Somewhere in Indiana

Belated Happy New Year

2012-01-19T10:27:00.001-06:00

Well, here we are, halfway through January and I haven't posted. The holidays were bad. Younger daughter is in California so I am alone in the house, so there was no one to distract me from the "oh, boo hoo my hubby isn't here yet" self pity. So Christmas and New Years were pretty much a cry fest for me. Here in the Midwest our winters can be brutal, but this year is amazingly mild. My hubby says it's cold in Europe. I've pretty much recovered from the self-pity and just gone on to highs and lows of "I'm sooo happy" to "let me go bang my head on the wall because he's not here yet". We knew we were in for a long separation but "knowing" and "doing" are two different things. The Immigration website says 5 months before they get to the next step. I hope he's here before our 1st anniversary. If anything, this process makes the honeymoon last a loooong time (smiles).

Below is a photo of the street in Prishtina, Kosovo where we walked together for 6 weeks (well, minus the week we spend in Albania). My hubby took this on a foggy night on December 15, 2011. See the red cross on top of the building? I am constantly amazed that a Muslim-majority nation displays so many Christian symbols, openly celebrates Christmas, and no one complains!!

This picture was taken Christmas night. This is Mother Teresa Boulevard in downtown Prishtina.

And I wanted to share a blog with you. One Smile Journey. This is a blog by a guy from the Netherlands who has decided to hitchhike around the world. It's amazingly fascinating because he talks and stays with the locals, so he sees people and their countries from a different perspective. There is no glossed -over tourism here, just honest "what I see is what I write" stuff. I love it!!! On the right side-bar are the Categories, or actually, his journey starting from 00. Preparations to present. My favorites are Kosovo of course! I had many "omg I was there!!!" moments looking at his photos.

Well, that was my break. Now back to work!

Reflections on an exciting year

2011-10-14T03:01:00.004-05:00

I just read an amazing post by my friend, you can read it here I am an adventurer. Bravo to living and following dreams! And she is right, you are not too fat, too old, nor too poor to follow them. I am sitting here jamming with my wireless headset, listening to Albanian music and remembering. Remembering this summer when I threw caution and bank book to the wind and flew to Pristina, Kosovo (Albanian - Prishtinë, Kosova or Kosovë) in Europe to marry my sweetheart. We had met online the beginning of the year, and as crazy as it sounds, I didn't care, because we knew we were for each other.

I was nervous....my first flight outside the USA, and a 15 hour flight with 3 hops and 4 airports. Chicago > Brussels > Budapest > Prishtina, and I only speak English. My fears were unfounded though, because all I needed to do was follow the "Transfer" signs. Everyone in the service industry speaks English and umpteen other languages. Announcements were always in three languages including English. Finally the long flight was behind me and there he was, standing in the doorway of the airport. The rest is history, our story.

We spent a wonderful 6 weeks together. We walked all over Prishtina (because his car broke down forever on day 3). We drank coffee together in coffee shops (they are all over Prishtina) and shared stories about our life experiences. We walked along Mother Theresa Boulevard at night and listened to live bands. We walked all the way down to the statue of Skanderbeg. We shopped together and cooked together and chatted with family (even though I only know maybe 5 words in Albanian). We got married at the Municipality in Prishtina. Then we went by tour bus to Albania. We swam in the Adriatic Sea. We walked under night skies so dark I could see the Milky Way. We bruised our feet on rocky back roads in Velipoja and sat on the balcony of our room to catch the cool night air. We came back to Kosovo and time was coming to a close. Leaving was hard, so hard. But I had all the documents to bring to the immigration lawyer. I left with bags stuffed to the gills with gifts, clothes, a cup and saucer set from Turkey, a gjezve from Slovenia for making coffee, and a tepsija (pan for baking burek), and my hubby's Albanian-English dictionary.

Me in front of the statue of the great Albanian warrior, George Kastrioti Skanderbeg (Albanian - Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu)

My Adventurer friend often speaks of dancing like no one is watching. I did, and I am. Literally, my heart is dancing, and I grab my little weights and and I dance to one my favorite Alban Skenderaj songs Rrufe Ne Qeill Te Hapur. It's a great workout song. I pick up a few more Albanian words and surprise hubby. And then I get back to work, so I can afford to bring my hubby to me.

Coffee set, tiny spoons, bag of finely ground coffee and a gjezve for cooking it

Tepsija - this is a very small one! But it had to fit in my luggage LOL

Napkins from places where we ate and food labels. I love Jeta burgers! I don't know what they put on them but I order them with everything. I love burek, too, and mantia me mish, and it's a yogurt-lover's paradise over there! Lots and lots of yogurt, all kinds and flavors. And Dannon, too LOL!!

Yummy so sinfully yummy almond sugar cookies drenched in syrup

Kosovo has very good spring water!

Gifts from my new family. I used the cam on my laptop to take the picture. You can see it reflected in the glass.

Diten e mir

Mystery Solved

2011-09-22T19:12:00.000-05:00

I always wondered about this tapestry. I've had it for years, not sure how I aquired it, but it must have been from a yard sale. I couldn't figure out where it was from, until I was watching TV in Kosovo with my new hubby. Wait----I have that pattern. "What?" See, the covering on the lecturn in front of that speaker! I have that pattern on a weaving at home! I think. So when I came home (sadly leaving hubby behind while we jump through the immigration hoops) I took some pictures. Hubby said yes, it is handmade Albanian! Pictures on the internet showed some weavings with the exact same black border, sort of a stepped zigzag.

And here is a close-up

I knew it was special, I just didn't know why LOL!

My Turtle / Tortoise Collection

2011-07-18T09:47:00.000-05:00

The group of three at the bottom right were my first. They are made of ceramic and were bought in the 1960's out in California. I have since seen the same set made of plastic. The one in the middle on top of the round rock is carved from stone with a streak of Opal in it. That one is a gift from my SIL in Australia. The funky light blue one and the small dark red and black one behind the rock are made with that plastic clay you bake in the oven. I made them. The others were collected at various times over the years.

Friendship

2011-07-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

I love these stamps that are on a letter from my friend. Click on the picture to see full size.

B-day

2011-07-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

My daughter and her bf took me and my other daughter to dinner at Don Pablo's for my B-day. We had a lot of fun!

It was a set-up! The waitress stuck this on my head. And I had two mango margaritas.

Breezy day

2011-06-22T18:29:00.000-05:00

Today is breezy, cooler and drier. It only sprinkled a little. I actually got clothes to dry on the line! The house is open, the air is fresh for a change. It is quiet, except for the ever-present noise of the traffic. A good day for reading and for thinking. I almost tackled rearranging the living room, but decided nothing will move right until I get rid of this 55 gallon fish tank. So I did some reading. And some thinking and daydreaming. Daydreaming is good, didn't you know? Well, I spoke too soon. It's sprinkling.

Just another day....

2011-06-19T17:28:00.001-05:00

But I do remember my dad, and my past hubby, the father of my girls, and honor them. Happy Father's Day!

Brighter Future

2011-06-15T21:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted a link to some sad history. Today I have a link to a tourism website that is promoting Kosovo's brighter future. They have some good info, and nice pictures in the Gallery. You can find them on facebook, too.

Be In Kosovo

Important History

2011-06-14T16:58:00.002-05:00

I have a dear friend in Europe, in Kosovo to be exact. Spelled Kosova to the locals. I have learned a lot about this new country. Many people may not know or remember much of what happened. My friend watched the NATO bombing of the Serb bases around the capital city, Pristina, spelled Prishtina and Prishtinë by the locals. My friend told me, it was a dirty war. The Serbs were killing civilians. It's true, and documented. I cry when I watch this series of videos published by the New York Times. Please take the time to watch it, and remember, just like we must always remember the Holocaust.
Endgame in Kosovo

Next post will be something happier.

Crazy spring

2011-06-12T09:40:00.001-05:00

Cold...Hot...Cold...Hot...Cold. Had the furnace on, then the A/C, then A/C off and closed house, pile on blankets to sleep.....not turning furnace back on!!! Between the heat and the cold we had wild storms, flash KABOOM all night long, lots of rain and threat of floods for people near the rivers. Today is sunny, at least. I planted 3 tomato plants this spring. That's it. I have some perennial flowers blooming but I didn't buy annuals....yet. Maybe I should. Or at least more perennials.

A BEAUTIFUL Day at last!!!

2011-06-01T12:05:00.000-05:00

Finally gorgeous weather! Fresh air, sunshine >>no rain<< YAY not humid, shall I go on? They finally installed spring! After we bumped into summer and stumbled back into winter "forEVER".

Summer by Monday?

2011-05-26T18:19:00.001-05:00

We are still waiting for spring. I did get my tomatoes planted. But today is a cloudy, windy 42 degrees right now. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Had to turn the furnace back on. By Monday I might need the A/C! LOL

Where is Spring?

