rougher than normal because she was released from the hospital just before Christmas.  Even hospice works on a smaller staff, and the places that provide equipment are a bit slower.  But all in all, they worked immediately to make sure she was comfortable.

I don't know why they thought Grace would not be allowed oxygen.  She certainly would have.  I wonder if they were thinking of the ventilator.  Feeding tube - perhaps that wouldn't have been allowed.

These things are the reason I have  been very vocal about my wishes when/if I am in this kind of shape.  I have the written directives some place around here, but they haven't been notarized.  (Note to self, do that today)  Grace could have saved her family so much grief if she had done that.  I think like a lot of us, she felt she would live forever - or at least long enough to realize she was deteriorating.  That doesn't happen.  In my experience, when things begin going - they go pretty fast.

My heart is breaking for this family.  One of the daughters (granddaughters) is having a really bad time with this.  I don't think she has lost a close loved one before - and to see her grandmother suffer to the degree Grace did has really hit her hard.

Now they are facing funeral arrangements.  That alone is horrible!  That is why we are already pre-paid for cremation - all set, and all wishes are recorded in a book that came along with our boxes.  I want to remove as much as I can from my kids especially.  I have faced the end once, and it may still fool me and sneak up again.  But I want them to know exactly what my wishes are so they don't have to guess.

On a roll!

Since I have found a place where I can post pictures the way I want - well with some reservations - I will post more.  This one is for you Marti.  This is the wreath I made out of the plastic mesh.  So far this is the only one I have done.

These are the heart candy/penci holders I did for the oldest granddaughters to take to their friends at school. I don't know if the oldest one got to give them away. On the 13th the school (Middle School) robo called telling kids and parents ANYTHING  brought to give would be taken away,  So....

I did this bookmark for a new member at church who is going through radiation now for her breast cancer. I just wanted to do something for her - and this was the most recent thing I have seen.  So I did it.

Ah yes, a monster has been created!

Third try!

So this is the talked about picture of what I did last weekend.  This is the third try to get it published.  I used Firefox to try the last time.  Normally I use Chrome.  I know!  There are many folks who are having real problems with Chrome.  Normally it works so well for me, but not with Blogger.  At least not right now.  So I decided I would try to use Firefox.  It let me post the entire thing, but at first, the only problem was that  it would not let me put a title on the post.  As I went along, there were error messages that it was having problems publishing the post.  And at the end ...  Right - no publish.  So that was wasted.

So how am I here?  Explorer? No - I am not sure Explorer still exists on this computer.  I have used Safari.  It still loves me even though I am not on an Apple computer.  At least I think it still loves me - haven't tried to publish yet.

So another problem with posting is that after all these years, there must be enough junk accumulated under the keyboard on this laptop that some of the keys don't work properly.  Plus today, my dyslexia that has not been diagnosed, but I have always had - at least a little dose of it - is in high gear this morning.  So I am having to replace a lot of p's and b's along with some other letters.

But I did get the picture, and I probably will return here to Safari (ummmm - that was my favorite cologne that was discontinued!) to post pictures especially!

Little things make me happy!

Same old song

We are back again which means a much faster and more reliable internet connection.  It also means that I can sit here at the breakfast room table AND watch tv.  Yes, I am an addict - at least until about 1pm.  Then I either run out to do errands or head upstairs to play work on the embroidery machine and watch those programs I have DVRed.

So why don't I post when we are at the SSB?  Beats me.  I really have no idea.  It's not like I am busy, busy most days.  There are those when we go some place, or I have to prepare some bit of food to take to Community Club, but mostly I do ave time.

Anyway, I was busy this weekend.  And Marti  for a change I have a picture of my project. But between whatever is going on with my computer and/or Blogger I can't post it!  Things are getting ridiculous.  

The project I had for the weekend was making matching dresses for Granddaughter #2 and her doll.  They really turned out cute.  I followed the pattern exactly, but they are not finished out the way I would normally do it.  The pattern just called for attaching the skirt to the top (lining and all).  This leaves an unfinished seam at the waist.  Usually I have attached the skirt to just part of the top and then the lining is whip stitched to that seam to finish it off.

I think she will enjoy it immensely.  I have to finish her dress because I don't like the way the ancient Singer puts in buttonholes, nor do I like the way it does zippers.

