Frankie and Slim

Frankie and Slim
Happy New Year

Friday, October 26, 2007

Ta-Ta, Toodle-do, Adios

Okay guys and gals, we are off to Charleston, SC. How can I leave my dog, my cats my chickens and my blogger friends? I just looked out the kitchen window to see all my animals frolicking around and believing their life is such bliss, only to know they will be shocked tomorrow to find themselves locked in cages and their spoiling keeper gone. Oh woe is me:-(

I will add, however, that Slim enjoys the kennel. I believe she needs the rest from all her guard duty around here.

We've had to enlist some new guardians for the chickens and cats because my son and grandkids can't get here to house sit. I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure all will be well.

We shall attend the reunion of the mighty destroyer, the USS Mahan. It is our favorite reunion to attend each year and we can't wait to see all our friends. One of the descendents of Alfred Thayer Mahan will be in attendance again this year. We sat with him and his lovely wife at the banquet last year and I'm afraid I was a bit tipsy but didn't make a total fool of myself. The kitchen workers were very nice to direct me back out of the kitchen and toward the bathrooms. LOL

Be good and don't have too much fun without me!

TACKLE THIS


This is NOT your ordinary tackle box. Well, it was once, but my spouse wisely suggeted I use it for my makeup, etc. We seem to take a lot of last minute trips and my travel kit is alway ready. It is like a roving bathroom chest of drawers. Ron actually stole the idea from Terri. Regardless, it is ready for every emergency. I simply grab the tackle box and we're off with my medicine, hair pins, toothbrush, and all. I get a lot of admiring glances from fishermen who assume I'm one of the guys. If they only knew. LOL
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Thursday, October 25, 2007

INSIDE OUT

I have worn my African and Native American skin turned to the inside because God did not give me the physical strength or mental courage required to wear it on the outside.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Tiger Lily has abandoned her chicks and gone back to the roost at night. Beualh Dean has actually taken both chicks under her wings and she continues to nest with them at night. Who would have thought this of Beulah Dean?

PLEASE TELL ME WHY

I am not a liberal and I am not a conservative. I am, I guess, a moderate. Now, please tell me what movies to watch. I love movies. I love television. I am a baby boomer and we have been raised on fun fiction. But, what in the world do we do with Hollywood when they are so extremely prejudiced toward the liberal slant that they do not entertain the moderates? We cannot go to radio because the radio talk shows are all directed toward ultra conservatives. I try so hard not to pay money for anything that takes a political slant and falsely advertises as entertainment. That is difficult these days. Do any of you have any suggestions for good entertainment that is wholesome and reaches the entire American public seeking entertainment and not politics? Pray tell me those shows. Thanks!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

BURNING RING OF FIRE

Terri finally called us from California and she was singing Johnny Cash song I Fell Into A Burning Ring of Fire. She can alway see the humor in everything, just like her dad. The last San Diego fire ordered a voluntary evacuation. This fire has created a mandatory evacuation for them. The kids are out and safely with friends near the ocean. Terri, of course, has things to take care of at the house first. If we could whip her we would! Ron and I both will feel much better when Terri is out and lets us know she and the children are all together.

UPDATE: Terri, kids, dog all back home and the highway opened back up for their area. The danger is beyond them. But oh what devastation for so many.

SECOND UPDATE: We heard from our friend Cindy who lives in Ramona. She evacuated with her two horses and three dogs and has been staying at a ranch with 200 horses for the past three days. She has had to spend each night in her truck. Her daughter and grandchildren can't get back to Ramona from Poway.

NO TURNING BACK

A stretch waistband on your pants is a sign you have gone to the dark side. You know that you have given in to senior hood when you pull up that first pair of comfortable waist slacks. Everyone at the All-You-Can-Eat Early-Bird-Special buffet wears them. Beware -- once you start wearing them, there is no turning back!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY?????

We all know my son's birthday was Friday.

