Shopping????

There is no way I will go out and fight the crowds for Christmas presents, just no way. I stay at home on 'Black Friday' and even today I did not order anything online. Today is the biggest online shopping day of the year. But, I ordered everthing I am going to order last week, so today I was just going to piddle around the house and read and watch old movies. But, my back and left shoulder have decided to make my life miserable. I have been taking aspirin for the pain, but today it was not working. My friend gave me ( I know) a couple of pain pills she had...something with codine. Now, I don't want anyone to think that I routinely take meds that are not mine or that I am some sort of abuser, but I was hurting. So, I had her rub some Emu cream over my back and shoulder, took two pills and lay on the couch with the heating pad. It took about an hour but the pain finally went away. I am getting to the point of almost deciding to go to the doc. At least I will have my own meds to take. I might even try to chiropractor, he did help me a couple of years ago. Anyway, this is the reason I have not been writing as much as I want to.

I have been reading though. And, listening to some books on CDs while I waller in bed trying to find a comfortable way to lay so my shoulder will stop hurting. Ya'll tired of my whineing yet? I am if ya'll aren't.

Good news is that I may, just may,be back home this week. My son almost has his place ready to move into and, I am going to make him start paying the house note again in December. That might make him hurry up and move.

Reese Thomas actually sat in Santa's lap last Friday (my daughter is like me and would rather not go out on the busy days, but she went with her husband to the mall) Mike, my daughter, told me that Reese saw Santa and took off running to get to him. He is twenty months old and has no idea about Santa or Christmas. But, she said he tried to push past two other kids. Then, when it was his turn, he sat in Santas lap with a big smile on his face. This is the kid who does not want anyone touching him or talking to him if he does not know them. And, he has yet to go to see his pediatrician without crying. I will get the pic of him on cd and post it for ya'll to see how sweet he is.

My other two grandsons are in Michigan and I have not seen them since last June. I was going to go back for this school year, but Katrina changed my plans. I hope to go back after Christmas and spend the rest of the school year with them, then bring them back here for the summer.

I love this time of year because of all the old movies and cartoons that we have watched for years. Like, 'It's A Wonderful Life', 'Scrooge' and the Grinch and the Wizard of Oz. I think that is really the best thing about the season, that and getting all the family together. This year all my kids will be in one place again.

Ok, enough rambling about nothings....and to all the Scrooges out there I say...Bah! Humbug! to you and your doom and gloom.

Thanksgiving aftermath

Well, Thanksgiving is over for another year. I am still recovering from eating more than I should. I won't eat like this again till Christmas dinner. Then will spend the time till next Thanksgiving dieting.

Today I bought most of the gifts that I am giving over the computer. I love it. My youngest daughter and I have a few things in common. One of those being that we don't like crowds. We agreed that the internet is the best thing for agoraphobics. It allows them to function without leaving home.

Hope everyone's holidays are blessed and safe.

Thanksgiving

Well, it seems that I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Of course, I have already started it. I cooked the ham and am mixing all the other stuff up so all I will have to do is put them in the oven tomorrow. This is going to be a good Thanksgiving. I

I had thought that I would just ignore it this year, since my older son still has not moved out of my house and I am still at Leslie's. Leslie and my youngest son do not care for each other, so, I was going to get Phil and the two of us were going to hang out. Then, today, Leslie asked me if I wanted to do Thanksgiving here. Then said that since Phil has made significant effort the past few months it is time to let all that silliness go. Amazing. This has only taken six years. I sometimes wonder who the adult was in all this dumbness.

So, tomorrow we (Leslie, Phil, Mike, Jamie, Reese and moi) to turkey and dressing (not stuffing) ham, sweet potatoe casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy (if the gravy god decides to bless me) rolls and sweet tea. With apple pie, pecan pie and cherry pie, (all either bought or with bought filling and frozen pie crusts, I am not sadistic).

I pray you each have a blessed day and that we all remember why we should be thankful. And, go hug someone you have been on the outs with.

An-ti-ci-pation

Whatever happened to anticipation? Remember dreaming of a first date? A first kiss? First car? Seems nowadays no one waits for anything anymore. No one gets to experience the thrill of anticipation. It's all gimme now! Twelve year olds are dating, dressed to look as if they are twenty. Kids used to get a car when they graduated. Now they get one as soon as they learn to drive and pass the driver's test. And what is with 'friends with benefits'?

I had a long discussion with a co-worker several years ago. She said that she believed spirituality is what is missing and causing children to react or act out the way they do. At the time, I said that it was a lack accountability, that children aren’t made to be responsible for their actions. I still believe this, but I also think it is the constant feeling of wanting more and bigger things. Instead of allowing a child to enjoy the anticipation, things are given too soon. Children are also being robbed of truly appreciating and enjoying the gift or their stage in life.

Remember how it felt to anticipate? Why not let our children feel that also. What is so wrong with making a child wait for the next step in growing up?

And,,,,

More Mississippi Trivia

14. S.B. "Sam" Vick of Oakland, played for the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. He was the only man ever to pinch hit for baseball great Babe Ruth.

15. Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc., in West Point, is proclaimed to make the very best snow sled in the U.S., which has become an American tradition. It is of course called THE FLEXIBLE FLYER.

CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI

16. The world's first human lung transplant was performed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, in 1963. The world's first heart transplant was performed at the Center the following year.


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Well, I got caught up in the xbox madness.........Bill Gates is a marketing fool, whatever else he in.......even though I never thought I would be. My son-in-law does not have computer access just now so my daughter called me last night to order one from Sears. So, I was online, with my mouse finger ready at mdnight. Went to the xbox section on the Sears site and.................nothing. My son-in-law called the online help line and got this.....'Welcome to the Sears online store...xbox are on sale now, just keep hitting your refresh button. Was there something else I could help you with?' Jamie had not said a word. So, it was back to hitting the refresh button. I stayed up until 3am, but never did make it to the site. This morning it is easy to get there, but, of course there is no more xboxes in stock.

Phil wants a gun for Christmas. His best friend is a hunter and has had a gun or been around guns for most of his life. Phil told me today that he has signed up for a gun safety course and wants to start hunting with his friend. I know the boy's father and know that he taught his son to be responsible, which he is. He is one of the few friends Phil has had since the sixth grade that I have consistently liked. But, if I do buy a gun, a hunting rifle, then I will have fresh worries. And, I know Phil is twenty and all that, but still. What to do, what to do.

I still have the weirdest thing going on with my left hand. It started back in February with my arm from my elbow down aching. I figured it was the way I used the keyboard so I changed the setup and added more support for my arm. Then, it started going numb, you know that sleepy foot feeling, all the way to the tip of the little finger. This spread to the next two fingers and stayed that way for weeks. Then it slowly started to fade away. Oh, and the aching stopped when the numbness started. Now, I get cramps in my left hand and the little finger still has a numb feeling. (My youngest daughter, Michael. told me that I better not be having a stroke cause she is not changing any diapers. ) And, of course, I have not seen a doctor. I hate going to a doctor, not because I am afraid of them, but because I feel like, if I am not seriously ill, then I am wasting their time. Of course, as much as the charge, they are not exactly wasting time. But, I think I will see how this goes.

Ok, the holidays always make me weird (er). So, there is no telling what I might write here in the next few days.

At least the grabbos have let me sleep at night. Gumbo has taken to 'burying' his bone under the bathroom rug, so it is becoming tricky to go in the middle of the night.

I am a Frog???

You Are A: Frog!

