Beach Bash

Last weekend I took 6 teens to the beach for the weekend. It was awesome! The first night they stayed up until 4am. (How did I know? yes, I was quasi-awake too.) The 2nd night they stayed up until 6am, with a few stragglers pooping-out at about 3:30 or 4am. They had fun nailing one kid with whipping cream and tooth-paste while he slept. They built a beach fire and played capture the flag in the dark. We went to the Shipwreck "Petr Ireldale" ad once again to Fort Battery Russell, which ws manned during WWII.

Stu has Entered the Blogosphere

Put your helmets on people!

After watching the steady deterioration of our local news reporting rag, despite the many qualified and excellent contributors, Stu has decided to publish his own commentaries on life in our small town.

Now you can get ALL of the news (and probably a whole lot more) at SistersBlog.

Comprehensive Auto Ins

Dull title for a post, but thrilling concept for me as I revel in the knowledge that I am so glad I did not cancl it back in July, but completely for to.
The total damages to my car from hitting the stupid deer are in the area of $3200.
The car should be back, all fixed up and ready to go, by next week!

yay!

Would a Muslim do it? Then Christian, why won't you?

Would a muslim do it?
Then Christian, why would you?
Would you stand for being ostrcized, and go in to "Camoflauge mode" as a Christian, just to "get along wth others?"
Would a mulim do that?
Then Christian, why would you?
As American Christians, we have lost our first love in many cases.
We could learn a little bit from the Muslims.
They do not sit by idly while their god is mocked.
They get hot-headed and flip out about it.
Oh you , who sing glibly in the pews, "I will love you fore ever, Jesus," need to eat your words or perform them publicly.
Shamefully enough to admit, I am among you in this sin.
We need to stand up and be counted.
This is supposedly a free country.
Freedom of speech - remember that?
Why do we let others trample us, with the freedoms we should be excersizing as well?

He who would would save his life, will lose it.
If you aknowledge me before men, so will I acknowledge you before my Father in Heaven.

Wake up oh sleepers.
It is time to stand and fight or be cut down.
The army decimated while we sleep.
I am a Christian.
Think of that what you will.
This has become the age of "Christian Bashing" in America.
You can be any other religion in America, and be treatd as free-unless you are of a Judeo-Christian faith.
Nero is still alive people.
He is just more sleek, and attractive now. Beguiling the masses.
I say its time to wake up Christian.
YOu could not be more offensive.
You don't have to do anything to be offensive.
You just have to exist, as you are, leading a quiet but obviously Christian lifestyle, and you will be hated.
That is the kind of offensive behaviour we need more of.
And so say all of us.
I am a Christian.
I have the right to call public school officials out on the carpet when they persecute my children (or other Christian children) in class.
Do I do this?
No.
Why?
Because to do so would set my student up for further attack and ostracizing.
The majority of parents in this town (nation?) know what goes on, and we do not stand up because we are isolated from each other and afraid together.
We need to stand together and take some action as a group.
They can't persecute our kids if we all come forward with our own stories of what things have occurred.
Where is the ACLU for me?
Do I not count because I am a white christian?

IT is not ok to just "go with the flow" when the flow is going at a galloping run straight into Hell, offending the Creator of the universe at every opportunity, and trying to drag me and my kids with it.
It is time to stand and be counted, whether you are Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or pink with purple polka dots.Would a Muslim tke this kinda crap from his government?Then why on earth do we?

Blips on the Radar

Coming up for air...

Just hit a deer, photos of car to follow eventually.
It was gross.
Car still driveable, everybody ok (except the deer).

Mon, Wed, Fridays - I am taking my dad on his errands and volunteering at the school
Tues Thurs I am working.

Saturday, I try to sleep in until 7am and then try to catch up on tasks.
Sunday, Laundry and bathrooms and vaccuuming, then GAME DAY!!!!!!

Go to bed at night ans do it all again.

This weekend is different.
Its my daughters 15th birthday.
We are going to the beach for the weekend with 6 teens.
IT should be hilarious.
I plan to watch movies when I am not driving them all around.
:o)

Should be good!

I haven't painted anything new in months.
My "space" is all ....uh..."wrong."
Half of art creation is the environment.
I have six people living in a space designed for 4 and a half.
My Dad is in my daughters room, My daughter is in the dining room. My dining roon is in the family room and I am going crazy for lack of space and too much time spent with an elderly abusive old coot.
Am I in counseling for this at the moment?
You BET!

