The Hidden Springs Hillbillies

This Could Be a Great Day!

2012-02-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and realized it wasn't a dream. It is REALITY.

Last week, we showed our house to a realtor with clients in a foreign country. Ival, who I have to admit is one of the best salesmen I've ever met (and his boss should be grateful to have him) took the agent through the house, pointing out all the features while she took pictures to send to her client.

Yesterday, we showed the house 3 times. The last couple was here for over an hour, taking pictures inside and out (although it was dark outside). Again, even though it's taboo, Ival was here to greet them and start their tour and point out some things they probably wouldn't have paid attention to had he not been here.

When they came, I decided to run and get some pizzas to cook once they left. Usually a showing takes about 15 minutes. It was dark when I got home so I parked across the street from the house waiting for them to leave. Thirty minutes later, I was still "creeping" as Adam calls it. Every once in a while I'd drive around the block, down the street, thinking they'd be gone by the time I got back. Finally, I saw them outside. Taking more pictures. Then, back in the house. Holy crap they've now been here for an hour and I'm hungry! I called our realtor to tell him I was creeping and ask what it meant if the lookers have been here for an hour and are taking pictures of the outside of the house in the dark.

"That's just one step down from having a U-Haul parked out front."

I should tell you too, that earlier that afternoon I had the following conversation with our realtor:

"Are you ready for some good news?"

"OK"

"We're getting an offer on your house!"

"YOU'RE SHITTING ME!"
(I swear, it just blurted out - that's so me. I have absolutely no couth.)

As it turns out, the couple from the foreign country loved the house.

So, back to my creeping. I finally see their realtor drive away and the couple get into their car so I pull into the driveway and lug the pizzas into the house. There, standing in the dining room is the nice young man who has been there for over an hour. Oh shit. He's chatting with Ival.

So, to make a long story short, our realtor called later that night, close to 10 and said that he had been on the phone with the kid's realtor for almost an hour. He is pretty sure that they too will be making an offer on the house today. It seems they were very fond of Ival. I wonder if they think he's included in the sale? Hmmmm. I'm sure we could work something out.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS????? I told Ival that I'm staying home today, doing nothing except my cross stitch with the fireplace on, waiting for the realtor to call. This is going to be a good day. I can still hardly believe it and still a little afraid to get too excited, but holy heck - the possibility of 2 offers in 1 day?

Ival already said he's hoping the nice couple from last night buy our house. They really loved it. So, I wait for the phone to ring...

Three Women...

2012-01-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Do you have anyone in your life that you look at, and have for years, and think, "This is the way the world should be." I do. I have 3 of them.

I've taken some time recently to look at my life. I'm incredibly lucky - and grateful. However, I have a rather "strong" shall we say, personality. I tend to get into "bidness" that I shouldn't. Actually, maybe that's wrong. I should say I tend to react to some "bidness" improperly. Rather than being encouraging I can be judgemental. Not out of meanness, but rather out of "I've done that, don't be a dumbass and make the same mistakes I did."

So, let talk about these 3 women. I will call them Pam, Abbie, and Kelli - a mother and her daughters, my sister-in-law and nieces. I can honestly say I have never met anyone like them. They are a joy to be around whether it's for an hour or a lifetime. I can honestly say I have NEVER heard them say an unkind word about anyone. I'm sure they have, but I've never heard it. They allow everyone to have their own opinions and lifestyles, their own politics and religion - their own distinct personalities. They are in one word "accepting."

After reflecting on myself lately, I need to become more accepting. Not that I think everyone should be "my way," I've never felt like that, but as I said, I tend to try to save everyone I know from making bad choices and I need to realize that I can give encouragement without giving advice. It's something I'm going to have to concentrate on every, single day.

I only have good people in my life. I've weeded out those that I don't believe have good hearts. I don't allow anyone in that isn't somehow special to me and I need to let them know that they are special to me instead of making them feel like I'm trying to change them. I will be working on that. As I do, I will think often of these 3 special women and ask myself, "how would they handle this situation."

I'm almost 56. It's not too late, but it's certainly time...

This Is Next...

2012-01-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to do this real quick before the auction in April. If not, I guess I'll have to keep it! We'll see...

I think she's adorable and I love her dress!

Cougar Kittens and Cross Stitch...

2012-01-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

While cleaning out some drawers recently, I came across this picture taken in the 1980s when I was working at Fish and Game. Someone had rescued 2 cougar kittens and they came to live with us for a few days before being taken to a rehab gal in Garden Valley. They were so darned cute!

Remember this?

Here she is so far. She'll look better once she's done and outlined in black. I think she's turning out pretty ok. That fire and pot have been a bitch! Lots of color changes. I purposly did it on orange so that it would look like a sunset. I didn't want to have to cross stitch the entire background in blue. But, I'm not so sure I like it. I should have just bought blue material but I thought I'd like the orange. Actually, it was supposed to be more of a yellow color. Should I do the background in blue?

Jacki thinks I should finish it and donate it to the silent auction for the hillbilly gatherin'. I could never get enough for it to compensate for all the hours I've put into it and I'm actually not sure anyone else would really appreciate it. I just happen to love old pin up girls.

On the Market...

2012-01-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

We officially listed the house Friday. We removed even more of our belongings, had all the carpets cleaned, refinished the hardwood floors, and had the counter tops in the kitchen and both upstairs bathrooms measured for granite. Wow, it's been a busy few weeks.

So the house was listed Friday, we had an open house Saturday, and a realtor called to show the house on Sunday. There are only 12 houses listed in Hidden Springs right now and I have a feeling we'll probably show the house at least 4 times a week with the inventory so low. That makes it hard to "live" but it will hopefully be worth it. It's priced right so - it's time!

I only wish it was spring. The yard is so beautiful in the spring, summer, and fall...

In other news, my sisters are coming this week! I can't wait to spend some girl time with some of my favorite people in the world.

The Winter That Wasn't...

2012-01-15T07:51:00.002-07:00

Every year we buy a season ski pass for Adam at Bogus Basin. He and his friends love getting up on the mountain and enjoying some great skiing and I loved the fact that last year he was able to drive himself up the mountain. No more bus rides! Last year, Bogus was open on Thanksgiving Day. This year however, is different. I think they have 4 inches of snow at the base and I've never seen anything like it.

Until now, the latest Bogus had ever opened was January 6th. We're now a week past that and while they're saying that the mountains could get snow starting Wednesday, they say it won't be enough to open the resort. Bogus is losing $100,000 a day in revenue. Then, when you think about the ski shops, the restaurants and convenience stores on Bogus Basin road that also depend on skiers, plus all the employees at Bogus, it's just another horrible tragedy for our economy. We certainly didn't need this. Brundage Mountain opened 5 runs in December but haven't really gotten any new snow since. I'm sure it's been hard on their economy too.

I wonder, will we skip our typical winter all together, or are we going to get dumped on in March and have snow on the ground in May? I'm at the point now where I don't want snow. I'm ready for spring! And as far as skiing goes, I suppose the boys could drive over to the Bruneau Sand Dunes...

This is the oddest winter I've ever seen and I bet it's something we're never going to forget.

Hillbilly Website...

2012-01-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd see the day, but my sister Linda has made a website for the 2012 Hillbilly Gatherin'. We are now officially "big time." It's still a work in progress, but it's up and running and she did a mighty fine job!

I'm really excited to be helping out Wish Granters this year. I remember so many times when I worked for Wishing Star, having people call me to ask if we did wishes for adults. It was incredibly hard to turn them away. Now with Wish Granters in existence, they have already done 30 wishes and have a lot more that they're working on. If we raise our goal of $10,000 it will be the biggest fundraiser that they've done since their inception. I'm determined!

So, check out the Third Annual Hillbilly Gatherin' website (can you believe how lucky we were that that domain name wasn't taken?!) and tell us what you think. Any changes we should make or suggestions on anything we need to add? We're still looking for a few sponsors ($250) to cover costs and lots more items for the silent auction. If you're crafty and make something, or work for a company that might donate something, let me know as the more items we have, the more wishes we can all help make come true for adults with terminal illnesses.

Why I Love the Internet...

2012-01-12T20:42:00.003-07:00

As I've mentioned before, several years ago, after much searching I found one of my best friends from third grade in Winnemucca via the internet. Jaci and I talk often on Facebook and she, her husband and brother even came from Portland for our last Hillbilly Gatherin'. I just love that I found my old friend.

A few weeks ago, a nice southern young man from Missouri sent me a message via Facebook. He wanted to restore a truck to look like an Idaho Fish and Game truck in honor of dad and Conley. We've talked via mail almost every day since and I feel like he's an old friend. He did however, call me ma'm. I asked him not to do that, it made me feel old. He told me that being a southern gentleman, that would be difficult, but so far, Kev has done pretty well with it. He's a cop and was featured on COPS a few years ago. I love COPS!

I discovered that we had some eerie similarities. He's from Missouri, dad's family was from Missouri. He has 2 sons - Jake and Adam. The truck he's restoring is an old Dodge Ram Power Wagon - that was the first truck I drove as a teenager that dad had bought new. Remember, I put 700 miles on it in one weekend when mom and dad had gone to Boise? And, it's tan - ours was tan. He and his wife and kids love the Denver Broncos, and they love the BSU Broncos. But this was just too much - I just found out tonight that he eats the hot dogs off those rolley things in convenience stores. Is that creepy or WHAT?

He loves Rush Limbaugh and I love Rush Limbaugh~! Just kidding, I hate Rush Limbaugh.

Kev, I'm so glad we've connected. I love finding new friends and I think we'll be friends forever.

Then, I had a comment on my post about putting the house on the market from Victoria. She and I are obviously kindred spirits as well. She's hilarious and we've had some good conversations. She's looking to buy a house in either Eagle or Hidden Springs and wanted some information about the area and our house. I told her that she'll be my best friend if they buy our house and that she could come and ride horses when we get them.

I just find it so fascinating that I've met two wonderful people in just a few short weeks. How cool is that? However, if I find out that Victoria has 2 sons, named Jake and Adam, I'm going to pack my bags, climb onto the roof, and sit there waiting for 12/21/12. I wonder how many sweatshirts I should pack...

My First Elmer Story of 2012...

2012-01-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

I stopped at the Stinker store yesterday to get gas after running my hiney all over town pricing appliances. Sheesh, that sucked.

As I was getting gas, I realized I hadn't eaten anything all day and I was hungry. So I went inside thinking I'd get one of those delicious hot dogs that roll around on those rolley things for gob-only-knows-how-long before some stupid sucker like me buys it.

Then, I noticed the counter with chicken in it and it reminded me of something Elmer had said not too long ago. We had stopped at the Stinker store and he mentioned that they sell "Chester's Chicken" and how good it is. Then he said something that even I couldn't believe came out of his mouth.

"We'll have to come here for dinner some time."

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

My dear, sweet husband, to whom I've been wed for 25 years, wants to take me to the friggin' Stinker store for Chester's Chicken for dinner some time. They don't even have a table in the Stinker store. I guess we'd sit in the truck by the gas pumps and dine.

I looked at their website and they call it "chicken on the fly." I'm one lucky gal don't ya think?

Time to List the House Again...

2012-01-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

We've had 2 realtors over to give us their thoughts on the house. The first was a new realtor who suggested we replace the kitchen appliances with stainless steel, replace the counter tops (kitchen, and both upstairs bathrooms) with either granite or something comparable, and refinish the hardwood floors. We both liked him and he seemed like he would be anxious to sell our house. However, he's never listed a home in Hidden Springs.

The second was our last realtor. I like him because he knows Hidden Springs. He was one of the original realtors up here. But, our house didn't sell last year. He also knows our finances and suggested we didn't need to replace those items (although if he thought we could afford it, I'm sure he would think it would be a good idea).

They both told us that things with buyers have changed immensly. Buyers don't want to negotiate any more in order to fix things the way they want them, like counter tops, appliances, etc. If they don't like those things, they'll just go down the road and find something for the same price with the nicer appliances and counters. So, it looks like if we want to sell, we're going to have to make some changes.

Tonight we'll have our third and final realtor here. It will be interesting to see what she has to say. We're determined to sell this year. Both realtors said we need to get the house on the market by February. There's only 18 houses on the market in Hidden Springs right now and that includes the short sales and foreclosures. That's unheard of here. When we had it on the market last summer, there were usually about 35 homes available. I'd list it tomorrow if we were ready!

So, we begin our journey again. Can't wait to build our new home, whatever it may be.

We Miss You Dad...

2012-01-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

"If there is a future for wild things, then it is the burden of those who have reached farther than me, to save them for the rest of us. It will be done by those whose convictions were forged in campfires,

Bill"

You were a good Game Warden...

Very Troubling...

2012-01-04T07:54:00.003-07:00

I've thought about writing this post for months. But, out of respect for my son and his job I decided it was best to leave it alone. However, after reading this article about the shooter in the Park Ranger killing in Washington, I knew that this just couldn't be left alone.

On Sept. 4th, 2011 my son, along with the other members of the 116th, returned from Iraq to the relative safety of the United States. They had spent a year there, most working 12-16 hour days with no days off except for the 2 week leave they were allowed during their deployment.

I can only imagine the fatigue and occasional despair they endured. I can't imagine working 14 hours a day, knowing I would be doing it for an entire year with not a single day off to look forward to. How do you wrap your brain around that and not feel like it's going to be the longest 12 months you've ever had to live?

But, there was an end. They did come home. But, not like many had hoped and imagined. Some had injuries and were "forced" to remain at Lewis-McChord Air Force Base in order to have their injuries assessed. I hated that this was happening to my son. He had a wife and children in Boise who had desperately missed him and wanted him home. We had all watched the news as most members of the 116th arrived back in Boise after a short stay at Lewis-McChord, but not my son.

He had been told that if he wanted his injuries to be taken care of, he would have to stay in Washington and have them taken care of there. I hated that, but thought that after a few weeks, he would have an assessment, could then complete treatment, and would be home within a few more weeks. That was not to be.

After a few weeks at Lewis-McChord, my son was told that he wouldn't be seeing a doctor until late October - almost 2 months after arriving there. To me, that didn't seem reasonable. I decided to see what I could find out about it, without giving my son's name. I then set on a short journey to discover how our military takes care of our soldiers. I was astounded, shocked, and disgusted. I believe that you should all know what is happening to the men and women who leave their homes and families to serve our country.

I started calling my Legislators and Representatives. Each one listened to my story, or at least the first few minutes of it, then told me I needed to go to their website, download the proper "form" and my son would have to submit it before they would look at it. The process would probably take 3-6 weeks. I know my son. He's a soldier and he would not complain. I, however, am a mother and wanted to find out more.