As for the computer - I have run three different checks on it.  There is malware that I remove and "immunize" against, there were two "not-viruses" found, but still when I go to my main sites, there are pop-ups!

I will work on it more.  I will get those pictures up - someday.  In the meantime, I guess I will post them to the facebook page that is over there at te upper left.

Once again - my rant

Dear Spyware, Malware, Virus Makers, Hackers,

I hate you.  Not very Christian, not very sweet little old lady, but I hate you with a passion.  You cost me money.  You cost me time.  You cost me worries - are you getting to my deep dark secret passwords?  Am I going to find a million dollars charged on my credit cards?  Am I going to find Pay Pal has paid out millions?  Is my bank account going to be depleted?

I have every protection I know of on my computer, and I am still  getting the stupid pop-ups.  I clean them off, and they are back.  I have deleted possible programs where you lurk.  But you are still there.

I do not read your crap.  I do not respond to you. Why are you still there?  I detest you with every bone in my body.  You make opening emails a dangerous time.

In fact, you remove all joy from the internet.  You are everywhere - just lurking.  Just looking for a small opening.

What joy do you get?  You are like those annoying "lower your credit card interest" robo calls.  I wish all you people would fall off the face of the earth.

Just let me spend my remaining years in peace!  I don't want to be so annoyed by your intrusions.

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There, that's off my chest.  Sort of.  Anyway, we are here in the SSB.  That's why I have been missing in action recently.

I have some pictures to post, but I have to locate the camera first.  I will be working on "My Fake American Girl Doll and Me" dresses I will be working on this week.  Promised middle granddaughter to make her matching dresses.  She thinks she has a real American Girl doll, and is just as happy as if we had spent the hundred dollars plus.  Makes my purse happy too!

Granddaughter #2

I spent the day with Daughter's youngest who also happens to be granddaughter #2.  For so many years, I would have rather taken a bullet as take care of her for the day.  That isn't the case anymore, but I don't know if I can afford too many days with her!

We started off going to the sewing place.  I was going to make an appearance at the club meeting.  They are doing quilting, and I will not quilt!  I spend plenty of time doing machine embroidery and regular sewing.  Anyway, I also took my serger because I could not thread the bottom hooper at all.

So while I was there, I dropped a cool $50.  I have been out of the spray adhesive, and what was recommended to me at the fabric store just doesn't cut it.  I also bought some more thingies that look like slap bracelets to keep all my stabilizers from unrolling.  The serger works like a charm.  It was free!

Then we went to buy fabric to make her and her fake American Girl doll matching dresses - like I promised at Christmas.  Of course, I had to add to my stash by hitting their remnant area.  There she found what I thought was fuzzy fleece for a blanket.  OK - no problem.   Not much extra cost there.

After that I went to another fabric craft store that I won't mention here.  They had patterns for .99.   I got two that were doll patterns alone, and one that is the matching dresses.  The pattern maker has the gall to place an $18 price tag on them.  There is no way I would even pay that much money for a pattern - much less one to make doll dresses!

While there, granddaughter found buttons that caught her eye.  She was merrily putting them into the cart until I had her stop.  She was ready to buy a lot of other things!

We went to have lunch with her mom.  So that was a break there.  While at lunch I looked at the pattern.  I wasn't sure I had a coordinating fabric for that pattern, so we went to yet another store.

I haven't added the damage yet.  I did buy wreath forms for the mesh wreaths that are so popular now, along with several kinds of burlap for them.  There was some ribbon in the markdown area, so I had to have that.

All in all - I think I am broke from the day with granddaughter!  AND the "fleece" wasn't fleece.  I don't know what it was, but when I tried to fringe it, I had a mess with pink lint all over me, the table, the couch when I  moved there, the rug ...

I hate spammers, computer based info stealing, etc

I know I have said it before, but I will say it again - I hate those who send spam and those who try to steal information on the internet.  I hate those who make the viruses.  I hate those who try to put ads into places they are not wanted.

I know some of those whom I read have been plagued by computers spamming their comments.  In a way I hate Blogger for the way they have devised to stop that mess.  With my eyesight being what it is, I cannot read that stuff.  The numbers are small and usually dark.  The letters are skewed.  Well my vision is usually dark and skewed.  The retina in my left eye must resemble crumpled aluminum foil.