I will see you guys all again soon.
Love,

mih-
(Thanks Pat for the WONDERFUL Jacqui Lawson Halloween card!)

Artist Spotlight : Steam Werkes

By day, Bryan is a web designer and I.T. Guru in the busy,"run and gun" broadcasting industry of Central Ohio.

He has managed to carve out a spare hour or two recently to venture into the realms of corporeal art.

Please keep an eye on"Steam Werkes"and Bryan's growing gallery of "practical application scultpures," designed to serve an elegant and modern world, while transporting us back in time, to a golden era of invention and ingenuity.

Lets call the whole thing Tomate

You know you've done something right when your teen kids think it is amazing to watch Disney's Alladin in English! Or Disney's Oliver and Company, or Disney's "Les Aristochats."

It is fun to watch their language experience play out in school now, as well. Both Scout and MacKenzie started Latin in 3rd grade and continued well into middle school. All of the kids were exposed to colloqial Parisien French during their growing years and now they are taking mandatory Spanish in high school. Scout also has a passion for Italian which she has been learning on her own. It is a crazy thing to watch them figure out how to conjugate verbs in Spanish. They are speaking any language BUT Spanish.
Its cute and I feel proud of myself.

They will probably never be fluent in any one language, but at least they will be able to make themselves understood in at least 3.

Ahhh my job here is done.

:o)

The Holy Observer cracks me UP!

The Question for debate today?
"What would Paul (the apostle) say if he were dumped off somewhere in modern day America?"
Read and write your own answer...snerk!

What is wrong with this picture?

This is the recycling center for the town of Sisters Oregon. The previous location for the site is under construction so meanwhile, they have moved the whole operation to a temporary location.

For a town that is Supposedly made up of smart people, why is it they behave like they have a collective IQ of 90?

What does the word "NO" mean?

It just goes to show you that though people may have a poop-load of money, they are no better than the average imbecile.

Recreation is medicine to the soul...

In a moment of desperation, I Loaded the PhysX drivers into the"business" computer in the Media Center (aka "The Cube") for the first time EVER, since it has been in my posession, Myst IV: Revelation, played through smoothly and flawlessly. Lets hope it stays that way. If I keep only one game loaded at a time, I should be able to play all of my Myst games.

After 2 hours in Tomahna, I have to say that I feel quite refreshed

Christian Beware...The update-updated!!!

...and you "heathen dogs" too!
;o)

The Onion's "Holy Observer" is back!

I love this site as it pokes fun at every one:
Religious and irreligious alike...

...although if you have had any Sunday School/Catechism in your background you will probably find this site more humourous than someone who has not.

Gotta love headlines like:

-Young Earth Creationist Convention Starts Off With a Bang.
-Benny Hinn Unable to "Heal" Stalled SUV.
-Left Behind Fan Club Misses Bus.
-God's Message to Intercessors:Just STOP saying "just!"
-Millions More Damned for Harry Potter Related Sins.
And for the Gaming Fan: a new release of D&D ("Demons and Deacons")

They once posted an advertisement on the main page in one of the sidebars. It was a typical enough add and one that I overlooked for a long time. It was a "Mock Ad" for yet another new Thomas Kinkade product

It was for Thomas Kinkade limited edition Toilet paper : put the "Painter of Light" where the sun don't shine.

I wish they would bring THAT ad back.
:o)



*****UPDATE!!!

The Thomas Kinkade ad IS there. on the left side bar.

I also notice they have brought back the contests for the church signs and what-not as well.


*****UPDATED UPDATE!!!!
Btu wait it gets better, you can also visit the original TheOnion.com, producer of the Holy Observer.
And you have to love the store(s):

http://store.theonion.com/

Any particular favourite ,the "Drink Ware"
Aren't you happy?

My new favourite thing

It exemplifies all of my views about our day to day existence upon the face of this earth.
It is a video that I found on my daughters profile at MySpace.
I was blown away because of the story - told by abstract theatre- (the means of delivery making the story even more real to me.

Anyway, I re-posted the vid at my own MySpace.
Scroll down past the crap and you will find the vid.
Its the only one there.
If you want to know what drives me, these are the concepts that help me to deal with every day.

Oh yeah - and btw, I think the profile song auto-starts so you can click that off if you want to, or let it finish. What ever.

Local Residents Evacuate, as the GW Fire chews up real estate

Residents of Black Butte Oregon, who were given a pre-evacuation alert on Friday, are now carrying out a full scale evacuation. The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Sisters Community Church. The GW fire was originally started during a lightning storm last week. It is burning a narrow strip of land between what was the Cache Mtn Fire of 2005 and the George Lake Fire of last summer. For further updates visit the Nugget News.