Independent yet still part of a large community, frogs are unique creatures known for their distinctive sound and ability to hop. As a frog, you spend your days sitting on lily pads or climbing trees, searching for delicious insects to eat. While there are some frogs that aren't exactly cute, you are certainly not one of those!

You were almost a: Turtle or a Bear Cub
You are least like a: Bunny or a GroundhogCute Animal Test!


A frog!! Good lord. Ok, here is a joke.....

A census worker is goes up to a house in the mountains of Tennesee. A woman comes to the door and he asks her...

'How many children do you have and what are their ages?'

She says, 'Well, there are the twins Seth and Beth, they are 16. Then, there is Penny and Jenny, they are 14. And, then there are.....'

The census taker stops her and says,' Good lord, did you get twins every time?"

The woman laughs and says,' Lordy no, some times we didn't get nothing at all.'

The environment and other wounded creatures...

A week or so ago, Oprah did a show with Leonardo deCaprio (I think that is his name) about the environment and how we can become more user friendly. There were some good ideas that we all can start using, but, while I was watching it, I thought about the average person who does good just to pay rent and feed his/her kids. How can someone who is existing on minimum wage or welfare supposed to buy a hybrid car? Or, faced with the choice of buying eco-friendly light bulbs that cost like $7.00 each (but which do last longer) or buying the 49 cent special, how can they think six months down the road and take the eco-friendly one? When you see someone driving an old clinker down the road with black smoke pouring out the tailpipe, do you get all holier-than-thou and sneer at them? Or, do you think that maybe that is all they can afford to get back and forth to work.

This has been rolling around in the back of my mind since I watched the show. What are most people in this country supposed to do? (I will wait till another post to holler about the people who can afford hybrids but who buy Humvees and SUVs). Is there a website with info for the common man? Something that people can slowly start doing? If not, why not? I am going to spend some time in the next few days searching for one, and if there is none, maybe there is info spread out that could be collected all together on a site.

And, then, there is another thing. How many of the people who are on welfare, etc have computer access? And, if they have, how many of the older people are computer savvy? There is a need in this country and it is not being met. Getting all superior acting and saying how the environment is dying and that we need to do something is all well and good. But, to those in the know, get the info together for those who are subsisting. Have any of you had to decide to buy food, pay the electric bill or buy $7.00 light bulbs? Get real.

Southern folks....

Yesterday I got a cell phone and called my children to give them the number. Today, I decided to check the ringtone...I hate those obnoxious loud ringtones....so I used the hosue phone to call my number so I could hear the tone. I waited, and waited, then put the cell phone up to my ear and heard someone saying hello. I figured that I had dialed the wrong number, so I told the person and then told them why I was trying to dial my own number. She was nice about it and laughed. Later today, I was wondering why not one of my kids had called me so I called my youngest daughter. She laughed and told me it was because I had given out the wrong number. So, the poor woman I had talked to earlier today had gotten calls from two of my children and one of my grandchildren. The grandson, Ryan, talked for quiet awhile telling this stranger about the new Harry Potter movie. She was nice to all of them. She never, at any time, got all upset and hostile with us.

Then, this afternoon, three people from a church in Georgia came to the door to invite us to a program they have setup this Tuesday. There will be singing and some preaching and they have 20,000 turkeys to give away. These people have come here to help the victims of Katrina. One of the ladies was an older woman who did most of the talking. She was the sweetest thing. She told me that she just wanted to hug my neck. Then, she told me that the group she was with had been taken on a tour of the most devastated parts of the Mississippi coast. We talked for quite a bit, then she said they had to go to more houses. She had asked me if I had children or grandchildren, then asked their ages. She said that she didn't have anything that the oldest two would like, but, that I could choose from what she had to give to the youngest. She was just a sweet, caring lady.

See, this to me, is true southern temperment. The first woman did not get tootie when she kept getting my calls. She even listened to us! She took the time to be gracious. And, the second lady took time out of her day to talk to me and offer whatever help she could. This is typical southern behaviour. I know there are some deviants that I am ashamed to call southern, but the way these ladies acted to total stranger is the typical attitude you will see down here.

So, even though I know this will make some people mad, this is what I see as the difference with southern people. People care about you and want to know what you think about things. And, they listen to you when you talk to them.

I know that the whole country has sent aide to us down here. I don't mean to dismiss that. I know there were people who have survived because of the kindness of strangers. Strangers from all of this country. Actually, this isn't even about aide or anything like that.

Toenails, cellphones and rambles

More Mississippi Trivia

11. Guy Bush, of Tupelo, was one of the most valuable players with the Chicago Cubs. He was on the 1929 World Series team and Babe Ruth hit his last home run off a ball pitched by Bush.

12. During the 1930's one of Mississippi' s most famous pilots, a barnstormer by the name of Roscoe Turner, of Corinth, was proclaimed to be one if the best speed pilots in the U.S. But he was perhaps best known for flying with his animal mascot named Gilmore, an African lion cub. A world renowned aviator, Turner is featured in the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institute and is the only three time winner of the Thompson Trophy Race. In Corinth, during August. visitors can enjoy the Annual Roscoe Turner Hot Air Balloon Races, which offer a weekend of fun, festivities, food and entertainment.

13. Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, of Civil War fame, was reared in Benton County and was pronounced by military historians and critics alike to be the foremost calvary officer ever produced in America.

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Took Gumbo to PetSmart to get his toenails cut and have a bath, but they were full so I made an appointment for tomorrow. Which I won't keep. I am not an 'appointment' person. I hate them. I usually decide to do something and just go do it, instead of planning it out. I do keep doctor's, dentist and hairdresser's appointment, but even those are hard for me. The evening before and especially the morning of I think of all sorts of reasons why I shouldn't keep it. Actually, I rarely make an appointment for my hair. I usually just go as a walk-in. Anyway, I did manage to spend over $80 at PetSmart, on a new leash, food and toys. Then, when I was in the checkout line some doofus standing there holding a bag with a fish in it had the nerve to talk bad about Boston Terriers. I told him that he had obviously not spent the time to socialize his dog, and that Gumbo had never been a chewer. He, the doofus, gave me this superior, hippy smile and told me that he preferred fish to dogs. I told him that his fish won't keep his feet warm at night and can you imagine holding a fish while you cry over some movie? Will his fish snuggle up with him and try to make him feel better? I think not. Some people just don't get it.

While I was out I broke down and got a cell phone. I called Connie, Mike and Phil to give them the number, then hooked it to it's charger, and got irritated when it rang. (It was Mike telling me that she had taken Reese to the doctor and that he had some virus that is going around.) One reason I have waited so long in getting a cell phone is that........I hate phones. I sometimes will not answer the house phone. I only want to talk when I want to talk and resent it when someone calls me. I know I am odd. But, this is why only four people know my phone number. I used to have a message on my answering machine that basically told people that I was there but chose not to talk to them, but that I do check messages, so leave one and one day soon I would call them back. This is really good for the telemarketers. My kids knew to let the phone ring twice, hang up and call back. I would know then it was someone I wanted to hear from so I would answer it.

So, now I am the proud owner of a cell phone, but if anyone catches me shouting into it while I am in a restaurant or answering it in a theater or sitting next to anyone while, you have my permission to tell me that I am a hypocrite. And, lord help me if I talk and drive.

Mike called the other day to tell me that genetics is alive and well. Seems she was laying on the couch watching TV while Reese was playing. He came over and climbed up on the couch and slid down between her legs and the back of the couch to watch Elmo's World. A few minutes later she saw that he had fallen asleep. So, yet another generation has fallen to the Crook. The Crook is the shape your legs make when you are laying on your side. Mike wants to get a picture of me on the couch with Reese in the crook, since Mammaw is not here. She is the one who started it and all her grandchildren have slept in the Crook. Not to mention her children.

