Oh Yeah!!!

I don't know about you folks, but I get very upset when the computer imps take control of my space. They, whoever they are, call it updates and I wish they would just leave things alone especially when things are working right. I'm a creature of habit and when the imps take over my computer and I cannot get to my e-mail, or my blog, I get frustrated and like the big orange cat, I want to smash someone even if all they are doing is their job.




I am lucky son John is home on a visit as he was here to fix things . . . 'what did you do?' I asked. . . I shut off the machine and rebooted . . sheesh, how was I to know that is all you have to do to make the glorified changes go away. I know the imps mean well and they want those who have computers to be up and running at the top of the mark . . . but . . . they have to realize they have some octogenarians struggling to keep up with the things they have learned to do and there just is not enough 'head' room to take on changes that really truly are not doing much of anything but confusing the issues. Well, that is my opinion and I'm stuck with it.


It was really traumatic to turn on the computer and find a picture of Dell and not my beautiful ocean scene. It was even more so to find out that I could not get on the I.M. and toggle Pat to say good morning. When I found my way to the web and found out there are a hundred or more people reading my blog, I couldn't believe it and it scares me . . . but, not enough to stop (smile) and thank you for your interest in my musings. I love to write. I have a curious mind and it is fun to share the things I find new and different. I have taken the liberty to write about my family and friends, maybe I will have to start asking permission to keep shouting to the roof tops how wonderful they all are.



So today, enjoy your computer and be thankful you are young and able to make do with all those changes and smile while you continue on with all of your work and correspondence. I would like to find a way to stop the jiggling ads so I can write but ads have taken over our lives no matter what medium we are looking at or working on. I've done enough grousing for today, just know I am thinking about you and wishing you good health, a bit of wealth and more hugs than you ever imagined. Hugs to all.

Snowed Under

When Paula wrote yesterday it was to say the picture I had on my blog of her couple of inches of snow was passe, the blizzard came in yesterday leaving several feet of snow, so she sent along a new picture for all to see. All I can say is it looks peaceful, quiet, uninviting for an outside bar-b-qu, but it sure is pretty.

I have to admit it looks stormy, cold and staying inside in front of the fireplace is a good idea. If I know Paula she is sitting in her favorite chair working away at her counted cross stitch. This woman is an artist when it comes to painting a picture with thread. I have a couple of her works that I wouldn't part with. They really are masterpieces.

This is a satellite picture of a storm hovering over the United States. It didn't say which one, but it could be any one of the dozens that went through this winter. Folks all over the country are waiting patiently for spring. It is coming as we have one tree that has turned a lavender shade and is like the red robin, a harbinger of spring. The buds on the trees are a good sign also.

This picture reminded me of 'my' birds that sit on the wires that run across my back yard. There was only one lonely one out there yesterday chatting away as if he was in the midst of a tea party. I whistled back at him, or her, and I got a few chattering remarks which I just did not understand. The bird was probably telling me it is time to clean up the bird houses and fill them up. I am waiting for it to warm up and then I'll get busy and make it nice and clean out there and buy some of that birdseed they love.

So today, Friday . . . all day, take stalk in what you accomplished this week and be proud of yourself. You can finish off your work week and enjoy the weekend. Make a plan or two to do something different for yourself, get out of your winter rut slowly, dig out the bird house and get it ready. Look for the crocus buds they should be showing up any time now. We have a few jonquils blooming. There is one in the crack of the cement on the property line between my tiny Christmas tree and my neighbors bush. It comes up every spring just like it is suppose to, but only one. One of the birds must have found a tiny bulb and dropped it there. It is small but colorful and reminds me that spring is almost here. I am smiling as I got my first Valentine in the mail yesterday, a lovely one from Elaine and Joe with sentiments of friendship, I treasure. If you forgot and let Valentine Day creep up on you, don't 'sweat it' just pick up the phone and greet the loves in your life. Hugs to all.

A New View and the Dog Run

The Wave and the Rock

Incoming Wave Building

Homes Along the Cliff

The First Wild Flowers of the Season

A very narrow steep pathway to the ocean.

Three trees, three trunks, all different.

Emma out in the dog run fields

Pat throwing the ball way out and Emma chases it.

The entrance to the Dog Run

The big rock and this park like area are called McVeigh Park. I have no idea who McVeigh is, or was, so cannot impart any information about the park itself but I can tell you the dirt road in is pitted with huge pot holes. Why the city does not fill them is beyond me because for the very first time there is a lovely dog park all fenced in and gated. There are chairs to sit on, although the dogs have different ideas of their masters resting . . .it's, 'throw the ball' . Emma got the message quickly and she ran her legs off for a half hour. Meanwhile I used my trusty cane and walked over the bumps and lumps of the other part of the park which leads out to a semi circle of grass where the ocean roars below the cliff I was standing on. The view is lovely so I put my trusty camera to work.