Also I seem to have a recurring problem with pop-ups.  My firewall is supposed to stop them.  It is a highly rated firewall.  I generally use Google Chrome which is supposed to block them, and I just checked  my settings - pop-up blocker is supposed to be on.  I installed another Chrome thingy to stop things like that.  Nothing is working.

Why do people have to make surfing the internet so dangerous and miserable?  I wouldn't use any of the products that are advertised on a bet.  My list is growing hourly.

Such a boring life

Saturday I had the very best time.  I went to Lady Bug's belated birthday party.  She has bloomed in Middle School.  She has become so popular that I know there were several people who had their feelings hurt because they were not invited.  She probably could have had a hundred kiddos there, but she limited the invitations to 20.  Fifteen were able to come.  Perhaps she should have had another list that could have filled in.  Just kidding.

The party was at a trampoline place.  They are becoming so popular here.  I didn't go back to watch that part.  I think tramps are dangerous.  When they came back for food, I so enjoyed them.  I was taken back to some of my favorite students!  These kids were so great.  There were four large pizzas, but they didn't eat all of them.  There were four pitchers of sodas, they didn't drink all of them either.  I was amazed.  Usually this age inhales food and drink.

They they began "dancing."  This wasn't to music, nor was it with one another.  It was like the old slam dancing.  It was quite a rough thing.  They were so funny.  Then they began a game of "I love you, don't smile" with the one who smiles becoming "it."  They were a hoot.  I had a great time.  I really did think back on my teaching career.  If I had kids like those, I would STILL be teaching!

We went to Daughter's house for the Super Bowl.  I don't think I watched a full minute of that.  I have gotten less and less interested in football.  A basket ball game is more likely to catch my attention, but probably not.  I was hoping for a very small gathering, but she invited a swim team friend and her twins (who are high school seniors).

Today was eye injection day.  When I finally made it through all the preliminaries and got into the injection room, I was hit by a thought  When I sat in the chair, it is not lumbar friendly.  So my spine which is degenerating got there, I thought how great this was.  It would take my mind off the business with my eye.  When the sciatica kicked in, better.  Well - it didn't work.  The speculum holding my eye open still hurt like the devil!  The injection wasn't pleasant.  And I forgot all  about my back!

Don't like change and don't wait well

Disclaimer - this is a rant!!  Be forewarned.

I am sure this happens to others with regularity, but when it happens to me, I don't like it.  My Texas Teacher Retirement System changed the drug coverage carrier for this year.  This is the third carrier we have had in three years.  I am most unhappy with this change.

Since we had a completely new provider, that meant all new prescriptions.  So I got them on a Monday.  I sent them off on the Tuesday we left for the SSB fully expecting them to be in the mailbox on our return.  This was especially important because I was running out of two of the meds.

We got home - no meds.  I waited.  I waited more, and on Friday of the next week,  we got a "toll free call" that I don't answer.  I don't talk to anyone who doesn't tell me who they are when they call.  I am very tired of "we can lower your credit card interest rate ..." especially since I pay my cards off each month, AND I think that is such a big scam.  So a message was left.  They said that they had tried to contact my doctor with no success, and the prescriptions would not be filled until they spoke with that office.

So I called the office to give them the information.  They never got a call from Podunk Pharmaceutics.  But she would be more than happy to return that call to them.  Settled, right?

Wrong.  I got a call last Monday telling me that they got the information, and they would be mailing the drugs about the 31st.  What??!!  Just how long am I expected to wait?  So I called the local Wa**eens to have one that I had been without the longest refilled.  The first time, since I put two medications on the same phone call, I only got the drops for the glucoma. I called again, and got an email that I had requested the refill too early.  I could try again March 26, 2013.  So they put a hold on any refills.  I still had no drugs,

Today I did have a package in the mail - with half of the requested pills.  One I won't need for two months.  The other two are the ones I have been out of for a week or more.  Tomorrow I run out of another one.  I just wonder if I will be graced with another package tomorrow.

Apparently my medical insurance also has changed.  They notified me that it had changed, and it would be better.  When I get my eye injections, they are usually in the $85 range.  The one in January was $150.  I remarked about how I surely didn't see that this was a better coverage.  (and I was nice - I "joked" about it).  The girl laughed and told me that from here on they would be $10.