2011-05-18T09:37:00.000-05:00

I hope you can read this ok. Someone posted it on facebook. I was ROFLMAO when I saw it. I copied it into my graphics software and added the identical text. Click on it, see if you can read it ok. LOL LOL!! We are still getting 404 errors here. hahahahahaha

Easter Dinner

2011-04-30T23:20:00.000-05:00

This post is a little late. We had a great time, good food. My camera did an absolutely horrible job. It's the one on my new phone. Maybe I need to fiddle with the settings. Or maybe the problem is that I did fiddle with them. Anyway, here's a really bad picture, taken by my younger daughter. I took one of her but it came out too blurry. To make matters worse, my blouse was wrinkled. Geez like I couldn't have looked down and straightened it out. Well, I was having too much fun. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Left to right, daughter's bf, me and daughter

Daughter's bf cooked dinner. It was yummy. He's an engineer and he showed us lots of 3D drawings and finished projects he's done.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T12:01:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful spring day. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and the sun was shining brightly but now there are thin clouds. Younger daughter and I will be joining older daughter and bf for a cookout this afternoon, in Hebron. I was wished Happy Easter by my friend in Europe :-)

Spring

2011-03-20T18:10:00.000-05:00

Looks like spring is trying hard to be here. I heard a Robin the other day. We had some rain with thunder and lightening. Life is good.

Warm!

2011-02-20T16:28:00.000-06:00

My kitties know how to stay warm

Nicer than snow and cold

2011-02-08T18:37:00.001-06:00

I love my turtle collection. Right now most of them are packed away because I thought we were moving. I actually have at least one more not shown in this picture. I started out with the three ceramic ones (three different sizes, all facing each other, just to the right of the powder blue one in front). My parents bought them for me from a gift shop out in southern California somewhere, maybe in Blythe. We kept desert tortoises as pets when we lived in the desert. They were only ones we found covered in mud after heavy rains. Never just walk over and pick up a desert tortoise. It frightens them and compromises their health.

Snowplows!! Finally!!

2011-02-07T13:11:00.002-06:00

Yay!! We are plowed out at last. Well, I probably have a ridge of snow along the car now. Too much snow. Melt, dammit!

Dug out at last

2011-02-05T21:08:00.000-06:00

I got to the store today, the shelves haven't been restocked yet but I found most of what I needed. My street is horrible! I guess because none of us have driveways so we can't park anywhere else. Well, we have an alley, but it's SNOWED IN. So all that was done was a couple passes with a pickup truck with a plow on front. The ruts are deep. Cars get stuck in many places but my trusty Hyundai seems to do well considering it is a car. All the streets in my area are one-way because they are narrow. So coming home I saw a homemade sign on a stick, stuck in a heap of snow at the end of my street. It said 4 x 4 only or you'll get stuck!

Friday---STILL snowed in

2011-02-04T10:42:00.000-06:00

A few of my neighbors have dug out, but I still have a mountain of snow between may car and the plowed area down the middle of the street. I hope I get dug out before the milk spoils.

Snow! And tons of it

2011-02-02T19:20:00.000-06:00

We had a big snowstorm come through last night, and a pile of Lake effect snow this morning. Here are some pictures.

Out my front door. It's 9AM and no plows in sight

Looking toward the expressway. I could tell it was open because I heard the plows banging all night, and the traffic rumbling all day

About 11 AM the Lake Effect snow hit and dumped another 5 or 6 inches

The cool drift out my front door tonight, before my daughter shoveled. Still no snow plows.

Just one of the huge drifts that coverd the fence

Drifts along the fence on the north side

The front shoveled. See that big blocky looking part on the left? That's 28 inches high. I just measured it.

Still no plows. There is a 4 foot pile of snow all around my car. When the plows do come by someday, the pile will be taller.

365 project

2011-01-15T13:14:00.000-06:00

I am going to abandon this for myself, at least for now. Too much going on and not much I want to take pictures of. I work a lot---at the computer, on my budget, on paying my bills and saving, and then on cleaning. I have piles of boxes of stuff to sell, donate or trash, all in a house that has several incomplete remodeling jobs. Dad just had too much arthritis and then the cancer---couldn't finish what he started. Once work begins to progress I'll post some pictures. As for the 365 project, if I am following you, I'll continue to follow. I think it's great, but it's just not fitting into my overloaded life right now.

Odd glass

2011-01-14T21:47:00.001-06:00

Winter blahs. And it's only January. I'm barely inspired to keep up with the 365 project. But I did come across something interesting while cleaning my window shelves. I have a lovely small vase that my daughter bought for me several years ago in Indianapolis. I just love the soft purple. Here is a picture of it next to a sunny window. It's the purple vase on the left. In case you are wondering, this is a picture of my Senk's Anemone African Violet.

When I took the vase off the shelf and walked into the kitchen I freaked out because I noticed it was blue. No matter what light I held it under, it was BLUE!! But the antique stopper I had placed on top, which my grandpa found in the desert probably 60 years ago was still purple! So it couldn't be the lighting, could it? I couldn't figure out what happened. Did the sunshine cause the purple to fade? It was just a really boring pale blue. How sad!!! Here it is all blue, with the purple stopper and next to a purple ink well.

After cleaning up the shelf I went about putting everything back, including my now blue vase. Wait...what??? It's purple again!!! It's nighttime, but even on the dark shelf I can see it's purple again. Ok, this is odd. So I go back to the kitchen, it's blue again, back to the window, it's purple. Hmmm---fluorescent lighting? So I turned on an incandescent (yeah, I still have one), and behold---it turned bright PINK!

So---I wonder what kind of mineral they added to the glass that makes it purple in daylight, blue under fluorescent and pink under incandescent?? That is just too cool. Now I love my vase even more! It's like "magic"!

3:365 and 4:365

2011-01-08T21:08:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was one of "those days". I felt sad. I did post a picture on the 365 project website, though. This says it all...what I need to do:

Today is a better day, even though I didn't get a lot done. My wrist is bothering me, so I'm taking it easy. Had a nice phone conversation with my daughter---all the plans we have. We need to put the house back to three bedrooms if I plan to sell it. That means loosing my big kitchen because the washer and dryer need to go back in what used to be the utility room, which is now part of my big kitchen. Maybe we can put a wall back up. Then I need to get 220 installed. If I sell without the upgrade then it will come out of the final selling price, and I'm sure they will pick a higher price than if I have it done. A lot of the other stuff is cosmetic. I think a big garage sale is in order for this spring. Part of the organize and declutter project involves clearing out a lot of stuff. I have 41 years of stuff, and I still have some of my mom's stuff and my daughter's stuff . Too much stuff!!!! And this house is a postage stamp sized 890 sq. feet with no basement. But the heating bill is really cheap!!

Anyway, here is today's 4:365 picture. Macey was fast asleep on the chair, and then Murry hopped up and sat down right on top of her. Murry is 20 pounds! I grabbed the camera, but by the time I got there he had laid down, still sort of on top of her. Poor Macey!

2:365

2011-01-06T18:10:00.000-06:00

Today's picture just happened to end up in this week's theme. I didn't plan it that way, but after I uploaded it I noticed the theme-blue thing and went ahead and added it. This is sort of a place-mat sized piece of art that I would NOT use as a placemat! Instead it hangs on the wall. My daughter and her husband brought a bunch of them (all different) to give away to all of us. Dad liked the blue one, so that's the one I have.

Welcome to the Country Dance - Authentic Aboriginal Art

1:365 LED flower lights

2011-01-05T17:32:00.000-06:00

I took interest in the 365 project but I'm hard pressed to find something to take a picture of. So I decided on my new LED lights. They are a small string of 20 flowers, battery opperated. I just love LED lights. These change colors, so here are three pictures in sequence. I might add that my camera refuses to focus on them.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T16:07:00.000-06:00

Wishing everyone a happy new year. 2010 certainly had its ups and downs for a lot of people, not just me. Here's hoping 2011 is much better. The Chinese calendar says this is the year of the Metal Rabbit, which is the opposite of the Tiger, which was last year. Here are some quotes sent to me in an email, taken from an Astrology website, so they aren't my words, but they sound good to me!

The year of the Metal Rabbit promises to bring some much-needed peace and tranquility. If you are like most people, you probably feel like you were on a roller coaster in 2010, the year of the Tiger. That will generally not be the case in 2011, as the Rabbit is everything the Tiger is not.

"Let there be peace -- and let it begin with me" is the Rabbit motto. The Tiger makes waves, but the Rabbit mends fences.

What to do in a peaceful year? Education, for one. Leisurely travel is encouraged. Pursuing your hobbies is a very Rabbit thing to do and will bring you many happy moments.

In the spirit of the Rabbit, peace be with you in 2011.

It's OK to be sad on Christmas

2010-12-24T10:51:00.000-06:00

To everyone who has loved and lost, I hope you know it's ok to be sad when someone is missing from your life. Cry it out, and you will feel better. Cry with a friend who has also suffered a loss, for sharing a shoulder to cry on helps you both. I have many blessings in my life. So I am thankful, and happy most of the time. But it's ok to be sad when the person you have been with for 41 years is gone. So I give myself permission to be sad on Christmas. I have been crying a bit. I'll probably cry some tomorrow. But then I will be OK, and I will go on to have a wonderful time with friends and family.

Thinking forward

2010-12-22T13:30:00.002-06:00

Good memories of my past are slowly replacing the pain and stress of the past year. I am finally breaking free and beginning to move forward.

My heart says, "Move to the desert."

My head says, "Wait, too much to consider yet!"

My health says, "No more moldy, humid Midwest summers, PLEASE!!"

