Dysfunctional Family Feud...

Kate is getting married - in a rather "unconventional" way. It's going to be a day of smartassery and tomfoolery. So, in keeping with such an unusual "theme" we'll be playing a round (or two) or "Dysfunctional Family Feud."

David's family is Jewish. From what I understand, she calls herself The Queen of F-ing Everything." She MUST have a great sense of humor!

And Kate's family, well, I'm afraid we're hillbillies even though Kate wants no part of it.

So, I need to come up with some "Family Feud" questions in keeping with both families lifestyle and values, or lack thereof.

I need your help people! Sheri, I'm counting on you! However, these questions will need to be kept secret from the "Lubly Couple" so please email your comments to me.

Facebook, What's THAT All About????

Yesterday, I started a facebook page - under my maiden name of Pogue, hoping to find some old friends. My friends now, know my married name - they don't need to find me, they know where I am. The old friends I want to find would probably look for me under my maiden name. I hope it works, I feel pretty stupid having a facebook page - I'm 52 for crying out loud.

Ok, that said, I already have 5 friends on facebook! Ok, it's Jake, Heather, Kate, Sue, and Sheri - the same 5 that read my blog. But yesterday, I found Gerald Logue who I went to school with at Garden Valley. He's living in New Mexico and has 3 grown boys and his wife died while they were young. He goes by Jerry now.

You can also join "groups" on facebook. I've found a few I'm thinking about adding. My favorite is "No, I don't care if I die at 2 am, I refuse to pass on your chain letter." Then there's "I flip my pillow over to get to the cold side" - I thought I was the only one but this group has over 4 million members! So what do we do as members? Do we get a t-shirt?

Two of my friends look like the picture on this post - you know who you are. COME ON PEOPLE! If you're going to have a facebook page, put a friggin' picture on there or I'll do it for you! You've seen the pictures I can find just Googling "hillbilly".

So now I'm ALL THAT. I've joined facebook.

Finding Claire Wycoff...

Claire Wycoff was my first best friend - we were in second grade. We lived in Winnemucca, Nevada. I think we all probably remember our first best friend. She taught me to ride a bike. I remember her sitting on the back fender as I learned to peddle. She rode that back fender for days on end until, I guess, she either decided she'd had enough, or decided I was ready to go it alone, then one day I looked back and she wasn't there. I was riding a bike!

I think about her at least once a month, wondering what she's doing. Does she have kids? Where does she live and what has her life been like? I've been trying to find her for the last 10 years but it's so much harder when you're looking for a woman who has probably changed her name.

Maybe someone who knows her will somehow do a Google search of her name and see this blog. But before the world ends on December 21, 2012, I WILL, somehow, find Claire Wycoff...

Boise Mercury Spill...

In case you haven"t heard, we've had a Mercury spill in Boise. At first, they thought it was about 2 ounces but now think it may have been as much as 16. I think I could be in real trouble...

Ival and I had a discussion about this yesterday. We used to PLAY with Mercury! I don't know where it came from, or what it was for, but I remember having baby food jars of Mercury in our garage at Garden Valley. We used to go out there and pour some in our hands and roll it back and forth watching in fascination as it rolled so smoothly from one hand to the other. Occasionally, it would drop to the floor and break into hundreds of tiny silver balls. We'd try to pick them up and put them back into the jar but it was impossible.

They've been working on this spill for almost a week now, two families have been evacuated from their homes, they've torn up the street down about 2 feet, and the children found playing with it have been scrubbed with a steel brush, dipped in oxi clean, and hung out to dry.

I think I'm feeling sick...

"Because no child should grieve alone." Karen Moyer

I attended training for Camp Erin yesterday and now I'm even more excited to go in August. I learned the history of how the camp was started and found out the camp is only 3 years old. We learned what to expect, how to listen to the kids, and especially, how important this short stay is for them.