Leslie told her mother tonight that we will most likely not be there next week. Leslie wants to have her roof finished before she leaves. I do too. So, we will most likely not go till after Christmas. That's ok too. I am thinking of forcing Phil to go on a weekend ramble with me. If I do, I will try to go someplace interesting and take pictures. I would suggest the Nstchez Trace, but Phil might just mutiny. But, there are some places along the Trace over by Natchez and Vicksburg that we have not been to in several years. I think I will threaten Tupelo first, the concede to someplace closer. That way Phil will think he suggested the Trace.

Winter finally finds us....

More Mississippi Trivia

8. Lawrence "Rabbit" Kennedy, of Amory, was the most decorated soldier in the U.S. Army.

9. Oxford is home of John Grisham, author of THE FIRM, PELICAN BRIEF, THE CLIENT, and A TIME TO KILL.

10. General Frank Gregory, of Shelby, is one of the principal developers of the helicopter.


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It's finally cooolllldddd here. It was 33 degrees (F) last night, during the night. Tonight it is supposed to be even colder. This is our winter and will most likely last three or four days. Then, it will get up into the low to mid 70s through February.

Last year I was in Michigan. I loved the snow....as long as I was inside in front of the fire, watching the snow through the window. I did go out and have a snowball fight or two. And, I sort of helped with a snowman. But, when it was deep enough for a snow fort, I told them they were on their own. Another thing I found out, snow changes the look of places enough that some people (who have never had to deal with this much snow at one time) get lost trying to find their way back home. Down here, everything shuts down when it snows. And, our snow is like a hard frost up north.

Gumbo had his own tough time dealing with the snow. I think he still has nightmares. It is hard or a short dog when the snow is higher than his belly. Kind of takes the needing to pee to another level. I swear I could almost see Gumbo grit his teeth before he would jump off into the snow.

My rant for the day....PUBLIC RESTROOMS...is there any reason that these cannot be kept cleaner than they are? A, who is designing the stalls? I went to the newest movie theater last week. I went to the restroom and, since it is new, it was clean. Actually, surprisingly clean. Then, I went into a stall. I almost had to back in at an angle and the huge toiletpaper despenser was practically in my lap. And, I am not that fat, good grief. I know the aim is to get as many stalls as possible in the huge metroplex-type theaters, but for heaven's sake.

Almost as bad are the restrooms that have been modified to allow for handicap access. Before you start, I am all for handicapped-accessed everything. But, some places with three or four stalls will make one stall bigger, by moving the stall wall over. Which cuts into the space of the other stalls. So, not only are handicapped people discombobulated in the restrooms, so are everyone else. I think a grassroots protest should be started to force restroom owners and builders to THINK about the process that is happening in restrooms nationwide.

Next, we will start a movement for CLEAN restrooms.

More nothings.......

It's funny how we can be lead to believe something. Take the Wicked Witch of the West, in the Wizard of Oz. We grew up thinking of her as someone completely mean and hateful. But, take another look at it. First, before she went of Oz and was just Elvira Gulch, Toto BIT her. She did not do anything to that dog first. And, then after she is in Oz, the house lands on HER sister and kills her and then, her Ruby Slippers are stolen and given to Dorothy. Where is the fairness of this? Everything she did afterwards was justifiable. Absolutely. But, then that is the media slant isn't it? Just like today's media.

Oh well, that is it for my tirade tonight. It is getting cold here, finally, and my feet are too cold for me to think straight. Hey, that's as good an excuse as anything. Besides, I really do need to get to bed. I have to take Gumbo to have his nails clipped tomorrow. And, I do need to get somemore books. I am down to two. One is my bathroom book and the other is one I read in bed. The bathroom book changes weekly. It is just a plain ole book that I only read in the bathroom. Sometimes it might be one that Ihave already read, but usually it is a new one. I remember reading Sanctuary years ago over and over again in my bathroom. It is such a good book.

So, sweet dreams everyone.

Dangit....

Well, dang. I wrote a post last night and when I was ready to post it, I lost internet connection. It was a good one too. It was all about Do As I Say, Not as I Do, by Peter Schweizer. I read most of it yesterday and am totally disgusted at the hypocrisy of the people he 'exposed'. Not disappointed, because I did not listen to them.......well, take heed of what they said anyway.....but, still.... Anyway, I do think people should read it.

I also gave the receipe for making poo. That is, for making fake poo. It looks like the real thing. I will tell you sometime about when I made some at work one slow day and then put it into the mopbucket of a totally AR guy who worked in housekeeping. Took him awhile to get over that one. But, we were always do practical joke type things to each other. I don't recall his getting me back for that one though.

What do you do when people, adults, you like and respect are in a feud? And, you can't think of anything to make them stop? It is sad that this is going on.

Ok, got to go get tickets for the new Harry Potter movie. If I go now I won't have to stand in line Friday.

More musings...I think I gave this blog the perfect title...

And, yet more Mississippi Trivia.....

5. William Faulkner, one of the literary giants of the twentieth century, was born in New Albany. His accomplishments include winning the Nobel prize for Literature, two Pulitzer Prizes and the National Book Award. He is considered to be the greatest writer of fiction during the first half of the 20th century. His novels include THE REIVERS, THE SOUND AND THE FURY, LIGHT IN AUGUST, and ABSALOM, ABSALOM! His home, Rowan Oak, is in Oxford, and is open to the public. At Rowan Oak, the visitor can view Faulkner's room where an outline for A FABLE, has been scribbled on the wall by the author's own hand.

6. Tupelo, is the birthplace of the "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley. Here can be visited the Elvis Presley Museum, Chapel and the two-room, "shot-gun" style house where he was born.

7. The world's oldest Holiday Inn is located in Clarksdale.


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If I were as smart as some of the other bloggers that I know, I could make some fancy-dancy page dividers of my own. As it is I will have to use the......whatchmacallit button.

Ok, I went to Stone Mt and could not overcome my fear of gondolas......well, it isn't the gondolas so much as the gondolas hanging from that little tee-ninesy cable 900 feet up. So, we walked up the whole 900+ feet to the top. It wasn't too bad. We were able to sit down on some conveniently placed boulders and rest every so often. Of course, my OCD kicked in big time and I had trouble looking at the horizon. And, had trouble letting my son get to far from me. He was so embarrassed. But we made it up and, more importantly, back down again.

One note of clarification. About making a decision to go to Utah was making me see grabbos......it isn't Utah, it is the stress of thinking about all the things that could possibly happen if I go. Things like, nuclear war, fire (there and here), armed men breaking into my house while I am gone or aliens taking my son........it is usually silly things that get me. I don't actually believe any of those things will happen, but, my OCD does not listen to reason. So, I will most likely go on the trip and enjoy the rock hunting as well as the scenery. Mainly because I will regret it if I don't go. I went to Alaska in the summer 1999 and for the most part, that was a good trip. Even though I had to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong so I could do preventive maintenance. The only thing that did happen and one I did not think of, was that the toilet in the back bathroom leaked and ruined the carpet in my bedroom and the hallway. And, my other dog, a shi tzu, got a hotspot and almost died. And, my oldest daughter decided that, yes indeed, she would marry Jackie...errr, Bob. I call him Jackie, short for jackass.

Goodnight and good luck. I will maybe one day think of something interesting to write about....but, don't hold me to it, ok? Maybe tomorrow I will tell you about my trip up to Oxford, Ms to visit Faulkner's house.