My fear says, "No more threat of tornadoes!! I hate tornadoes!"

My health pops in again, "Go somewhere where you can actually enjoy walking without the city congestion and pollution, and maybe where there are more days when you can open the windows."

My head replies, "What about moving so far away from your daughter?"

My heart argues, "She can visit!"

My head asks, "Should I be moving across the country at age 60-something?"

My heart pleads, "But my soul is in the desert, at least that's where I left it. At least let me go find it and ask it if it wants to come to the Midwest or stay in the desert."

My head is shocked---"What---you've lived in the Midwest 41 years and you still feel you don't belong??"

My heart asnwers, "Yeah. I don't."

Wow---arguing with myself!

Just for fun...

2010-12-18T19:32:00.001-06:00

I was looking with ReMax. OMG there are actually affordable places. So much to learn---is health insurance for the uninsured available? How are the neighborhoods, etc. I saw some gorgeous 55+ mobile home parks, but don't know if I could afford the monthly lease on the land. It's SO much fun looking, though. Hills---mountains---rocky desert---my soul calls.

The desert calls

2010-12-18T13:55:00.000-06:00

If it wasn't for my really good state insurance I think I would be wandering around out west looking for some place. Is that nuts? I mean, I have been living in Indiana ever since Dad brought me here in 1969. But why does my heart stir so much just looking at a picture of the desert? It's like my heart never left. I used to slip up and say to Dad that the desert was my home. He said, no, Indiana is my home. Would I miss the 4 seasons if I moved out there? Is it reasonable? I mean---price wise---doesn't everyone want to live out there---so the prices are higher. And what about the heat in summer. That is a LOT of heat. I hate humidity but I don't know if I could live in that kind of heat again. I have relatives out west. I should go visit them. I am restless today, for sure.

Dinner & a Movie

2010-12-10T17:26:00.000-06:00

Dinner tonight:

Chicken in the crockpot with onions, lemon and olives. This makes real tender chicken, and it works well with skinless, boneless chicken breast. If I'm in a hurry (like tonight) I cut each breast into 4 chunks. Sauté in olive oil until browned. In the meantime, warm the crockpot up. I usually run warm water into it and let it sit a few minutes so the ceramic will warm all the way through. (Never put hot food into a cold crockpot---it could crack). Then I dump out the water, reserving about 2 cups warm water, and plug it in.

Back to the pan of chicken. Add a chopped onion to the pan and sauté but not all the way done, just about halfway---when you see some brown and some slight clearness but not all the way wilted.

Add half the chicken to the crockpot to make one layer. Add some onion and dump in a handful of green olives. Add some thinly sliced lemon and some pepper. I usually don't add salt because the olives are salty. Add the rest of the chicken, onions another bunch of olives, lemon and pepper. It's not rocket science, no measuring needed, but the lemon can be strong, so distribute a few slices, maybe 4 or 5 max. Add a little water just to barely cover but not quite.

Cook on high if time is short, or on low if you are giving it several hours (4 maybe). Serve with basmati rice on the side (the cooking juice is yummy on the rice) and a vegetable. If you don't like green olives, just discard them.

Move---Cats & Dogs. I haven't seen it yet.

I guess I'm a Non-Nerd LOL

2010-12-09T19:19:00.000-06:00

Learning....

2010-12-05T14:06:00.000-06:00

It hasn't been easy---the last two months since Dad died. Being with someone for 41 years and watching them suffer and fade away is heart wrenching. But I am doing ok, and learning to go on. It's hard picking up all the chores he did, such as mowing and shoveling snow, and cooking---Dad loved to cook. I have good neighbors, who have mowed and shoveled without me even asking, and have asked nothing in return. Certainly a nice batch of homemade cookies or fudge will be in order. Many people have reached out to me. I have been blessed several times already.

I think one of the hardest things is knowing Dad never realized his dream to retire in southern Indiana. I am thankful for the wonderful few days we spent in Paoli in the spring of 2009. Would I move there alone? I don't know. There are so many things to consider. The area is isolated. There is a hospital, but specialists are many miles away in other cities. I would also be further away from friends and family up here, and the drive would be long for me, and through some very curvy roads. I do need to get out of the city, though. It won't be easy. First step---clearing out clutter so I can have an appraiser look at the house. It's a bit of a fixer-upper, so I'm treading on shaky ground here. I could be in for a big disappointment.

Favorite Childhood Recipe

2010-11-28T23:28:00.000-06:00

One of the virtues of going through old papers is finding a long-lost "gem". In my early years my mom never made anything from a box and rarely bought what she could make from scratch. In summer (which was HOT in the southern California desert), my mom would make orange sherbet in the freezer. I still remember it as tasting better than what you buy in the store. Now that I found the recipe, maybe I should try it...

Jello Orange Milk Sherbet
Freezes in 3 to 4 hours.
Add 3/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water. Boil 2 minutes. Dissolve 1 package orange Jello in hot liquid. Add 1 cup orange juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Freeze in refrigerator tray (an aluminum tray that came with refrigerators in the old days---have no idea what to substitute with right now). When partly frozen, beat with mixer until fluffy (I think it had to be transfered to a bowl for this). Add 2 cups milk, blend. Continue freezing, stirring after 30 minutes (the mixture would be returned to the tray for this).

I found some other recipes that I may post another time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T22:33:00.000-06:00

Had a nice dinner at my daughter's house. Good time with family and friends.

Today is Veterans Day

2010-11-11T10:03:00.007-06:00

I would like to salute the Veterans in my family:

My Grandpa, Frank senior, with his bugle, which I have :-) I never met my grandpa because he died when my dad was a teen. He suffered from mustard gas exposure in a battle at the Argonne Forest in WWI.

My Dad, Frank junior, bombardier and navigator on a B-17 in WWII. He fought in the European Theater.

My husband, boilerman on a destroyer, the USS Porterfield, served in Vietnam

Honoring the Fallen Soldier at my husband's funeral:

To the American Legion, Allied Post 369, Thank You

I was sent these amazing statistics in an email:

WORLD WAR I

(1917 - 1918)
Total Service members (Worldwide): 4,734,991
Battle Deaths: 53,402
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater): 63,114
Non-mortal Woundings: 204,002
Living Veterans: 1

WORLD WAR II
(1941 - 1945)
Total Service members (Worldwide): 16,112,566
Battle Deaths: 291,557
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater): 113,842
Non-mortal Woundings: 670,846
Living Veterans: 2,079,000

KOREAN WAR
(1950 - 1953)
Total Service members (Worldwide): 5,720,000
Battle Deaths: 33,739
Other Deaths (in Theater): 2,835
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater): 17,672
Non-mortal Woundings: 103,284
Living Veterans: 2,507,000

VIETNAM WAR
(1964 - 1975)
Total Service members (Worldwide): 8,744,000
Battle Deaths: 47,434
Other Deaths (in Theater): 10,786
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater): 32,000
Non-mortal Woundings: 153,303
Living Veterans: 7,569,000

GULF WAR
(1990 - 1991)
Total Service members (Worldwide): 2,322,000
Battle Deaths: 148
Other Deaths (in Theater): 235
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater): 1,565
Non-mortal Woundings: 467
Living Veterans: 2,254,000

WAR ON TERROR
(2001 - PRESENT)
The War on Terror, including Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom are ongoing conflicts. For the most recent statistics, please visit the Department of Defense Web site.

2010 Hyundai Sonata GLS

2010-11-07T11:06:00.000-06:00

Here it is:

It's in really good condition, a couple minor paint chips that I want to get fixed.

The door for the cigarette lighter won't stay closed. It wasn't a deal-breaker.

Car!

2010-11-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

I bought a car today! I'll get a picture up tomorrow. It's a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. I was really worried that my old car was going to start having too many problems, so it's a relief to have something newer!

Some of the Good Times

2010-10-30T22:03:00.006-05:00

Dad got to visit just about all of the states. I think the only one he never saw was Alaska. When he was a boy his parents traveled and camped everywhere, national parks, camp grounds. Dad had lots of childhood memories. His dad also built a cottage in Wisconsin. Dad helped. I think he said he was 16 at the time. Dad loved the outdoors. He fished and trapped for fur, which he tanned himself and sold. Dad and his good friend Mike used to run a trap line which they checked before school, maybe after, too, but I don't remember. That's when there were more woods here. At one time Dad and his friends built a log cabin in the woods behind the university here in town. Then it was found, I think by the National Guard, who have a location near the same woods. They used it for practice and burned it down. Dad never took me into the woods, even though most of them are still there, between the university and the expressway. He said they were often wet and hard to navigate.

When Dad brought me here, we landed at the airport and his parents picked us up. They had been staying at the cottage in Wisconsin. They drove up to their house here in town, but we didn't even go inside! Grandma went in to drop off laundry and pick up clean clothes, then we headed back to Wisconsin. It was a 4 hour drive.

Times at the cottage were most wonderful to me. It was paradise. We could fish on the pier with our morning coffee. I never fished before, ever. Grandpa taught me how. Across the Slough were trees. No cottages were ever built there because it was swampy there. We spent many lazy summer weekends there, and even a winter night each year for the fireman's ball.