The sun was shining and the wind was a bit on the cold side but it didn't feel bad at all. I would love to have walked down the path to the ocean sand and looked over the little rocks down there to see if by chance there was an agate or two. The pathway is narrow and very steep so it was a lost cause for me, there is no way I could go down . . . well I could have sat and slid on my rear but I never would have been able to get back up, so I stood and watched the waves and sighed.

The trees in the outer area of the park were very different in that each trunk of the tree was different. There was one that was twisted like a pretzel and I wondered why as the other two were fairly smooth. They all grew the same height and only the three trees in the center of a big field. It would make a good setting for some picnic tables, but then they would be better placed nearer the cliff, or would they? No, children would be running and playing and it would be to close to the edge so maybe the field would be a better spot. Well let us hope that the pot holes are on the list of 'to do' hopefully before summer comes around.

So today, know there are beautiful spots for you to go and visit in your area. Make a plan for the weekend, pack a lunch and take yourself out in the fresh air, if you can, some of you are still snowed in and that would not be the place to go . . . nope, you have to plan to stay where it is cozy and warm . . .so, grab a good book or the latest travel magazine and take yourself on a mental journey to the sunshine. Just make your seconds count and use those facial muscles and smile. Hugs to all.

Trees and Valentines

There was no caption on the pictures of the trees. It looks, to me, like the pictures were taken many years ago at a lumber camp. My guess is that they are redwoods from the size of them and we have a whole forest of them in both Oregon and California. People come from all over the world to spend time among the redwoods. Their size and girth are amazing. They grow to be over three hundred feet tall and when you walk into the forest it is like walking among giants in peace and serenity.
Just imagine these men felling the trees. It was no easy task and very dangerous. It was one of the ways to make a living and as long as they had work to do it didn't seem to matter if it was rough, tough and a nasty job . . . it was a job . I wonder if the old CCC's of the forties were included in the clearing of the forests of America. Camps were set up and the men went out for months and the small pay they made helped in keeping families from starving through the Great Depression. My brother went off to one of the camps and used to send me some bark from the trees. It could be used to make cards or even a Valentine or two, but I was not old enough to have an artistic talent to do something with the bark. I think I took it to school on Valentine's Day to show it off.

Speaking of Valentine Day, which is coming up fast, it made me think of the big carton box that sat in front of the teacher's desk covered with bright red paper and a slit to put in the valentines we brought to school. It was exciting to be called on to come and get a valentine. Everybody got one at least, and some more, but that didn't matter. What did matter was the one that you got and the little box of candy hearts with sayings made the day very special.

I walked over to the big Fred Meyer store yesterday and looked over the Valentines. I had already bought a few and I send some through the computer, but I needed on more for a friend who does not have a computer. I found one I thought was a perfect fit for this wonderful person but when I turned it over to see it cost $5.49, I put it back. There is no reason on earth that a Valentine should cost that much. I could have bought it but I was not about to encourage the card companies to indulge in their greed. I'd rather make a personal phone call or send a special note upon which I could draw hearts to my content and write a poem too. How Wall Street has come to spoil all of our holidays and we let them get away with it...shame on us. So don't go out and spend your hard earned money on expensive valentines; sit down and write a note and draw hearts with messages within, or pick up the phone, tweak or twitter but let the five dollar Valentines go back to the company .

So today, shop carefully, do not be pressured into buying a plain valentine, without even a bit of lace, for over five dollars, that is ludicrous . . . where is my soap box? Well, you can get on one of your own. It is Hump Day, mid-week, two days to the weekend and I have a friend who will be celebrating her birthday . . . wonder if there is a Valentine with birthday greetings in it? . . . guess I'll have to look so I can get a two for one greeting, but not if it cost five dollars or more. . . no way. I'll call and sing . . . what do you mean she wont answer her phone !!! Go, buy some Valentines but leave the expensive ones sitting there so the companies will get our message . . . join the tea party of over priced cards . . . I'm president. Hugs to all.

Pocket Change

Tuesday is a good day to count your change. I wonder how long it took to save up all those quarters. It is an interesting photograph but I can think of other things I'd rather do than make an art work out of money . . . putting a few in the new gaming machines might be fun if you had the lucky quarters that made the bells go off.

Of course, if you have nothing better to do and you need a project to enjoy what is left of the snow, you can always go out and find a mail box to decorate. I wonder who makes these things up. Well, at least they have a sense of humor. The mail carrier probably isn't laughing out loud as he or she has to trudge through the ice and snow to get the mail out of the box.

A sense of humor is what we all need to make our days brighter and lighter. This cute little picture came in on an e-mail with a short story with it. It seems a first grade teacher asked her students to draw a picture of what their mother did for work. The children drew their pictures and the teacher graded them and the children brought their art work home. The next day the youngster brought in a note from her mother saying, "Dear Ms. Davis, I want to be perfectly clear on my child's illustration. This is not me on some stage on a dance pole at a strip joint surrounded by customers with money. I work for Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in a recent snow storm. That is me selling a snow shovel."

So today look for reasons to laugh out loud. Find a card shop and look for some clever and funny Valentines and send them off to those you love. Don't be shy, it is truly a gift when you share your hugs, verbally or otherwise, for it is love that makes our world go round. Hugs to all.