Saturday he took his son to play practice at their church. My son ran in the church just a minute to find out when to come back for Ryan. When he went back outside his car was gone. His only vehicle was stolen at the church, of all things!!!!!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

COUNTRY LIFE

I first learned this when we lived in Kansas. (Remember, I was a city girl until Ron)

If you have a group of men working or visiting and you look out and see one, two or more just standing on the opposite side of the truck bed, if you are female, it's best not to approach them.

Who knows why?

Or, if you, the woman of the house, see one fellow standing with his back to you and he appears to be contemplating nature, don't run over to see what he's doing.

Who knows why?

When you learn why, you will have learned one piece of country life etiquette. You will also know why our grandsons love to visit us in the country! Oh the freedom.......I guess:-)

EVIL TEACHERS

This morning Ron and I were recalling teachers. We are both old so teachers were very different when we were growing up. They could and would say or do anything they wanted. They could also be very cruel and people didn’t even blink.

There was a boy in my fifth grade class. He was obviously poverty stricken. He was also unclean. Perhaps he walked to school but he always arrived stinking. He carried a watered down bottle of milk and that was his daily lunch.

This teacher would punish us by making us sit next to this boy. “You can just sit next to Blank today and maybe you’ll act better tomorrow”. Can you imagine the horror for this child to be the classroom punishment?

If you have evil teacher stories, please share them.

PUT ON YOUR ARMOR AND BE

Why must we all have chips on our shoulders? We are always defending or preparing to defend some aspect of our life. I am woman, watch me roar.

Anger lurks at the surface ready to spring forth when anyone makes a statement derogatory to some aspect of my life. Don’t condemn fat people – I am fat. Don’t condemn bald people – I am bald. Don’t condemn chicken farmers – well, we all know the end of that statement.

In the immortal words of Rodney King, “Why can’t we all just get along?”

If I do not care what your religion is, what your gender is, what your race is, what your political leanings are, how you raise your children, and what you eat or drink, then you might not care what I do. We could possibly go through life making choices that appeal to us (based on how we see the content of one another’s character) without disrupting everyone who feels differently. Our biggest misconception is actually having some expectation that we can make them change. Let it be…..

State your case, plain and simple. Leave it. Walk away and do it all without anger. Could that ever happen? If it did, would life be any fun for the rabble rousers? After all, zealots are people too.

Friday, October 19, 2007

ADULTHOOD

What age must you reach to become an adult to your mother? When does the term grown up fit your child?

I always see my children as beautiful newborns, delightful toddlers, inquisitive and creative children, laughing teenagers.

There are adults somewhere inside my kids. There is a man inside my son who is a tremendous father, a helpful friend, a talented singer, a hard worker, but as proud as I am of his achievements, I still look into his face and see that impish little boy. Yes, even today on his 37th birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANDY!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

OH MY GOSH OH GOLLY

I have been featured twice in BEVERLY BITES headlines this week! I am honored. I've been following her since I found her blog through the ageless project quite a while ago.

BOTTLE OF oodweys

This morning I stumbled to the bathroom in my typical morning fog. My glasses were not yet placed over my squinted eyes. It appeared the housekeeper had tipped a bottle over on the vanity. I saw the bottle on its side and read "oodweys". What in the world is oodweys I ask myself. Then I turned the bottle over.

Sorry for lack of explanation. Write the word oodweys in lower case letters on a piece of paper. Now, turn the paper 180 degrees. See?

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

ANNIVERSARY, BLOGISVERSARY, WEEKISVERSARY

Happy one year anniversary of blogging to Nora at Chez Pez.

Happy second Blogisversary to Rachel, Sliding Through Life.

Happy 400th Weekisversary to Granny Annie and Ron. We met on a Tuesday, 400 weeks ago. Since it is pretty doubtful we'll celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary, we celebrate Tuesdays.

That really doesn't have anything to do with blogging but it is Tuesday. I just love Tuesday because I can't help loving this man o mine:-)

Monday, October 15, 2007

EVENING WORSHIP

Last night I went to church. The little church here has Sunday night service at 7:00 and I had never attended.

Ron put up the chickens for me and took care of the dog so I was free to go on my sudden impulse. Thankfully it is a come-as-you-are service. (I did wash up a bit so I wouldn't smell!)