Well, since the family no longer owns the cottage, it's safe for me to mention publicly that it was near Briggsville, Wisconsin. Since Grandpa was a retired fireman, he was friends with the volunteer firemen in Briggsville. In the middle of winter they had a fireman's ball, and Grandpa and Grandma were always invited. Well, my first winter in the Midwest after moving from California was a real trip. My so called "coat" had no lining. My only shoes were dress shoes. Dad had to take me shopping because I was freezing my @ss off! And my toes.

The early 1970's were like a mini ice age. The snow and ice packed up on the sidewalks 6 inches thick. And Wisconsin---well---it's a LOT colder than Indiana! We spent the night in the old cottage. I say "old" because it was the first one and it wasn't finished on the inside. There was no insulation. But it wouldn't have mattered much because it had been closed for the winter and everything inside was 5 degrees below zero just like outside. The only heat was a Ben Franklin stove in the corner of the living room, which is the reason that was the first cottage. The new cottage was (is) all electric and well insulated.

Anyway, after melting quite a bit snow for washing and warming up by the fire, it did become tolerable. I don't remember much about the evening other than dining at the Pheasant Inn. We were seated near the door, and every time it opened I was hit by a whoosh of 5 below zero air! That night we slept on freezing beds. I was shivering so much I think I hovered above it. If I had to do it again I would have brought a sleeping bag!

The old cottage in Wisconsin, October 1970

Grandma and Grandpa always had company. The "payment" was that you had to write in the log. I think Dad was the one who started the logs as a fishing journal (there were several books by the time I got there). In case you are wondering, that's a canoe on the porch and a jon boat (flat bottomed) under the porch. Thankfully, when the cottage caught fire, everyone got out safely. It was so drafty the smoke didn't build up, but there was no time to grab the log books. Grandpa and Grandma, fireman friend, wife and son all were safe. It was reported that Grandpa and his friend were hopping all over in their underwear shouting directions to the volunteers, who gave it their all but alas it burned to the ground. Even the cars were blistered from the heat. I have to figure out what year that happened. It might have been in the early 1980's. The new logs might tell.

Thankfully Grandpa had it insured for much more than its worth, so he had a new cottage built with the same plans that Dad had drawn up for the first cottage. Dad's floor plan was so good that several of the cottages along the Menominee Slough have the same floor plan. The cottage has since become a larger residence (as noted by "flying" over in Google Earth). But in any case, the new cottage was much more livable, with thick insulation and all electric appliances. Instead of the open porch you see above, it was enclosed, with giant windows all across the front. It was a wonderful place to sit and look at the Slough in the sparkling morning. Usually a deer would wander by and stop for a drink, or we would hear Loons or Sandhill Cranes. It was the best of times.

Check back soon for more stories.

Progressive Losses

2010-10-29T18:42:00.002-05:00

Side effects of the treatment and progression of the cancer created a progression of losses. First, we only thought the dream to move to southern Indiana would be delayed a year or so. But then Dad lost the ability to walk, and then to eat more than a few bites or drink a few sips. In the last month reading the paper slipped away, and then following a movie or any train of thought. He never lost his love for me, nor his concern for my well-being over his. Though I cared for him at home 24/7 (except when he was in the hospital), near the end he asked me to let his care wait, so I could rest. I didn't want to let him go, he didn't want to go, but God said it was time for him to go. Now it is time to heal and to go on, from the losses to living. Dad wanted that for me. I love you, Dave, and I will always love and miss you.

I miss you Dave

2010-10-27T19:09:00.003-05:00

It's evening, and normally Daddy would be cooking by now. In fact dinner would probably be ready, and we would sit down to eat his creation. Dad was always having fun cooking. He liked to experiment, trying dishes he saw on TV or in the paper. Most of the time dinner was really good. Fridays were my day to make tacos, or maybe we would have pizza or Chinese. It was usually "dinner and a movie" night. If it was cool weather the pizza was homemade. Dad loved to cook something nice for Sunday dinner, maybe a beef or pork roast, or a roast chicken in cool weather. In summer he often cooked on the grill. If you search "Dinner" you will probably find some of Dad's creations.

I miss that, really really bad. I miss Dad.

April 2007

My beloved Husband

2010-10-05T11:36:00.004-05:00

My husband passed away Sunday morning, October 3rd, a little before 8 am, one day short of our 41st anniversary. The funeral is Friday. Dad fought bravely all year. He kept up his spirits and his hope to reach remission all the way to just before the end, when finally he knew there was no more hope. He is no longer in pain, he is no longer suffering. May he rest in peace. It was my honor to care for him.

You never wanted to see me cry
You didn't want a sad goodbye
Quietly you saw us sleeping
So you left before the weeping.

by Me

----------------------

Sent to me by a friend:

God saw you getting tired
And a cure was not to be,
So He put His arms around you
And whispered "Come with Me."

With tearful eyes we watched you suffer
And saw you fade away
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,
Laying loving hands at rest,
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.

Sad Update

2010-09-10T22:13:00.002-05:00

Well, Dad's not going to get better. He is getting radiation to reduce or remove the pain in his spine. After that---I don't know yet.

Clouds

2010-09-06T23:34:00.000-05:00

I love clouds

Ramp & Lots of Help

2010-09-05T14:56:00.003-05:00

This is my porch. It is a nightmare for dad to navigate with his rolling walker and impossible for a transport chair or wheelchair. Please excuse the dead ferns. You are welcome to come pull them out. I don't have the time or energy.

Here is my daughter and her brother-in-law building a ramp.

Setting the ramp in place.

The top is in place. They will be back tomorrow to finish it.

I am so thankful for the help. Another brother-in-law brought over a no longer needed wheelchair, which should be easier to roll than the transport chair I bought for $100 from Walgreen's. My next door neighbor has an SUV and she has offered to drive dad to his chemo treatments, since her SUV sits higher and will be easier for dad to get into. Our car is too low. He has to drop down to sit, and struggle to get up. My neighbor was a medic in the military and also a home nursing aid, so she will be a big help. I offered to pay but she said not unless she needs it.

Stuff

2010-08-27T18:21:00.005-05:00

Well there has been a lot on my mind and a lot going on, and not much happy stuff to report. A recent post by A :-) proves what I've known all along---that I pretty much hold onto the past. I have caught opportunities, though, which is how I came to work from home. The truth is, if I let go of my past I would only have stress and sadness, because that is the present. Currently pretty much everything that has come my way lately would be better dropped. Yesterday we buried my son-in-law, and every day I live with the hope that dad will beat cancer. There is no way I can move on because I cannot forsake my current duties of caring for someone who is ill. Life is not totally crappy though. Each day is special, each day has meaning, each day we try to move forward. There is still hope.

P.S. I love that song---Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds

Repaired but not done

2010-08-27T18:12:00.000-05:00

I was going to post this before but something got in the way, probably lack of sleep. The leak is fixed but the streets are still blocked off. I hope they finish soon!

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/article_cca415c6-a50b-55c4-9ae3-77b99e64cbe4.html

In the news---finally

2010-08-18T22:31:00.001-05:00

We made the news on CBS tonight
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/bp.leak.hammond.2.1867557.html

This morning---page three in the paper:

Of course, guess what the headline was:

Hair Boy

I took this pic with my phone:

I kept hearing beeping, and discovered they had the manhole cover off to test for fumes (that's my car and my tree):

So apparently BP is digging up 175th street to look for the leak while the immediate residents are suffering the fumes. I am very thankful there are no fumes here.

Now BP is leaking HERE

2010-08-17T22:13:00.004-05:00

I was wondering what was going on. I heard the end of the street was blocked off and an ambulance and all kinds of other vehicles were down there. That was about 1 pm. I stepped out and looked up the street but couldn't see anything. About 4 pm I was standing in front of the kitchen window and the ambulance drove by. I'm thinking---3 hours later? About 4:30 I heard a helicopter. Now let me explain. Around here we always hear helicopters. Every hospital around here has a helipad. But this one was hovering. Chicago news only sends helicopters to hover when (1) they are doing a traffic report on the expressway, or (2) something big happened. The last time something big happened was in 2008 when the Little Calumet River flooded for miles. So I turned on the TV, just in time to hear that Hair Boy (IL ex gov. Rod Blagojevich) only got convicted on one charge. Well, there goes the news---all channels---hair boy, all night. Did I tell you all our news is out of Chicago here?

I called my neighbor. No, she didn't know what was going on, but she did see a lot of people standing around.

So I tried online---local newspaper. Ah-HA! Found it. Hammond officials deal with oil leak. Wow that's close, so that must be it. I called my neighbor to tell her what I found.

She answered, "Oh, I got an automated call from the police department this morning telling me to run water down all my drains for a little while and then to put wet towels over them so no fumes could come in. And I didn't know how long a little while was so I called 911 and told them this is not an emergency but who do I call to find out and they told me just a little while so I let the water run for half an hour."

She's a sweet lady but I'm always thinking of the Sears Optical commercial "Missing Something?" when I talk to her.

The next question was why didn't I get a call when I'm only 2 doors away from my neighbor. I called the non-emergency number and was told I was out of range. She asked if I have a land-line. Yes. That could be something to think about if all you have is a cell phone---how would you receive emergency info? Probably by text message, if that service was available. Could be a good thing.

So anyway, those are BP's lines and something is leaking and no, I never smelled anything here, thankfully.