Click Here to View Larger Image

Who decided that an opinion about War was a moral issue worthy of Damnation - either for or against?

Since when was it considered Evil to be in favour of a War?
Who decided they were worthy to pass such judgements upon me?

Since when did it become Ungodly to denounce a War?
Who sat in the pew and considered themselves worthy to pass such judgements upon me?

Who decided that an opinion about this particular War was a moral issue worthy of Damnation - either for, or against?

Is God against war?
No.
It is He himself who set the Israelites against the inhabitants of Canaan. His words were that they should kill ALL, from the most elderly to the infant.

Is He in favour of war?
No.
He desires that we live in love, not merely looking out for our own needs, but also for the needs of others. Considering our neighbors needs as more important than our own.

Both are equally true.

Desperate Respite

"...waiting..."




























Nothing says "rest" better to me, than an instrument, a camp chair and an ale.

Observations # 482 "The Melt-Up"

Observation:
The episode, which will be hereafter referred to as The Tape Measure Episode(tm), is not "normal". While I was rendered unable to process it temporarily, there was something about the whole incident that was ...familiar. Maybe not such a good thing, that. Strange that i thought it was something akin to "normal." Then I remembered today that my childhood was fraught with such instances. Oh well. That was then, This is now. But it explains some things I hadn't considered before.

Observation:
I am a bohemian-hippie-pseudo-intellectual, trapped in the lifestyle of a high-powered-supermom-exec, and all of it's miss=begotten expectations.
Something had to blow sooner or later.
Now the trick is, how to get back where I was 20 years ago, while still managing to retain the really good organizational elements of my personality.

Yes kiddies, its probably going to be the thing you hate:

The purging blog post.

From time to time, you might end up in a dreadful melange of the mental purgings of a Mid America Housewife fed up with the status quo, and the neurotic mental meanderings of the angst ridden "artiste."

Bon Appetit.

The H. Odyssey, Part III : Finally!

To make a long story even longer...

...on the nearly 3rd day of entrapment in Rochester NY, we moved from our digs at the Microtel into the office of the Penn-Allison repair center for Upstate NY.
Uhaul sent a moving crew, informing us that the uhaul could NOT be fixed and so we were going to need to transload. Heh! They had no clue what was in this truck!
They sent a young guy and a teen boy, with a deadline of three hours to complete the transfer.

BAH - hahahahah! It is to laff!

We called them back and said, "NO. You need to send two more grown men and a 5-6 hour deadline.

In the mean time, the mechanic came out and said, "We could potentially have this thing fixed in 3 hours. We foudn the problem. Its the Tranny solenoid. We called Uhaul and said put a hold on the transload.

After 2.5 hours the mechanic discovered that his theory yielded yet another dead end.

By now I am slathering all over myself to get out of this frikkin town. Its late Thursday afternoon. I gotta be home by Saturday night people!!!!

So, we call the Transload team at Uhaul again.
10 minutes later, Mechanic has indeed found the problem at last:

(drum-freakin-roll please...)


During assembly, the metal clamp that fastens the wires leading to the tranny has a "blemish" resulting in what amounts to a "hanging chad" piece of metal which chafed the wiring and caused a short. The entire mess was sealed up in electrical tape - which is what (presumably) contributed to the difficulty in locating the exact problem.

So, its 4:45 pm and we are LEAVING Rochester.
(The clouds parted, and the Heavenly Host sang a chorus.)

Now Pennsylvania is a lovely state, but I was stunned by the beauty that is Ohio.
Chrissie Hynde asked, "Hey! Oh! Where'd ya go Ohio?" but dang! I say I found it!
It is very beautiful. Lush and green, with rolling hills akin to Telly-Tubby land and fluffy-green-topped trees like I might envision in a Narnia book as described by Lewis himself.
I was not prepared to find as lovely a state as my own, but I stand corrected.
(Bryan this is not a suck-up.) ;o)

And just to prove that I did actually set foot in Ohio, I shot a video as we passed through Cleveland, being careful to make note of the AKRON/CANTON exit.

(Of course "Cleveland Dave" had to point out the lameness of my attempted humour in the comments section at You Tube, but hey! - it was late! I was tired, and my synapses weren't firing.)


I'm just sayin...