That was great news.  Yesterday I opened a letter from their office telling me I owed another $96.  I wasn't about to pay that until I got my EOB.  That also came today.  Yes, I do.  This office is out of network, therefore I owe them more money.  I just wonder what clinic of retinal specialists is in network.

I am beginning to feel like they want me to either die/and or go blind!

Cyclical or just the weather

I can't sleep these days.  Last night I tossed and turned until about 3 A.M.   I go through this several times a month, but mostly when the weather begins to turn warmer.  Yes, I'm sorry, but here in Texas we will be 80 tomorrow.  If I could I would send you some of that warmth, but I can't.,

Anyway, when the weather changes like this, I cannot get our heat/ac set properly.  SO that means that I am either too hot or too cold when I try to go to sleep.  That means no easy sleep.

Saturday night I couldn't sleep for a good reason - my back decided to seize.  I do have sciatica, degenerative disks and stenosis in the spine.  For some reason, one or more of those decided that it would be fun to just freeze to see me try to move.  So no sleep.

So I figure there will be one more night of restless sleep.  Tomorrow, winter will return to these parts.  Of course that means the low will be in the 30's with rain.

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Other things going on around here include my making three meals at dinner time.  I am making chicken, rice and vegetables for Simone - both dinner and breakfast.  I just about have the routine down.  She knows what is going on.  She smells the boiling chicken, and gets very excited.  If I don't make her breakfast right away, she thinks she is going to get another helping of dinner.

And that isn't going to happen. I took her to the vet just to get a weight.  She has gained two pounds since she had been on this diet.   I know the vet is going to tell me to cut her back.  She just hasn't seen Simone eating.  She inhales the food.  You would think she hadn't eaten in weeks!

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One last thing.  I am an old stick in the mud.  I have decided.  The way a young couple ought to move on is to get married, then in any order buy a house and have children.  My step-granddaughter has decided that even though she has an eight month old baby, she wants a big wedding.

A guest list of about 300.  She looked into one venue that runs $6000.  And that's just the venue.  No flowers, no food, nothing.  Daughter and SIL plan to give them about $2000.  To me - that's more than sufficient.  The whole idea is stupid.

They were gong to the JP until she discovered they need a marriage license.  She didn't know that last Monday was a holiday, and the courts were closed.  Then they mentioned this to his mother.  His mother tearfully told M she was so hoping for a big wedding  What a load of BS.  Sorry.  That's a bit strong, but that's where I am right now.

I know her grandparents and aunt there  in SA are all for this too.  I know they want to see this little girl in a beautiful white dress walking down a aisle, carrying a bouquet of roses and orchids - or something even more exotic.  Yea, and they are on food stamps, welfare. But "Pops" would probably write another hot check to help out.

 And dear Auntie had found herself in a situation like this.  Only she never did have the wedding.  There was always an excuse, and now she is alone with the girl.  It amazes me how they can plan to spend other people's money.  When they get a drift of the fact that Daughter and SIL aren't going to go all out, they will once again bad mouth them calling them pretentious or worse,

As I said - I am an old stick in the mud.  I like the "traditional" ways.

Home again and

I am sitting here unable to get motivated to do much of anything - just attached to this computer.

I have to break this habit - obsession.  It seems that I just want to be on the computer.  Part of the reason is I have become addicted, absolutely addicted, to Farm Ville 2.

At one time, I stayed away from computer games like the plague.  I would not allow myself to look at any of them.  Then I found a Goggle game - another form of farming game.  I was hooked.  The problem was when I would be away from internet for a week, my crops withered and the animals left.  What a bummer.

Then I found the Facebook game.  The crops may wither, but not rapidly.  The animals never left.  AND I got internet service.  So I told myself that I would never buy the money that would help me.  Guess what.  I am buying the money.

I am weak.  I am addicted.  I keep promising myself that I will cut this one out when I spend all the monies that I have invested.  But I doubt it.  I play the stupid game three or four times a day.  That means there are more quests I have to meet.  It is a real obsession.  And they know it!  The more you play, the more they send you.

Then, of course, is my obsession with scoring free embroidery machine designs.  So  my morning computer time usually goes to noon - then I will be back several times a day!

Blast you computer.  You are as bad as crack!