In the garden

2010-08-16T22:47:00.001-05:00

We never grew eggplant before. The blooms are unusual. Here are a couple pictures.

We have a good crop of tomatoes this year but everything else is so-so. The bell peppers are ok but the banana peppers continue to struggle. The zucchini were damaged by squash borers and I think the cucumbers were as well.

Catching up

2010-07-27T23:31:00.002-05:00

Something I didn't post because I was too tired:

July 18 storm lasted for 8 minutes, power was out for 11 hours. This is across the alley from the back yard.

I found a heavy 5 foot long chunck of wood in the garden

Couldn't figure out where it came from

It left a 6-inch deep pit where it hit the ground

Ohhh---that's where

More parts---this is an insulator

I'm standing next to the board. That's how far away the pole is.

Next morning----here is the job NIPSCO completed just before midnight

An alley full of limbs waiting to be picked up.

Next post---some of the things I've been doing around the house while Dad is in the hospital.

What I bought today

2010-07-25T00:13:00.001-05:00

For Dad while he's in the hospital (I bought movies too). He's getting better because he's getting bored. It was on sale, only $65, marked down from $85.

Macey thought it was for her but it's actually a modular drawer so I can straighten up the laundry room

In other news, we had 3 inches of rain last night and another inch or more in the last hour. I can't look at the rain gauge because it's being guarded by a spider in an orb web. Ewwwww

Weeds: "We grow 'em big in Indiana"

2010-07-09T00:12:00.005-05:00

Awww look it's a pickle among the weeds!

Nice big groups of grape tomatoes!

A bunch of Better Girl tomatoes

Who keeps making lace out of the banana pepper leaves? Grrrrrr!!! Are they hiding in all those weeds?

Dinky Zucchini is sure to grow large soon.

Wanted: one weed puller.

This is what I woke up to...

2010-07-03T22:36:00.000-05:00

Good Morning---YOUR COMPUTER IS DUMPED ON THE FLOOR!!!

What the heck?!?! Oh---the shelf bracket broke, so it tumbled out of the cabinet. Better view below:

After an hour or so of unplugging, untangling, dusting (while I had everything out) and placing the shelf on the top brackets, I had my computer set up and running. I put the power strip and external drives on top.

Here is a close up of the shelf bracket that fell off. It had two of these tiny nails holding it up---that's it! I can't believe they held for so long!

What's Up

2010-06-28T22:35:00.004-05:00

Here's what's blooming:

Clematis

Lilies in the afternoon sun

Lilies in the rain

Sunflowers that came up by themselves. I need to get a picture in the sun.

Now that you have enjoyed the outdoors, let me show you what's been going on inside.

Our sewer completely backed up. It was "pioneer days" all weekend. Here is the closet with the clean out (see the round white thingy). This is actually taken after the plumber was done. He pulled out a huge hunk of roots. See that shiny metal to the right? The reason for that is the next picture down.

Total mayhem LOL!! After he unplugged the sewer we discovered water was still gushing out the bottom of the toilet. He said the wax seal probably blew out from the back up. So he pulled out the toilet to fix it. He had to replace the coupling to the water supply to the toilet because it broke when he decided to add a shut-off at no charge (thus the replacent next to the cleanout).

Order restored in the bathroom

But a mess looms in the spare room. This is my shipping supply stash.

You never realize how much water you use until you have to haul it outside and dump it! I am SOOO tired!

I tried it too

2010-06-19T23:19:00.001-05:00

A:-) has this on her blog, so I took the test. Here I am:

I am a
Daisy

What Flower
Are You?

Good bye Sky

2010-06-14T11:37:00.000-05:00

Here I am all depressed and stuff because things aren't going the way I hoped in my life. And then I find out an Internet buddy lost her battle with cancer yesterday, leaving behind two teenage children. God Bless, Sky, and sending prayers for your family.

"Desert Rat"

2010-06-13T12:37:00.004-05:00

Yes, I was a "desert rat", and reading my friend A :-) 's post about her incredible journey in the Sahara inspired me to show you a bit of my past. In 2005 I was blessed to be able to go back to visit for the bi-annual Midland Reunion. I stepped out of the car onto ground I had not touched in 42 years, and looked at mountains I thought I would never see again. It was an emotional and inspiring journey "home". Though my parents and I only spent 8 and 1/2 years in the desert, I count it as the most beautiful place I have ever lived.

You might find it strange that I refer to Midland and this part of the California desert as "mine". I think all of us former "Midlandites" do. Midland was a company town and we were just renters. It is still owned by the United States Gypsum Company. But we all developed an almost spiritual connection to the desert.

Castle Rock, my beautiful mountain. I could see this mountain from our picture window

Castle Rock and the Big Maria mountain chain in the sunset. A picture of my heart. Not an evening went by that I did not watch a sunset, all crimson and purple and gold, reflected on the mountains.

Big Maria. I could easily see this mountain from my bedroom window. Often in the summer I would wake before sunrise and watch wispy clouds as they turned ever brighter, from gray to dusty rose, to soft orange, then gold, and finally bright white as the sun rose across the desert. I took this picture while standing on the huge concrete slab where the USG plant once stood.

Big Maria and the reunion

Our first house. We lived in two places in Midland. I think we were in this house for 2 years, which would have been 1955 to 1957. I remember sitting very still on this porch for a very long time as two birds fed on the ground. Eventually they ended up only about 2 feet away from me. That's our Morris Minor rag top car in the driveway.

All that is left of our first house, a tiny concrete slab. How did we live in something so tiny!!

We moved across the street on the corner, into a bigger house with a crawl space and no concrete slab. All that is left is a rusted, crumpled water pipe and the outline of our cactus garden. The ocotillo is still there! And doubled in size! This picture is looking north-northwest, at the Little Maria Mountains.

Looking south, toward Blythe. This was the view to the south, from our kitchen window, although there were houses then.

Me, my mom, and my step-grandpa on my dad's side, standing in front of what's left of the Morris Minor. You can see part of the USG plant behind me and the north edge of Big Maria behind the car. The desert dryness and heat deteriorated the rag top on the car. The last nail in its coffin was a midnight drive my dad took us on. The radiator hose broke and we lost all the water in the radiator. We were on a remote road only traveled once a week at best. If my dad had stopped the car we would have been doomed, so he drove it home and parked it. The engine block cracked from the heat. Of course, we knew that. It was us or the car. This was about 1960

Here is the same corner in 2005, but looking east, south-east. The bench was placed there for fun by some former Midlandites.

Here is the street-view of my corner, looking south. You can see the cactus garden in the distance to the right. Those are the Little Maria Mountains in the distance. The driveway curved in a semi-circle around the bush. We lived on the corner, so you could enter the driveway from the north or the east. My corner is a "bus stop"! Neat!

For more pictures of Midland, see my dad's black and white photos and my special section on Midland on my website.

Back to reality. This is where I live now. It's green but claustrophobic and uninspiring. Behind that brown wall is a noisy expressway. It might look like the country but its not. Is smells like a city. Oh boo hoo, I know---feeling sorry for myself.

Here, there or where the heck I don't know

2010-06-12T14:32:00.002-05:00

I don't think the lovely hills of southern Indiana are going to happen for us. So here I sit, stuffing my face because I'm stressed and disappointed. There comes a time when you wonder if you're just too darn old to move. Between the two of us we don't even have one good back. Maybe a vacation spot would be better---keep the house, go somewhere for fresh air and quiet relaxation. Easier said than done. Where? It's all stinky cities or freakin' cornfields around here. I am allergic to cornfields, by the way. One thought was move for the summer, then we don't have to drive back and forth. Uhh...no. We can't just leave the house unoccupied, there's no one to watch it, and I would have to bring my cats and all my plants. I can't leave my violet collection alone all summer. Even if it wasn't for the violets, I can't leave the house all summer. And what about my work? So we're back to thinking about driving back and forth. And then we have to think about taking care of two places. Ugh.

I can talk about what would "be nice" but won't happen. It would be nice to be closer to family. It would nice to live where I can attend an African Violet club. It would be nice to enjoy some fresh air and a bit of a nice view before we're in a nursing home. Crap, it would be nice to win the lottery.

A little laugh in the face of tragedy

2010-06-10T19:06:00.000-05:00

This just about wraps it up. At least you can laugh when you watch this

From furnace to A/C in a week.

2010-05-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

Summer is here. The air conditioner is on. We were still using the furnace last week. The month of April was nice---fresh air, breezy, sunny days. Then May came and it got cold, in the 40's many nights. Now it is plain hot and humid and it's not even June yet. One more thing to do outside (bring the clothes in from the line) and I'm done in the heat.

All the seeds I planted are coming up! Veggie seeds. I didn't plant and flowers in the front because there is too much digging involved. But maybe I will plant them in an unused portion of the veggie garden, if I have any. I still need to plant the banana peppers and eggplant.

More in the garden

2010-05-16T22:45:00.001-05:00

This pile of sticks has been accumulating for years.

After hurting my back a few years ago and the fact that I can get lymphodemia in my left arm, I just left the pile to grow. Well this year I decided my back was finally strong enough and my arm cooperating enough to get something done. It took me awhile, but I finally pulled the whole pile into the middle of where the boat used to sit. Then I made another garden area and planted zucchini and mellons. See below:

See all those sticks to the left? They all used to be at the other end of the garden next to the fence.