Video Alert: Passing Through Cleveland


After this point, I really lost consciousness.
Due to our now dire state of travel deadlines, it was imperative that we drive non-stop.
Therefore it was the duty of any passenger to make sure to sleep, so as to be fresh when the other driver tired.
(Ohio also has glamourous truck plaza's)
I missed Illinois and Chicago entirely and woke up somewhere in Indiana.
Stu and I took turns driving through out the day(s) and progressed though Iowa, etc.


Nebraska is flat...














Video Alert: Spectacular Vistas

And so is Wyoming...

The only redeeming quality that I can find to Wyoming is that there are the Tetons and Yellowstone - someplace in the North...unfortunately not anywhere near where I was on this trip.

After 27 hours of driving non-stop we came to rest in Cheyenne WY
After a restful nights sleep, we started again.


Utah is also a VERY beautiful state, but one that I do not wish to comment upon today, due to the unfortunate accident and resulting fight Stu and I had about how to maneuver a BIG-Frikkin-Uhaul into a very small, busy gas station that was never made for it.
I loved Morgan Utah, until this day.

'nuff said.

More to follow...

The H. Odyssey, Part II : New York, New York, It's (not) My Kinda State.


So we loaded up one single 28 foot Uhaul straight off the assembly line up in Walpole Mass.

We had the priviledge of being the first ones to break it in.

Loading this thang!

















The Moving Crew, from left to Right:
Louie Bro-in-law Dana, Stu and Dad.

Video Alert: The House Dad Left Behind. (Serious (!) Birdsong action.)


The link below takes you to a privious entry here at the blog which describes the glorious beginning of our journey through New England: ---Odyssey Begins---


Video Alert: Stu comments on the approaching storm and the Blessed Institution we call "U-Haul."

Video Alert: Waiting for the Tow Truck. (aka "Dude is there an open-container law in this state?)


More to follow....soonish...

The H. Odyssey, Part I : Rhode Island

I am so FAR behind.
Apologies to those who think I am dead.
(Bryan reminded me of this this morning with a phone call asking if we survived.)
Poor Blue Max.
Between Lehsa's "Water World" and my Microtel Stranding, dude must have felt as if all his "people" were AWOL.
So, without further ado I will upload the first smattering of images depicting the Hateful Odyssey:

Dad and his best friend from the time he was a child.

Blue is my dad's dog. Blue remained behind and moved to a lovely farm in Tiverton where she is treated as the respectable person she is, and not jailed 24/7 on an old man's porch.
Her liberty has come.

Courtney and Jessie. Jessie found a lovely new home at the

same Tiverton farm as Blue. Courtney stayed at her same house.

;o)

And now...a story...

So this ocurred a month or more ago while I was in Rhode Island.

Dad, Frankie (a cousin) and I are up in the loft of the barn and we are taking the wheels off the buggies and getting them labeled and ready to pack. I am also measuring each buggy and sleigh so that I can gauge how large or how many Uhaul trucks might be required to stransfer all this cra-I mean "stuff" from Rhode Island to Oregon. in the process, the spring insid ethe tape measure snapped.

I said: "dad, I think the speing in this tape measure just broke."

Dad swore and grabbed the tape measure out of my hand.

He attempted to reinsert the tape and when he couldn't he began wildly yanking it ALL out - temper tanrum style.

I said: "dad I'm really sorry, we can go to the hardware store tomorrow and I will buy you a new one."

He said : You can't ever buy another one of These! They don't make These anymore."

Suddenly, I was transported back through time. I was reduced to a 5 year old, being harshed out about whatever I have done can NEVER be forgiven and I must forever be damned in this hell of inadequacy, ever to grovel before him.

My temper flared.

During all this time, I somehow lost track of where Frankie went.

I said : "well fine then! So sue me!"

He hurled the tape measure and its web of yanked out tape across the barn and against the wall with all of his 80 year old man gusto.

Silence.

Going back to tasks.

Frankie walks in, with a tape measure in hand. (pictured above.)

He takes dad's hand and places it in his palm and says: "Here Bill! I want you to have this. It is a great tape measure...etc...and he begins to describe all the many miraculous and helpful functions of this tape measure.

Dad is very thankful and accepts the gift.

I am still chopped liver, but at least Frankie has deflected the fires.

Frankie looks at me as if to say, "I saw what happened and you aren't crazy. This really happened."

It took me DAYS top process what happened.

It was like a huge gap in my critical thinking abilities that denied me access to the comprehension areas of my brain. (Blue - keep your comment to yourself! ;o) )

I took this photo to remind me again, once dad was actually living in my house, that I must never react again, and not let my temper flare. I must not permit him to reduce me to a 5 year old ever again.