The minister had told me that usually 10-12 people attended. Last night there were nine of us.

The program is to sing hymns of choice out of the old Cokesbury Hymnal. I believe I know all those song by heart. The minister then has a brief message to share. It is an old fashioned service of preachin' and singin'.

We sang five or six songs and I could hear the voices of the 9 talented as well as the tone deaf and then I began to hear the soft sweet voice of my mother and dad's booming voice.

What a beautiful way to end one week and start another -- in the company of angels.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

THE REMAINS OF THE DAY

Caesar and Cleopatra are the only surviving chicks.


I know for a fact that Beulah Dean killed The Phoenix.


Caesar and Cleopatra are Tiger Lily’s chicks and Beulah Dean spends her time chasing and trying to kill them.

Last night it appears that a snake grabbed Sean and Jayden. I guess Beulah Dean was too busy trying to kill Tiger Lily’s chicks and didn’t pay enough attention to her own children.

On a happier note, Elenore has adopted Owen and watches after him during the day now that Stix is gone.

retrospective

"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again," wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1839

Saturday, October 13, 2007

CONFESSION

I am a MacGregor descendant. Our clan was banished from Ireland. Mary Queen of Scots aka Bloody Mary, decreed that anytime four MacGregors were found together, they were to be put to death. My spouse, also Irish, found this little tidbit of information for me. If you, by chance, are a MacGregor and approach me with two other MacGregors, please be advisesd that we are all in peril. We do not find where there was any special hatred for Peter Rabbit....just his intrusion into our gardens. (Anyone think I might have had a wee too much wine today?)

I WAS SURPRISED

Let this little test tell you who your Presidential candidate is and who is second choice, etc. This is interesting and surprising.

It is also fun to take the test a second time answering everything the exact opposite of what you would like in a candidate and you'll come up with your worst nightmare candidate! That selection also surprised me.

THAT FIRST SIP OF FRESH COFFEE

Good morning blogger friends. I'm enjoying my first sip of fresh coffee to start my day. My eyes are starting to open just a little wider. The cup I'm drinking out of this morning reads:

A True Friend

listens, loves,
cares, shares.....
and isn't afraid
to tell you

you've got gunk
between
your teeth.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

COLORFUL COCKS


Chicken Annie's Best Guy


Purple Cock In Hiding
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HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING WEEK


Ryan as a Nerd


Ryan in Fashion Don'ts

The kids at Ryan's high school dress differently each day during homecoming week. Tandy sent me these two snap shots of Ryan.
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TIGER BALM F.Y.I.

I realize what helps one person might not help another, but if you have muscle aches and pains Tiger Balm is worth a try. My husband wanted me to try it and recently I gave in. I was having recurring shoulder pain. He rubbed the Tiger Balm on and in about 20 minutes the relief was upon me. It stinks but it is a miracle product. What we get in the U.S. is only about ¼ the strength of what is sold in Singapore. I can only imagine how much good that formula could do.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

PARTY POOPER

Yes, my very own, precious, darling, wonderful sister called me a "party pooper". Are you wondering why?

Like many of you, I receive lots and lot of email containing horrible statements of hitonious events that occur in the world on a daily basis. Before I gasp, I rush to Snopes site and any other website that will clear up the nature of the impending exclamation.

The majority of these statements are FALSE, INCORRECT, or INCOMPLETE. It is my duty to forward the factual information back to the sender of the email. My card says Paladin, "Have (gun) truth, will travel". (Anyone old enough to remember that?)

icanseeclearlynow is also a blogger who researches before she speaks.

With all the hype coming toward us in the upcoming Presidential election, we should all be on our toes to separate fact from fiction.

Of course Jamie Dawn is the exception to the rules in all cases. We thrive on her fiction. Wait, or was that truth?

Admittedly I returned one to my sister that could have been left alone. It contained two darling photos of an albino deer. The fawn was curled up on a blanket in some body's home. The pictures were real -- the story with the pictures was UNDETERMINED. Thus, my sissy called me a "party pooper". Did I indeed go to far with my push to pursue truth and justice? I'm sorry for overstepping my boundaries.