Garden

2010-05-10T00:35:00.001-05:00

It is started---tomatoes are in, radishes are planted. Lot of work to do yet.

Who writes this stuff?

2010-05-06T22:47:00.000-05:00

For a long time my pet-peeve commercial was the "changed bee". You know, for the nasal spray. The "I'm a changed bee" got me because he's NOT a bee. Bees are brown and make honey. YELLOW JACKET hornets are yellow and black and eat meat, your food, the dog poo on the ground...yeah, he's a "changed" bee alright!

Now comes another nasal commercial, the one with the lady with the stuffy nose and the little men in white coats. Now, the next time you see it, watch when she says, "I can smell the roses!" Those aren't ROSES lady!! And what's with all the little man-butts flying up to her nose? Just what is she smelling? hahah

Who writes this stuff and why is it always nasal commercials?

I want to leave before they fix it

2010-05-04T23:07:00.000-05:00

I found out our street is first in line to be fixed next spring. I do NOT want to be here. The noise, dust, parking the car at the end of the block...ugh!!! Yeah, I know the street is full of potholes and needs to be fixed, but...

Tuna Truce

2010-05-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

I guess a bowl of juice from a can of tuna can call a truce between two (sort of friendly) rivals. Normally Macey and Sophie hiss and swipe at each other, but when I set a bowl of tuna juice down for Macey, Sophie joined in. Heads together, they shared and not a single hiss!

Garden

2010-04-30T22:15:00.001-05:00

Here are our tomatoes, peppers and basil started from seed. Four Better Boy tomatoes, 5 bell peppers and two basil plants. I just planted banana peppers but they aren't up yet. It sure is hard to find banana pepper seeds.

We have other seeds that we will plant directly in the ground---radish, cucumber, zucchini and cantaloupe. We also have dill and chives. I bought rosemary and thyme plants because they are perennials. And I bought bachelor's buttons and cosmos.

Bachelor's Buttons and Cosmos, Bright Lights Mix

I chose the orange and yellow Cosmos because I thought the more familiar Cosmos colors would blend too much with the colors of the Bachelor's Buttons. Also, I was looking for sunflower-type colors without actually planting sunflowers. I love them, but so do the squirrels.

My mom always planted bachelor's buttons because I always loved them and asked her to plant them. Ahhh----bells of Ireland, I don't have seeds but that's another I always asked my mom to plant. I loved the green flowers and they always attracted green inch-worms (caterpillars), which I enjoyed playing with (when I was little!!)

Green inch worm and Bells of Ireland

Now go to my other blog, Violet Obsession, to see what came in the mail today :-)

Rain

2010-04-25T23:42:00.000-05:00

We've been getting lots of spring rain this weekend. Thankfully no severe weather like they had down south. Dinner was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, veggies and cranberry sauce. Yummy.

We have tomato and pepper plants started from seed. Nothing beats home-grown tomatoes!

Last night we watched the remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still". We didn't much care for it. It seemed to turn into an environmental statement, and it was plagued by inconsistencies and scenes that, well---were just dumb.

That's about all the news for today

More Stuff

2010-04-17T23:00:00.002-05:00

I haven't felt much like writing because I don't have anything to write about, other than we aren't moving this year. So I am basically busy with work and my violets and all the other things I do every day. We are having a decent spring this year, more warm weather than expected. The snow ball bush will be blooming soon and the crabapple tree is coming into bloom now.

I bought myself some comfortable shoes, didn't even need to break them in, on sale at Cabela's. I don't normally shop there, there are kind of expensive. I am having a hard time finding some decent tops. I just want some casual tops to wear around the house. It seems like clothing is made with skinny arms and fat middles. Once I get it to fit my arms, the waist part is flapping in the breeze. Relaxed fit they call it. I do like some of the clothes at K-Mart.

Stuff

2010-03-29T22:47:00.000-05:00

It was explained to me that the uproar is because the country can't afford it and something about it's against the law to force everyone to buy insurance. The thing is, in order for the insurance companies to afford to pay out on the sick people is to have all the well people sign up and pay into it too. How are you going to get them to do that without incentive? Apparently Indiana has decided to join with the states that are trying to sue the government.

I bought seeds today. Tomato, peppers, cucumber, dill, radish, basil. Life is what happens when you're busy making plans. I don't think we'll be moving this year.

We watched Public Enemies the other night. It was pretty good. It was neat seeing Crown Point in the movie. Dad put the ductwork in there when it was being renovated years ago. I will have to ask him for more details. It's too bad the beautiful First National Bank in East Chicago (that Dillinger robbed) was demolished. I thought the movie started out a little slow, but it picked up momentum.

YES WE CAN!!!

2010-03-21T22:47:00.001-05:00

Have universal health care! It was voted on tonight, still needs to go through the Senate, though. Some people are screaming that it takes away their rights. Huh?

Ok, it takes away my right to be denied insurance because I have pre-conditions. It takes away my right to be terrified that I might have a serious illness while uninsured, in which case I would need to empty my savings account to get care, and when the money is gone, go on Medicaid, which is a spend down program, so forget about those savings.

Woo.

Tell me why I should be against this?

I want to add---if we had this maybe my dad would have gotten care sooner, and been able to live longer, same for my mother-in-law. Two dear people lost too soon because they delayed to get care because they didn't have insurance.

Star Trek

2010-03-19T23:55:00.001-05:00

We watched the new Star Trek movie. For an old Star Trek fan like me it was a real adventure, although I couldn't quite wrap my head around the baby-faced young Spock. Well, Nimoy as Spock was always my favorite, so I guess I'm being a little extra critical. But it was good, and packed with action. And Nimoy does make an appearance!

Someone posted a picture of the old and new cast here:
http://www.rollanet.org/~vbeydler/van/3dreview/star-trek-old-new.jpg

Stardust

2010-03-02T23:40:00.001-06:00

Tonight I learned that gold is star dust! I love the History channel program "How the Earth Was Made". So much new stuff to learn. Anyway, I always assumed that gold was just an element of the earth. But it turns out it was created by an exploding star, a huge supernova that rained gold particles through the universe. When the earth formed, some of the particles were captured. Gold always stays gold. It doesn't change, like iron turns into rust or uranium decays into lead. So the gold on your finger came from a faraway star, billions of years ago. That's even more enduring than diamonds made from coal. Who said diamonds are forever? Awesome.

Goodbye February

2010-02-28T23:55:00.001-06:00

I guess I should post once before the month is up. It's been a long month, even though it's the shortest. Lots of snow, lots of waiting to get winter over with so we can get to looking for a place to move. Watched a couple good movies this month, don't remember the names. Watched Sunshine again, this time on TV with commercials. It's still a gripping SciFi, even with the interruptions. I would like to see that movie on a big screen with no commercials. Another I want to see again is Contact. Been a long time. Maybe we should rent it. I just love to "step into" a good SciFi, meaning watching it is an experience. But they have to be really good. It doesn't work if they aren't well done or silly.

We had some heavy snow this month. We hardly shoveled---too heavy. We're looking forward to it melting.

On to March....

Dinner and a Movie

2010-01-24T00:03:00.002-06:00

I did install the igniter in the oven the other day, so we were able to have homemade pizza tonight. The movie was Julia and Julia. It was ok but I have to say Julia Child was far more interesting that the other Julia.

Before starting the movie, dad turned the on TV and the end of Titanic was on. I can't seem to get through the end of that movie without sobbing, which was rather comical as I was trying to hide the fact from dad AND roll out pizza dough. Had to run to the bathroom a couple times before I could complete the pizza.

Other than that, not much going on. It is windy tonight, nearly 45, and the snow is melting.

Please

2010-01-18T21:36:00.000-06:00

Lord, I pray for all those in Haiti and I pray that someone will help those elderly nursing home people who are dying on the street.

Darn Appliances!

2010-01-13T22:48:00.001-06:00

Well, I told dad I don't want to buy new ones! They can systematically break down and when they are all broken we HAVE to move!! Less to pack! We can throw them all away. Buy new ones in our new location.

But we have to fix the oven. There are just some appliances you don't want to be without. The igniter coil went out----again. I had to change it a few years ago. Yes--me. Dad can't crawl halfway into the oven to remove the darn thing. Fortunately the oven door detaches. Then all I have to do is remove the broiler. Then I have to sit down on the floor and crawl halfway in so I can reach the two screws on the **bottom** side of the coil. Why on earth they couldn't install them on TOP I don't know. Nothing like crawling half-way into an oven to give you the willies. Well, I did it before, so this time it didn't scare me.

Last year the dryer started acting up. The belt is loose and it makes a horrible noise. So I hang clothes (in the laundry room in winter) and just use the dryer to fluff them up. I actually enjoy hanging clothes. Yes I do, really. Thankfully the washer is working fine. The dishwasher died, though. Did you know the bottom rack from the dishwasher with a towel under it makes an awesome dish rack when placed on the counter next to the sink? I don't mind doing dishes, in fact it's rather relaxing.

So does it sound like we're poor and living in hardship? No, absolutely not! Not at all. This is a choice. And it's exercises, a break from sitting at the computer. Why buy all new stuff, get rid of the old, have it installed, only to have to haul it all out and down with us when we move? Dad and I made a challenge and we're sticking to it. The new stuff arrives in our new place!