Frankie also agreed to pose for this photo with Dad and his daughter Courtney. At the last minute Stu placed a "prop" in Frankie's hand. See below...

More to follow.....

Glub Glub Glub...

Just for the record...
I have no drowned.
I am not underwater.
I have not been in a high water rescue.
And...
My apt is seeing sky and not fishes out the windows.

So yeah... if you heard about the rains, they're bad but I'm ok.
Luckily I live near work and we are closing at 5 pm.

~L~

Weary catch up?

So today I spent another 8 hours on the road, taking and picking up kids from camp, and will do another 6 hours tomorrow. I thought that once all of this stuff started getting close to winding down or ending, I might have some sort of physical backlash take hold as a result of the months of ongoing stress. Funny, that. Right now, I am bordering on weepy and am really shakey. And disoriented. I think if I go do laundry and dishes, maybe it will subside. Maybe staying busy will help.
I dunno.
It just kinda weirds me out, so I figured I would take a sec and blog it.

There it is.

Road Trip Photo

I took this photo while Stu and I were killing time (for the 3rd time) at the only landmark within walking distance - Chili's Restaurant. By this time, the claustrophobic experience and the libreral application of Guiness had reduced us to blithering idiots. As evidenced by my text message to Bryan, which he recorded here at this blog "Cry Havoc."

Update #3 : STRANDED-DAY 1...

The first day of driving started out well. Our lovely brand new, 28ft U-Haul truck had just come off the assembly line with only 92 miles on it. Ahhhh the "New Car" smell!

We left Rhode Island at 4am and entered Mass, as the sun came up.

We bid a fond farewell to the ocean and...

headed north and west toward the Birkshires.

While Stu drove the first leg of the trip, I counted the travel money in our ever-so-fancy money bag.

And I navigated...and zoned out with my MP3 player.

We passed by lovely farm land and serene, slow flowing rivers. Our brand new truck, sailed along smoothly.

Until we pulled off at the Tim Hortons Rest-frikkin-Stop outside of Rochester/Victor New York.

Suddenly our brand new truck hot off the assembly line did not want to go in gear. Oh sure...it would go in reverse, but I have no intention of driving all the rest of the way to Oregon in REVERSE!

Waiting...

Waiting...

....for the tow truck from Rochester to come and fetch us to who-knows-where...

Good thing we had food!

A lovely thunder and lightening storm arrived while we waited...

And...

Waited....

And ate some more yummy healthful foods...

Eventually the tow truck arrived and hauled us to the Managerial training site for Western New Yorks U-Haul employees. Each one bent on making us happy. They dragged the wretched beast off to the GM dealership to deal with it, and they put us up in the local "Microtel".
Unfortunately, LPGA is in town and ALL the motels are booked with the exception of this one SMOKING (!) room. (Was it Divine Providence, More Testing of Patience, or both?)

Anyway...here we sit...wasting valuable driving hours in this tacky motel.

I am CERTAIN, that some of those LPGA women could drag our truck the rest of the way to Oregon if we recompensed them properly.

Anyway, tomorrow is another day.

A scultpure a day...

Ok so, Tina sent me this amazing collection of sculptures using plain household Scotch Tape(tm).
I will be loading these images over the course of the next few days. If you know who the sculptor is, please share his or her name. I think these are AMAZING!!!!

Old SCA Promo Video

THIS POST WAS UPDATED JUNE 11, PM.
(with regard to the changed video link at the bottom of the post.)

Stu shot and edited this about 3 years ago.
The YouTube.com compression plays havoc with the original broadcast quality - which I am sure you are well aware of anyway, but I thought I would point out that we do NOT produce video that "looks" like this.

Scout, who is graduating from Sisters Christian academy's 8th grade, and I stumbled upon the Master copy of this old promo the day after her graduating ceremonies. We watched it and blubbered our eyes out because she knew and remembered all the students, older and younger, for her 8 years at this school. I blubbered because I had more than 75% of them as Art history students while I taught there. Remembering each kid, his or her bents. if he or she were labeled as a troubled kid - funny - those labeled as "Trouble" seemed to be unusually gifted and attentive art students - anyway...Stu is collecting footage this year to create the next new marketing video for next year. No matter how the school changes its name, whether it creates another highschool class or doesn't, it is a family of alumni and current students and faculty that give the whole place a sense of "home and family" as opposed "insitution" that makes it unique an beautiful.
Anyway...the vid is here...