About Me....

Me and a friend on top of Stone Mt in Georgia.

• Some things about me....

• 1. I am from Mississippi and except for last winter, I have lived here all my life.
• 2. I enjoy traveling.
• 3. I was born on November 28th which makes me a Sagittarius
  
• 4. I think astrology is bogus.
  
• 5. I was raised a Jehovah's Witness, but don't worry, I no longer knock on doors.
  
• 6. I am the youngest and only girl. Both my parents and two of my brothers are dead.
  
• 7. I don't have much contact with my two surviving brothers.
  
• 8. I love to hunt for rocks and fossils.
  
• 9. I love history.
  
• 10. I love to read.
  
• 11. I listen to audiobooks when I am traveling or going to sleep or cleaning house.
  
• 12. I am a CRTT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) and a CRPFT (Certified Pulmonary Function Technician)
  
• 13. I have OCD and have added hours to a trip because I will go back over a route to make sure that I haven't run over anyone.
  
• 14. I seldom drink, but when I do it is something like a margarita or a daiquiri ( on day-queery, which is how I used to think it was pronounced.)
  
• 15. I am a Christian, Libertarian politically and a heterosexual woman.
  
• 16. My best friend is an atheist, liberal and male to female transsexual who is currently in a relationship with a lesbian.
  
• 17. I am a CocaCola fiend. I have to limit the amount I buy because I will not stop drinking them until they are gone. (Yes, I know it will eat the battery acid off a battery and will sone eat all the lining off my stomach.
  
• 18. I like Garrison Keillor's humor.
  
• 19. I am tired of Stephen King's books.
  
• 20. I like eminem, Outkast, John Prine, Delbert McClinton, DireStraits, Jimmy Buffett.........to name just a few. I suppose my musical tastes could be called eclectic.
• 21. I love old black and white movies. Even the bad B-movie 'horror' movies.
  
• 22. I hate rude people.
  
• 23. I really like animals. I have one dog, a Boston Terrier named Gumbo and one cat, named Sassy. I am currently pet-sitting for my son's cat, Kudreau, and my daughter's four cats, Ferris, LuLu, Gabby and LB.
  
• 24. I hate people who drive like they own the road.
  
• 25. I live a mile from the beach, on the Gulf of Mexico, but would rather be living in the mountains.
  
• Well, there is no way I can get to 101 things about me. I am lucky that I got to 25.
  

Owls, grabbos and old dead men

Well, I made it through the day without another visit from the Grabbos. Sometimes those pesky critters will hang around for days. Has anyone else had this happen? Have you ever been sitting or standing somewhere, usually alone, and suddenly you think you see someone out of the corner of your eye? This happened to me several times yesterday and I think that is why the Grabbos visited last night. And, the man who owned this house before Leslie bought it died in the bedroom I am using. Normally, this would not bother me, but yesterday and last night it sure did. I am thinking that it might have something to do with me trying to decide if I am going to go to Utah at the end of this month. I want to, but for some reason, I am feeling like I shouldn't go. Ah well.

I hate what is happening in France right now. Riots and rioting have never made sense to me. I can understand that some people might think that this is the only way to either resolve a problem or to gain recognition of a problem. (PROBLEM sounds like an insignificant word right now.) I also think that with the 24/7 news coverage we have now, all the rioting does not have the same effect on people who live on the other side of the world, and are watching it on TV. The Watts riots seemed so much worse somehow. Maybe it was because I was so young and watching news bulletins breaking into the soap operas but they seemed more horrendous somehow. I don't think it is because the riots are happening in France and the Watts riots happened here. I don't think I am that bigoted. But, back to the riots in France. What can be done to stop them and more importantly, what can be done to prevent them in the future?

I have been doing some reading about socialism lately. I know that I have just started, but it does seem like it would be easy for one group to gain control, thereby controlling everything. Simplistic, I know and I will be doing more reading about it.

Speaking of reading, I have decided to definitely go back to college next year. I will only take the courses that interest me since I do not plan to try to go back to work. (I am afraid that my OCD and work just do not mix.) I know that I will be taking geology and anthropology classes. I hope to volunteer for some digs too. I had planned to do that this summer, but life got in the way and I wasn't able to. There is a dig going on near Wetumpka, Al. My son was talking about it the other day. One of his teachers at Auburn was in charge of the dig. There has been some exciting artifacts found there about the early Native Americans.

There are so many things I plan on doing, but unless I get control of the OCD grabbo, I won't be able to do them. So, I think that maybe I should go on that Utah trip.

Ok, it just happened again. I am the only one up, Gumbo has even deserted me for the bed. Just now, I swear I saw someone walk across the doorway into the living room. This is getting weird. I don't hear anything unusual yet, so hopefully if it is the old man who died here, he will be nice tonight. No, I am not crazy, even though that is debatable according to some. I used to hear someone calling me by name. No one else could hear it. I read the book, 'I Heard The Owl Call My Name' a few years ago. In it, the native Americans...(or were they Canadian? It is all the same I suppose.)....believed that if you heard an owl call your name, then you were going to die soon. I kinda got a bit spooky after I read that. I maybe should stop now, before I convince everyone that I am loony.

I just thought oi something. I can see behind me because of my glasses. There is usually a reflection in the lenses if someone gets close. So, maybe that is what is happening. Maybe it isn't an old dead man walking around in here. Maybe it is someone sneaking up behind me. Or, maybe I can see the old dead man in the reflection on my lenses.

Ok, ok. I have rambled enough that everyone will think I am totally crazy.

Goodnight Mother.

Grabbos come calling

For the past month I have been staying at a friend's house. This is an older house that she bought the month before Katrina. It has all the old house moanings and groanings that I have not paid any attention to....till tonight. My friend went away for the weekend and I am here with just Gumbo. Everything all nice and cozy until I go to bed. I make sure all the doors and windows are locked (but I do this every night anyway) and then me and Gumbo go to bed. Less than five minutes later I hear a crash. At first I say to Gumbo that it is just a possum or squirrel on the patio. Then, the 'are you suuuuuurrrrrreeeee-s' start. So, I get up and creep around the house looking for grabbos. Nothing. I walked all through the house again, still nothing. So, I tell Gumbo what a silly dog he is and head back to the bedroom. Then I see it. There on the living room floor is one of my grandson's toys. It had fallen from the wagon and made the crashing noise. Ok, that was easy, so back to bed I go. Till I ask Gumbo how exactly did that toy fall to the floor. Maybe someone..........or THING.......bumped the wagon and made it fall.

Now I am beginning to get a tad bit scared. I have no weapons. No gun or anything like that. The phone is in the kitchen, so I couldn't call for help unless I made it past whoever......whatever.....is causing the noise. Finally, I go into my friend's room and take a knife that she has left over from her other life and open it. Holding this I creep out into the hallway and make it to the kitchen to get the phone and then see the super-duper bug gun she has. This is a bug spray that you can pump up till it spews out at least six feet across the room. Great! So, I take the knife, phone and bugspray into my room and fix them all within easy reach and go back to bed. (What will I use the bugspray for? Crazy, to shoot the Grabbos in the eye so I can make a run for it.)

An hour and a half later Gumbo wakes me up to let him out. Still no sign of anyone. But that is how those grabbos work. You never see them until the have you and by then it is way too late.

I am going to go spend the night with my daughter next time.


Gumbo

This and That

Ok, today I will give you three trivias of Mississippi.