Monday, October 08, 2007

TOO MANY

I ache from the laughter and tears. Reading blogs uncovers talent that the world cannot contain. There was never room enough for this many talented people until the Internet came along. Blogs are the outlet for every kind of artist. What a thrill to peer in these nooks and crannies and uncover free entertainment beyond imaginable quality! For a long time I did not look because I thought it only had to do with politics. Whew, it is so much more.

SAD NEWS TO REPORT

Yesterday morning I found Stix murdered in the chicken house. A predator had ripped his throat open. Remember this was good little crippled Owen’s best friend. When I carried mutilated little Stix out of the pen I noticed a beautiful blue dot under his eye. I had never seen this blue spot because Stix was so fluffy. It looked like he wore a beautiful piece of turquoise jewelry. A beauty mark on the supposedly ugly chicken.

Owen is very sad and walks around alone looking for his friend.

I am left to recall the Dead Chicken Epitaph that I wrote for one of my first sad chicken losses.

Friday, March 11, 2005

DEAD CHICKEN EPITAPH

Little Blackie Girl is gone.
Taken by some natural wrath.
Thus comes this rendering of
A Dead Chicken's Epitaph.

A slight little sex-link hen,
Among her peers the least weight,
Enabled her continued escape
In flight over the pen gate.

Half-eaten, clipped wings grow,
She was determined to explore.
Whole-eaten this time,
To return no more.

Bye, bye black(chicken)bird..........

(In this case bye, bye brown fluffy chicken bird......)

I SEE YOU

I see you .........and everything else! My glasses arrived early. I’m all set to go. I can work at the computer, read, draw and watch television all in one pair of glasses. WhooHoo! (Now if I can just keep from breaking them.)

Sunday, October 07, 2007

THE NECK OF TIME -- ALMOST


I have been needing new prescription glasses. The delay in going to an eye doctor has almost been too long. Eight weeks ago I lost a pair of my "looking "glasses. That's what my granddaughter calls the pair I wear the most. I put them on in the morning and about noon I realized they were missing. I have a pair of non-prescription glasses that I wear on computer so I had put down the prescription pair. I have searched and searched along with the help of grandchildren, spouse, and housekeeper. The glasses vanished into the land of Poof. I could not wear my old red prescription glasses because you can see the arm is broken. It did not break in a repairable fashion. The hasp broke as well. Yesterday I destroyed the last pair of looking glasses. These broke right in the middle. Thankfully I saw the ophthalmologist this week and my new glasses are due in on Thursday. Maybe I'll invest in one of those chains to hook them around my neck. This is one of the things my sister and I have in common. She is even harder on her glasses than I am.
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CHICKS AND MOMS (Does that sound wrong?)


1. Sean
2. Jayden
(Beulah Dean's chicks named for Brittney Spears children. We all know Beulah Dean is a bad mother)
3. Caesar
4. Cleopatra
5. Phoenix
Tiger Lily's three. You see the back of Tiger Lily with her tail feathers spread because she is trying to keep Beulah Dean away from her three. Thankfully BD is taking care of her two, but she tries to kill TL's three.
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Thursday, October 04, 2007

WHAT'S A TATTLETALE TO DO?

All my life I have been able to run to mother and tell on my siblings. Now that mother is gone, I am left exposed. I hope they didn’t keep a record of my tattling. It was really all a big misunderstanding .. I was only joking...I really didn't want to get you guys in trouble.....honest :-)

TIGER LILY AND PHOENIX


See the little blonde chick next to Tiger Lily? That is Phoenix. I will get better pictures of Tiger Lily's four as soon as I can. She has two blonde and two black. There are still six eggs under her but I moved them all to the cage so they can move around and scratch and eat and drink.
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DUMPSTER DIVING

We had more eggs hatch under Tiger Lily. The sad part – one looked like it got its head stuck in the nesting box and died. I picked up the fluffy yet lifeless chick and felt for any sign of hope. It was totally limp and beyond help.

Burying days for my lost chickens and chicks have long gone. We have too many tragedies occur between hawks and other predators, so we put the remains in the incinerator to burn these ill fated friends.