Back!...for today anyway....

...so the kids are watching Amercia's Got Talent. I swear that Piers Morgan is the rudest thing since the invention of the colonoscopy! He just came unglued all over some little girls and tore them apart. What a nit.
Anyway...other than that, the show is pretty hilarious.

Tomorrow Scout has her 8th grade graduation and then it is back to prepping to return to RI on the 15th to make the Uhaul trip. Cross the US from the Atlantic to the PAcific in 4 days or less.
Yes friends.
That is the plan.
And then I will fly BACK to RI and get my dad on the 30th.

Then it will be finished.
The travelling part anyway.
And I will collapse.

Still in Rhode Island

I have been without a computer now for 10 (count them TEN!!!) days. Oh sure I have been able to go to my sisters and borrow theres a couple of times, but it is NOT the same.
Even so, I am grateful.
Without them I would have needed sedation by now.
So anyway, I return to Oregon Wednesday night and begin a new regimen. Instead of running herd on my dad, and packign up 12 years of his packrat household, Barns and Sheds, I will hit the ground with my feet running, and commence building planning. I arrive at Home at 4:30 on Wednesday and have a 5pm meeting with our Contractor.
Then I will sit down with my kids, and watch a rousing segment of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Thursday is MacKenzie fields trips to rock climbing and volcanic interpretive sites and I will work at the Pony while Nadean has her Knee surgery. The weekend will be a true "let down" time. (I hope). Then the week will begin anew with me coordinating the rest of the move from Rhode Island to Oregon. Stu and I will fly the red eye out of Portland on June 15th, arrive in Providence afternoon of 16th. Pack the U-Haul's on the 17th and 18 and start driving the 19th.

Bryan - we will be passing though Ohio - hopefully by-passing Cleveland - especially at high traffic times. We may skirt that town and then stop and kick back some where for a few hours and press through in the evening. Of course this is all so tentative. If we end up in the area in the night anyway we will just blast on through.

The plan is to drive straight through, only sleeping in the cabs at rest areas when we need rest and taking one night in a motel. We plan to make the drive in 3.5 to fours days.

I LOVE the idea!
My only fear is driving my own u-haul through the cities, but more than likely I will have the short U-haul, and hopefully no vehicle trailer. If Stu pulls the shorty with a trailer, then I will have to drive the big truck. (26 ft).

Anyway, thats the plan.

Sorry we aren't going thru Texas Leh!

I fly back to RI on June 30th (red-eye) and fly my dad back to Oregon on July second and then its all done!...

...except...

I have decided that it is too much fun seeing my sister, and if I can work a few days a month a Pony, I can earn enough for a round trip ticket and rental car every 3 months and go stay with her for a week!!!!

With my dad living with me, I will appreciate the vacation, and believe I will have earned it!

:o)

There!

We

Fasting Reply

Well... you are better than I.

When we had the 18 hour power outage a few weeks back, I was already loopy after a couple of hours.

I tried to go to other places outside of my apt till 3 am so I could be sure I'd go back to AC, a working fan and working electronics. Nada... so I had to do what I could... watch PBS on the ancient portable b/w tv my folks let me have way back when. Kept me from completely losing my mind. LOL And I had my little grundig handheld radio with shortwave. :D

Like Homer said to his tv: "Let's never fight again!" ;)

~L~

NEVER again! neeeVER!!!!

I will never ever again leave my laptop home.
The withdrawls are debillitating.
I am crippled and need a daily fix of internet.
In the morning with my coffee.
In the afternoon right before dinner and again before I go to sleep.
I NEEEEEEEEDDDDd interNET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has only been 3 days.
I am going loopy.

Fasting

Fasting...doing without something...for a period of time...in order to utilize that time/energy to
commit to achieving something else valuable.

So when I leave for my next stint in Rhode Island on Saturday I will NOt be taking my computer.
I will be "Fasting" from my comp.
(*bites own finger and swoons*)
Yes its true.
Instead, I will be hauling my fiddle to Rhode Island.
I figure its a safe place to really devote time to proper practice, after all, my dad is nearly deaf and at the ripe age of 80 years, he tends to fall asleep at 7pm.
Each evening I am free to practice without threat of injuring the sensibilities of any one within earshot.

I hope to come back with at least some rudimentary bow skills.

Its like the foreign language equivalent to immersion.

The violin and I have shared a life long love-hate relationship.
I was first chair in elementary school but dropped it like ahot potato when I got to 6th grade.
How sad.
I lost what could have been.
So at least I can start with basics I already know.