OK, I was TRYING to be adult - perhaps I was wrong.

Going back to the last post about selling fund raiser items in church - I decided I would take the adult way to deal with this.  I decided I would email the parents.  I explained that we were a church full of school aged children who all  have fund raisers.  If one can bring the items, then all could.  I thought I was appealing to common sense.  Hello??  Wake up!  Beside that - why involve Pastor and all if I could just go to the point of the problem.  

The mother send a terse email back to me saying that her daughter had permission to sell, and that I was in no way was expected to buy (in this case) the Girl Scout cookies.  OK - that would be an acceptable answer, but she also sent the email to Pastor.  That gives me the impression that since she fancies herself to be a princess, she wanted to "get me in trouble" like a 12 year old girl would react.

Pastor then responded saying that since we had no policy, the Board would have to look into this issue.  In his previous churches, the selling simply wasn't allowed or it was only to be in the narthex with the order form just placed there.  Hmmm - seems there was no mention of there being permission given in this case.  Surpise.

Then husband decided that things were definitely turning against them and quickly said that there shouldn't be anything more to come of this.  He didn't realize (??) there would be a problem.  His daughter was just a zealous Girl Scout who was proud of her Girl Scoutness (I know - not a word).

It would have really been interesting if another woman who has a troop had been in church that Sunday.  With that one - another princes by the way - fur would have been flying.  I know she would have had a complete fit!

It has taken me a while to write about this.  First - we have been busy here in the old SSB.  Second, I was angry about this whole thing.  I had gotten the email from Pastor on the way here on my phone.  I stewed quite a while, until I re-read it - several times.  I began to see that this is something that will have to be addressed.  It isn't so much zealous kiddos - it is like sports, dance and other extra-curricular things - it is the over zealous parents.

Will I be adult again?  Will I go to the source.  I don't know. Is it worth it?  Don't know that either.  At least I possibly won't have to turn a bunch of kids down when approached with fund raiser materials.

Just curious

I am wondering if I have just become an old crone (well - I think I have, but ...) about something.  I am going to put it out here!

How do you feel about children who have fund raiser items to sell?  Around these parts, they sell for school - sometimes twice a year, they sell for Girl Scouts (those expensive cookies - I KNOW they are good, but geesh), Boy Scouts, Little League, Swim Team, and on and on and on and on.

Further than the fund raisers themselves, where do you feel it is appropriate to sell them?  To neighbors - even though the fund raiser people tell them to not go door to door, they know the kids will.  At the parents work?  At church?

It is the latter one that is going all over me.  I guess more so because I no longer work.  But in churches there are scads of kids.  Should we be hit up by all these kids hawking their wares so to speak?

We have one woman, and I will be brutally honest here, that I do not like.  Her daughter is now selling item number two this year at church - Girl Scout Cookies.  I think I have separated by intense dislike for her mother from this selling thing, but I don't think this should be happening.

Another member runs a troop.  If she gets wind of the selling, I can see her trying to sell to raise the money for her troop.  I just see this as getting out of hand in a heart beat.

I know.  I am an old stick in the mud.  These kids are barraged with fund raisers.  I have heard the line of crap they get to motivate them when the time comes.  I feel like going to Oriental Trading to buy the same junk they win if they sell their first million dollars in the junk that is in the fund raiser to give to them.  Just say - here, here is your wonderful prize.

Anyway, I just see every kid in the church bringing all that stuff with the idea that "X" did it,  why can't I?  And if this becomes the case, I guess we could just have a "Fund Raising Sunday" where they all bring their little brochures to hawk the junk!

Some sad and some strange happenings around here

I have very mixed emotions about what is happening as I write.  Son and DIL are going through a spontaneous abortion.  This is her second, and it is happening about the same point of the pregnancy.  I would be less than honest if I said that I was completely decimated by this news.  You know that I was a little upset by the news of baby #4 so soon.

In the long run, this really isn't terrible.   While it is sad that a baby is lost, they really didn't need another at this point in things.  Son is taking the news well.  He wasn't really thrilled about #4 to begin with.  Last night he said that the first time was really devastating.  And it was.  It was the first.  There were so many questions with that loss.  Then he found that his cousin has this happening.  DIL's aunt has had this happen.  Even her OB at the time told him it happened to his wife.  He realizes that there was something just not right with this pregnancy.  He said that at least there wasn't some lethal problem with the baby that would allow it to be born full term only to die quickly.