Finally, I contacted Rep. Labrador's office and found the most wonderful woman. She is in charge of his dealings with the military and was very open and honest with me. She basically told me that my son, and all the others there were being held "hostage." Yes, she used that word. She said this happens all the time. The military holds the soldiers there as long as they possibly can (without treatment) - in hopes that they will tire of being away from family, then will eventually decide to leave without treatment so they can go home. Once they sign the release to leave the base, they are no longer the responsibility of the military. They can choose to be treated at the VA Hospital but that can take years and the chances of them actually getting their medical problems taken care of there (due to the fact that they left "treatment") are almost nil. She told me what a shame it is that we treat our soldiers this way and how disgraceful it is.

Needless to say, I was shocked and appalled. How could we possibly, as Americans, allow this to happen to the men and women who volunteer to protect us? I decided to contact the person in charge of "Family Readiness" for the 116th to see if he could help me. Again, without giving my son's name or medical condition I told him what was going on. He began by saying how "smart" my son was to be sticking it out in Washington to get treatment because "a lot of people end up coming home without treatment." I asked him about why it was taking so long for him to even see a doctor and asked why our soldiers are treated this way. I told him about the conversation I had with Mr. Labrador's office. He got really angry and ended up hanging up on me! I couldn't believe that the "Family Readiness" coordinator would act in such a horrific manner to a family member.

So, I come back to the article above. The shooter had been stuck on this same base for God-only-knows how long. Yes, he had a troubled past but I can't help but wonder if he had been hoping for help and treatment as well. Waiting, waiting, and waiting. I know that you all understand that I am horrified at the murder of this Ranger. She had a family, co-workers, and friends. She had small children. Yet I wonder. If we had given this soldier the treatment for PTSD that he needed, in a reasonable manner, would this have happened?

From my experience, I think it may not have. PTSD is a horrible illness. I had my own experience with it for almost 20 years after dad was killed. Horrible panic attacks, horrible thoughts. I was finally diagnosed and given medication and after several years of taking it, felt like I was going to be ok.

I am proud to have another son who plans on joining the Army when he graduates this year. I'm tempted to have him talk to someone with PTSD before he joins. Not to scare him, but to help him understand that if he's deployed he won't come home the same person. He will be different forever.

We can't send our men and women to kill other human beings, or be linked in any way to those killings, and expect them to not suffer any ill. It's human nature, we are not born killers and can't be expected to return to normal life and not be properly cared for.

I should mention that my son was not diagnosed with PTSD. He was waiting for treatment for a physical injury. Although I think his personality has changed a lot since his first deployment, he may disagree. I don't care what your job is in a war, I don't see how you can return in the same mental condition that you left in.

Yes, my son came home. Without treatment, just as the military had hoped.

As a mother, I'm sad. As an American, I'm disgusted. How can we stand by and watch this happen to our soldiers? What can I do to change it? I'm not sure yet. But, after reading that this soldier was being stationed at the same base that chose not to take care of my son, I'm going to start doing some checking. My first phone call will be to Rep. Labrador's office.

2011, The Year in Review...

2012-01-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

As the new year of 2012 begins I'm taking a look back at some of my favorite posts of 2011.

I began the year finishing my "30 Posts in 30 Days" to remember the 30th anniversary of dad's death. It was bittersweet, yet awesome.

My son came home on leave from Iraq

My brother-in-law Joe, drew up our preliminary house plans for our barn house

This was just too funny not to share - my brother had business cards made (he's truly one of a kind and I just love him)...

Just for fun, we had some picnics on the property - can't wait to do more in 2012!

We celebrated mom's birthday with a wonderful long girl's weekend in Oregon

I took some cooking lessons from The Pioneer Woman. I'm not so sure she'd be proud...

I lost an old friend..

My son came home from Iraq. This made me very happy and made my life so much more peaceful.

We started planning for the Third Annual Hillbilly Gatherin'. This will far out-do the 2 previous. Just wait until you see what we have planned!

Some "mystery friends" left us a Christmas gift at the property.

and, Adam got a tattoo. I haven't posted about that yet, but will. Not that it will be news any longer, but I want to have record of it on my blog.

As I look back on 2011, I'd have to use the word "interesting." We had the house on the market most of the year. I hated that. We had the property and Ival spent every spare minute up there enjoying it - I loved that. Our youngest turned 18 - I have mixed feelings about that. I can't believe that in just 6 months, we could potentially be "empty nesters." It's a whole new chapter in the life of a mother. We spend all of our time taking care of our kids and husbands - they are our top priority, as they should be. What the hell will I do with myself!?

I've made new friends, and "divorced" some family members. Not that I wanted to, but some relationships are just toxic and I guess we needed a break from each other. I hope that eventually these relationships can be mended because family means so much to me. But until then, life will be more peaceful and I don't hold a grudge.

Well, thanks for coming along for the ride. I'm so grateful for all of you and look forward to an interesting and exciting new year!

To Our Wonderful Friends, Families, and Neighbors...

2011-12-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

We hope that 2012 brings you peace and comfort and the love of friends and family...

The Turners

Christmas Day, 2011 - Part Deux...

2011-12-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

I mentioned it was a quiet day for Christmas. About 1:00, Ival decided to go up to the property to "work." Not long after he left, he called to tell me he had found something hanging on the gate. It was a beautiful red stocking filled with homemade jam, homemade candy, and a tin full of nuts.

Tucked inside was a wonderful Christmas card with the following:
Dear Guardian of the Foothills.

Merry Christmas! During this route daily to and from work it was quite intriguing to see your tent go up.

We've spent many a family discussion speculating on your choice of locations. First, we thought sheepherders, then moved on to some type of science study, etc. Whatever your reason, we hope you are having a peaceful Christmas. Know that we bless you each time we drive by.

By the way, the blue Christmas lights are a nice touch.

Just as you have provided our imaginations with a lot of material, we hope you will have equal fun guessing about us!

Warmest Holiday wishes to you,

Santa's Elves,
Your Mystery Friends

So we left the following:

I'm sure they think someone lives there full time. But to me, it was just such a cute thing to find on Christmas day. I will save the card and frame it for our house when we build it. It will always remind us of how people have had such a fun time keeping an eye on the tent and what we've done. I imagine we will wonder for quite some time, possibly forever, who our mystery friends are - unless they stop by sometime and let us know. Until then, thanks for making for a wonderful memory for our new home...

Christmas Day, 2011

2011-12-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Today started out like any other. Everyone sleeping late on the weekend - except me. Mom came over and we opened presents and had a humble breakfast (I cooked). It was a very nice morning and I'm so glad mom lives so nearby.

Then something happened that made for a day I'll never forget. As a mother, we're weird that way.

Adam was always such an adorable boy. He had those round glasses and cute little face. But, he always had a mind of his own. He's certainly not perfect, but today, I think I was more proud of him than I've ever been.

He came downstairs a while ago and said he was going for a walk.

"Are you ok?"
"I'll talk to you later. See ya."

I could tell he'd been crying. Oh crap, did his girlfriend break up with him on Christmas? Was one of his friends in trouble? I ~~watched~~ peeked out the window as he walked up the hill from the house. My heart was breaking thinking of what could be wrong. After all, it was Christmas, no one should hurt on Christmas.

Adam came home and sat in the chair. He started telling me how he had gotten text messages from 5 of his friends. Each one told him how much he meant to them. He went on to tell me that his friend Ben had called him from his vacation in California to tell him that he "loved him." He said they both broke down and cried while they were talking.

Ben and Adam went to daycare together and have know each other since they were crawling. They've been such good friends for so many years. Ben has signed up with the Marines to become Special Forces and will be leaving in June for boot camp.

Jake and Adam have been friends for over 10 years. They went to grade school together and Jake lives up here. Jake is such a quiet boy and has had some hard times over the years.

The twins went to grade school with Adam as well. They've since moved to Emmett but they have stayed in contact and come over often. As 18-year-old boys, they've discovered that it's hard to get along with their dad. They've been living in their car off and on for the last several months and evidently, Adam has been trying to help them however he can.

Luke is a fairly new friend, but spends most weekends here.

So, this morning, all these boys either called or texted Adam telling him what a great friend he's been and how much he's helped them get through some tough times. Ben is probably beginning, as they all are, to realize that their lives are about to change. It's hard to know that the friends you've become so close to will all be going their separate ways and things won't be the same.

I told Adam how proud I am of him - to know that he's kept his friends for so long and that he means so much to them that they would all take this day to remind him.

I know this post won't mean much to my few readers, but it's something that I want to remember. Things like this are exactly why I write a blog. As a mom, I'm weird like that.

And then, Ival called me with a surprise he found hanging on the gate of the property (and no, it wasn't something dead). I can't tell you about that until I get a new camera (tomorrow) so that the picture can accompany the post. It made what had just happened with Adam, even better. You know, I have a good feeling that we're going to sell the house this spring...

Ahhhhh, Christmas

2011-12-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

I just realized it's been a while since I've written anything here. I guess I haven't really had much to say.

It's just a few days until Christmas but it's going to be a busy few days. Tonight, all the kids and grandkids are coming over. We've gotten to where we just buy for the grandkids, at least for now. Things are probably tighter this year than they're ever been for Christmas but I tried to get things for the grandkids that either really meant something, or something that I knew they would really like and might enjoy for more than just the next few days. Just having them all over means so much to us - we are so grateful for our family.

Tomorrow we celebrate with Ival's side of the family. It's grown so big (we also have our kids and my mom because the Turners are just awesome) that we have it at the clubhouse here in Hidden Springs. We usually end up with close to 50 of us but it's a lot of fun to get everyone together.

Sunday will be quiet. Just us and mom. It will probably be nice to have some quiet time!

I'm so incredibly grateful for my friends, my family, and another year of having my wonderful sister-in-law Pam in our lives. I have to mention her here because she's such a blessing to everyone who knows her. She is truly the strength and class that I wish I could be. Thank you Pam, for reminding us every day how precious life is, and how truly minor our problems are. While I don't see you as often as I'd like, I think of you every single day.

I hope you all have a wonderful whatever-it-is you celebrate. Thanks for being my friends and family!

What the Fractal?????

2011-12-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, the fractal cross stitch didn't work out - for now. I put the pattern together and it was almost 4x5 ft. I don't have room for that right now. So, this is what I'm working on. It's been years and I'm really enjoying doing it again.

I love the old pin-up girls. Don't you think this will be cute in our new kitchen - when we have one? All I have done is the fire and the pot. But that was the hard part.

I love her.

We Got Trouble Folks, Right Here in River City! That's T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

2011-11-30T05:38:00.003-07:00

I'm a small-town gal. I've never liked cities. That's the reason that I love Hidden Springs and the lifestyle that goes with living here. I knew this was the place for me when I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, just a few months after moving here. My neighbors, who I didn't really know at the time brought dinner to our house for the next 7 weeks. Every night. Everyone in town participated - how could you not love people who were willing to do that? It was something I'll never forget. And the people are still like that.

I love the fact that Boise is just a few short, beautiful miles away, yet I have the small-town atmosphere of Hidden Springs. I hear coyotes instead of sirens at night. I've always said that it's as close to living back in Garden Valley as I can get and still be close to town so that hubby can work. I love that Hidden Springs is so diverse. We have young people, retired people, Jews, Christians, Mormons, atheists, blacks, whites, Asians, lesbians, and hell, maybe even swingers living here - and we all get along!

Tonight, we have an "informational" meeting to ask questions of those who are running for Town Council. It's never been something I felt like I needed to get involved in because frankly, we have wonderful people who have always run and been elected that live here and want to be involved for the same reasons that make me love it. They love the Merc, knowing their neighbors, keeping the charm of the homes and streets, keeping the clubhouse, pools, common areas, farm, and community barn beautiful and functional, and making sure it stays a peaceful, beautiful place to live.

However, this year, we have "The Slate of 4." They're a scary group. About 2 weeks ago, they went door-to-door with fliers talking about their "platform" and all the changes they want to make to our little town and the Town Council. I've been laughing ever since. They're obviously all from big cities and had no idea the firestorm they were igniting by riling the neighbors - the Hidden Springs Facebook page (and personal email inboxes) have lit up! When they don't like the tone of the FB page they post comments about "slander, libel, and lies." They really should have done their homework on moving to a small community from a big city and how to get along with the folks that live there and love their community!

One thing they want to do (I know this is insignificant but I hate the thought of it) is make sure that our TC meetings are now done using "Roberts Rule of Order." Have you ever been to a meeting that follows Roberts Rule of Order"? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. One of our Board of Directors insisted we follow that format for the Peace Officers' Memorial meetings a few years ago. There's even a book you're supposed to buy and read so you will know, and can follow, the proper format. I got mine free, but never even opened the cover. I hate it - and I make it obvious at our meetings that I ignore it. I won't call Rich Wills "Mr. Chairman." I won't, I won't, I won't!

So, the neighbors right here in River City have called each other out to attend the meeting tonight. The preschool is even open and has offered free child care so that everyone can go. The "Slate of 4" have no idea what they're in for. But, it's going to be SO MUCH FUN to watch them find out!

Garden Valley Bigfoot?

2011-11-29T07:50:00.002-07:00

Right before Thanksgiving, my husband's "anonymous friend" emailed him some pictures. They have a cabin at Terrace Lakes and he had gone up a small dirt road off the Middle Fork of the Payette to scout for deer. He took these pictures and explained that the tracks had come off a ridge, onto the road and he had followed them for about a half a mile.

The prints were about 6 inches across - not huge, and the stride was about 4 feet. Ok, maybe could have been a runner in those weird barefoot shoes, but why would they come off the mountain, go along the road for 1/2 a mile, then off the road and down into the brush? He's sure he saw the tracks of a bigfoot.

I looked at the BFRO site and found several sightings in the same general area. You know how fascinated I am with Bigfoot. What do you think? Jaci, can't wait to hear your thoughts!

It Was a Wonderful Week...

2011-11-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

We got our son back. Even though we missed him a lot, the best part was knowing that his wife and kids got their husband and daddy back. He came home the day before Thanksgiving and I feel like a hundred pounds have been lifted off my shoulders. Being a mama is hard!

On another note, Jacki and Tim went to Seattle for the week and asked Adam to house sit. Not a problem - except they adopted 2 golden retrievers last summer. The male, Cooper, is a typical golden. Happy all the time, loves everyone, and just grateful to be alive. The female Ginger, however, is a different story. A very sad story. When Jacki and Tim got the 2 dogs, they had been together for several years and the owners didn't want to separate them. The only problem was that when she was young, Ginger had been abused - obviously by a male. She's terrified of everyone except Jacki and her family.