I couldn't help thinking as I was going through training, how nice it would have been to have something like this when dad was killed. While I would have been too old to attend, I sure think it would have helped Kate.

The kids range from 6-17 and all are in the grieving process from losing someone close to them.

My assignments are going to be really great. On Saturday, I'll be helping with the horses and on Saturday night, I'm helping the kids build Love Lights. This is where they build a floating, candle-lit luminary to honor their loved one and send it off on the lake. I'm sure this will be very personal and emotional.

I also learned that we can't have any contact with the campers once they leave on Sunday. We can't take pictures, we're done. They're very respectful of their personal information. I think that will be hard - I'm sure I'll become very fond of some of the kids and would like to know how things work out for them. But, we're like "butterflies that land for a few moments then fly away." They want to ensure that the kids don't get real attached to the adults, start communicating, then contact stops which leaves the kids with another loss. I guess that's understandable.

I left training feeling like this is going to be an experience that will change my life forever. I'm very excited to take part in such a wonderful program and I'm honored to have been accepted as a volunteer.

Olympics Junkie

I'm an Olympics Junkie. I know there must be a cure, but I'm not willing to look for it. I look forward to the Olymics starting the day after they end. Winter or summer, it makes no difference. This year, Idaho has 8 Olympians going to Bejing. I'm impressed. I suppose our most famous Olympic contender this year is biker Krisin Armstrong - she works at the Home Depot I go to and helped me pick out the paint I used for our bonus room. I should have asked her to sign my paint can.

How could you not be fascinated with the Olympics? Almost every country, no matter how small, whether they're engaged in war or at peace, sends their best athletes to compete.

Whether you're a sports fan or not, how could you not love watching things like synchronized swimming? When do you ever get to see that other than the Olympics?

I did discover that Camp Erin will conflict with the last few days of the Olympics. I guess I'll have to tape them - I'm committed to go. Yeehaw only 15 days to wait!

She Asked For It...

In our family, you don't dare "admire" something and then pass that information along to anyone else in the family. You see, in our family, if you love it, you need one of everything we can find that may resemble the ONE item you love. My sister Linda posted a cute little owl gizmo on her blog (Hooty Hoot) that she admires. So I got to thinking about how Christmas is coming up, OH and her birthday, and well, I got online and started doing some shopping.

I've never seen one quite like this, seems to be made of some kind of fabric...


And if you love something, I know someone, somewhere, has made it out of seashells. We're famous for buying lovely things made out of seashells...


Maybe she needs TWO made out of seashells...


I can't decide which of these I think she'd love the most. You're thoughts?


Look at this, I even found clothes!


I hope she doesn't read this post, it'll sure ruin the surprise!

Idaho Game Warden Magazine

For many years, I was the Editor of the Idaho Conservation Officers Association Newsletter. Now, they've moved on to bigger, and much better things! They now publish the Idaho Game Warden Magazine and it's a wonderful publication. If you're at all interested in Idaho, the outdoors, what it's REALLY like to be a Game Warden, or some of the best insider tips for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, get a subscription! It's only $10 a year and the money goes to the Idaho Conservation Officers' Association - a GREAT cause!

Even if you don't hunt or fish, you'll find the first-hand stories of Game Wardens to be fascinating. They work hard, miss holidays/birthdays/anniversaries with their families, face people every day who are armed, but they also have jobs that most of us would love to have. Oh, and the pictures are awesome!

I got on their website and got my subsciption this morning. I may even let Elmer read it. If you're interested in subscribing to this great magazine, here's the link. Enjoy!

http://www.idahogamewardenmagazine.com/

People, And Things, That Amuse Me...

The other day, I was running some errands and happened to have my camera in the car. I noticed a sign that just made me shake my head. Had I stayed out longer that day, I'm sure I could have found much more. But I have my "comfort zone" and try not to stray any further than I have to when I'm out. So, here's a few things that made me wonder "What the hell?"