The Saga of the Sleeping Kitty Continues...

2010-01-04T22:48:00.000-06:00

Today when I was out shopping I saw some inexpensive pet beds at the drug store. So I bought one for the DOG, Trixie, who is a bit bigger than the cats but still pretty small by dog standards. Anyway, I set the bed on the floor only to find the dog lying in the middle of the floor staring at the bed, which was and still is occupied by...you guessed it, Macey. I picked up the bed, cat and all, set it on the couch, and promised the dog I will go buy another one tomorrow. Trixie is sleeping comfortably on her old bed, so don't worry, she is not going without one.

As you can see by the previous post, kitty Macey loves to be warm and comfy. Even the previously coveted comforter lost its appeal in light of the new bed!

It's Cold tonight!

2010-01-02T22:18:00.001-06:00

Seven degrees, but Macey is warm!

This is her favorite place to sleep. I put this comforter away a few days ago and this poor cat was beside herself trying to figure out how to take her nap! I felt so bad I folded it back up on the couch. Oh what the heck! It's washable! She crawls in between the folds and covers herself.

Daughter here in Indiana came over tonight for a late Christmas. She brought gifts and yummy Kolaczki cookies she baked herself. We had gifts for her as well. We talked and looked at pictures. Nice visit.

By the way, that's almost minus 14 celsius for daughter down under where you are enjoying sunny summer weather LOL

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2009-12-22T21:33:00.002-06:00

Created by me with Xara Xtreme 5

Shameless plug for my favorite graphics software!

A phone call...

2009-12-12T22:37:00.003-06:00

...From my dad's co-pilot! To thank me for sending pictures! Meet my dad's co-pilot, Joe, standing next to my dad!

Left to right: my dad (bombardier) Frank, co-pilot Joe, pilot John and navigator Peter.

Joe is 91 years young and he talked my ear off with tons of stories. He and his wife of 60+ years live in Ohio.

Joe told me before they went overseas they were in North Carolina, then New York, then Florida. From there they flew to Brazil. From Brazil they were to fly to North Africa on a B-24. But the plane had something wrong with it, and a typing paper-sized piece of paper was taped to the side with red tape all around the edges of the paper. The message was "DO NOT FLY THIS PLANE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES". So they were delayed a day in leaving. Now I'm not sure if it was the same plane that got fixed or a different one, but the next day the B-24 they were leaving in had problems. Un-noted changes had been made and it wouldn't fly level and it took an extra 3 hours to get it to fly right.

Basically the story was they left Brazil at 8:30 pm to cross the Atlantic to North Africa. When they were approaching the airbase at Dakar, French West Africa, they got a big scare. Now, Joe explained, when you land a plane you fly in a pattern and you land into the wind. The pattern is divided into legs. There is a downwind leg, a short leg and the approach (into the wind). The B-24 has 4 engines. Number 4 engine stopped on the downwind leg. The number 3 engine stopped on the short leg. So they had engine 1 & 2 but they are on one side of the plane, which makes it want to fly in circles. Joe thought they would crash for sure. But the flight engineer was able to restart them so they could land safely.

After they landed they taxied over to refuel. Joe said that the fuel gauge on a plane is the same as on a car, they aren't all that accurate. Joe asked if I knew how they checked the fuel level. "With a stick?" I asked. Yes, he said, and there wasn't even enough fuel left to wet the end. The extra three hours added to the trip ran the tanks nearly dry. The flight engineer found enough reserve to restart the engines. They came close to ditching in the ocean.

Other miscellaneous things Joe told me were:

It took an hour for squadrons to all get into the air, into formation, and then up to the altitude they were to fly at for the mission.

The targets were heavily guarded with anti-aircraft guns. The puffs of black smoke were so thick at times it looked like you could walk across them. He said they called him "Holy Joe" because he prayed so much.

The oil pressure on a B-17 engine could drop suddenly for no apparent reason. You had to keep it at 80. If it dropped below 40 the propellers would loose their trim and would "windmill". (I don't understand that one yet LOL)

My dad was assigned group leader bombardier because he always did an excellent job at destroying his share of the enemy targets. I'm not sure exactly how Joe described the groups, but each squadron had groups of planes and the lead plane had the bombardier. The following planes had other crew members that weren't trained as bombardiers. The bombs were released by flipping toggle switches, so when the lead bombardier located the target and began dropping the bombs, the "toggle flippers" in the following planes would also drop their bombs.

Well, that's about it for the stories right now. At least they are getting written down this time! Today I took the crew photo above and made a copy at Walgreen's. It turned out well, much clearer than my printout. Now, tomorrow I am going to make more, because Joe wants to send one to the pilot John and the navigator Peter! And I have to make one for the archivist for the 99th Bomb Group Historical Society.

Wow. What a day.

Found!!!

2009-12-07T22:13:00.002-06:00

I found the photos I had been looking for! I had gone through the large box of my parent's old photos over and over, and through the photo albums, and then countless boxes and drawers but could not find them.Then I picked up a small box and unfolded some tissue paper. Wrapped in the paper was an envelope with the writing "old photos from WW II". Sometimes you are just one small box away from loosing something rare.

This is my dad inspecting 100 lb. napalm incendiary bombs -- Photographed at Airbase -- Poltava, Ukraine, U.S.S.R. June 1944". A note was added: "Note the cigarette behind back, he has just discovered one of the bombs is leaking and is about to get out of there, fast."

Italy 1944. In this photo my dad is pictured with three other crew members. I am guessing a pilot and co-pilot plus another member. There are no names. Captions reads "Frank with his crew". My dad is on the left. I am hoping the co-pilot I am in contact with is in the picture. That would be too cool!

Italy 1944. The caption on the back of this photo reads:

"The best crew the 347th ever had -- right Frank?"

(my dad is not in this picture but it is a picture of his crew)

I'm sending copies of the photos to the 99th. They have an archivist who won't almost loose things in little boxes.

In other news, I did a little Christmas shopping today. I only found some of what I was looking for. Bought dad and I some chocolate. Well, that wasn't on my list. Gotta have chocolate! LOL

A letter!

2009-11-30T22:39:00.000-06:00

I received an answer to the letter I wrote to my dad's co-pilot! It wasn't a long letter. He admits he has forgotten a lot, as WW II was a long time ago. But I was excited to hear from one of my dad's crew members.

He writes, "Your Dad was an easy going guy. Nothing seemed to bother him. Fighters, anti aircraft shells. He was always cool as a cucumber."

I grew up listening to my dad's stories. It's a shame no one wrote them down. I remember a few things, but not dates and locations. My dad told stories of returning back to base with the plane limping on one engine, barely keeping altitude and brushing the tree tops. That was over Italy. Another time my dad's parachute was hit by shrapnel (flak). It tore up the parachute but he was not wounded at all (I have the metal pieces with his medals). He also told stories of visiting Egypt and the Holy Land. He noted on his Mission list that happened in June 1944.

In other news, I had an orientation today for three new employees and mailed equipment to two more new people. I had to set up five laptops plus pack everything up. I'm tired of setting up laptops! The orientaion went well. Now I can rest.

Nice day and a "darn it!"

2009-11-22T23:19:00.001-06:00

Today was sunny and mild. Temperatures have been hitting 60 frequently this month. We even cracked open a couple windows. Since it was so mild I decided to wash sheets and hang them on the line.

Do NOT, I repeat, Do Not Ever hang clothes on the line when your back yard is littered with crab apples!!! I didn't notice a flock of starlings flew in and feasted on them, and rested will full tummies ON THE CLOTHES LINE.

I went out to take the sheets down and ohhh crap!!!!!!!!!! Those little sheet sh*ters!!!! I had to wash them all over again and dry them in the dryer.

Aside from that it was a lovely day. Nice to see the sun all day long with it mild enough to enjoy it. Dad made yummy bread. He used white and whole wheat flour with a little oatmeal added. He also used honey and Agave nectar. It's really good!!

In touch with the 99th!

2009-11-21T23:57:00.000-06:00

I emailed one of the contacts and got an answer. After we shared some info back and forth (well, you're not going to give out info to just anyone who finds you on a webpage, right?) he told me one of the 99th Bomb Group Historical Society members remembers my dad. In fact he was the co-pilot on many of the missions! He has agreed to us getting in touch. I have been looking for photos but I have not been able to find them. I'm not sure if my mom put them someplace or if they are gone forever.

Reflecting on my parent's past

2009-11-18T22:42:00.001-06:00

I've been watching WW II in HD. I have wept a lot. It is gruesome to watch, yet I feel like I am seeing first hand what my parents lived through, especially my dad as a B-17 navigator and bombardier. I am amazed at the stories told and photographed by the people who lived to tell them. My dad flew 50 missions over Italy, north Africa and Europe. I tried to see if any of the planes were El Diablo but I didn't see the name. Later I decided to google it and actually found a book that mentions El Diablo. I found a couple mentions but not the 347th squadron which my dad was in. I also found The 99th Bomb Group Historical Society. More serching and I just found some basic history of the 347th. My dad used to tell a lot of interesting stories. Too bad no one ever wrote them down.