Adam had a terrible time getting Ginger to come in the house at night and it was too cold for her to stay outside. The first several nights Adam managed to trick her into the house. By the last 2 nights he couldn't get her to come in. She was wise to his tricks.

So, Friday night about 8pm, Adam called me to say he couldn't get her inside. He came home and I went to Jacki's. I thought I could get her in because she's not as afraid of females as she is of males. I tried for over an hour and 15 minutes to get her to come in. I hid behind the door hoping I could slam it shut behind her if she snuck in. I got canned dog food and let her lick it off my fingers. I threw dog treats inside the door hoping she'd sneak in. Nothing worked.

It was cold enough outside that I knew there was no way I was going to give up and let her sleep outside. So, being a female and thinking outside the box, I went into the garage and got an extension cord. I opened the back door, tied one end of the cord to the doorknob and draped it across the doorway over the couch. I put canned dog food in her bowl and put it far enough inside that she had to actually come in to snatch a bite. I then sat on the couch with the other end of the cord in my hand and pretended like I was watching tv and didn't pay any attention to her. After another 15 minutes, I saw her out of the corner of my eye as she snuck through the door. BAM! I pulled the cord and slammed the door. Success!

I had to do the same thing last night. It's a good thing the kids are coming home tonight, I think she was on to me after the second time. So it was a great and interesting week. Hope yours was too, and that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family.

2012 Dutch Oven Clinic and Hillbilly Gatherin'...

2011-11-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the opportunity was just too good to pass up. Our friends Butch (Cee Dub) and his wife Penny will be in town in April and May and asked me to reserve the Hidden Springs Barn for them to do a couple of 2-day Dutch Oven cooking clinics. My brain started going and so I called Butch this morning and first, told them happy Thanksgiving, then asked if I could encroach on one of their Saturday nights to hold the Hillbilly Gatherin'.

We'll be raising money for Wish Granters - they grant wishes to local area adults who are terminally ill. Doug was my old boss at Wishing Star and started this organization just last year. Being a fledgling non-profit, they really need a boost and we're going to give it to them. Penny is also a breast cancer survivor and thought this was a great opportunity for she and Butch as well.

This year though, I'm going to try to find help. If I'm going to do an event to raise money, I want to make sure I raise lots of money. I'm going to put together some "committees." Reallly, you can never have too many committees can you?

So, save the date - Saturday night April 14th. And, if you'd like to sign up for one of Cee Dub's clinics, go here and then click on appearances and clinics. Down at the bottom of the page are the dates for the Hidden Springs clinics. (Be sure to take a long look at those rolls on his home page - can't you just smell them!)

YUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Fractals...

2011-11-17T17:04:00.001-07:00

I used to love to do cross stitch and I might add, I was pretty darn good. At the time, I was doing mostly Victorian style angels. I'm ready to try my hand again, but couldn't stomach doing an angel so I started looking for something different and found "fractals." They're done with mathematical equations from what I understand and some require up to 122 colors. The only thing easy about them is that there are no 1/2 stitches. If you click on the picture you can see them better. Here's a few I'm loving...

But, I think this is the one I'm going to do. I love how it looks like feathers. This one has 99 colors. The only thing I hate is the thought of doing this on black. It's almost impossible to see the holes on black. I may pick another color...

I'm Such a Proud Mama...

2011-11-13T08:49:00.002-07:00

My beautiful granddaughter Hannah, is turning 1. In lieu of the typical first birthday party, my daughter has decided that Hannah is so fortunate to have a home, a loving family, clothes, toys, and food to eat, that her first birthday will be in honor of City Light Home for Women and Children. It's a wonderful program for our city's most vulnerable citizens - homeless women and their children.

I'm really excited! I've bought some socks, hats and gloves, toys and a few other things for the kids. I'm going through my pantry today to pick out some food to take and will soon hit my closet to see if there may be a few things in there that I can take (I know how laughable this thought is to some of you!). I'm also going to see if my boss will let me set a cash donation box up at the Merc to help out.

What a great way to spend a day, and what a great feeling everyone will have for having done something good for those who need a hand up in these hard times. Thanks Jack, for doing something so wonderful to help so many. You always make me proud.

Happy first birthday Hannah Dee!

OK, Enough of This...

2011-11-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

I love my daughter. She's always got my back and knows me better than anyone except my mom. I got a call from her this morning basically telling me that I haven't been myself lately and reminding me that we really have great lives. Whenever I find myself worrying about things, I always try to tell myself that there are so many people out there who are so much worse off than I am. However, I've had a dark cloud following me the last several months but didn't realize how bad it was until my daughter's call this morning.

I started rattling off things I'd been thinking about (I evidently needed to get it off my chest!):

Wanting so badly to sell our house but not being able to
Wondering if we were going to need to move all the kids up the the property into a commune because of the horrible economy.
Not being able to come up with a good plan for a much-needed family get-together.
Not having Jake home.
blah, blah, blah

Then she reminded me of what I always say. "Life is good."

It was a gentle butt-kicking I needed. Life really is good you know, and here's what I have to be so grateful for and will now focus on:

A husband who loves me - even though we're much like Al and Peg Bundy!
A family I can always trust and talk to.
3 wonderful kids who have turned out to be more than I could ever have hoped for - despite some of the things I've done.
A daughter-in-law and son-in-law that I love and feel so lucky to have. You're extremely fortunate if your children marry someone who loves them (almost) as much as you do. Thank you Heather and Tim for loving my kids.
Jake will be home - where he belongs - soon.
A mother who is so special to me (and everyone in our family) that I can't imagine not having her as my best buddy.
A beautiful home.
A beautiful piece of property that we'll someday live on.
A few friends that I think the world of and would do anything for and I know would do anything for me. (I'm basically quite anti-social - not that I choose that, but because I'm just not the life of the party like my sisters are so people have a hard time getting close to me). Jaci, Denise, Casey - I love you!
5 WONDERFUL grandkids that I think love me almost as much as I love them - and it's the best feeling in the world.

So, thanks Jacki, for giving me the lift I needed and the gentle butt-kicking to remind myself of how wonderful my life really is. You are my sunshine...

About the Death Penalty...

2011-11-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

In just a few days, November 18th, Paul Ezra Rhoades is scheduled to die out at the Idaho Penitentiary. As his death watch has gotten closer, he has decided to challenge Idaho's method of death as "inhumane."

Pffffffffffffftttt.

As I hear that, I can't help but think of the wonderful people in my life that I've watched die of cancer. An old friend from Fish and Game who died from brain cancer. It was a horrible death. I had gone to see him once a week, every week when he was placed in a nursing home - something that was hard to see. He was all man, a man's man. A good Game Warden who loved his job. I had seen him just the day before he died. He had nothing left. I'm sure if someone had offered him a lethal injection several months before he finally died, he would have gladly accepted it.

The man Ival was named after. He lived with us the last year of his life. Thankfully, he didn't suffer like Don did, but I'm sure that he too, would have welcomed the opportunity to "just go to sleep" instead of the last few days he suffered.

And my old boss at Fish and Game. She was so sick for so long.

Paul Ezra Rhoades should be grateful he's getting a lethal injection instead of dying the way he killed the teacher in 1987 and the convenience store clerk in 1988. Be grateful Mr. Rhoades, it could certainly be worse.

Adam's 18th Birthday Request...

2011-10-30T07:17:00.000-06:00

Adam has decided what he wants for his 18th birthday. It's a rather strange request.

As I've mentioned, he's planning on joining the military right after he graduates. The other day we were sitting on the couch and he said, "I want a tattoo for my birthday."

"Really?"

"Yep, I think I want one of grampa's prints tattooed on my arm so that when I go into the Army, I'll be able to look down and see it and I'll always know that he's with me."

Well, damned if that didn't just make my heart melt! He's not sure which print he wants done, but he's thinking right now about the Mountain Man, which is the print we used to raise reward fund money when dad was killed.

I'm thinking this one might be less painful! But, it will be up to Adam.

We're going to have to find someone REALLY good to do such an intricate piece. Anyone know someone really good locally? Any idea how much this might cost? I thought I was going to get away with giving him 50 bucks...

The Blame Game...

2011-10-27T15:28:00.001-06:00

I recently read a post on my local Casting For Recovery Facebook page where someone asked if anyone had been off of Arimidex for long enough that they had noticed a change in their side effects from the medication. They specifically named lack of emotion and energy and mood swings.

WHAT?

I didn't know those were side effects of Arimidex! I've been on it for 8 years and have 2 more to go, even though I asked Dr. Montgomery at my last appointment if I could stop taking it - he said no.

But, to get back to why I loved this question.

I love it when I can come up with a good reason for my bad behavior. Now, I feel completely comfortable in blaming it on the Arimidex. Life really is good...

Woot!

Empty Nest...

2011-10-26T06:37:00.000-06:00

Today something hit me. In just 8 months I'll have an empty nest. Wow.

Adam is planning on joining the Army and will probably ship out to boot camp as soon as he graduates from high school in May. This of course, has made me wonder, what will Ival and I do? I hope to be like that car commercial where the young girl has moved on and worries about what her parents are doing and says, "I'm an only child. Except for my sister."

I hope we'll be off riding horses, taking care of critters, and spending some enjoyable time together. But a family always seems to revolve around the kids.

What did/will you do when you have an empty nest?

Our lives will definitely be different...

First Solo Hunting Trip - Could Have Turned Out Badly...

2011-10-20T09:18:00.001-06:00

Adam and one of his best friends took their first solo deer hunting trip a few days ago. They were both really excited but mom was a bit nervous. I had to make sure they had enough food and water for 4 days, plus a lighter "just in case." I'm such a boob!

They were only going outside of Horseshoe Bend - about an hour away. They got up early and left in time to make it to their hunting spot by daylight. They saw another vehicle parked where they wanted to hunt so they parked nearby and got out.

The minute they stepped out of their vehicle, they were verbally assaulted by 3 men in their 30s. Calling them "anal assholes" and a bunch of other 4 letter words asking why they were hunting in the same area. Adam finally said, "Before you get all nasty, why don't you ask us where we're hunting." So, one guy asked where they were going and Adam pointed the direction. The jerk said "Good, we're going that way."

And they all parted ways. I keep thinking that this could have turned out really badly. I wish Adam had gotten a license number. This grizzly mama would have run down the jerk and told him that he could have ruined my son's first solo hunting trip if Adam had allowed it to happen. As it turned out, the boys saw a doe but no bucks and had a great time. Why would 3 30-year-old men talk like that to 2 teenagers?

Jerks.

Kitty in the Garbage Can...

2011-10-13T14:53:00.001-06:00

My mother, bless her heart. She feeds the birds and loves them. She has one problem however, and that's neighborhood cats that tend to "sneak" on her birds and have often killed them. She hates that.

A few years ago, she watched as a neighborhood cat caught and killed one of her tweety birds. She was having none of that. She ended up catching the cat, set it into her big plastic garbage can, shut the lid, found a BIG stick and spent the next few minutes banging the garbage can. KAPOW! KAPOW! KAPOW! Needless to say, neighborhood kitty was scared shitless and when mom finally opened the lid, said cat flew out of that garbage can never to return.

Well, this spring mom kept seeing a cat out laying under one of her bushes. She was sure the kitty was stalking her tweety birds. This cat however, was very friendly and would run up to her as soon as she opened her door. After watching kitty lay under her bushes for several days, she finally scooped kitty up and gave her "the trash can treatment." Yep, my sweet 80-year-old mother.

This time however, she noticed that kitty kept coming back. Only it was getting thinner and obviously wasn't eating - not even her birds. It was instead, eating her bird seed. Poor kitty, somebody had obviously moved and abandoned her. So, trash can kitty stole mom's heart and she started feeding her. As time has passed, mom felt so sorry for her that she now lives inside mom's house. On mom's wonderful bedspread, on her beautiful furniture - wherever she wants to sleep.

Trash can kitty now has a home, although she tends to sit and stare at mom sometimes - like she'd like to scratch her eyes out. I wonder if she's having flashbacks...

2011-10-11T09:36:00.000-06:00

My sister sent an invite to Pinterest a few weeks ago. I went to the link and set up an account but had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. I went to websites I like but couldn't figure out how to copy the pictures to my page. I then discovered that they have to be linked to the site in order to do so. So, I started going just through the Pinterest website and starting finding all kinds of things that I love! They have lots of categories and it's a great way to keep track of ideas that I love for our barnhouse.

If you have a Pinterest account, send me the link, I'd love to see what you've pinned. Or, if you don't have one and would like one, let me know and I'll send you an invite.

You can look at my page by clicking on the Pinterest logo on the right hand side of my page here. It's great fun when you have nothing better to do. I haven't pinned too much yet but I'm working on it.

Well Shoot!

2011-09-28T18:29:00.000-06:00

I tend to find that life is much easier to deal with if I ignore anything/anyone that bothers me. I didn't say it was a healthy solution, but it generally works for me. However, I don't usually ignore a medical condition.

After my second time with chemo, I noticed that my hands and especially my feet, were always tingling. Kind of like when your feet fall asleep and then tingle as they come back to life. Except it was constant. My hands aren't so bad but my feet have always been quite noticeable. Lately, they seem to be getting worse with hardly any feeling (yet I can definitely feel the constant tingling). It's the hardest thing to describe. They feel numb, yet I can feel almost constant pain in the balls of both feet and the constant tingle. I was told it was called neuropathy. I'd just as soon not know what it's called 'cause the less I know about it the better I like it.

Today I bought new slippers and when I tried them on, I scared myself. I kept trying to cram my foot into a size that I know I always wear, trying to get them all the way on. I suddenly realized they were on, I just couldn't tell. I couldn't feel my toes.

Luckily, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I started doing some checking and found that quite a few people have what is called Chemo-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN). I had no idea that neuropathy could get worse over the years, in fact, I expected it to get better.

And as for the slippers, I bought them, but I still can't tell if they fit. I can't tell if they're too tight or too loose. I wonder why this is happening all of a sudden.

The doctor had better come up with a solution for this tomorrow as this is totally unacceptable. I won't tolerate it!

Happy First Day of Fall!

2011-09-22T20:40:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's my favorite post every year. Welcome, first day of fall!

and, I just had to add this picture because, damn, that had to hurt!

Not Quite Home...

2011-09-18T09:23:00.001-06:00

Jake, along with his fellow soldiers, returned to the US about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, it wasn't the happy return we had all been waiting for. Jake has bad knees and they're keeping him in Seattle until they can figure out if he needs surgery to fix them. Most of the soldiers from the 116th have all now returned to their families in Idaho, but not my son.