So for now, there is no baby.  I wonder if her present OB will tell her to wait a while.  I wonder if she hasn't had them far too close together - especially since they have been C-sections.  But life goes on for all of us.

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Strange things.  The house across the street and down two is for sale.  The woman who presently lives there is the daughter of the neighbors we had across the street.  When we moved in 35 years ago, they were already in their 60's for sure.

Mary Anne was Fritz's second wife.  He had previously been married to her sister.  The sister died, and he brought Mary Anne over from Germany.  Listening to her tales of surviving World War II in Nazi Germany were fascinating.  Anyway, Marie - in the house two down - was Fritz's daughter by the first wife.  Fritz and Mary Ann went on to have two more children.

The strangest thing that has happened is that my present neighbor who is living in Fritz's house has his brother buying Marie's house.  Now how many times do two houses stay in a family for two owners.  To me that is strange!!!

It always reminds me of how small the world is.
  

Hackers

Of all the people in the world, the ones who most waste their abilities are the hackers.  To spend their days looking for ways to make people miserable is such a waste of what appears to me, at least, such a waste of a great talent.

I belong to several  Yahoo groups.  In my never ending quest to find free machine embroidery designs, I have joined way too many of those groups.  To keep my inbox over there down to a manageable size, I am on daily digest for these groups.  I still have at least 50 messages that often have 20 messages included.  I have learned to scan.  Here I go again, TMI and off the subject - an old age thing I guess.

What I have seen over there recently is that so many folks have had their account hacked.  One person has been hacked three times now.  There is a thought that somehow the combination Facebook and Yahoo accounts is making it easier for these hackers to hit.

This is something that seems to come in cycles.  I wonder if it takes those hackers a certain period of time to get into accounts - if they have to find a new "key" for lack of a better term to get into these accounts.  I really believe that Yahoo must have some kind of break in their security.  It wouldn't be impossible I guess since they are so large.

I just think if these people would put that energy into something that would benefit people.  What joy is there in getting into an email account that then sends this spam to others who open it then it is sent to others and so on.  (Wow - I would have failed an English course with that run-on sentence!)  Anyway, I just don't get it.

In other things.  On the news last night, they reported that about 300 teachers just quit their jobs in the urban school district.  Well, really?  I was at that point 12 years ago.  That's the reason I quit at 29 years rather than stay for that golden 30.  I know usually teachers will wait until the end of the year.  I did.  But I really understand them getting so completely fed up that they leave at semester.  One of the ones interviewed said he would rather re-enlist for active military duty to have the possibility of being shot at everyday than go back into the classroom.  Says it all.

I know the idea still exists that teachers have it so easy.  They only work from 8-3, nine months a year.  All those holidays too!!  Well, that doesn't exist.  I am not going to get my soap box out of the closet and hit all the misconceptions that are out there.  I just know where those teachers that walked are coming from.

Today's big adventure is getting my teeth cleaned during the flooding rains!  Catch ya' later.

Ouch and other things

Today was the monthly injection in the eyeball.  I had the only guy in the place doing the prep.  He is good.  One of the parts that I really hate is the cotton swabs with the anesthetic on them.  Put cotton in your eye anytime.  It hurts!  The other part that I really don't like is the speculum (spell check tells me that is wrong, but doesn't give me a good alternative) that holds my eye open.  I know intellectually it is only in place for about a minute, but it feels like an hour.  Then the eyelid continues to hurt for quite a while.  Yes, the needle hurts, but so very briefly.

Finally we are getting a good rain.  It was something like July 13 since we have had a significant rain.  It was forecast for later this afternoon going into tomorrow.  Someone forgot to tell the storms.  Normally I wouldn't worry about the rain.  I can just stay in (except the eye appointment and tomorrow a dental cleaning).  What I worry about is Daughter and crew are in San Antonio today with SIL coming back today with the kids.  He drives so fast that it scares me especially in bad weather.  He is a bit of an agressive driver as well.  (He just came over to pick up a package - yea, they are home).