2. The University of Mississippi Blues Archive in Oxford contains the world's largest collection of Blues music.

3. The world's first round trip transoceanic flight was performed in 1928 by H.T. Merrill, from Iuka. The flight to England was made in a plane loaded with ping pong balls.

4. Vardaman, is the Sweet Potato Capital of the world. Each year, in November, the Sweet Potato Festival is held in Vardaman.

Surprised you again, huh?

Does anyone else think there is something spooky about Tom Cruise? I mean, that smile is just too........icky. I have never thought he is a good actor, but that is beside the point.

I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last night. It was a good kids movie, but, well, I am glad that I didn't pay movie theater prices for it. I am going to get H2G2 soon. I know I will like that, who didn't love the book?

Ok, this is a nothing post again. Sorry


P.S. I DID IT!!! FINALLY, I was able to add links. The random one is a blog I discovered last week and I highly reccommend it. The other is an online television with several countries available for people to watch. I will be adding other links soon, now that I have it figured out.

What I think.......

Politicians make me sick. All of them. None of them think twice about talking out of both sides of their mouths, if it means getting a vote off someone. For instance 'Sens. Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid and Dick Durbin have accused President George Bush of ,lying about Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction, insisting he "lied us into war." They are even floating the suggestion that he be impeached.' (This is taken from the Federalist Patriot)

Ok, now, this is not meant to be a post on whether or not we should be in Iraq. It is a post about politicians who well......I already said that.

So, we have these people jumping on Bush. Here are their accusations:


"The Bush administration misrepresented and distorted the intelligence to justify a war that America should never have fought." --Ted Kennedy

"We all know the Vice President's office was the nerve center of an operation designed to sell the war and discredit those who challenged it. ... The manipulation of intelligence to sell the war in Iraq...the Vice President is behind that." --Harry Reid

"I seconded the motion Sen. Harry Reid made last week. Republicans in Congress have refused, despite repeated promises, to investigate the Bush administration's misuse of pre-war intelligence, so Senate Democrats are standing up and demanding the truth." -- Dick Durbin, who recently compared U.S. troops to the Nazis and Pol Pot.'
<end quote>

Ok, fair enough. BUT, look what these people said just a few years ago...


'Harry Reid: "The problem is not nuclear testing; it is nuclear weapons. .... The number of Third World countries with nuclear capabilities seems to grow daily. Saddam Hussein's near success with developing a nuclear weapon should be an eye-opener for us all."

Dick Durbin: "One of the most compelling threats we in this country face today is the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Threat assessments regularly warn us of the possibility that...Iraq...may acquire or develop nuclear weapons."

John Kerry: "If you don't believe...Saddam Hussein is a threat with nuclear weapons, then you shouldn't vote for me."

John Edwards: "Serving on the Intelligence Committee and seeing day after day, week after week, briefings on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction and his plans on using those weapons, he cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, it's just that simple. The whole world changes if Saddam ever has nuclear weapons."

Nancy Pelosi: "Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology, which is a threat to countries in the region, and he has made a mockery of the weapons-inspection process."

Sens. Levin, Lieberman, Lautenberg, Dodd, Kerrey, Feinstein, Mikulski, Daschle, Breaux, Johnson, Inouye, Landrieu, Ford and Kerry in a letter to Bill Clinton: "We urge you, after consulting with Congress and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions, including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."'




Now, who is playing with the truth here? Are these people concerned, truly concerned, for the welfare of the US and the world? Or, are they spewing whatever will get them recognition now, for votes in the future?

I suppose I can be called a Libertarian.

Maybe it is time the United States had a third party.

I believe that terrorists, no matter what language they speak, should be stopped and that anyone supporting those terrorists should be fined and/or sentenced to some sort of jail term. There is no good reason for terrorism. Just because the IRA has such cute accents, does not give them license to bomb England. Just because Muslims disagree with the west does not give them the license to bomb.

Somehow, this has to be stopped. Do I have the answer. Nope. But, I will not change or try to cover up my opinions come election time.

Oh, and one more thing. The Democrats have been scrambling, trying to figure out why they lost the last election. I can tell them. It's the CANDIDATES, STUPID!

Thank you and God bless, all Veterans

I want to say a huge THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS to all veterans. Thank you so much for doing what you did.

My friend Leslie is the only Veteran that I knowpersonally. Well, the only one who actually was in a war. I have two brothers who were in the Army. One, Wayne, was in Germany most all of his tour and the other Bobby Joe was in Germany, France and spent a year as a clerk in Viet Nam. He told me that he spent all his time in Saigon and did not see any fighting. Still, I thank them and honor them for their service.

Leslie is unique to say the least. Some people do not approve of the way his life has progressed, but that is not what this post is about. This is about how he, as and eighteen-year-old boy, joined the 101st Airborne and was sent to Viet Nam. He got there just in time for the TET Offensive in 68. I had planned on writing about him, but he has done it so much better than I can so,I am going to copy what he has said about that time from his diary, because there is no way that I can tell his story any better than he can. So, here it is.........

3/3/2000

It was my job to be scared. Barely eighteen, I had almost no idea of what was going on. I didn’t know where we were or why. All I had to hold on to was my training, my leaders and my friend, Craig. At twenty, he was practically middle aged…. But every bit as scared as I was. I don’t know how to explain how close two men can get in some circumstances. All I can say is that we knew each other. We had trained together in Kentucky before coming to the blistering jungle of Vietnam. We had been in our first firefight together. Seen our first killed soldiers together, and we had agreed together very matter-of-factly that we would not survive a year here.

In the first week of February 1968, our company was in Quang Tri province, not far from Hue, when the famous Tet offensive broke out across the country. We were members of the 101st Airborne Division. I guess you could think of them as the Marines of the Army. We were, in fact working jointly with the Marines in that area. I don’t know for sure what we were trying to accomplish on the fourth of February. All I know is that nightfall found us in a clearing, setting out claymore mines and organizing a night perimeter. It would be another night of sleeping on the ground in the rains that were just shaping up into the monsoon season.

Sleeping isn’t the right word for how we spent these nights though. Sleeping is something you do when you feel warm and safe. Something you do when you can let go of your mind for a few hours and let your body rebuild.

What we were getting ready to do was spend two hours shivering in the mud, wrapped in a thin poncho to try to cut the chill night breeze while we relied on our buddies to keep a sharp eye on the surrounding shadows. After two hours, we would change places and spend two hours trying to keep exhausted eyes open so our buddies could take their places on the ground. I was always tired in Vietnam. It’s the single thing I remember most.

But no one would get any sleep on this night. It was already nearly dark as we dug holes to try to improve our position. The unlucky ones had already been chosen to go out into the trees in front of our hasty perimeter. There they would lie motionless all night, waiting and listening to the jungle noises with their claymore detonators in their hands, ready to blow those anti personnel mines and run back to the perimeter at the first signs of trouble. I can’t think of anything more dangerous than running right up the barrels of the guns of a bunch of exhausted and jumpy soldiers. It was a terrible job.

By eight o’clock, we had been supplied with C-rations and extra ammunition by helicopter. Our area was still alive with the clinks of shovels and scraping of empty C-Ration cans. Some of the guys were finished, and the sweet smoke from cigarettes was hanging in the air. Squad leaders were moving around in the darkness, checking on their men and their preparations. We were looking forward to the quiet. Then the first mortar rounds landed in our midst.