If he has surgery, he'll need physical therapy afterward so he could be in Seattle for a long time. I was happy that on the spur of the moment, his wife decided to pack up the 2 girls and drive to Seattle yesterday to spend a day or two with him. They all need this time together. Jake posted on Facebook that they all had dinner in a food court together last night - and it was the best dinner he's ever had. That made me happy.

If he stays in Seattle, here in a few weeks we'll all chip in and help send Heather and the girls to see him again. Only this time we'll make sure they fly so they can have those 18 hours spent driving on this trip, together.

I'm so happy to have him back in the states, but so sad that he's stuck alone on a military base. I know how hard this last year was for them all - it's time to be back together.

Written on Sept. 12, 2001...

2011-09-10T20:52:00.000-06:00

The following was shared by a friend on Facebook. We all remember what we were thinking in the days following 9/11/01 but he says it so well...

By LEONARD PITTS JR., Miami Herald

It's my job to have something to say.

They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering.

You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.

What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed.

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.

Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.

Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae - a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though - peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God.

Some people - you, perhaps - think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals.

IN PAIN

Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before.

But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice.

I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future.

In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined.

THE STEEL IN US

You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold.

As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.

So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started.

But you're about to learn.

Oh Roaming Gnome, Roaming Gnome, Wherefore Art Thou, Roaming Gnome?

2011-09-10T06:17:00.002-06:00

Several years ago, before she moved up here to Hidden Springs, mom was trying to sell her house. Some of her Bunco friends who are Catholic told her about burying a St. Joseph statue in her yard. Supposedly that will help you sell.

Becoming desperate to sell, because it's so hard to compete with the short sales in the area, I thought I'd look it up to find out how and where to "bury" St. Joseph. I found something I wasn't prepared for. You can actually buy St. Joseph in a friggin' kit. Yep, he can be bought for anywhere from $1.39 (cheap plastic) to $27.89 (pewter). Some of them are labeled "EcoJoe." They're made of clay. Seems kind of sacrilegious to call him Joe... Anyway, who knew you could buy it in a kit?

Well, I don't have time to order St. Joseph in a kit so the closest thing I have on hand is my Roaming Gnome. So, he went into a 30 cent garbage bag and Ival buried him on the farm. I hope he can remember where he put him so we can dig him back up.

St. Joseph is supposed to be buried upside down. I hope it doesn't break his pointy hat.

We only have a few days left. We've got the house for sale by owner and are taking it off the market the end of September. We'll try again next spring.

One of My Favorite Songs...

2011-09-04T12:01:00.001-06:00

Today is Rick's memorial service and he loved country music. To me, this isn't a sad song, I love it and I think Rick would love it too.

I hope you're enjoying a Corona - here's to you old friend...

Somehow, I have a feeling Hank was there to greet you.

Fond Memories of an Old Friend...

2011-09-01T15:24:00.001-06:00

About a year and a half ago, when Ival and I took our last cruise, I got to meet up with an old friend from high school before we left our port in Florida. I hadn't seen Rick Dewey since 1974 when I graduated. He was a year behind me in school, but with only about 50 kids in the whole high school, we were all good friends.

They lived up at Terrace Lakes. Rick had this boyish smile that always made you want to ask him what he was thinking. I was happy to see that he still had that smile when we met up with him 36 years later. It was almost like we had never missed a day of seeing each other. The visit was easy and it was so nice to catch up. What made me the happiest though, was how obvious it was that he loved his wife and how happy they were together. He told us how he was estranged from his family, and that made me sad. He had an older brother that drowned a few years after I graduated, but his father and a few siblings were still alive. I didn't ask why, but not being close to his family was obviously very hard on him.

I got on Facebook the other morning and started reading all the new posts. There was a status update on his page from his wife saying how sorry she was for his friends and family, but Rick had died the day before. My brain went numb. Rick was a contractor and I thought maybe he had been killed in an accident. I sent a message to his wife and told her how incredibly sorry I was because I knew how much they loved each other. She sent me a message back telling me that Rick had killed himself.

I still can't believe it. I hate suicide. My first husband did the same thing 34 years ago. I just don't understand how people can do that to all the people that love them. He seemed so happy, yet sometimes there can be pain so deep that you get very good at hiding it after having it for so long. I'll never know what caused him to do it, but I'll certainly miss keeping up with him.

My hope for Eileen is that she can someday find peace, keep the wonderful memories, and always know how much Rick loved her.

I'm going to miss you friend. Happy Trails...

Call Me Old Fashioned...

2011-08-20T07:07:00.001-06:00

but to me, texting and dating are not a good mix. It's been a while since I dated - a long while, but I'm trying to imagine what it would have been like to have someone text me for a date instead of the good old fashioned phone call.

I love to see people flirt. It's adorable! When someone texts you and asks if you want to go out, what fun could that possibly be? You can't hear any emotion in their voice, and isn't that part of what really turns us into a drooling mess when we discover that we may like someone? I've had the good fortune in the last few weeks to watch someone I care a lot about, flirt with someone. It was adorable. I haven't seen him act that way since he was a teenager. To watch his eyes as he looked at her and to hear his boy-like voice as he teased her about things just melted my heart.

But with texting you get none of that. I've watched several younger girls who are in the beginning stages of dating someone and they're always texting. How can you tell what the guy is thinking if you can't hear it in his voice.

If I were dating in this day and age, I would be emphatic. Unless it's an emergency, NO TEXTING! If you can't pick up the phone and actually talk to me, then don't bother. Are we at a point where we decide if someone is a good fit for us by reading what he types? I guess we can quickly discover if he has grammar problems, but how can we really get to know someone without hearing their voice? It just isn't possible. I don't think it should even be considered interaction.

Consider it in the simplest way:

Text: Wanna' go out?
Text back: k
Text: Bardonays Sat at 7?
text back: k :)

REALLY? With a phone call, you can at least hear in their voice some kind of flirtation or how serious they are about the date. You can even tell if someone is smiling when you talk to them on the phone. Plus, it's generally more than a few words and leads to an actual conversation. Face to face is even better, you can see in someone's eyes if they really like you. But texting, it's safe I suppose. No emotions involved., only a few typewritten words. It's really very sad.

To you younger girls still dating I would offer this advice. No texting while dating. Tell him to call.

Would you have liked "texting" instead of a phone call when you were dating? Do you like texting with a friend instead of a phone call from them? Maybe it's just me.

Ree and I Made Meatloaf!

2011-08-13T19:52:00.004-06:00

I had hamburger thawed in the refrigerator today and decided I'd make meatloaf. It was either that or Shepherd's Pie and we had that last night at Heather's house. Elmer doesn't like my meatloaf so much. It's pretty plain. So, now that Ree and I are such a good team (ok, not so much) I decided to see what she had for a recipe.

It was called My Favorite Meatloaf. I read the recipe and had all the ingredients I needed and none of them were expired so I thought I'd give it a try. I have to admit, I was a bit sceptical when I saw that Ree's favorite meatloaf is covered in bacon. Never heard of that, but I happened to have some bacon.

Ree's...

Mine...

Ree's finished product...

Mine...

She should however, have put in a little note somewhere of how I'm supposed to ever get this pan clean without getting my hands wet. That sauce and bacon is cooked on there good.

Believe it or not, Elmer said it was the best meatloaf he ever ate. Get outta here!

The only thing I'd change is not adding so much bread. I think I'd only add 3 slices instead of the 6, but I have to admit, it was good! Want the recipe?

Elmer had also brought home some fresh green beans that someone at work had given him. I would have just put them in a bowl and steamed them until they were ~~mushy~~ done, but what the heck, I'd thought I'd see what Ree had for green beans too. These were to DIE for!

Sorry Ree, but I wasn't about to cook bacon for the grease and not chop the bacon and cook it with the beans. I also didn't have any red pepper so I left those out. But they were the best green beans I've ever had. I'll definitely be making these again. Here's the recipe.

Ree's...

Mine...

I've been told by ~~Sheri and Kate~~ a few people that I won't mention, that my photos are "shoddy." I do need a new camera and I would imagine that you two critics could probably find me a pretty nice, new camera on Amazon. I think today I would have made Ree proud (except for the photos).

I hope I don't start getting good at cooking or Elmer might expect me to do it every day. I hate to cook...

PARAPROSDOKIANS

2011-08-12T16:18:00.001-06:00

PARAPROSDOKIANS
(thanks mom, for sharing these!)

Here is the definition: "Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation."

"Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.

Ok, so now enjoy!

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.

12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'

13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

17. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

18. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

19. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

20. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

21. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

22. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

23. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

24. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

25. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

26. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

27. A diplomat is someone who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.

28. Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.

29. I always take life with a grain of salt. Plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

30. When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

My personal favorites: #1, #11, #13, #17, #23 and #27

Yours?

Ada Country Criminals...

2011-08-11T16:44:00.002-06:00

See this?

No, No!

We had a card on the gate about a week ago from an Ada County Code Enforcement Officer. To make a long story short, Ival has been working with them for the last week trying to get this to go away. But, according to Ada County, "you colored outside the lines."

Cost? $350 fine. Then we have to hire an Engineer to come and and tell us how badly we destroyed our property and how to fix it, then we have to hire someone to do the work.

I know Engineers aren't cheap. I have a feeling this will cost us several thousand dollars. And we're nice people damnit! We even did this

after the fire to ensure the hillsides wouldn't slide away and that the wildlife would have food on our place.

Sigh.

Between this and not selling our house, I was tempted to cry today - but I didn't. Instead, I spent the day thinking about the fact that our son will be home soon, while 30 families received their sons draped in flags this week. I've missed him so much.

Things could definitely be worse.

The Pioneer Woman Teaches Me to Cook... or, Let's Go Out to Dinner!

2011-08-08T16:35:00.001-06:00

I discovered that the Pioneer Woman and I have something in common. We both love soup. I had found a delicious-sounding recipe the other day for cauliflower soup and thought I'd give it a try.

I went to get the recipe out of my cob-web ridden recipe drawer and couldn't find it so I thought I'd look online for one. The first one that popped up was by the Pioneer Woman. From here on out, I'll call her Ree, 'cause we really are kindred spirits. See, I even have a pretty cast iron pot just like hers...

Here's here recipe. Looks good huh!

So I started digging out my ingredients and when it got to the chicken broth I had to make my own. Yep, got out the bullion to add to the boiling water. Luckily, it was a new jar so I popped off the protective cover and dug my teaspoon in to get the proper amount. When it says "granulated" doesn't that mean it should be like sugar, or sand?

Why does mine look like black tar heroin? I accidentally dropped some on the floor while I was taking a picture. Looks like Elmer's chew...

I went ahead and dug out 4 teaspoons and added it to the water. Man, that is NOT lookin' good. I figured before I added it to the soup I'd taste it 'cause it just didn't look right.

I noticed this code on the lid. Do you suppose that means "Void after 12/69? I wonder if this jar belonged to grama...

Guess what, it didn't taste right either. Luckily I found some bullion cubes from the 70s that I'm pretty sure were still good.

Ree suggested you add some sour cream. Not mandatory, but good. Good thing it wasn't mandatory. Expired 5/11. Guess that's how long it's been since I've had the kids over for tacos...

I wonder if Ree ever has contests for people who aren't really up to par on their cooking skills. I know she invites people to her place every now and then from contests. I'm thinking I could benefit from a lesson or two. If you see such a contest, let me know will you?

Get home soon honey! Mama cooked dinner!

Psssssst! If I'm not online in the morning, send the paramedics, would you?

Redneck Paintball Duck Hunting/2012 Hillbilly Games...

2011-08-08T10:55:00.001-06:00

Kate emailed this to me, thinking we should add this to next year's Hillbilly Games.

I need to decide if we'll be putting up tents and doing the games on the farm this year, or should I reserve the barn again? Whether we do it at the barn or the farm, we'll have plenty of room at the farm for everyone to pitch their tents or park their campers for the night.

Which would you prefer - tents for shade and an improvised dance floor on the farm, or the comfort of the Hidden Springs barn? I'm thinking we'll do it the end of April or sometime in May.

Our beneficiary next year will be Wish Granters of Idaho, a new organzation that really needs a good kick start.

Yeehaw!

Yep, Time for Another Elmer Post...

2011-08-07T22:16:00.001-06:00

I had just walked Jacki out to her car as she was leaving. As I turned around to go back in the house, I saw Elmer running from the back of the house, swatting his head with his hat and doing quite the "dance." He'd been in the backyard getting the chicken eggs.

I didn't have to ask, but I did. "What happened!?"

"God damnit! I just got stung about 5 times on the ear! Dirty bastard, that hurts!"

~~"Oh crap I wish you could have seen yourself!. That's the funnies damn thing I've seen in a long time!"~~ "Well get in the house and let's look at it." So we hurried inside and I found a sting on his ear - damn, that had to hurt. I got out a frozen bag of corn and he wandered around with it for a few minutes.

"I'm running over the hill to get some wasp spray so I can kill those bastards."

When he got home, he sprayed the nest and then started on the outside light fixtures. I saw some wasps still crawling inside one and asked him if he'd sprayed that one. He saw the wasp inside the fixture and said he didn't think there was a nest in it. He then proceeded to walk over and tap on the glass. What he didn't notice was that there were 4 wasps on the outside of the glass and one nailed him so fast it made my head spin.

~~"Well you dumb ass, what did you do that for!?"~~ "Oh shit honey! You just got it again!"

And he did his wasp sting dance again with the filth pouring out of his mouth, and I tried sooooo hard not to laugh.

I've ~~laughed about it~~ felt so bad about it all day. Oh how he entertains me!

Temporary Housing For the Farm?

2011-08-07T12:01:00.000-06:00

Is that cool or what!

Anyone Missing a Child?

2011-08-07T07:54:00.000-06:00

Friday was really busy down at the Merc. I had one of my regular guys in who was waiting for his wife before he ordered lunch. He waited and waited and finally she showed up - with an extra kid. She had found this 3-year-old wandering outside the neighborhood on Dry Creek Rd. Wearing only a t-shirt. No shoes, no diaper, nothing. She though he might have a slight learning disability as he couldn't talk well but told her that his name was Lucas. He looked to be of Eastern Indian decent.

Naturally, we all started calling people in the neighborhood asking if they knew any little boys by that name and no one that we contacted knew where he might live. Mandy had called Ada County when she found him and they came and met her at the Merc. Finally, the Deputies found out who the parents were and called them. Mom answered the phone and said she'd be right there. About 20 minutes later she showed up. Didn't seem to show any concern, said Lucas had been missing for about an hour and a half.

WTF?