Daughter stays until tomorrow because her company is having a unit meeting or something like that.  When the make-up of the company was mostly male, I really believe these three day meetings were for the "good ole' boys" to get away from families and party.  The employee make-up company is changing, and more and more of them don't want to attend these meeting.  Interesting.  But my point here is that she will be riding back in this weather (heavy rains that way) with someone else.

I just worry.  Can't help it.

I think I am heading to the bed to "rest my eye" after its trauma.  That and the fact that I couldn't sleep last night.  Catch ya' later.

New week

Well, this one should be interesting!!  Son's youngest child has a birthday on the 12.  Daughter's oldest has a birthday on the 16th.  Should be no problem - right??  Wrong!  What is smack dab between those dates?  Sunday, Jan 13.  Why is this a problem?  It is the weekend.  They BOTH want to celebrate the kids birthdays on that day.  Where does that put Pa and Grandma?  RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE!!!

I think it will all work out, but both of the "in-laws" really don't care that much for each other.  Daughter and crew were in Austin for a swim meet, so they didn't make family dinner last night.  Son and crew were here.  DIL reminded us of the party this weekend.  G told her about SIL's plans for Lady Bug.  

DIL's face became stony.  I know she was really upset because she sent out invitations right around the 1st.  I am pretty sure because ours was in the mail when we got home on the 2nd.  Ouch!!  Great for family relations.

We assured we would be at the party they are having.  I really believe we can make both.  Hers is at 4:30, and Lady Bug's is a family deal which I am sure will be more like 6 or so.

Families!!!  I love them, but oh the problems.

I grew up as an only child.  An only child with what was really two complete sets of parents.  My aunt and uncle (one of them) had no children.  They lived about a mile from us.  They considered me theirs also.  So problems like this never existed.  Well - with the exception of when I grew up and married we often had to make several celebrations in one day especially at Christmas and Thanksgiving.

There is much about a larger extended family I just don't have an internal data base for!

Yesterday's post

I still feel really rather foolish about my "rant" yesterday.  I considered taking it down.

I know a child is a blessing.  I am aware of that.  I guess part of my mind hearkens back to my early days of study as an ecologist.  The phrase "Zero population grown" still rings loudly in my ears.  I look around at the young people I know.  Most of them have 3+ kids.

It most assuredly is personal choice.  I just worry about my own kid who is going to have 4.  I think back on how relatively easy it was to haul two around.  At least in a sedan, and they were big back then.  The only problem was Daughter deciding that her "half" of the backseat was really 2/3 and my son having to lean against the door.

That got me remembering those car trips.  Now perhaps I know a little more about how he got even with her.  It is gross, but it happened.  He would let out the silent, deadly farts.  We all paid!

Anyway, I look now, and there is no way these families could get into a small sedan.  Daughter's crew tries to get in SIL's (previous since he just quit that job) mid-sized sedan.  Not a pretty sight.  About the only way they are comfortable is in a large SUV.

I still don't know how Son is going to manage 4 car seats.  They bought a new crew cab that gets the best mileage on the road today.  But it is the F/X model which means the front seats are bucket with a console in the middle.  It is a five passenger at best.  Years ago they bought an Expedition, but it is really getting old now, and it is a real gas hog.  Plus they are going to get to put a car seat in the very back seat - and that means no room for luggage, etc.

If things had gone the way they should have, their oldest would have been 8.  It and Monkey Boy would have been born just about the same time.  DIL suffered a miscarriage.  Many of the women in her mother's family had problems conceiving.  She felt that was her problem.  She really felt she wouldn't have children at all.  Thus her feeling about any chemical birth control ideas.

When they started trying in earnest five years ago, Son had been going to a real quack doctor around here.  Everyone I have ever heard that went to him because they felt tired, run down, etc was immediately put on sex hormones and thyroid medication.  My son has always been a bean pole!  He didn't need that stuff.  Plus he was on a killer regime of testosterone.  I just pray he will not develop testicular cancer from it later.

Anyway, they went to a fertility specialist who nearly jumped out of his chair when he learned about the quack.  And he called that person a quack saying he should have his medical license revoked.  He has had other patients from that guy,  He wasn't sure the effects could be reversed.  Well, it is obvious he is ok with the sperm production!

So - I won't take that post down.  I still worry about them.  I am still so ambivalent.  It is my feelings, and that is what this place is for.  That is why the family doesn't know about this place.