Suddenly, our little hole was in no way deep enough or wide enough for both Craig and I. In the panic of the first moment, we rolled in and tried to weasel under each other. The air was filled with shouting. Someone was hurt. The cries of ‘medic’ rising above the shouted orders from the sergeants. It was all punctuated by the sharp thump and deadly blue flash of mortar shells pacing back and forth across our area. Then we heard the claymores fire and heard the LPs screaming as they ran, facing fear from all directions. They were screaming "Hold Your Fire!! Hold Your Fire!!" until they reached our perimeter. Then the hot popping corn sound of small arms fire broke out and seemed to spread like a cancer until it engulfed us. We were being attacked.

(to be continued)

There are some big holes in my memory. Things I can remember everything before and everything after. But, in between, it’s as if aliens abducted me. The attack of 2/4/68 is one of those things. I know it happened. I remember the LPs coming in, and the mortar attack. I can only guess at the events after that. I know it happened though, because last year I obtained a copy of our Battalion logs and the attack is mentioned there. According to the log, our company was ‘credited’ (gotta love that word) with 250 confirmed kills of North Vietnamese Army troops. The battle went on until 0300 the next morning before the NVA broke contact and withdrew.

But even though my mind won’t remember, my body remembers everything. It remembers an electric fear… so intense; it feels like being shocked. And the feeling of time slowing down, so you can’t move fast enough. Heart pounding like it’s going to explode. The blood roaring in your ears until the other sounds are all but wiped out. Today, my therapist would call that a panic attack, but I don’t care for the word and refuse to apply it to myself. It’s panic under wraps. Controlled panic. I think it must be something most people never experience.

So whatever happened that night was bad. My guess is that it was what I had feared in other firefights coming true. I think we must have come very close to being overrun that night. Outnumbered and with limited ammunition.

My memory sneaks back to me on the following morning. It’s daylight. There are a couple of mules there, the little flatbed four wheel drive platforms they used then. We were loading equipment onto the mules. Packs, canteens, guns. I remember getting a rifle from one of the mules. I couldn’t find my own. I still don’t know where mine went. I got one of the new-style bladder canteens too. It was a lot lighter than my old one and it held more water. The stuff we were loading onto the mules was what had been left behind when the dead and wounded soldiers were flown out of there.

Before long, we were back on the trail. I didn’t know it at the time, be we were engaged in a recon in force. That means we were out looking for the NVA forces we had fought the previous night. My platoon Sergeant, a stocky red-head by the name of Hicks assigned me to walk left flank for our unit. I’d been there before. I think he liked me there. While the rest of the platoon, even the point man, would be walking along a trail or road, the flank men had to scramble through the brush, trying to keep up with the group and acting as a sort of sideways point man. I had been on left flank when I killed my first Viet cong face to face.

So, off we went through the jungle towards a village named An Lo. The trees were tall and the jungle floor was cool and quiet. The trail we followed was little more than a footpath. I was used to sweating as I labored to squirm my way with a fifty-pound pack through heavy undergrowth, but this was different. Either it was easy going or I was becoming an expert. In a few places, I could even catch a glimpse of the cloudy sky through the tops of the trees.

It seemed a short distance, maybe two miles, before we came out of the trees to a river that flowed across our path. On the other side of the river were rich green rice paddies, and a village beyond. I didn’t know the name of it at the time, but it was An Lo. Off to our left was a two-lane road, which went across the river on a steel bridge. On the far side of the bridge was a round concrete structure that looked like an old French pillbox bunker, long since abandoned.

In another universe, our platoon might have crossed the river using that bridge, but we got the order to wade the river. Its brown, muddy water was slow moving and only came about chest-high, but I hated getting in it. Getting wet wasn’t so bad, but I didn’t like leeches. On the other bank, there was a small embankment, about three feet high. We spread out along that embankment and got a short break while everybody got across and got organized again. I was the furthest person to the left along the embankment. Craig was right there next to me and we took advantage of the halt to drop our packs and smoke. We weren’t talking a lot that day. I think we both were just too tired. But it was comforting just to sit there for a minute.

Too soon, we were told to get ready to move again. We put on our packs and climbed the embankment to start across the rice paddies. We only got a few yards though, before we heard gunfire coming from the village. I could hear the rounds snapping and buzzing as they flew by. It was heavy gunfire. Lots of it. Without waiting to be told, everyone just knew to get back to the embankment. It was the only cover between the village and us. I remember this firefight very well. Everyone was returning fire. We had two M-60 machine guns with us, and those guys got set up pretty quick. Even though the bullets were flying just over my head, I wasn’t as scared. I felt good behind the embankment, firing my rifle into the village along with the rest of the platoon.

Then, as I was getting another clip of ammunition, I noticed the mud kicking up behind me…. Behind the embankment. In the chaos and confusion, I had completely ignored my assignment to watch our left side. There was an automatic weapon inside that concrete bunker and they were firing on us too! There was no safe place to be.

I grabbed Craig and showed him what was going on. My pack was already on the ground as I told him to fire over my head into one of the peepholes in the bunker. Now I was scared silly, but all I could think of was that I didn’t dare let my sergeant down. Didn’t dare let my platoon down. I thought it was up to me to do something. With Craig targeting the peepholes, I had a chance to sprint over to the bunker. I would have been cut down otherwise, but he made those guys keep their heads down until I got right up against the rough concrete wall under one of those little windows.

Craig had stopped shooting then, for fear of hitting me, and I heard the automatic rifle open up again. I pulled the pin on a frag grenade and let the handle go. The fuse on a grenade has a five-second delay. I counted to three as slow as I dared and then just reached up and dropped it through the window. God! it was just like John Wayne! I only heard a little scuffling inside before the grenade went off, shooting a puff of dust, smoke and concrete chips out of the window.

We were still under fire as I ran back to my position, but I felt a lot safer again… and satisfied somehow. Craig was very impressed. He slapped my back and told me how cool it was. I thought so too. But only seconds later, we heard our sergeant hollering to move out. Unbelievably, we were about to assault the village. I was back to scared again. There are things you just don’t want to do, and this one of them.

What I wanted or didn't want didn't really count for much out there. Our platoon was going to assault the village. For our part, craig and I would work together. He would fire on the village while I ran ahead to whatever little cover I could find and threw myself down on the ground. Then I would fire while he ran up to me and beyond to the next spot. Assuming one of us didn't get killed, we would just kind of leapfrog this way until we got to our objective. I didn't have a good feeling about leaving the safety of the embankment. But then I never had a good feeling about exposing myself to gunfire.

Mankind has created some wonderful sounds. Music, mostly. But there's a sound that's more wonderful to me than and symphony. It's the life-giving sound of the main blades of a UH1E 'Huey' helicopter as they whop-whop through the air. Although there are far fewer of them flying today, I can still identify a huey from the sound alone. As we heard the order to move out on our assault, I could hear the hueys coming up from behind us. I knew then that we would have a chance of success. The helicopters would fire rockets and miniguns while we made our assault. That was good.... but it was bad too. We had obviously discovered more than a few VC in a remote village. We were attacking an NVA stronghold. That's why the helicopters were there.

But as it turned out, none of this mattered a bit. I had just adjusted my pack and topped the embankment while Craig was firing when I felt someone hit me right across the back of the knees with a baseball bat. At least, that's the impression I had. It knocked my legs right out from under me and threw my onto my back. It was disorienting and maddening. I couldn't understand who would play such a trick while we were in the middle of a serious business. I sat and looked around but no one was close. No one was laughing. I laid back again, thinking... trying to figure out this puzzle. Suddenly, it occured to me that I may have been shot. I sat up again and looked at my legs. How had I missed it the first time? My left leg was at an odd angle and there was a huge bloody hole in the thigh of my pant leg. That's when the pain began.