Evidently, they're new up here - and they live on my street. They're going to need to understand that we don't roll like that up here. I'm going to make sure that I watch for Lucas and I'd better not see that 3-year-old out wandering the streets. Luckily, we know where he belongs now.

We got so busy that I didn't get to talk to Mandy to find out what the cops did or said. Can you believe it????

Joining the Military...

2011-08-03T16:47:00.000-06:00

Adam decided several years ago that he wanted to join the military after he graduated from high school. Kids and their ideas change so I didn't think too much about it until the last 6 months when he decided it was time to talk to the recruiters. Don't get me wrong, his brother is currently in Iraq with the 116th and I couldn't be prouder. I love that my boys want to serve their country.

Adam had his heart set on becoming a Marine. His grampa was a Marine. His second choice is the Army because he wants to be Infantry. Now that, I must admit, scares the hell out of me. I'm not ready to know that he's on the front lines of a war. But then again, what mother ever is. However, if it's what he really wants then it's something I'll support him in.

However, we discovered that things have changed. They've changed more than I could ever have imagined. With so many men losing their jobs, evidently the military has "upped" their standards. It's not easy to join, in fact, in downright difficult. The Marines won't even consider you if you have taken any online classes for high school. Yep. If you haven't taken all of your classes from a regular high school, you're screwed. Adam was so disappointed. He never would have done online high school if he had known, but then again, it wasn't like this when he started online school.

And the Army, well they did say that if he actually graduates from Boise High, they'll take him if he scores high enough on the ASVAB. What a shame that our military is taking people who probably don't really want to join, but have to because of the economy, and ruling out those who really want to serve their countries.

Adam spent two entire days just crushed, saying that he doesn't know what he'll do with his life if he can't join. He's not ready for college yet but will be someday. I thought the military would have been a wonderful start for his transition into adulthood. I had no idea that it would turn out like this. I guess we'll wait and see what happens next spring...

Bucket List...

2011-07-18T13:25:00.000-06:00

My friend, Mrs. Vox at If You Don't Like it, Get the Hell Off My Blog - or something similar, just posted about the things she wants to do with her daughter instead of buying her "stuff." So, she asked about having a bucket list.

I made one several years ago, but it probably wasn't very realistic. So, I'll try again, with things I think I can probably actually accomplish in my remaining years.

1. Bike the Route of the Hiawatha
2. Raise over $10,000 for a charity
3. Build and live in our barnhouse
4. Get a wildlife rehab permit
5. Go on another cruise (or 3 or 4!)
6. See Belize
7. Own horses and miniature donkeys
8. Visit Vermont
9. Take the kids and grandkids on a vacation
10. Drive across the United States (maybe on Route 66!)

Doesn't that all sound like fun? I know that I could actually cross at least 3 of those off my bucket list by the end of next summer.

What's on your bucket list?

Free Flooring?????

2011-07-17T17:40:00.001-06:00

My sister used to be married to Bob. They lived in a cute little "shack" with no power or running water up past Reserve Park. Bob reminds me of - me. He loves anything old and is sure that he can find a use for just about anything and everything.

When Linda and Bob moved to Oregon, I went up and helped them move the contents of the shack and several wonderful outbuildings. I'd love to have one of the outbuildings for a chicken coop.

I drooled the whole time. Bob had some of the most awesome things stored away. One thing I remember in particular, was tons of old flooring. BEAUTIFUL old flooring. So, when we were in Portland, Bob came to breakfast with us one morning. I mentioned to him that if he ever decided he wanted to part with it, to let me know as we wanted to possibly buy it for our new barnhouse.

Evidently, Bob is ready to part with some things. I know that I couldn't have pried it away from him 3 years ago. But, he said if we would bring a truck over, he'd give it to us. Oh my God!

Bob thinks the flooring came out of the old gym at the Caldwell High School. I'm sure it would take some work, but how cool would that be to have that in our barnhouse? I'm so excited to start this place I can hardly stand it.

Our count so far:
20 ft. backbar out of the Dry Creek Mercantile - free
old farmhouse sink from the Dubys - free
3 old bar stools from the Homedale Merc - $100 (purchased at a yard sale about 5 years ago)
flooring from the Caldwell High School gym - free

I love that our new barnhouse will have a wonderful history as soon as it's built. I know there won't be a day that goes by that I won't look at the floor and think about where it came from, or the backbar from the Merc, or the sink from the Dubys.

As soon as we sell our house, we're heading to Portland to pick up our floors...

Thelma and Louise, and Louise, and Louise...

2011-07-17T07:49:00.001-06:00

Well, here it is in pictures. We had such a wonderful time, but what really mattered was that mom had such a good time. It was, after all, her 80th birthday party!

Mt. St. Helens was magnificent. So hard to imagine the power of a volcano.

To my wonderful sisters, thank you for making it so much fun. To my niece and great niece, thanks for joining us for part of the time.

And to mom, you're such a wonderful inspiration to us all...

THIS Was Strange...

2011-07-16T08:03:00.000-06:00

I'll be writing a post about our wonderful long girl's weekend for mom's birthday, but first I have to write about one of the most bizarre things I've ever witnessed.

While driving to Mt. St. Helens on Sunday, my sister Kate, a total bird-nerd suddenly yells, "What's that? Are those birds?" Then just seconds later realizes what she's seeing. Only now, we're all seeing it. We watched it for about 45 seconds before they flew behind a mountain. I handed my camera to my niece Lisa to get a picture from her window and this is it.

It was a commercial airliner, flying low with two fighter jets off the right wing and two more off the left wing. It was so bizarre. We watched the news and nothing. Why on earth would 4 fighter jets be flying in formation off the wings of a commercial plane? I know that many other people must have seen this. It looked like the plane was possibly going to land in Portland although we were in southern Washington when we saw it. Did any of you Oregon people see it?

We even thought of Will and Kate, but they were already in LA. If there had been a terror threat on board, I'm sure there would have been something on the news. You know how I love this kind of thing, but I want the mystery solved!

Any ideas?

10 Things I Learned From Mom...

2011-07-02T21:55:00.000-06:00

In honor of my mother's 80th birthday (in a few days), I wanted to re-post a "tribute" I did to her several years ago...

10 Things I Learned From Mom…

Use proper English

Never use the word “fart”

Mom will always eat the burned pancake

The person who makes the telephone call, should always be the one to end the call

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all

The words to “Mairzydoats and Dozydoats”

No matter how bad you feel, NEVER complain

That “You Are My Sunshine” is the best song to sing to your kids

No matter how old you are, you’re never too old to have fun

No matter what, mom will always love you

We love you mom!

I'm Such a Scrounge...

2011-06-29T08:29:00.000-06:00

Scrounge - Seek to obtain at the expense or through the generosity of others or by stealth

We had some people move into a rental a few doors down about 3 months ago. She works in the field of chemotherapy as a doctor. She couldn't find a job here so they packed up and moved to Texas.

Hidden Springs had our annual yard sale a few weeks ago so I wandered over to see what the neighbors might have. I came to find out that they evidently shopped at Pottery Barn - a lot. They had a beautiful sisal rug that was 8 x 10 that I really wanted for our living room. I talked to them on Friday night and they wanted $150 for it (looked it up on the website and new it sold for $300 - on sale). So, I waited. Near the end of the day on Saturday, I went back over and the price was down to $100. I offered them $60 and they took it! I love how it looks in the living room.

Yesterday as I was heading to work at 7am, I noticed that they had left several pieces of furniture behind and the realtor taking care of the place had put them out on the driveway for the Arc to come and get. NOOOOOOO! One item was a rocker that I had sat in and tried out during the yard sale. It was incredibly comfortable but I didn't feel like I needed to spend any more money. When I saw they had left it behind I was thrilled. So, I called the realtor and asked if I could have it and naturally he told me I could take whatever I wanted, but I'd better hurry because the Arc was coming that day. As soon as another waitress got to work, I told her I needed to run home. I bolted out the door hoping that the Arc hadn't already come and picked up my treasures. As I drove up, there he was, loading my items into his truck!

ACK! I told him the items I wanted and he graciously helped me unload them and put them back on the driveway. When Ival got home, we walked over and packed it all home. What a score! As we carried the rocker home, I noticed the tag said "Pottery Barn Kids" so I Googled to see what kind of rocker I have. As it turns out, it's a Lullaby Rocker that sells for $600 new. It's in perfect shape although I'm not fond of the denim blue colored slipcover.

But I love this cream-colored one. But, they don't make the slipcovers anymore.

They also had a bench with a rattan seat (in perfect condition) and the tag says "Ballard Designs." I looked it up and they don't have the exact one on their website, but something similar sells for $569. Who would spend that kind of money for a bench???? But free? I'll take it - and paint it white. I'll put it on our wraparound porch at Jacob Springs.

Last but not least, I got these too. An outdoor coffee table and side table. The coffee table is the only thing damaged, it has a small piece of wood out of one of the planks, but I'll paint this too and use it on the porch with the little matching side table.

SCORE! How I love to find a bargain - especially when it's free. I'm not, and never have been a label shopper. I'm much too cheap. But, if it's free from the wealthy neighbors, I'm certainly not above scrounging. So, $1,500 worth of stuff for a mere $60 - which I paid for the rug. Now if we just had a home at Jacob Springs...

See This?

2011-06-25T21:01:00.000-06:00

I'm going to order one of these. This will be for our new house. I may have to correct the punctuation error and put a comma after shit, however. I don't think I could look at it every day with a punctuation error and not have it drive me crazy. I guess I was a secretary for too long.

I love it. Don't you!?

Werkin' At The Merc...

2011-06-25T16:36:00.000-06:00

I get up early every morning. Always before 6am, usually around 5. Don't ask me why, my alarm clock is obviously off somehow and has been for years.

Thursday night I got a call that someone wanted to see the house on Friday. After Ival left for work, I went up and cleaned the bathroom and made the bed. I had planned to clean slowly and have it done by noon. Enter Murphy's Law...

At 7:40am, I got a call from my boss.

"Did you know you're supposed to work today?"

"No I'm not."

Yes, you are."

"No I'm not, I never work on Friday."

"Yes, you are. You are the opener today."

"Damn, I haven't showered or anything. Give me 10 minutes and I'll be there."

So, I did what I could with the bad hair, threw on some makeup and drove the 1 minute to work. I hate when that happens.

It was a pretty busy morning, as Fridays usually are, and exactly why I only work Monday and Tuesday. I have my routine, and I don't like to stray from it. But, around noon a nice couple came in and sat down. I went over and the "nice lady" said, "Hi Jodi." I must have given her the look, because she said, "I'm BoisecommaIdaho." Damn! I've read her blog for several years (although she's gotten a new job and hasn't posted for a while - a loooong while) and had never met her!

So, meeting Kristen made the discomfort of straying from my normal routine worthwhile.

It was nice to finally meet you Kristen. You're just as awesome as I knew you'd be!

A Much Needed Mini Vacation...

2011-06-23T09:29:00.002-06:00

My daughter is going to see her cousin in Portland this weekend. They've been best buddies since they were born. They were only 3 months apart and they grew up only being about a mile away from eachother. I feel so glad to know that even though they now live hundreds of miles apart, they still remain close.

Jacki has a small home daycare and watched Lisa's baby, Koby, for the first year of her life - until Lisa moved to Portland. Sniff, sniff. But tomorrow, Jacki leaves to go see her baby for the first time in almost a year.

Isn't that just about the cutest child you've ever seen?

I hope you girls have a wonderful time!

Ranking Pixar Movies...

2011-06-22T17:55:00.002-06:00

We all love Pixar don't we? Well, except mom. She's never seen a Pixar movie. Someday, I'm taking Finding Nemo or Up over to her house and we're going to see a Pixar movie!

The powers who be - whoever they might be, have ranked the 11 Pixar movies and here's their list.

11. Cars
10. The Incredibles
9. Bugs Life
8. Toy Story 2
7. Monsters, Inc
6. Finding Nemo
5. Toy Story
4. Up
3. Ratatoulle
2. Toy Story 3
1. Wall-E

Hmmmmm. That's not how I'd pick them. Here's my ranking...

11. Toy Story 2
10. Ratatoulle
9. Toy Story 3
8. Wall-E
7. Cars
6. The Incredibles
5. Bugs Life
4. Toy Story
3. Up
2. Monsters, Inc
1. Finding Nemo

It was hard to decide between Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. I love them both. But then again, I also really loved Up, A Bugs Life, and the original Toy Story. Hmmmm. I just thought of something. Maybe we need to rent a Pixar movie to watch while we're in Oregon for mom's 80th birthday. Wait! I know, how about a Pixar marathon!

What's your favorite?

Do YOU Believe?

2011-06-13T18:24:00.000-06:00

For several years, Adam had some friends that lived in an old shack up a draw just across Seaman's Gulch from Hidden Springs. The twins and their parents lived there for years. One day, a friend gave their dad a hand carved wooden figure (supposedly with real ruby eyes). It was given to him because the guy who had it previously said that anyone who had the figure in their possession had really bad luck. Supposedly, one guy died and when the twins' dad received the figure, he broke his leg. They believe the carving was Native American.

So, rather than pass it on, the dad took the figure and put it in a wooden box and took it up the hill from their house and buried it.

Now, I don't know if this is true or not (the story as told to Adam is true, I just don't know about the "events" that surround this figure). Adam told me today that he wants to go find the burial box the next time the twins come to visit.

Naturally, this started me thinking. Would I let Adam try to locate the box? If he did, would I let him bring it home? If I did let him bring it home, would I be brave enough to rip the "ruby" eyes out of it and put them in a ring?

I guess I'm wondering how superstitious I am. I think you have to believe in some kind of afterlife in order to be afraid of something like this. If you didn't believe in that, it wouldn't bother you at all to take possession of some mysterious, deadly figurine would it? Kate/Casey, if he finds it could I give it to one of you to "keep" for a year or so to see if it's safe?

How do you feel about things like this? Should I let Adam search it out and bring it home? I'd be really pissed if I died because he brought it home. What would you do and do you believe in this kind of thing? Casey and Kate, I need feedback from you non-believers. Is that creepy to you?

No Longer A Logger!

2011-06-13T15:37:00.001-06:00

My brother has been a logger for 40 years. He wakes up at 3am to go to work driving logs for hundreds of miles and gets home at about 5 or 6 in the evening. 40 years of 15 hour days in a bumpy logging truck that ended up ruining his back.

After all these years, he has taken a job that pays less but something he so deserves. He went to work for a wonderful farmer in his small town of Genessee, working 8 to 5 hauling grain to Lewiston. It makes me so incredibly happy to know that he finally has a job that isn't killing him. I love him so much.