Thus, I carried the little lost yellow chick to the dumpster. As it plopped into the heap it kicked its legs. It was alive! I could not reach in to grab it because it was in the middle. I then had my first experience dumpster diving and climbed in to retrieve this little feathered friend. (No, the fire was not burning!)

My daughter suggested I name this chick The Phoenix because it rose out of the ashes. So far it is alive and well and thriving under the watchful eye of Tiger Lily. It was a good idea to put Tiger Lily in with the remaining eggs. She has kept watch with Beulah Dean this entire time and was easy to transition onto the nest. We now have Beulah Dean’s two (Sean and Jayden) and Tiger Lily’s four. Only The Phoenix has a name and I will wait to name the other three. Any suggestions?

Lucy, if you read this, please help me with any advice. There are still unhatched eggs under Tiger Lily and it has now been 25 days:-)

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

MORNING GATHERING


Soccerball with her kittens Dorothy, Simone, and MANnah (formerly Hannah). The three kittens are not bigger than their mother but they sure look it in this picture. Mama Soccerball is the one at the far left.
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SUCCESS!


Basically Beulah Dean has spent over 75 days on nests this year and finally she appears to have hatched two healthy chicks. She is acting like a good mother this time. It is certainly going to be interesting to watch these two grow up and see how they look as adults. I needed to get Beulah Dean off the nest and move her to food and water. I put Tiger Lily on the remaining eggs in case they might still hatch.
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HAPPY FOOD AND PLAY TIME

I have been thinking. (My husband calls that a sign of danger.)

Did you ever hear the old hypnotism story? Two groups of people were held in separate rooms over a period of time and hypnotized into believing they were eating food that they were not actually eating.

One was told the low calorie health food they were consuming was actually fattening food like turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, etc. These people gained weight.

The other group was told they were eating the very healthy food while they were actually being fed the aforementioned Thanksgiving feast. This group lost weight.

Is that what is meant by mind over matter?

From now on, no matter what I eat, I’m simply telling myself that I am eating happy. The word diet shall never pass these lips again. Also, instead of calling it exercise, from now on I am simply going out to play.


Last night when I rode my stationary bike I pretended I was a child again and instead of feeling exhausted when the ride was over, I was invigorated, recalling my youth.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

A MUST READ

I read this post on Travelin Oma today and have to wonder. I remember everything she is talking about and can vouch for the validity of her statements.

Monday, October 01, 2007

ONE SO FAR


Beulah Dean has hatched one of her fifteen eggs. It is solid black so it is either Australorp or Black Sex-Link. Oh, I hope she hatches more than the one.
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AND THE WINNER IS


Rocky obviously won the crowing contest. Elizabeth and Legs left and Rocky moved to the highest point to strut his stuff and bellow his mighty crowing.
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CROWING PRACTICE IN PROGRESS

Elizabeth, Legs and Rocky are practicing their crowing. Rocky is the smallest but he has the most perfected tone and volume. All three of these guys were born Easter Sunday.
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P.O.D.

P.O.D. (PLAN Of the MonDAY)

Put Slim on the chain. (She actually loves this and sits by the pole in the morning waiting for me to chain her up. She prowls all night so I think the chain gives her an excuse to do nothing and not feel bad about it.)

Feed the cats.
(Dorothy leads me to their bowl every morning as if I might forget where it is.)

Open the hen house and let the girls and boys out.
(Check Beulah Dean’s nest and count new baby chicks. I know there will be some because I heard them peeping last night. Of course we know Beulah Dean may have killed them but I truly am filled with hope that she is beyond her rage.)

Clean up kitchen.
(Yes, I actually cooked last night!)

Straighten house.
(No, the house doesn’t lean. I just need to pick up a few items strewn around.)

Do laundry.
(I can because it rained and I’ve got lots of extra water!)

Pay bills
(Thankfully Kay reminded me it is the first of the month.)

Tag items for flea market.
(Hey Monica, I found some neat yard sales this weekend!)

Exercise.
(Notice I added this last in case I run out of time it won’t be my fault. I just had too much to do.)