Women bear children through pain, and there are just a few who never tire of telling men that they don't know pain until they have a child. I guess I can understand that but, with all due respect, I think I know a little bit about pain. As the shock of the round passing through my muscle, bone and nerves began to subside, the pain came over me in waves that simply took my breath away. I had to scream something, so I started screaming 'medic!'. I was enveloped in a cocoon of pain; my mind turning inward upon it. It just hurt real bad.

Craig was there. Every time he touched me it seemed the hurting kept on doubling. It never got smaller, only bigger. But he touched me anyway. He tore the compress bandage from the strap on my field gear and pressed it onto my wound. It felt like a lightning bolt was striking me over and over. Then a medic appeared kind of miraculously out of the dark fog around my eyes. I heard him telling me it was OK, that I would be OK. I didn't believe him for a second. I know he gave me a shot of morphine, but I didn't feel it go in. And it didn't stop the hurting. At best, it semed to clear my head a little bit, becasue I could hear the medic shouting to someone that we had to get these men out of here.

Suddenly, I realized that there was no way out. I imagined myself, in this condition, being drug back through the filth and mud of the river behind us. I knew it would kill me. And I knew I was bleeding to death on the spot where I lay. I understood in a very calm and convicted way that I was dying. It helped me lose any fear of death I had left. I wasn't scared. I only felt a great sadness as I realized I had had only eighteen short years to bring me to this place. I was sorry for the things I was going to miss.

But it seems like there was little time for this kind of thinking. The medic vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared, but a couple of other guys came and helped Craig manhandle me onto my poncho. I was in a very bad mood and had no patience at all about this. I screamed in pain and begged them not to take me across that river. That seems like the only thing I could think of.

Apparantly, the assault had failed. There was a lot going on, all up and down the embankment. A lot of shooting. A lot of shouting. It seemed mostly unimportant to me. Like a dream from which I would soon awaken. Maybe the morphine kicked in, because laying there on my back, I could see the huey gunships as they made their turns, circling around for another run on the village. I was getting dreamier.

My dreaming came to an abrupt end. When I felt the four corners of my poncho grabbed by four men. They yanked me off of the ground and ran with me. It hurt too bad to even to scream. I was blacking out, but I felt them throw me onto the embankment, climb up and then grab me again. Half carrying, half dragging, they hustled me to a helicopter that had landed there on the flat ground. THe doors on both sides were open, or had been removed. In one of the doors, facing the village, was a gunner, firing a machine gun non-stop. The floor of the chopper was already greasy with blood. My tormentors threw me into the huey so hard that I slid across the floor and halfway out the other side. The gunner grabbed me and was still struggling to haul me back in as the pilot lifted off and sped out of there.

Halfway upside down, my head hanging out the door, I turned to see Craig standing alone as the other guys ran back to the riverbank. He was just standing there, watching me go. It was the last time I would see battle and the last time I ever saw Craig.


So, now, anyone who disapproves of how Leslie is living life, well, you are sad and small-minded. If anyone has earned the right to be who and what he.....she.....wants to be, it is Leslie Smith.

And, anyone who wants to get into how wrong Viet Nam was can do so, that is not the point of this post. And, if you do not know what the point of this is, then I am sorry for you.

Thank you Veterans. We, as a nation, cannot thank you enough. God bless you all.

Nothing important.......

Has anyone out there had a situation like this? You have a very good friend who you have a lot in common with, and they also have a friend who you cannot stand? For instance, Bee is your friend and you enjoy doing things with them, they have a friend, Cee, who you cannot stand, have nothing in common with and do not want to be around. How can this be? Seems like you would have things in common with Cee, but no, you don't. Weird. I have talked about this to Bee and she understands how I feel and says that yes, indeed, Cee does have some less than attractive habits. Maybe Bee is more tolerant than I am or she sees something in Cee that is worth maintaining a friendship over, who knows.

Today was a lazy, foggy day. I spent it watching old Bette Davis movies and working, sometimes, on a Christmas ornament. I am crocheting around the beads on a gold garland....gold colored of course.

I should be trying to write, but I just can't make myself do it. Things are still all up in the air for me. I have found someone to re-roof my house, and that is going to make my son mad, but he will have to get over it. And, I am going to tell my son that starting December he is going to have to start paying me rent. Unless he has moved out by then. He has been telling me that he is going to move since June, but still we wait.

It looks like the trip to Utah is actually going to happen this time. I am excited about seeing the area and cannot wait to hunt for rocks. It will tickle me to death to find some fossils too. I will be taking pictures and posting them here.



Which Horrible Affliction are you?
A Rum and Monkey disease.

Bits and pieces

Mississippi Trivia

1. The event which led to the creation of the TEDDY BEAR occurred near Onward, in 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt, acting upon the suggestion of some friends, visited the state on a hunt for wild game. A bear was located by a member of the hunting party and was held for the President's pleasure. The bear was exhausted and possibly lame, some claim it was a mere cub. In any case, Roosevelt refused to shoot the helpless bear because he found it unsporting. News of the President's refusal to shoot the bear spread far and wide. Soon after, Morris Michtom, a New York merchant, made toy history when he created a stuffed toy bear and labeled it "TEDDY'S BEAR." Mr. Michtom placed the bear in his candy store to draw attention. His success was so great that it led to the formation of the Ideal Toy Corporation in 1903. The TEDDY BEAR remains today a favorite toy for children everywhere.


Bet you didn't know that didya? I have decided to start adding litte trivia items here. Not always about Mississippi, but for awile I will. Mississippi has a bad reputation.....one we deserved........but now I think that people need to see another side of us. We have come a long way. You know, if Morgan Fairchild, a man who can live anywhere he wants to, and who chooses to live here, then we are doing something right. We aren't perfect by any means, but we are better than we were in the fifties and earlier.

I still cannot get my 'links' to work. I have read the directions and followed them, but, nothing. I will keep trying because there are some good blogs out there that I want to link to,


Ya'll, take a look at my shop at cafepress....I am proud of the things that I am selling and I think you will like them too.

Well.....

I have been trying to change my template and add a links list. Neither one is happening, so I am going to lunch and a show (movie for everyone north of the Mason/Dixon line). I will post something later....maybe.

Check out the email I got in my spam folder.......wonder if he will get any hits? I was nice and deleted his name and email addy.


From: "xxxxxxxx"
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 18.20.38 +0100
Subject: LADY READ ME PLEASE

Hi

This is a legitimate appeal for ladies only.
If you are interested or if you want to unsuscribe email me at
xxxx@mail.win.it

I'm an Italian guy,I live in Italy and my name is Maurizio.I live in
Roma.
I'm sending this message to the people because I'm bored to live in
Italy,I'm looking for a lady what could invite me in usa.I seek a
millionaires american lady who desires a young guy for marriage.



I would love to find a wealthy lady who lives in one of the following
places in usa or nearby:
1) "The treasure coast",I mean north east Broward County or east
Palm Beach county(FLORIDA)
2)Honolulu (Hawaii)
3)Reno(Nevada)
4)Las Vegas(nevada)
5)Atlanta(georgia)
6)Jupiter,Stuart,Coral Springs,Jensen Beach,Boynton
Beach,Deepwater,Hutchinson
Island or Miami(Florida)





Considering that I like the mature women, I'd love to find a lady of
45-60yo age range.
I'd love to find a gentle long haired lady who lives in a swimming
pool house near the sea (as I like to swim) .
I seek a lady without young or old children,a no smoker lady who could
be widowed,separated,single ,divorced.
I would need a sugarmamma figure at the beginning .