I'm proud of you brother for finally deciding it's time to take care of YOURSELF. It was time for him to quit letting people suck the ever livin' life out of him!

First Dirt...

2011-06-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

The Cat was delivered today. Elliott took it off the trailer and made one sweep before he had to head home to do some chores. He's going to level some of the property behind the tent (where the house will eventually be) and start on the pastures. The other big piece of machinery to do the pond should be arriving from McCall this week.

I never would have thought I'd be excited by something like this!

I Love Sarah Palin!

2011-06-05T13:29:00.000-06:00

Compare this...

"He who warned the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms by ringing those bells, and makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed."

To this...

"I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps, and I believe that our education like such as South Africa, and the Iraq, everywhere like, such as, and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., or should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for our children."

And Kate still can't find anything to blog about?
Damn, that's funny!

Just For Fun...

2011-06-05T08:34:00.000-06:00

Last night we all got together and had a little picnic up on the property. The property which I will now refer to as "Jacob Springs." That's the original name given to it before we purchased it, and since we just happen to have a son named Jacob, we thought it would be fitting to leave the name. I want to have my brother make a nice sign we can put up at the entrance. He's so artistically talented and I know he can come up with something awesome.

It was a wonderful evening, light cloud cover and a slight breeze...

Packing a Box For Dad...

2011-06-04T13:29:00.000-06:00

Today we took Grace to the Veterans Resource Network to pack a box for her to send to her daddy for Father's Day. Heather sends Jake boxes of goodies fairly often but this was the first time they had gone to the VRN to pack a box. It's a wonderful organization with local Blue Star Moms as volunteers. Local businesses and individuals donate all kinds of items.

You walk into a big room and there are table after table of boxes full of items and you get to "shop" for whatever you want to put in your box. Grace, with the help of her mom, great-grama and sister, had a great time shopping for things to send to daddy.

They have all kinds of goodies like jerky, cookies, candy, tuna, peanut butter, movies, books, socks, batteries, games, notepads, toiletries, shoot just about anything you'd want to send to a soldier. They have a group that knits hats and mittens (we didn't choose any of those - I guess it got to 125 there are few days ago). Grace had a wonderful time and wished she could send him a box every week - but we'll make sure we get there every month before he comes home.

Halia is "signing" the Father's Day card for her daddy.

I have a feeling dad's going to like this box.

Starting to Work on the Pond...

2011-06-04T08:06:00.000-06:00

I spent the evening last night riding part of the property on the UTV with the hubby. Ival has a route he travels with buckets of water for all the things he's planted. We have trees, ferns, flowers, and bushes mixed in with all the natural habitat. He's taken lots of starts out of our yard and transplanted them to the property. It looks like deer have been eating some of the leaves off the smaller tree starts we've put in. We don't mind. Since we have no well yet, they all have to be watered by hand. He loves doing it right now but I have a feeling it may start getting old about the end of July. Lots of the grasses from the reseeding after the fire are up about 8 inches.

In about a week, we have a guy who's going to do some dirt work for us. We're going to make the pond a little larger and deeper and put in a culvert that will drain water into an old concrete container that was put there many years ago to water livestock that has grazed on the property for a long time. I'm concerned about all the frogs that live in the pond - and we now have polliwogs. But it has to be done, if we don't we'll have a huge mosquito breeding ground and nothing more. We'll plant some fish once we find out what will do best and hopefully they'll held keep the mosquitoes down as well.

We have some natural wetlands below the pond that we'll leave as they are (taking water from the concrete container) but below that we'll have him take some of the soil from the pond and build up some pasture land on both sides of the driveway. I have a feeling that the pasture will grow wonderfully in the old soil we dig from the pond. We're really happy with the soil on the property. Here in Hidden Springs, our dirt is very dense clay. Up there it's nice rich soil with quite a bit of sand which makes it easy to dig and has great drainage. As much as I'd like to have the pasture planted right away so that we can get horses on the property, it won't be possible until we get the well drilled. If only we knew how deep we're going to have to go to get water. I have a feeling it's not going to be as deep as we originally thought and that would be great.

So, for now, we do what we can afford until the house sells. Ival spent the night in the tent as he does almost every weekend. It's such a beautiful piece of property and we're so incredibly lucky to have it.

Court Watching...

2011-06-01T18:38:00.000-06:00

Don't ask me why I'm fascinated by things that most people find disturbing. I spent the day sitting in the courtroom at the murder trial of Daniel Erlich - accused of murdering his stepson Robert. I spent a day volunteering to search for Robert when they had people out looking for him when he disappeared. I knew it was fruitless and that he was probably dead, but I also knew that if it were my child I'd want as many people out looking as possible. It's a horrible case and just so you know, I couldn't have sat and listened to them describe what he did to Robert before he died. However, I do find it fascinating to listen to the other evidence, watch the jurors and the accused - and wonder what they're thinking as people testify.

Our justice system leaves something to be desired. I think prisoners should be brought to court in their lovely jailhouse outfits. I was happy to note however, that Daniel seems to only have one shirt. He wears the same one every day - unlike Casey Anthony who has a new outfit (neatly buttoned to her neck) everyday. This, after seeing her dressed in nothing but an American flag at a party while her daughter was "missing." I wish they'd make her wear that one day to her trial - wonder what the jury would think of that.

One reason I decided to go is because I've always wished I had been 15 years older, and 15 years wiser when we sat through Claude's trial. I would have paid more attention to who was sitting where. At the time, I don't think I realized Claude's brothers were there. I would have paid more attention to that type of thing. I would have been more involved - I know I would. We had never been through anything like that and I look back on it with regret that I couldn't have done more.

So I find it fascinating to watch our justice system work in similar trials. I noticed that none of the family members were present. The sign on the door said that witnesses were excluded from the courtroom - is that the reason they weren't there or why would none of the family members show up?

I found it interesting at how quiet his attorneys were, compared to Mike Donnelly and Bill Mauk. Interesting. Although Shannon, who went with me (we used to work together at ISP and now serve together on the Board for the Memorial) thought they spent too much time objecting. They were very subdued compared to the other trial I sat through.

We'll definitely go several more times - even though we got in trouble for whispering to eachother at one point. The Bailiff sitting near the back door "politely" asked us to refrain so that we didn't take the attention of the jurors - who spent much of the day rubbing their eyes and yawning.

It was interesting and I definitely want to sit in on closing arguments. I think I could be a professional court watcher...

Boise Police Citizens Police Academy...

2011-05-26T08:30:00.002-06:00

I had signed up in February to take the Citizens Police Academy through Boise Police. It was a big commitment, every Wednesday night from 6:30 - 9:30 from March the end of May. I missed several classes when my son shared his cold with me that lasted 4 weeks but enjoyed every class I made it to.

One thing was driven home to me over these 3 months - I am definitely socially retarded. I didn't use to be that way, and I know why I am now, but I don't like it. Not one little bit. I'm jealous when I see people standing around visiting with total strangers - or even people they know. It pains me to think that I probably come off as "unfriendly." Maybe I should get a t-shirt to tell people I'm not unfriendly but rather socially retarded.

Maybe not.

However, the class was really good. It was fascinating to tour the jail and learn about crime scene investigation. I had always wanted to fingerprint a crime scene! I enjoyed every minute of it. The instructors were awesome and the officer who taught the class is married to a former Game Warden, now Boise City Motorcycle Officer. It was enlightening and enjoyable.

There was one class which I found disturbing/fascinating. Boise City has two officers who spend every day working on Internet safety/child porn. They spoke about several local cases, including one from almost 20 years ago. She was a young girl at the time (7) who had pictures taken and was abused by her father. They talked about how these pictures taken 20 years ago, have been found in the "collections" of almost every person they have arrested on Internet porn charges since. This girl, now 27, will have this horror follow her for the rest of her life. It was something I had never thought about. Knowing that we have 2 officers who do this job every day was eye opening. They are both fathers and husbands - neither man was a religious zealot, but both told us that the only way they get through every day doing this job is through "faith." They were impressive and I admire them.

I enjoyed the ride-along, even though it was boring. Boise, thankfully, doesn't have that much crime. There was a "loud party" call that we went to and I swear that there must have been 9 cars that also responded - it was a quiet night in Boise. The officer I rode with turned out to be the son-in-law of an old friend from Garden Valley. It was fun to talk to him about his job and see how much he enjoys it.

I wish everyone could take this class. I'll probably now volunteer to do some Greenbelt patrol work. I think I'd like that. And I'll join the CPA Alumni Association which raises money to help buy equipment for the officers that the city can't afford to buy for them.

Oh, and did I mention that I got a coffee mug and t-shirt!

Pictures on My Camera...

2011-05-21T21:17:00.000-06:00

Setting up the motel...

Joe smoking a big doobee (don't look grama)...

and, the granddaughters. Hip hop and ballet.

Ahem...

2011-05-19T18:25:00.000-06:00

I have a birthday coming up and I want this...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69723915/antique-egg-shipping-crate

Meridian Road Blog...

2011-05-19T09:05:00.003-06:00

I'm always searching for new (old) and unusual things for our barnhouse once it's built. Today I was searching for a chicken cage coffee table and up popped Meridian Road. She lives in an old farmhouse, right here in Idaho. In Meridian to be more specific. I love her. Here's her chicken cage coffee table

Isn't it wonderful? I'm going to have to start some online searching.

She has some great ideas for decorating, many of which are just the style I want to use in our farmhouse. Since most of my blogger friends are on some kind of year-long "vacation" or hiatus (yes, I'm speaking about my sisters here), I'm happy to have found another blog I love.

You can never have too many wonderful options for the new home can you?

Pack My Bags, or Pack My Shotgun...

2011-05-18T13:01:00.002-06:00

You people know how much I love the "oddities" of life. UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts, psychics, Armageddon - I'm sickly fascinated. However, yesterday I was made aware of something that just floored me. The Rapture 2011.

If you too were unaware of this awful predicament that we seem to be in, you can read about it here. Then, be sure to go to Youtube and do a search for Harold Camping - he's the one predicting the exact date of The Rapture. He's also asking us to send him all of our money. I'm not sure what he needs it for since he'll probably be first in line to be "taken up" on Saturday but I went ahead and sent him all we have. I'm sure he'll return it on Sunday if it turns out he was wrong. He also says that those left here on earth after Saturday will be enjoying 3 months of torture until August 21 when the world will actually be blown into oblivion.

Yes, The Rapture is happening this Saturday. Thursday and Friday I'm getting ready and hosting the Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony in Meridian so I really only have today to get this post done. Why didn't I find out about this earlier?

For those left behind there has been a "post rapture looting" event set up on Facebook - "When everyone is gone and God's not looking, we need to pick up some sweet stereo equipment and maybe some new furniture for the mansion we're going to squat in."

Now, I've never been one to believe in looting - it seems so heathen, but if the chosen ones aren't coming back, then it really isn't looting is it?

Don't get me wrong, I have a God - however I don't think I fit the criteria that Harold Camping has set forth for those to be "taken up" on Saturday.

I guess I'd better get my shopping list ready! What stores will you be hitting and what will you be doing for the last 3 months of your life - assuming you won't be "taken up" on Saturday of course...

I Thought I Could Trust a Fireman...

2011-05-16T19:53:00.001-06:00

Well, my friend Casey at All I'm Saying had a little contest where you had to tell her your favorite book and why. I haven't had the time, nor gumption to read for many years so I mentioned that my favorite book was Give a Boy a Gun by Jack Olsen and write a few lines about why. Well, I'll be darned but I won her contest and got a $10 gift certificate to buy a book.

So now, I have to tell you a story. A very sad story that I haven't admitted to anyone except my husband. It makes me too sad, and I'm terribly ashamed.

After the trial, our family had the honor of meeting Jack Olsen. He was a wonderful man and spent time with mom getting information for the book he was writing about "the incident." I hate having to try to figure out what to call it when I talk about this. I hate saying "dad's death" and I hate saying the killer/poacher's name, so I tend to say "the incident." Anyone have any grand ideas on what to call this? Anyway, our family became rather close to Jack, he was a wonderful man. After the book was printed, we all went to dinner one night when Jack was in town - he lived on Bainbridge Island in Washington. Jack had brought quite a few hardcover copies of his book for our family and Cheri's. So we sat at dinner with Tim Nettleton, Jack, and all the other "key players." We all signed Cheri's book, then mom's then mine, etc. My book had personal words from everyone - I treasured it. It was a night I'll always remember. If we had ever had a fire, I knew exactly where that book was and it was one thing I would have taken out of the house.

So, this is what breaks my heart. A few summers ago, we were going to cater the wedding of a "friend of a friend" and met with them about the menu. He is a Boise firefighter and she was a 1st grade teacher and our friends had mentioned to him who dad was. He started asking me about "the event" and I told him a little bit about it and said he should read the book Give a Boy a Gun. He said he had always wanted to read it and so, being a Pogue (if you like something we have, we'll give it to you - it's genetic. Dad was like that, we're all like that) I told him I would loan him the book. I showed him all the signatures inside the front cover and told him how much the book meant to me. I told him to be careful with it and return it after he was done reading it. He promised he would.

Well, to make this long story short, I didn't get the book back. I asked our mutual friends if they could try to get it back for me. I was "friends" with his wife on Fb and had asked her several times if they could return the book. Finally, our mutual friends found out and reported to us that their dog had chewed the back cover up. I told her that I didn't care, I could take it to a book shop and probably get it repaired. I told the wife on Fb that I had heard what had happened to the book but it didn't matter, I would get it fixed.

She would never reply. So, I don't know if they threw the book away or what. But my precious piece of history is gone. I couldn't believe that a teacher and a fireman would do such a thing to me, but they did. It's something I will always regret and have thought about it so many times. I'm so ashamed that I loaned out something that was so special to me.

Jack Olsen died soon after. He was a wonderful man and a great author.

I had always wished I had asked him for another signed copy before he died. So, with the gift certificate, I found ONE copy of the book on the site and snatched it up. The book has been out of print for many years. I want my kids to read it someday. So, thank you Casey, for the book. Now, I'll think of you every time I see it - and it won't be loaned out.

I learned a very valuable lesson...

We "Kind of" Got an Offer on The House...

2011-05-11T07:04:00.001-06:00

Someone wanted to "lease with the option to buy." They wanted to put $5,000 non-refundable down and pay $1,450/month to lease until they receive an inheritance. They're already renting here in HS. We thought this was a real possibility - until we sat down last night and really looked at how this would impact us. We would lose our homeowner's exemption so our taxes would go up, we would still be responsible for the homeowners association dues and sewer up here, and we would have to find a place to rent that would cost us at least the same as they wanted to pay.