"Today Only Sail". I swear, when I first passed this sign it didn't occur to me that this was for a yard sale. LEARN TO SPELL PEOPLE!!!!

And speaking of spelling, if you're going to quote something funny, spell it right! Don't they know it's not funny unless it's spelled "splainin'"?

I've seen this one many times. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND CAMPS AT WALMART????

They even put pretty (plastic) flowers out.

And this will never fail to amuse me - our ostrich chicken's hiney...

Start carrying your camera and you'll start noticing some people and things that amuse you too!

Adam's Call From Summer Camp

Adam left for summer camp Monday. This is the first year I've been able to talk him into going. He doesn't like to be away from home - he's got to get used to it, I don't want him living here til he's 40...

He called yesterday - just 24 hours after leaving for 6 days.

"Mom."

"Hi son are you having fun?"

"Yea, but you didn't pack enough clothes for me."

"What do you mean? I packed 6 pairs of shorts, 6 shirts, and a pair of long pants."

"I know but they're all dirty."

"WHAT??? How can you get that many clothes dirty in ONE DAY???"

"Well we've played paintball and stuff."

"Well son, you're at camp. I guess you're just going to have to wear dirty clothes for the rest of the week."

"Mom, there's GIRLS up here."

"Well, dang son, I had no idea there were GIRLS there! I'm on my way with the rest of the clothes in your closet."

silence...

"Adam, you may have to take some of your dirty clothes down to the lake and wash them. Just hang them up somewhere and they'll dry."

"Heavy sigh"

I haven't heard from him yet today (NEVER send your child to camp with a cell phone). I suppose he's wearing dirty clothes as I can't imagine him taking them to the lake.

I still can't figure out how a kid can go through that many clothes in 24 hours...

Bad Day...

I hate bad days. In fact, I hate them so much that I don't allow myself to have them. What good does it do me? I don't fell any better after I've had a bad day. It certainly doesn't fix the problems that have caused a bad day. All it does is make me feel - bad. But today, I'm having a bad day and even my old standby saying of "If this is the worse thing that happens to you today, be grateful" isn't making me feel better. The fact that I keep forgetting to resupply my happy pills obviously hasn't helped the situation. In fact, it's made things much worse. It makes me mad that I have to take happy pills to contend with life. Why don't I have the strength and fortitude to handle life without them?

I'm not blaming you Elmer, but if you'd quit calling me today with disappointing news I have no control over, I'd appreciate it. However, I WON'T cry. I'm afraid if I started I may not be able to stop - ever. It breaks my heart that my friend Val has cancer and feels like she's at the end of her life. It breaks my heart that the little 10 year old boy who was lost in the desert near Emmett died of heat stroke. It breaks my heart to think about the Marine who couldn't handle the effects of war and took and overdose of medication.

See, my life really is good. What right do I have to have a bad day over things that probably really don't matter in the grand scheme of life. As soon as the grandkids go home, I'm heading over the hill to get those happy pills...

Happy Birthday Mom!

It Breaks My Heart...

PINEHURST, N.C. - A former Army medic made famous by a photograph that showed him carrying an injured Iraqi boy during the first week of the war in March 2003 has died of an apparent overdose, police said.

The photograph of Joseph Patrick Dwyer running to a makeshift military hospital while cradling the boy appeared in newspapers, magazines and television broadcasts worldwide.

Dwyer died late last month at a hospital in Pinehurst, according to the Boles Funeral Home. He was 31.

After the photo was published, Dwyer laughed when a reporter told him of its widespread circulation and tried to deflect focus to his entire unit. His mother, Maureen, said then that the photo embarrassed her son because it singled him out while other soldiers were doing the same thing.

On June 28, Dwyer called a local taxi service to take him to the hospital after an apparent overdose, Capt. Floyd Thomas of the Pinehurst Police Department told the Fayetteville Observer. When the driver arrived, Dwyer said he couldn't get to the door, according to a police report.