I wonder where Chucker is these days.
He has played for 9+ years.
I should like to glean stuff from him - ad then there is Moleculo who is also a seasoned player.
WHere are these peopel when I need them?
Why do they not harken unto me?
WHo DO I think I am anyway.
;o)
Anyway...
as of Saturday I will be completely "unplugged" until the 30th of May.
(I hope I survive.)
;o)

Hmmm...

Well, Miss Mishehl,

Don't know if I can find a pic beyond when I moved to SA. LOL
I'll have to do a look when i go home this next weekend should all go well.

I have to warn you, I was a bald child up till 2 yrs of age. :blush:
But I should maybe find the pic of my brother feeding me Lucky Charms.
It's a cute pic. I think I was 3 and I actually remember when it was taken.

I liked your pics. You and Mac have similar features in your pics. I liked that you had short hair in Elementary. I think mine was cut in 4th grade so I'll have to find one of my pics with the giganto pigtails from heck. I think those things would have made some great arm weights. I had enough hair that when my mom made princess leia rolls in my hair, it felt like two plaster of paris fritters were on either side of my head. It was heavy! :P Don't think I have a pic of that though which is sad... it was interesting from what I recall of it.

So anyhow... I guess enough sharing. *giggle*

I'm still waiting for my electricity to come back at my apt.
15 hours of lovely darkness... read my blog.
I'm at work now which is my only relief. (laughs insanely)

~L~

UPDATED : Foto-Rama!!

Tina reminded me yesterday that it has been a long while since I updated my blog.
To bring us up-to-date:

-Went to Dad's. Packed up the barn. (Dad is an 80 year old Pack-Rat.)
-Injured rotator cuff at the gymn. Still hurt.
-Scout had a hospital visit.
-Sold dad's house within a week without listing it and with NO banks involved. (Thank YOU GOD!!!!)
-House closes next week.
-Paid off the majority of Dad/s medical bills.
-put on 7 lbs becasue Rhode Island is seriously over populated by Dunkin' Donuts. Dad wanted to go there every morning.
-Came home.
-Blakes Jr. Prom. Drove to Portland, picked up date. Created bedroom for date while she stayed here.
(see Below)
















Blake and Casey














Blake, Casey, Andrew, Franci and Andrew's
Dad's Sweet Ride.


-I am now prepping for new construction here, to build the addition where my dad will live once he arrives here in Oregon, from R.I.
(See Beta-Addition below)










-I have been working with a group from the community, to create a Highschool Alternative, as our local educators have crossed the line with their heavy handed, autocratic behaviours. Our goal is to have additional grades of 9 and 10 added to the Private school here in town which currently only goes Pre - 8th. We are looking for a seperate campus and scouting out interest.
I am on the committee that collects community information to access the demand for a High School alternative.

-MacKenzies 12th birthday was yesterday, and her party will be on Saturday next.

-Mothers Day Tea will be held Friday at the Private School and the girls have informed me that I am to provide elementary and childhood fotoz of myself for the collage of Mom's.

Hence the offering below.

















Me age 2yrs



















Me Age 3 yrs






















Me 3rd Grade






















First Day of 4th Grade




















4rth Grade





















5th Grade


Challenge is hereby issued to L. DG, and to B Siegfried (and I don't mean "Beth.") to step out courageously and post similar age fotoz of themselves.

*throws down white gloves.*

;o)


UPDATE:

Scout had a project for school this week requiring fotoz of herself as a wee tot.

Hence the additional foto-rama below:

Nor' Easter hits Rhode Island

...and I get a second row seat! (which was still pretty danged good!)
It was lovely!
The wind blew so hard, the house shook!
The power went off and on, and the rain blew sideways.
Oh sure...
to many of you this is not such a great thrill, but this is not the sort of storm we get typically in the high alpine desert.
And so I spent a large portion of the wee-hours pacing the upstairs compartment that is my room, with a lovely glass of diet tonic water in my hand and 6 of the vanilla scented candles lit, enjoying the fierce winds as they whistled around and through the house - making the candles flicker.
Such moments - in quiet partaking - are what life is made of.
Many moments.
A secret smile witnessed on the face of a child.
I laugh shared between baby and parent.
The tremor of an earthquake felt as the trees bow to the soil.
The awesome glory of the ash plume given to the sky by the volcano...
moments of silence. Taking only minutes or seconds, are glimpses of the perfect peace of eternity.
At least I think so.
:O)
This particular storm ROCKED!!!!!!!!!!