In other words, we wouldn't have been making a dime on the house, plus we'd still have the mortgage until they purchased outright. Plus, if something else came on the market they liked better between now and then what would keep them from moving on?

It just wasn't the right thing to do. Much as we desperately wanted to take the deal, it just wasn't right. Had they wanted to put $15,000 down that would have been different, but $5,000 just wasn't enough to ensure our safety in the whole deal.

So, we wait. I want to get horses sooooooo bad. Every nice day I think how much I'd love to be out riding in these beautiful foothills. I know the right thing will come along - hopefully soon!

In other news, Adam got home from the Envirothon in Challis yesterday. He had a wonderful time and their team did the best of the 5 that went from Boise - and they were all first year students! He had been so nervous thinking about giving a 5-minute presentation to a bunch of adults about the environment that wildlife depends on and how it's changed over the eons of time, but he did fine.

What a Day...

2011-05-09T11:48:00.000-06:00

Mother's Day. We spent the morning at my daughter Jacki's house having breakfast with all the moms. It was wonderful. My son-in-law Tim, cooked us such a great breakfast and I love seeing Jacki's and Tim's other moms that I don't see very often. It was a great morning.

I had noticed several days ago a soreness in my armpit on the side where I had breast cancer. Then Saturday night the crook of that same arm was aching and red. I have lymphodema in that arm, caused by having lymph nodes taken out, so I figured I had better wear my sleeve to make sure it didn't start swelling. Any new swelling with lymphodema is permanent - and it can get really ugly. I'm already self conscious about the size of my right arm and certainly don't want it to get any bigger.

When I got home from Jacki's my arm was aching like a bad toothache so I took my sleeve off to look at it. I noticed it was bright red and hot to the touch. That's all it took - it scared the hell out of me. With lymphodema, a hangnail, small burn, or paper cut can cause a major infection which will be nothing but a problem. So, I ran down to the doctor and she gave me an injection of a strong antibiotic and pills to take. Thankfully, today the redness isn't near as bad, but it still aches and the crook of my arm is still red and hot. I'm hoping that by the end of the day I'll feel more comfortable that the infection is going away.

Here's a picture of what lymphodema looks like - I didn't want to use a real picture as it's really ugly.

I was sad that my son was going to Skype me for Mother's Day from Iraq but this infection scared me enough that I knew I needed to get right to the doctor and there was only a small time frame that he could call. I love him so much. It meant the world to me to even know he had the time to call, he's been working terrible hours and hasn't had a single day off since he got there other than the small leave he had at home. Hopefully I can talk to him soon.

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. I am so incredibly blessed to have my 3 children and my sisters and mother. I love you all!

This, or That?

2011-05-06T16:40:00.000-06:00

There's a new house being built in Hidden Springs on one of the few remaining lots. I'm sure it's a build-job and not a spec home - after all, who else would want to live in a barn - besides us? I love the outside. We couldn't go in because the doors were locked, but I wasn't crazy about the floor plan after peeking through the windows. The master was upstairs and the kitchen wasn't visible from the living room. But, I love the outside. But, I love "our" barn too.

So this...

or that?

Which one do you like?

Some Realtors - Gotta Love 'Em...

2011-05-06T06:52:00.002-06:00

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that we've been showing our house at least 3 times a week lately. Traffic has definitely picked up since the weather has warmed and the sun has been shining. There's just nothing about spring that doesn't make you want to go out and buy a new home.

Most realtors are really considerate. I have one local Realtor and her husband who have showed the house several times that always try to give us ample warning. Yet, I realize that's not always possible. I am however, getting really tired of getting calls at work from my husband saying "Someone is showing the house this morning" so I have to leave work for a few minutes and run home and make the beds, tidy up, and put all the stuff on the kitchen counter into the oven. Yes, my oven is usually packed tight with bread, cast iron pans, paper towels, and paperwork. In fact, it stays in the oven now unless I'm baking something. I don't like having anything on the counter - I want the kitchen to look bigger and that means - empty.

I think however, what is going to be the death of any "good" brains cells I may have had left after chemo is - the Realtors. "We'll be there at 4" - and they show up at 2:15 - so I'm sneaking the cat litter box out the back way as they stand in my kitchen. Or, I really like this one on a Saturday when everyone is home - "We'll be there sometime between 2 and 4:30." WTH???? You can't narrow it down just a tad so we don't have to vacate the premises for 2 1/2 hours on a Saturday?

Then, this one was my favorite. I got a call at 7pm last Sunday night. "I'm at the Merc with my clients and we wondered if we could come and see your house real quick." You've got to be kidding me. Ival was already laying in bed watching tv. I hollered upstairs and told him to get his ass out of bed and help me pick up the house because I had talked the realtor into giving me 15 minutes to pick up. He "hurried" up and managed to pick up his dirty clothes in the bedroom while I ran around the house like a madman putting shit in the oven, cupboards, and under couch cushions to hide everything. I used to spend 3-4 hours on my hardwood floors before a showing - I don't do that anymore.

Unfortunately, we do actually live in this house. AND, I have a teenager. So, I just can't keep the house perfectly spotless unless I want to spend every waking second following everyone around to pick up after them. Yet, I want my house to look as close to perfect as possible when someone comes to see it.

I have learned one thing. If I'm ever in the market for a house again (and I won't be. Elmer and I are firmly planting our butts on the property), I'm going to open the oven, look under couch cushions, under beds, behind pillows, and open all the cupboards in every house I look at, just to see what's there. I think that would be fun.

Later today, I'm going to post some pictures of a new house that's being built up here in Hidden Springs. It's freakin' awesome!

Plan C...

2011-04-20T18:49:00.001-06:00

Well, well, well. I emailed our realtor today and asked if he thought I should paint the bonus room. He emailed back and it began, "I love you..."

I knew I was screwed. Here's his email:

I love you and we are on the same team, so do not take any of this personally. There were two Realtors through on Sunday and I asked them the same questions. They said the same thing; the house is GORGEOUS, but it is very style specific and there is so much to see that the buyer has a hard time seeing there own personal things in the home. Based on those comments and the number of people that have been through the home so far without a single offer I would:

Take off of the walls most all personal photographs and decorative items
Move Ival’s TV chair into storage (guess I'm going to buy a new, expensive chair this weekend)
Move the decorative wooden piece on the front porch into storage (it's an old corn shucker that weighs about 400 pounds)
Move the bear into storage and repaint the bonus room white (how we're going to get that downstairs I have no idea)
Move the round table upstairs with the flag into storage
Get all of the yard art up and into storage
Add two or three small pots with some colorful plants on the back patio
The stool in the entry goes to storage
Paint the bonus room white

Sigh. We're going to have to go to the storage unit and consolidate. I refuse to pay more for another unit. I told him we'd have it done by the end of the weekend. Which means Saturday because Sunday is Easter.

And, my lichen planus is back. I got it when Claude Dallas was released and had it for about 2 years. It's a lovely disease, I've missed it.

I also realized something about Plan B. The 2 of us who more inclined to move in that direction have both survived cancer. Isn't the mind an interesting thing?

Please. Remember this blog is my journal. No sympathy. I write this because I know that someday I'll go back and read this and either laugh or at least realize how much more I appreciate our wonderful home and property because of it. I have a wonderful life, wonderful family and friends. Thank you for being my friends and family. Life is good.

Now excuse me. I'm going to go curl up in the fetal position...

Squirrel!

2011-04-19T23:16:00.005-06:00

I have posted several times about my brother Steve, the original hillbilly. He's very "special" and we love him dearly. Steve wears a top hat at all times. He has his everyday tophat which is black, and his good gray one for special occasions, such as performing a wedding.

Well, I think I've found the perfect gift for him. I've never seen anything like it and I know for a fact that he doesn't have one. It's a real taxidermy squirrel wearing a top hat and carrying a gun.

Can you freakin' believe it? It's listed on ebay and closes on Sunday. You can see the listing here.

They could be twins!

Oh, and Kate, you missed it by a few days or you could have had this one for Anna. We all know how she loves horses...

I'd like to have this one for our new home. I'd find a tiny toilet and put him on it. Reminds me of Lucy and kind of brings a tear to my eye...

Rethinking The Donald...

2011-04-19T05:42:00.001-06:00

Well, it didn't take as long as I thought it would but I'm disillusioned with The Donald. He's done several interviews lately about his theory on gas prices and how to recoup the 7.2 trillion dollars we've spent in Iraq. When you figure wages and all the costs associated with having our military there, I think it would take - FORFREAKINGEVER, Donald! I find his ideas on "stealing" oil fields from Iraq and other oil rich countries just comical. How many other countries will we have to take over because we've helped them out and need to recoup or losses to them? Will this mean we need to go back to Cuba and take over the tobacco fields until we've satisfied the funds we spent there? What about Haiti? They have nothing for us to "steal." Does he really think interviews like this will win him votes? But, the polls show him leading all Republican candidates - will it last?

Oh Donald...

To the victor goes the spoils - Go USA!

Plan B...

2011-04-15T10:10:00.002-06:00

We may move to Plan B. We've been flying by the seat of our pants during this whole event of buying the property and selling our house. Where would we live if we sold our house until the new one was built? Who knows. But, it's been fun.

But, we're now thinking of moving to Plan B. I realize that the selling season is really just starting, but I'm getting really impatient. We met with a guy who does "hobby farm" loans to see what we could do as far as starting on the new place if we decided to lease our current house for a few years. With mortgages so hard to get right now, I thought "no way" would we be able to get a loan when we already have two homes that we have on our credit report right now. But, our daughter and her husband rent the house in Meridian, and he said if we could get a lease agreement on our house in Hidden Springs that our credit is so good that there's no problem.

So, what would you do? Wait it out a few more months to see if we sell and risk not having our house built on the property until winter, or lease this for a few years until the market picks up and try then to sell it?

I'm sooooooo ready to move on to this (and horses)...

Help, I need advice! What would you do?

Warning, the Following Post May be Laced with Profanity...

2011-04-07T13:51:00.000-06:00

I'm a proud American. I don't think one word of the Star Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance should be changed to fit anyone who might be "offended." I think people who move to the US should learn to speak English. Not required to do so, but damn wouldn't it be a smart thing to do? If I were moving to France or Peru, I would probably find it beneficial to learn the language. It just seems the "right" thing to do.

I've always considered myself (until about the last 2 years) to be a good Democrat. I believe in so much of what they find important when it comes to our environment and natural resources. I don't think we should build dams that make it difficult for native fish to get to their spawning grounds in order to supply farmers with water. Farmers did fine without dams until we found out how easy it makes it to have them - easy unless you're a fish. I don't think we should rid our planet of our wonderful wildlife in order to make our lives easier. To me, that's just wrong.

But what this rant is about is politics. I'm sick to death of what's going on in our wonderful country. We have always been a country that welcomed foreigners and people who were persecuted in their own countries. Sure, we've had our share of problems with bigotry and equality, but we're coming around. This doesn't however, mean we need to "accept" people coming into our country uninvited and unlawfully. Come, we'll welcome you, but do it the right damn way as I would be expected to do in your country.

I suppose this all started with the threats of a government shutdown. REALLY? Oh, what the hell. Shut it down. Maybe it would be good for everyone. But, don't mess with the paychecks of our military men and women who OUR GOVERNMENT has sent to some God forsaken places for reasons that most of us don't understand.

I heard a Democrat on the radio a few minutes ago (I'm so damned sick of people like Shawn Hanity) say "they (meaning the Repubs) want to make sure that women can't get breast exams or that we can't be sure that the air we breathe is safe." YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME. Does this Dem really think that the Repubs want to make sure that women can't get breast exams and that's why they want to shut down the government? And the Repubs are no better. "Well, if they can't fight fair then we'll just show them!"

It all reminds me of a bunch of damned second graders. "He pulled my hair!" "Yeah, but she hit me!" "Well, if he hadn't called me a crybaby I wouldn't have hit him!"

So, much to my sister's horror, I am certainly going to be doing some investigating if Donald Trump decides to run for President. To be real honest, I have no God Damned idea if he's a Democrat or a Republican. But our country has been in the shit hole for so many years now that I'm thinking maybe a businessman might be a better President than a politician would make. I'm hoping he won't even claim one of the two disgusting parties that we've been so blessed to have. I hope he runs as a businessman and that's it. Maybe he can pull us out of this hell hole that we're in right now and get our economy back in some kind of order.

I'm sick to death of the threats, the fighting, the name calling, the blame. Something has got to change in order for our wonderful country to remain a wonderful country. So far, neither Democrats nor Republicans have been able to see past their own noses to get us out of the mess we're in.

Now, if this doesn't get a blog posted on my sister Kate's blog, I have no clue what will. She's been on "hiatus," but I have a feeling this will bring her back.

Girls' Weekend!

2011-04-07T12:56:00.001-06:00

With spring taking so long to arrive, I think everyone is feeling antsy. UGH! I want warmth - and a full day of sunshine!

In order to survive this long, cold spring, we've started planning a girls' weekend in July. It's for mom's birthday - she turns 80 this year. You would never know it. She neither acts nor looks 80. I think all of us girls are hoping that her beauty genes are passed down, it sure would make old age more bearable. So, we're going to hit Portland for 4 days in July. Mom wants to drive up to Mt. St. Helens and we'll kind of play the rest of the time by ear.

It's just nice to spend time with the girls and giggle and laugh - you can't help but giggle and laugh when you have Kate around - she's "special."

Is it July yet?

What a Great Group of Folks...

2011-03-27T09:31:00.000-06:00

Today about 100 people volunteered with Fish and Game to come and plant bitterbrush seedlings on our property. It was impressive! Mary Dudley, the volunteer coordinator, had originally told us that they would want to eat about 1pm (we cooked them all lunch). As it turned out, they had so many volunteers that they were completely done planting the 3,500 seedlings by 10:30.

We bought 5 large hackberry trees (the birds love them) and they got those planted as well.

So, Ival got on the pig cooker and fixed them all lunch.

There was even a guy teaching people how to use this wind parachute after all the work was done. Cool!

Joe and Rick used a surveyor thingey and all of Ival's buddies helped and they got all the fence posts set for the hot wire. We'll only have the hot wire turned on the two weeks of the year when the cows come through. After all, we want the deer and other critters to feel free to use our place.

Wow, what a productive and wonderful day. Thanks everyone, for your help. You worked your butts off and you have no idea how much we appreciate it!

Finally, it WAS the Governor!

2011-03-25T16:34:00.000-06:00

My sister Linda used to own a store in Meridian called Water and Wood. She had some really fun things in that store. She would often call me and ask "Guess who just came into the store?!" and for some reason, the first time she called, I said, "the Governor?"