I seek a bisexual woman that figures out of the years,looks young and
feels young :
it's not a problem if she's not beautiful because she should be
beautiful inside and most of all ,she should desire a younger soulmate.(She
could be overweight too)
The thing I desire is to fix a serious stable relationship with a
lady who gives me the opportunity to have a better life.




ABOUT ME:

I have long black hair,my weight is 65 kilos(145 lbs) and my height is
about 1.80 metres(5.11)...
I'm no smoker /drinker and I'm good looking.



If you could be the kind of woman I'm looking for, write me soon
please!!!!!!


Thank you very much for reading my letter .
I think there must be a woman for me out there.




Cheers

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx -Italy

Some ramblings........

Last night I was piddling around, unable to sleep, TCM had no good movies on and Gumbo was snoring too much for me to read, so I went surfing. I am not sure how I found the first blog that led me to the blog that I am going to reccommend, but, that is neither here nor there. I spent all night reading this blog, read all the archived posts and everything. If I knew how to add a 'blogs I read' section to my sidebar, I would list this one there. So, here it is http://randomreality.blogware.com/.
I know you will like it as much as I have.

Reading his blog made me remember working at the hospital. I am a Respiratory Therapist, but stopped working in 1999 because of my OCD (nasty thing). I tried one time to go to England to work. I have been a Britophile (I think I made that up) for so long now. I decided to call a contract company who hired nurses and other medical types. Their biggest potential employers were in Saudi Arabia, but I knew that there was no way I could live there without offending someone. Not intentionally, but, well, it is a known fact that if I had to think before I spoke, I would never say anything. Ok, so, I get up at like 3am one morning and call this company in London. The man I talked to was very nice but told me that at that time they were not hiring foreigners to work in the UK. I was totally shocked and told him that I was NOT a foreigner. He was nice when he told me that to the UK I was. We kept talking and the end result was that if I could get a work permit there, then he would give me a chance. But, he also told me that the UK does not have Respiratory Therapists, that Physical Therapists do most of what we do. I am not sure the RNs do what we, as RTs did. I was trained to intubate, manage ventilators, insert arterial lines as well as the routine breathing treatments. At the hospital where I worked, a Veterans Hospital, we had a lot of responsibility. For instance, one night in the Cardiac Care Unit, I intubated a patient. Placed him on the ventilator. Managed the ventilator (settings, etc)and inserted an arterial line.

But, I digress. I never made it to England, dangit. And, it looks like I may never make it there just to visit. I have major issues with flying. Actually, it is the crashing that I have issues with. I am not afraid of dying. It is the time of terror prior to hitting the ground that I want nothing to do with. I have a friend who tells me that if I will go to Thailand with her, she will go to the UK with me. Right. She says we will go to my doctor and get anti-anxiety meds for the flights. I don't think there are enought drugs available to get me on the plane. I would have to have IV meds and be wheeled on in a wheelchair, then given an aisle seat with no one sitting next to me so when I slide over, comatose, with slobber sliding down my chin, I won't get any on anyone else. Then, I would have to do it all over again when I get ready to come home.

And, a more realistic note, I finally got the insurance money for the damage my house got during Katrina. So, now I can get the roof, chimney and ceilings fixed. I have decided that I am going to plant bamboo along the fence line. That way I won't have to get a privacy fence. And, bamboo has the added benefit of helping fix (resolve?) some of the pollution.

This brings up another issue. Not the pollution. Fixing my house. See, my oldest son does roofs. But, he and I have never had good business dealings. I am not sure he will do his best on my house. So, I am having other roofers give me bids. Now I have to figure out how to tell him this without hurting his feelings.

Some more Katrina stuff...

I have been looking for this since Katrina hit. It is before and after pictures of some of the historic sites damaged. http://www.mississippiheritage.com/HurricaneKatrina.html
I know that many people lost their lives and homes and jobs. Everyone living in the path of Katrina were affected. Somehow, though, seeing the damage to buildings that have survived for over a hundered years, makes me more depressed and I have a hard time thinking about working to bring things back to the way they were before. Beauvoir came through Camille with hardly a scratch. Sad.


Update, I just found out that the photos I had posted as being from Katrina were fake, well, not fake, but not from Katrina and also not from the actual photographer.

Yeah, well we all get this way sometimes.........

http://bored.com/

There it is folks. Anytime you can't sleep or the world is being to demanding or just plain mean, go to that link and have some fun. It helps to clear your mind so you can think straight and deal with the things you need to think about. It works, trust me.

I am finally figuring out how to use all the neat little things blogspot has for us to use. Like the link maker. It is just too neat. Gonna play around with things and see what I come up with.

I did a salt water cleanse this morning and I must say, cleanse it did. I thought I would be cleanseing for the rest of the day. I feel better, but I don't know if it from the cleanse or just that I am out of the bathroom. Leslie told me to start writing down all the weird things I do so she will know what to tell the EMTs when she has to call them. I found this cleanse in the Master Cleanser book so I knew it was safe.

Ok. enough for now. Will try to get back here later.

Life goes on...

When I started this blog last....February, I think.....it was meant to write about my experiences as a member of the JWs. I did too. I told everything I could remember about my childhood in that group as well as my chaotic homelife. Then, for some reason I stopped for several weeks. When I finally got back to the blog and read over what I had written, I decided that I didn't want this to be just about me and the JWs. So, I deleted all those entries and started over. I have not had as much time as I would like lately to post, but hopefully that will change soon. I have finally met with the insurance adjuster and should be able to move back into my house soon. It has to be soon. I am not sure how much longer I can stand living with my friend Leslie without one of us taking a knife or gun to the other.

Just joking of course. Leslie knows when I need alone time and does exactly that...she leaves me alone. Sometimes she will stick her head in my room to ask me if I am still living, but mostly she leaves me to waller in it until I am sick of myself and haul myself out of bed and start living again. Last week was one of those weeks. I did however, manage to finish several Christmas ornaments that I am crocheting. And, I read two books. Life goes on.

And, since life goes on I will be going out tomorrow and doing something. Anything.

Su DoKu anyone??

Leave it to the Brits. There is a new puzzle that is driving people crazy. It is a number puzzle and believe me it is addictive. And, irritating. Go here and try it http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,23509,00.html. It is fun.

Things are mosing along at about the same pace. Am waiting for the insurance check so I can have a new roof put on. And, I am still waiting to move back into my house. Maybe by Thanksgiving?

I took Phil out to supper and an show Tuesday. He is TWENTY now. Anyway, we went to see Saw........I know, I know, but I had to do that. I only sat through that because it is what he wanted to see. But, it brings up a pet peeve of mine. What is wrong with moviemakers nowadays? It seems if someone isn't being hacked to death then they are in bed with someone going on and on. I have never seen where watching someone have sex helps the plot. I mean, do you watch people in real life? Well, I don't. You know people are doing it but not too many people feel the necessity to watch. So, why do people who make movies think we need to see that? Ah well.

And, now we have Michael Moore, Hilliary and Kennedy getting busted. About time. I have no respect for what I call 'gliberals'. They are quick to tell us how we should think and if we don't accept what they say then we are 'sheep' being led to the slaughter. Meanwhile they are getting richer and richer doing exactly what they are condemning others for. They make me sick. Like. all the moviestars who think they know more than anyone else, who blast Bush for because he is not doing enough (in their opinion) for the environment, yet they own several SUVs and not only that, most own stock in all the major companies that pollute. So, I suppose as long as no one knows about it, they can continue being snakes and talking out of both sides of their mouths. I recommend this book Peter Schweizer's new book, "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy." I am fixing to order it.