My dad standing in front of the B-17 El Diablo

Been awhile...been busy

2009-11-13T23:43:00.000-06:00

I'm always busy after the conference but that work is done now. The weather has been very mild for November. Today we cleaned the carpet. The weather was still mild enough to open the windows for awhile and hang a few items on the clothesline.

My son-in-law in Australia bought me some books! "Learning PHP5" and "JavaScript". They are both O'Reilly books. I'll never be a serious programmer like John but I am having fun adding some functions to my PHP forms. Eventually I hope to understand how to work with MySQL database, which is also included in the PHP book.

Back to normal

2009-10-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

We got home yesterday. The kitties were SOOO happy to see us. They keep checking up on me to make sure I'm still here. Last night Sophie jumped on the foot of the bed, ran up along my side and meowed in my face, just one meow, then she left. It was so funny! Still trying to figure out what it meant. Do pets think their people got out and ran away?

This morning I picked up our dog, Trixie. She stayed with my daughter so she brought Trixie to work with her and I met her there. So now that we have eaten home cooked food gotten a good night's sleep we feel back to normal.

Now for some pictures:

The balcony outside our room

Looking toward the Inn

Saturday from the conference room---the sun peeked out for a few seconds

Sunday morning---fog on the lake

On the pier looking back at the Inn

One of four lakes at the Natchez Trace

Clouds reflecting in the water. So blue!!

And clear

Moss garden

Beaver work

Postcard perfect lake

Monday morning fog

Dad getting ready to leave.

We enjoyed the fresh air and quiet. The scenery was so beautiful!

Vincennes

2009-10-19T21:20:00.001-05:00

We're staying in a better place this time. Also found a decent Mexican restaurant, La Fiesta. Home tomorrow. I miss my kitties!!!!!!!!!!

Natchez Trace State Park, TN

2009-10-18T22:32:00.001-05:00

I started this post on Thursday the 15th. It's now Sunday, the 18th and we're still here! The weather for the conference was disappointing, chilly, damp and cloudy. Of course Sunday, the day everyone had to leave, was sunny and gorgeous. So...we didn't leave. I took lots of pictures but I'm not sure if I can edit them until I get home. I didn't install my editing software.

Back to the 15th:

We are here, tired, and about ready to grab something to eat. I hope it's sunny tomorrow so I can get a nice picture before my head is buried in all the conference work (didn't happen).

The drive down was rather unremarkable. Western Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee don't have the spectacular rock outcropping and cliffs. I saw field after field of corn and soybeans. We saw cotton in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. The most unusual thing we saw was long, covered conveyor belts for moving coal to the railroads in western Kentucky. They undulated up over roads and down through farm fields for miles.

Thursday night the boss, vp and I sorted out all the shirt orders and stuffed the gift bags. Friday morning I set up the equipment area in the conference room. It was a long day so we crashed early and planned an early start on Saturday. The weather was cold and gloomy.

Dad and I finished all the equipment in time for dinner with the employees. We enjoy their company and honestly would rather talk than work. But that's "my marathon" I call it. I cleaned, checked and updated 19 laptops (I think---my list is packed) and printers. Dad cleaned all the inventory calculators.

Sunday (today) morning we packed up all the conference related stuff and decided to stay. We took several walks and ate yummy pizza from Sparky's in Lexington, TN, only about 10 minutes drive away. It's time to post this and head to bed. We must start home tomorrow!

An early Merry Christmas or...

2009-10-11T15:59:00.000-05:00

...a late Anniversary gift. Either way, I was to the point that my carpal tunnel was driving me nuts, so I was either going to have to give up using the mouse, or stop using the computer. Guess what won.

Here it is---my new Wacom Bamboo. I have wanted a tablet for years.

In other news, Macey (left) and Murry say "Hi, don't bother us we're sleeping."

Aren't they cute. You can see Macey's extra thumbs.

Happy Anniversary

2009-10-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

To dad and I---40 years!! Seems more like 20. I don't know how on earth we could have gotten to that number. Must mean that white-haired lady I keep seeing in the mirror must be me??? Well, I don't feel old, so that's what counts. Dad grilled steaks and we had baked potatoes with sour cream. I made onions and mushrooms sautéed in butter (the healthy stuff, not real butter LOL) to serve with the steak and blue cheese. Yummy.

What a day!

2009-09-30T23:14:00.001-05:00

This is a very busy time of the year for me. The conference is barely over 2 weeks away and preparations are in high gear. I have been shopping and purchasing gifts for the employees and taking orders for the two free company shirts they receive every year. So today when my DSL went down I decided to not become frustrated and take a break from the computer. I got a laptop set up and re-potted some violets. Then the mailman knocked on the door. He had a box for me. You have to go to my Violet Obsession blog to find out what was in it. (link is on the right).

Eye Opening

2009-09-26T23:28:00.001-05:00

Tonight we watched the "Holy Grail in America" on the History Channel. Now I've never been one to blindly believe everything I hear or read but I am open minded. Give me some new information and back it up with enough evidence and I'm interested. And I do mean interested. This program was amazing! It's controversial, but I'm approaching it with an open mind. Dad and I both enjoyed it immensely.

First of all, I had no idea there are ancient runestones in America. The story progresses in more and more eye-opening ways, all backed up with examples and scientific study. Well, some of it is theory of course, because we don't know everything, but the clues are unmistakably there.

The story starts with a large runestone in Minnesota, called the Kensington Runestone. Many archaeologists think it's fake because the writing doesn't fully match what they normally see on runestone. They think it's a modern fake. But new scientific evidence debunks the debunker's. The story hops back and forth from Europe to Scotland to Nova Scotia and then the US. Ha! That's cool. My dad's great grandparents came from Scotland to Nova Scotia and then to Massachusetts. Not that my family is any way connected. None of them were Templar Knights. There is an ancient stone tower in Rhone Island that aligns astronomically. Wait...what? Templar Knights? Yup. They are in the story, too. Did I tell you this story is Amazing!! I found the author's website. I think the book would be an interesting read. The website, The Hooked X, has links to the book, the film, the author (he's a scientist) and other links.

More links:
A bit about runestones in America - here
A blog with a good collection of pictures, including the Newport Tower in Rhode Island - here

Cool Site

2009-09-26T00:10:00.000-05:00

Take a look at the ancient gold http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/ on this website!

Not much to write about tonight. We watched a good movie, Cadillac Records. We enjoyed it, even though the IMDB review isn't so great. Apparently it isn't fully historically correct, but so many movies aren't. But we enjoyed it.

Dinner tonight was breaded fried sole. I like sole because it doesn't taste fishy.

It's ok if you laugh

2009-09-20T22:39:00.005-05:00

It's been a LONG time since I tried to crochet. Maybe 20 years. Even back then I was just learning. In fact I packed up almost all of my mom's knitting needles and crochet hooks after she passed and mailed them to a friend. I had to hunt to find any remaining ones, so I don't have a nice metal one right now. Then I didn't have any yarn handy because it's packed away in a bin in the closet. I found some cotton Lace Net Darning yarn but it's very hard to handle. Then I remembered a skein of yarn I tossed into my African Violet potting supply box. Ah-ha! Now I have purple yarn to practice with. Well---I can make a chain LOL. And then I worked in something I learned on http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/. If I did it right it's the double crochet. It's kind of catawumpus and wonky. Oh well.

I want to make those pretty flowers!! But I can't read the patterns yet.

In other news, my daughter said tonight (in our ICQ chat) that it was beginning to rain. She added that she misses our lashing thunderstorms because the ones in Australia are mild and gentile. Then she said the weather is just now proving her wrong because a huge storm is coming in. The weather service reported, "Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce large hailstones, destructive winds, very heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours." She's off-line now because hubby wanted her to drive the car over to his parent's and park it under the carport before the worst hit. I'll try to grab a radar screen shot when the biggest part of the storm is over Elizabeth, South Australia.

Ok, got pictures:

10:07pm Sunday our time but it's Monday afternoon in Australia. I put purple dots for Elizabeth (where my daughter lives) and Virginia (where her in-laws live). Look near the center of the map, just to the lower right of center. If you look south from Elizabeth you will see Adelaide. That's where her hubby works. You can also find Adelaide on any Australia map. This is a 64 km view.

Now here is the storm at 250 km at 10:19 pm our time.

And now zooming in to 64km again to show they heavy rains now hitting her area.

Rain like this is a common experience for us but Australia is coming out of a six to ten year drought.

Kangaroos

2009-09-14T23:15:00.002-05:00

My daughter's mother-in-law bought some paint that wasn't quite the right color, but she couldn't return it because one of the roos ate her receipt so she can't take it back. Let me explain. My younger daughter lives in Australia. She and her husband and his parents are part of a wildlife rescue program. So both households have the pitter patter of little orphaned kangaroo feet. Baby roos are too little to live outside without a mother roo.

So----much like the dog ate my homework story, roos really eat paper. My daughter said roos really LOVE paper, and they know they aren't supposed to eat it, so when they see you coming they suck it up like noodles and poof it's gone! So went the receipt.

Now that's funny!!

Baby Oan in his bassinet

Baby Russ in his basket with kitties. The grass is for him to munch on.

Russ and Iggy

Russ is growing up. When he is old enough and the weather is warm he can live in the pasture with the other adult roos.