So, every time she called after that, it was always my reply. Usually, it was someone we hadn't seen for years. So now, Linda lives in Portland and works at 7 D's Nursery.

A few minutes ago she called and said, "Guess who just came into the store!?" My reply of course was the same as it's always been. I could tell she was grinning just by the sound of her voice. "YES!" then she went on to say, "I've been waiting for 11 years to be able to say that!"

Of course I had to find a picture of him for this post, you know how visual I am. He looks like a mighty fine Governor...

The Bullshit Merchant...

2011-03-24T17:00:00.000-06:00

My brother is so cool, I just love him. If you remember, he's a logger. He's been driving a logging truck since he was old enough to drive. He lives up north and once a year he braves the Boise traffic to come see us city folk.

His last trip down, he handed me his "business card." I asked why he needed a business card and he replied, "because they were only $34 for a hundred of 'em." Well, that explains everything. So, here they are. If you're ever in need of the services he provides, let me know and I can get you in touch with him...

I think he should have added, "logging camps and forests burned down." He did that once you know. He was so excited to be done with a particular logging job that he burned down the camp - and the forest. I think that was a very expensive celebration for him. Nothing he does ever surprises me.

Preliminary Barnhouse Drawings...

2011-03-24T14:49:00.002-06:00

My brother-in-law Joe, drew up these "rough" drafts of the house plan. They are the second set actually, the first set came after an evidently sleepless night of "drink." That set had a built-in gun safe, a built in meat locker and walk-in beer cooler. I think he was planning on moving in with Elmer.

We've decided to leave off the computer room and will take the bathtub out of the master bath - we'll save some money by having only one tub. I'm not sure what all the "food storage" area is for - I know we're expecting Armageddon in 2012, but since we don't have a bunker, I'm thinking food storage isn't going to be much help.

So here's our simple barn house (double click the picture to make it big enough to see). Thanks FBNL! I love the "big ass doors" in front.

You like?

Happy First Day of Spring!!!

2011-03-19T09:25:00.001-06:00

Happy Spring Everyone!

My Most Prized Possession...

2011-03-17T10:42:00.001-06:00

I'm "friends" with American Pickers on Facebook. I love that show! For those of you who don't know, some of my fondest memories come from when my sister Linda and I used to buy and sell antiques. We'd go to auctions and estate sales and buy "stuff" then do antique shows and have our own sales to sell things. It was so much fun not only finding wonderful things, but spending the time with my sister. Those were the good ol' days...

Every few days, American Pickers asks their friends to upload a picture of their most prized possession. Wow, I have so many but one of my favorites is the Little Orphan Annie stove that was my mom's when she was a little girl. I love that thing and wouldn't trade or sell it for any amount of money. She also had some Mickey Mouse dishes that I've kept with the stove.

I remember playing with this when I was little too, as did my sisters - although I imagine Kate used it to cook her Barbies. I'm surprised that after all the "love" that was bestowed on this stove, that it's still in such good shape.

Do you have a prized possession that you wouldn't part with?

Our Hillbilly Soulmates...

2011-03-13T19:39:00.001-06:00

have just moved in across the street.

I drove up the street toward home a few minutes ago and look at what I saw in the neighbor's driveway. It's a homemade rib cooker and even has a dual exhaust.

I've been oogeling over the truck they pulled into the driveway a few days ago. Oh how I love this truck.

I had to throw in this picture of the beautiful color on the mountains after the storm the other night.

Apparitions on Toast...

2011-03-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

This fascinates me. However, I admit that I'm easily amused.

I don't remember what started this search on the Internet this morning, but did you know there are hundreds of pictures of apparitions on/in odd objects?

Here, we have the Pope in fire. This is good!

The Virgin Mary on a turtle...

and on toast.

Mother Teresa on a sticky bun...

and lots of photos of Jesus. I hope you don't find this disrespectful, I'm a believer, but I just find this very fascinating! This really looks like Jesus in a cloud - it was supposedly taken from an airplane...

and on a wall...

and (Dear Lord, please realize I'm just a little "off" and found this funny) on a dog's hind end...

and Michael Jackson seems to pop up in the most interesting places. Here he is on a piece of sheet metal...

naturally, he had to appear on a piece of toast...

and a car hood.

Saving the best for last, this is some guy named Larry on toast.

Do your own search and see what you come up with! Fascinating!

Bear Scare/Why I Should be in Therapy...

2011-03-11T05:35:00.000-07:00

My friend Casey, at All I'm Saying just wrote a post about her "encounter" with Bigfoot. She is, understandably, now terrified of bigfoot.

Her story reminded me of why I'm terrified of bears. Growing up in Garden Valley, bears weren't uncommon. Sometimes we would see them right out our back door. We burned our garbage in a big 50 gal. drum outside our little cabin so sometimes the bears would scavenge for any food that may have been in there.

One day, I had just finished riding my horse home from the valley and had taken her to her pasture about 1/4 mile from our house. I was walking down the little dirt road toward home when I heard some crackling in the brush directly in front of me and between the road and the barbed wire fence that ran next to the road. I had been riding bareback so all I was carrying (thankfully) was my bridle. I suddenly heard the most horrendous sound just 15 feet from where I was, but unfortunately, it was also between me and home. BEAR!

I could have turned and run the other direction, but there wasn't any sign of human life until Centerville, so, even though it went against every ounce of adrenaline coursing through my body, I started running toward the terrifying sound. As I passed the tree where the growling was coming from, I swear my feet grew freaking wings. I had never run so fast.

I got home and ran into the house, heart pounding and terrified more than I had ever been. I may have even been crying - those of you who know me, I don't do that. After being in the safety of home for a few minutes, my brother - who I absolutely adored, walked into the house, laughing hysterically.

He told me how funny it had been to watch me beating cheeks as he had hid behind a tree and sounded like a bear. WTF? I didn't leave home by any means other than a car for months. I was scarred for life.

Many years later, my sister Linda and I were in McCall participating in the Antiques Show at Shore Lodge. It was a beautiful evening after the show had closed and we decided to go for a drive up a dirt logging road just to get out of town. I had to pee and so we stopped and got out of the truck. Crouching with my pants down we suddenly heard a HUGE crashing through the brush within 50 feet of where we were. My first thought - BEAR! I pulled up my pants so fast I peed all over the back of them and we jumped in the truck. We listened for a few more minutes from the safety of the truck but couldn't see what was making the noise.

To this very day, thanks to my wonderful brother, I am STILL terrified of bears. Really, does it get more scarey than this...

So what are you scared to death of and what made you that way?

We've Lowered the Price of the House...

2011-03-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

No offers yet, so we decided to drop the price of the house to $249,000. That's $25,000 less than we were asking yesterday. What we make probably won't even cover the entire cost of the power and well, so we may be building a barn first and putting an apartment in it to live in for a while.

Sigh...

Welcome Home Son...

2011-03-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

So happy to have our son home on leave. We met him at the airport and there were several other soldiers that arrived with him.

It was so hard for Grace to wait...

She and her cousin Aurora had made some cute signs...

Finally!

Enjoy your time home son...

We had seen a whole passel of kids, many of them holding signs that said "Welcome Home Mommy!" It was so heartwarming to see the female soldier walk through those doors to her children. I feel so bad for my son being away from his wife and kids, but to be a mother having to leave your children - well, I can't even imagine it. I hope she has a wonderful leave with her family as well.

House Plan...

2011-03-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law is going to draw up our house plan and wanted a general idea of where to put rooms. I wanted both the back and front of the house to be mostly open for lots of windows so I placed all the rooms on the sides of the house. So, we'll see what he does with my general idea here...

The main room will be 28' x 36' - plenty of room for shuffleboard...

Old Barns...

2011-02-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I LOVE old architecture. It has always absolutely fascinated me. One of my favorites though, has always been old barns. I've decided that once the weather gets good, I'm going to take 3 or 4 days and drive up north to the Palouse and work my way home taking pictures of old barns.

I think they would be a wonderful addition to our new barnhome. Here's a few I found that are beautiful...

Do you have any great pictures you've taken of old barns?

Speaking to Adam's Zoology Class...

2011-02-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Adam's teacher has asked me to speak to his class on Friday about dad's job, living with a Game Warden, the animals we raised, and of course, dad's death. I realized that all the information I need, including pictures, is contained in the 30 days of posts I did. Wow, didn't that make this easy!

I also found a great condensed version of Give a Boy a Gun that I can use for some facts about the incident at Bull Camp.

I do have one dilema. Should I include the picture of Adam holding the dead skunk at the end? I know he'll kill me, but he'll get over it won't he????

Housing Parts...

2011-02-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

We've been keeping our eyes out for materials for our barn house. We got this really awesome back bar from the Merc (for FREEEEEEE!). It's going to take up our entire kitchen/dining room wall but it will save us a bunch of money and I think it's so incredibly gorgeous!

If you double click on the picture you can see the details...

I also have 3 of these bar stools that came out of the old Mercantile in Homedale. Only one has a base so I'll have to have bases made for the other 2. But wouldn't they look great at the bar!

We also took this old door. This sucker is heavy - and it was free too!

I had an old high school friend call yesterday looking for my brother's phone number. I told him we had bought property and he told me he was getting some salvage items from the airbase in Mtn. Home. He asked if we wanted a tent. Heck yes! Until he mentioned that this is a military tent that's 20 x 40 and takes a forklift to move. I would have taken it but Ival said it was a bit too big. But, he asked what else we were looking for and I mentioned we need flooring. He said there was probably 5,000 board feet of wood that would be gorgeous for a floor at $1 a board ft. The planks are 12' long and 14" inches wide. He said it's full of nails so I suppose we'd spend a ton of time pulling nails - but isn't that what kids are for!

We have Fish and Game coming up to the property the middle of March to help us plant bitterbrush after the fire destroyed all that was there. Ival put out an email the other day asking for volunteers to help us and I think we're going to have a good crew. We're going to take the trailer up and cook them all a good lunch. It should be fun and thank God for family and friends!

So, if you run into any wonderful items we could incorporate into our new barnhouse, let us know!

I'm Sorry, But I Have to Brag...

2011-02-17T10:13:00.001-07:00

I called Adam's Zoology teacher this morning because I'm talking to his class next Friday about dad and what it was like to live with a Game Warden, and of course Claude Dallas.

I wanted to tell Mr. Beckly how much I appreciated what he has done for Adam and how he's made such a difference in his life. He then wanted to tell me what a good boy Adam is and how bright he is. He told me how eager Adam is to learn about wildlife and what a good job he's doing in class. He was very impressed that Adam had told him that he wants to get a job with Idaho Fish and Game, and work in dad's old area - Adam has never mentioned that to me. He said he thought it took a lot of guts for Adam to have such a dream and he's sure Adam will accomplish his goal.

Wow.

He went on to tell me that if the kids win the Idaho Envirothon (and he said it's TOUGH work to win) that they'll be taking a week (all expenses paid) in late June whey they'll fly into Maine and then drive to New Brunswick, Canada. They'll take several days where they'll get to camp and fish in several really fun places.

How cool would that be?!

I'm so incredibly proud right now. How on earth did I raise such great kids? Who would have thought that this sweet face would have such an amazing goal...

Hunting with dad before he was big enough to hunt...

Riding his motorcycle before mom thought he was big enough to ride...

First day of school...

Getting his Black Belt in Taekwando...

Somehow, I imagine dad is smiling right now.

I did find out too, that parents can go as "spectators" to Challis. I'm hoping Adam will be happy to have mom and dad along!

Granny Beats up 6 Robbers

2011-02-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is exactly why I love old people. They aren't afraid to "get involved." They are from a generation that helped each other and took care of those who needed them. Nowadays, we're so afraid of lawsuits or feeling like it's not our problem, that many are willing to stand by and watch as our world is taken over by thugs and thieves. Be sure to watch the right hand side of your screen as she (in the red coat) runs from up the street and across the road to help. Notice all the people walking by and cars driving by and no one else comes to her assistance until she has several of the robbers down.

She's my hero.

The Hidden Springs Hillbillies

This Could Be a Great Day!

Three Women...

This Is Next...

Cougar Kittens and Cross Stitch...

On the Market...

The Winter That Wasn't...

Hillbilly Website...

Why I Love the Internet...

My First Elmer Story of 2012...

Time to List the House Again...

We Miss You Dad...

Very Troubling...

2011, The Year in Review...

To Our Wonderful Friends, Families, and Neighbors...

Christmas Day, 2011 - Part Deux...

Christmas Day, 2011

Ahhhhh, Christmas

What the Fractal?????

We Got Trouble Folks, Right Here in River City! That's T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Garden Valley Bigfoot?

It Was a Wonderful Week...

2012 Dutch Oven Clinic and Hillbilly Gatherin'...

Fractals...

I'm Such a Proud Mama...

OK, Enough of This...

About the Death Penalty...

Adam's 18th Birthday Request...

The Blame Game...

Empty Nest...

First Solo Hunting Trip - Could Have Turned Out Badly...

Kitty in the Garbage Can...

Pinterest

Well Shoot!

Happy First Day of Fall!

Not Quite Home...

Written on Sept. 12, 2001...

Oh Roaming Gnome, Roaming Gnome, Wherefore Art Thou, Roaming Gnome?

One of My Favorite Songs...

Fond Memories of an Old Friend...

Call Me Old Fashioned...

Ree and I Made Meatloaf!

PARAPROSDOKIANS

Ada Country Criminals...

The Pioneer Woman Teaches Me to Cook... or, Let's Go Out to Dinner!

Redneck Paintball Duck Hunting/2012 Hillbilly Games...

Yep, Time for Another Elmer Post...

Temporary Housing For the Farm?

Anyone Missing a Child?

Joining the Military...

Bucket List...

Free Flooring?????

Thelma and Louise, and Louise, and Louise...

THIS Was Strange...

10 Things I Learned From Mom...

I'm Such a Scrounge...

See This?

Werkin' At The Merc...

A Much Needed Mini Vacation...

Ranking Pixar Movies...

Do YOU Believe?

No Longer A Logger!

First Dirt...

I Love Sarah Palin!

Just For Fun...

Packing a Box For Dad...

Starting to Work on the Pond...

Court Watching...

Boise Police Citizens Police Academy...

Pictures on My Camera...

*Ahem...*

Meridian Road Blog...

Pack My Bags, or Pack My Shotgun...

I Thought I Could Trust a Fireman...

We "Kind of" Got an Offer on The House...

What a Day...

This, or That?

Some Realtors - Gotta Love 'Em...

Plan C...

Squirrel!

Ahem...