New Faces

Sisters: Kay and Pauline. They got all gussied up for a Christmas celebration and I must say they look beautiful. It is nice to see smiling faces and know that they had a great holiday.

Pauline's son-in-law, Dave is a musician and he loves to play and sing. Cousin Walter is in the background strumming his guitar. It must be such fun to get together with them for the holidays and have a house filled with music and laughter.

The ladies are very lucky as the men in their lives love to cook. Kay's son Jimmy has been known to put out a terrific holiday dinner. Walter does some cooking also. Wonder if the boys would like to visit me. I could stand a holiday or two out of the kitchen. From what I hear there is never a crumb left . . . kudos to the chefs.

Friend Paula lives in Arkansas and they had their fill of snow this winter. This is the new pool, covered and waiting for family fun this summer. Paula can hardly wait as she tells me she is very tired of all the snow and ice and the cold. She is among good company as I think over half the USA would agree that this winter has been very long and very cold.

Here she is, Paula with her great-granddaughter. Paula doesn't look old enough to be a 'great' but her grandson wasn't going to wait around for her to 'age'. She didn't tell me her great-granddaughter's name, angel comes to mind, what a cutie. I'd like to have one of those little ones visit me on occasion. You get to do all the loving and then give them back to their mom when a change is needed. Small, beautiful miracles.

I think a lot of folks feel this way on Monday morning. The weekend went by much to fast. Well cheer up you have a new week to accomplish much and unruffle your feathers. I am smiling because I had good news, son John is coming in the end of the week and I'll get to enjoy his company for a week. Looking at the picture of the blue bird reminds me of buying a birthday card with the blue bird of happiness on it. If I remember the caption had to do with its landing a blob or two on the birthday person, probably one that deserved such a greeting. You didn't know I had a mean streak, well a little one. Make today a good one, use your seconds wisely and don't waste them. Think nutrition and take good care of you. Hope you enjoyed the big game yesterday and was pleased with the outcome. I rooted for the Steelers and they lost, sad for them, but they can try again. I did watch some of it and was in time to see them take over for a short while but it just didn't last. . . oh well, the 'better' team won and they worked hard for the win. Now if someone would explain the game to me, I could tell you more. Hugs to all.

Winter, but not here!

We have been hearing about the blizzards across the United States all winter long. The folks of every state have had to contend with horrible weather. I am sure, that they think they had the worst weather in a very long time, but according to the e-mail I received yesterday Russia has us beat by a mile. The pictures are awesome and some of them reminded me of the storms that go through the Tahoe area of both Nevada and California.

I rode through a tunnel of snow once time up at Tahoe but never with a height like this. I cannot imagine this much snow piled high, almost like a mountain all by itself. Imagine the spring thaw.

When snow gets this high it makes me wonder how much power is lost during the winter storms in Russia.

I bet the folks are warm inside. It must be like living in a cocoon. One thing for sure there will be little or no company coming for awhile. These folks must be well prepared for their storms. Well as far as I am concerned Russia can keep their own snow, I think we get enough right here and I am not ready for a contest. I like to see the first snow fall as it is so beautiful, but then it turns into slush, icy roads and misery for the drivers. The old timers used to believe that heavy storms with the temperatures plummeting below the below killed all the germs and there was less illness in our winter world. The only plus I can think of, unless of course I was a skier or had a chance to ride down the mountainside on a big toboggan. Winter weather can be dangerous but, on the other hand, it can be a lot of fun.

Yesterday Pat and I rode over to Crescent City where a doctor was giving a talk on M.S. He was set up for a small video in which we heard and saw a doctor from Italy talk about a new and different procedure which may, or may not, help the M.S. sufferers. The doctor has M.S. himself and is in a wheel chair so he went to San Diego where they are doing an angioplasty surgery to open the veins so blood can flow more easily to the brain. It was very interesting and we were all listening when one of the ladies started a one on one conversation with the doctor. Then her friend chimed in and the doctor's wife and the rest of us were left sitting waiting for him to get back to telling us more of the new procedures. After ten minutes of watching and waiting we finally stood up and left. How rude of the ladies to take over the meeting for themselves. Hopefully we gave a signal to the doctor and he got back to business. There are always one or two that have to be selfish and show their ignorance. I wanted to stand up and tell them I didn't mean to be rude but they needed to let the rest of us in on the tale the doctor had to tell. He has had the operations but they still do not know if more are needed, how long the effects of it, or if it really can help the M.S. patients. We all hope it will. Maybe it is the first step in starting one of those groups for testing and really working at finding a cure.

So today, Sunday, the last day of your rest time, find something fun to do. If you are like the thousands of fans for the Super Bowl then you will be hunkered down in front of your TV with snacks and a cold beer shouting for your team, or maybe you have invited folks in to share the excitement of the game. So whether you are at a tail gate party or just enjoying the game all by yourself, root for the better team to win....The Steelers . . . of course. Enjoy your seconds as they come. Hugs to all.