Police kicked in the door at Dwyer's request, and he was taken by ambulance to a Pinehurst hospital. Thomas said bottles of prescription pills were found near Dwyer when police arrived. The former medic died later that night, according to authorities.

Dwyer served with the 3rd Squadron of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of Fort Stewart, Ga. He earned the Combat Medical Badge and other military awards.

Associated Press updated 12:15 p.m. MT, Tues., July. 8, 2008

God Bless all of you who have served even one day in a war. I will never understand the fear and the dedication you have experienced. Thank you for taking care of our great country.

Home...

An environment offering security and happiness.
A valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin.

Those of us who are fortunate, grow up. Some of us move away from home to begin new lives and find solace in new places. Some of us prefer the familiarity and comfort of our old surroundings and remain near where we grew up.

I grew up in Garden Valley, Idaho. It was the perfect environment to be a kid. Home was a small town with only a few telephones so if you wanted to call Boise, you had to drive to the Ranger Station or general store. We got 2 tv channels so it was a real treat when we visited grama in Boise and got to watch her channels. It was fun to visit Boise but it was also scary - we heard sirens which we never heard in Garden Valley. I was always glad to get home.

Naturally, we didn't have computers or video games, we had to use our imaginations. We lived in the Fish and Game cabin up Alder Creek and had virtually no neighbors. It was five miles down the hill if we wanted to play with our friends, and unless mom or dad were making a trip, we had to peddle our hineys on our bikes to get there - thankfully, it was all downhill. However we always knew we had to peddle back 5 miles UP the hill if we wanted to get home.

Now I call Hidden Springs home. I don't think I could ever move very far away. Elmer wants to retire near Grangeville in a little cabin - with a mule - where he can sit on the toilet and shoot a buck out of the bathroom window. Sounds appealing doesn't it? So, I guess someday, that's where we'll end up. But for now, this is home and the best part is that for the last 2 years, it's been my mom's home. My siblings have all moved away and made new homes for themselves, although thankfully, not entirely across the country.

Tomorrow, my sisters come home for a visit. They say "Home is where your heart is" I would add home means family, security, a place you are always welcome back to...

Can't wait to have you home sisters!

New Blog Link...

I've added a new blog to my links. This guy is so freakin' funny and has great stories to tell. He lives in Idaho now but is originally from Oregon. Since three out 5 of my readers are from Oregon, you're definately going to love his post "Oregon Special Edition Barbies". Enjoy!

I haven't figured out yet how to add a link that you can click on (help Kate!) but I guess the old cut n' paste will work.

http://dadintheheadlights.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/oregon-special-edition-barbies/

Ooooooops!

The following appeared in our neighborhood Hidden Springs Newletter that comes out every other week...

"Many of us in Hidden Springs have recently noticed the sound of the Bobwhite Quail in our community. It's the first year I've heard it here! Bobwhite Quail are distinguished by a dark cap stripe behind the eye along the head, black in males and brown in females. The area in between is white on males and yellow-brown on females. The body is brown, speckled in places with black or white on both sexes, and average weight is five to six ounces. The Bobwhite song is a rising, clear whistle, bob-White! or bob-bob-White! The call is most often given by males in spring and summertime. Other vocalizations include a range of squeaky whistles. I'm so excited to have this bird in our neighborhood!"

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm... I wonder where they came from?

A Great Vacation...

We had an awesome vacation in San Diego. The boys got to do the Arctic Adventure where they got into the water with a Beluga Whale and got to feed a walrus, seals, and a polar bear.

They learned the hand signals the trainers use to get the whales to do tricks...

We had this really cool tree right outside our room that they just had to climb

These goofy masks had a menu on the back so I made the boys put them on. How embarrassing!

And Adam caught his very first barracuda...

It was beautiful and 72 degrees the whole time we were there, compared to the 105 degrees here at home! Elmer even really enjoyed himself, but it's always nice to be home...