And then, the dog rolled in some horse poo so I had to depart from my reveries to bathe the stink off her.

The ethereal moment is replaced by the mundane.
Thus the ethereal finds it's value.
;o)

Lawn Bard

Lawn Bard.
The older I get, the more I cry.
Why?
There are many reasons to weep for joy.
Poignant, perfect stories and the people who live them.
Man's life truly is like a blade of grass.
Living briefly - for a season only.
He grows and lives and withers with the end of autumn.
I sit on my porch and gaze out over a cup of tea, at the new life growing on my lawn in springtime.
Each blade of grass, as an individual life - each one with a living story worthy of telling.
That is how man's life is.
Brief, it flowers, it withers, it dies.
When you walk down a city street,
Whether you are in Peoria Illinois, New Delhi, or London,
You pass people on the street.
Each face, each set of eyes bears an epic worth telling, worth remembering.
Each life is a story.
The telling, from start to finish, may be long, taking many nights before a winter-warmed hearth, or may be so brief as to lend itself to a bedtime story.
Each one is worth the telling.
Each one WILL be told.
Each one is worth the remembering.
Each one WILL be remembered.
Many pass far too quickly for those around to take time to notice and commit the telling to memory...except God.
He is the Great Author, as well as The Great Bard.
When all things end, all of the Books will be opened.
All of the stories told.
Each story a comedy, a drama, a tragedy and often, a Victory, combined.
We will hear them all in the twinkling of an eye.
Stories of quiet greatness, that went overlooked and untold here while we wore this Fleshly Tent, they will be told and sung by the Greatest Bard Who Is Ever Living.
And so, on this lovely early spring afternoon,
I sit on the porch, and watch the lawn return anew, and think.

Daydreaming: This post is for my dear friend who hates Sin and loves Love and truth. :o)

We all like to daydream.
Even when we don't plan to, we sometimes find ourselves in the midst of it.
Daydreaming of the future, or of days gone by.
Of friends and foes, of being worthy of such.
What ever.
Me, I wonder if I am odd.
(well decidedly so!...but...)
certainly there must be others because I am not likely special in this.
SometimesI daydream about worshipping God.
With friends and people I have come to hold dear.
People like my friends KiKi, or Pete B. Carl T or Jason and Ran and Rich and Ang, and Bryan an d Peej, Tina and Leh and a host of others. Many, many others. The Pratt even...
To be caught up together,
in the ENDLESS CHORD,
in the song of angels and the music of Charis.
Certainly there are others who have such daydreams?
Such imaginings?
Who are they?
Who are you?
Certainly I do not sing alone?
Decidedly not!
Someday I hope
(and not blindly)
that we will be together, properly installed in eternity in His presence.
We will sing.
Together revelling in the Reciever of the song, and in the sharing of the singing.
The sharing of the Chord.
Dissonant and releasing all through out eternity.
It will be perfect.
:o)

Paint Jobs and Cardiac events

So apparently my dad had a "cardiac event" during the night. During the course of the day we discovered that there is swelling around his feet and ankles and now even into his legs, as well as fluid around his heart. So Judy, my step-Sis is visiting him. "How long has this swelling been going on?" she asks him. "Oh for about 4 weeks or so." Four weeks??? 4 freakin' weeks and he's only just mentioning it NOW??? No wonder he is having TIA's and heart trouble. I am sure that he thinks that if he just ignores it, maybe it will go away? Criminy. SO they have him on a diuretic and the DC'd all the meds that might be causing his allergic reactions. He seems to be stable for the evening. This means I can take a couple of benedryl and go to bed and actually sleep.

On a more light hearted note, there is the subject of Blakes new/old car. He was given an old Mazda 323. It was fairly beat up but runs pretty good! So Skyler and Andrew came over today to help him paint his car...

Tidbits on the fly

Ok so...
Dad has a TIA (mini Stroke)
Brother bogues out and gets hammered at local bar. Must come back to Oregon from Rhode Island due to inability to function in society and actually take care of dad's needs.
I fly out - emergency style - to take his place.
Dad gets hospitalised for pneumonia.
I pack up 75% of his house for the move from RI to here.
I get dad installed in rehab facility and come home.
Work for a week.
Today:
Dad gets re-hospitalised for allergic reaction to meds.
I get new tixx to fly back there for two weeks starting the week following Easter.
So...after a ghastly week at work what am I doing tonight?

Prometheus and Bob!