I Need Some Inspiration

As some of you may know I am having trouble finding a new job here in my new home. I have put out many applications. The only one I heard back on was for another pharmacy tech job. I know this will sound very selfish in such a poor economy but I truly, truly just do not want to work in another pharmacy. I found it turning me into a very cynical person. Dealing with insurance companies that don't want to pay for drugs that a patient needs, being yelled at by drug seekers, watching a parent smoking in his car while selling him an asthma medication for his child sitting next to him.  I really think I am just done with all of that. We moved here to decrease Willie's stress, I don't think I should have to increase mine.

My friend Dawn has given me a lot of good ideas for working from home. This would be a great option. My grand daughter is the light of my life and I don't do well when I can't see her on a regular basis. With two weddings coming up this year, and my brother and father being in fragile health, having a flexible schedule would be the best. Something that I could bring with me, if needed, and do work from Des Moines as need be. I also, being the fair minded person that I tend to be (which doesn't always serve me well), don't think it is right to ask a new employer to give me the time off I need for the weddings and for emergency situations that may arise if my father or brother need me to come home. It's a six hour drive, at best speed. A trip home takes time.

Now, what could I do? There's the rub. I'm thinking about trying to make something and sell it online, but what? I love making things. I just don't know how to make any one thing well enough to sell. So, that means learning something new and practicing until I get it right. I've thought about candles. The thing is, they would have to be unscented. I could learn to make decorative candles, but would people buy them with out scent? I can not be the only person in the world that coughs up a lung when she is around a burning scented candle. I love burning candles but since they almost always are saturated by a thick, overwhelming and yes, throat closing, lung collapsing fragrance, I can't. So, is there a market for beautiful but UNSCENTED candles out there? Maybe, this is something I should find out.

Of course the next problem is that I have no idea how to make candles. As a child in Girl Scouts I made hand dipped candles and sand candles, but a decorative candle, not so much. Must learn. Anyone know any good websites that can help me learn? I googled last night and seemed to only to find sites selling the materials, which of course will be helpful, too, eventually.

What else to do? What other ideas are out there? Dawn, suggested dog grooming. While I get a long with my crazy little dog, I'm a little afraid of other dog's teeth. Even the Dog Whisperer gets bit now and then, I can't imagine I would fair any better.

Gramma Needs a New Camera

Valerie got me a camera for Mother's Day a couple of years ago just before Kahlen was born. I like the camera a lot. It is a small Kodak camera, it fits in my pocket, I can take it anywhere. I love all of that. I have used the camera extensively. I don't want to replace my little camera, but would love to have one that has more creative control. I wish I could have been able to zoom in more on the variations of color caused by the rain on this tree. I thought they were fascinating.

My hope is to one day get a new Nikon 35 mm SLR digital camera. Are they still called SLR? I never thought I would like a digital camera. I have to admit that the instant gratification of the digital camera has won me over. I'm not the most patient person.

I would love to have more control of depth of field and focus especially. I was looking out my window today and saw a tree branch with water droplets hanging on to its buds. I wanted a picture of it. I tried and tried, but my little camera just wasn't made to get in close. It also wanted to focus on things that I really did not want to focus on. It made me sad. I loved the little droplets and the way the light hit them. This picture was the best I could get.

I did get one picture that made me happy though. I was raking the stinky ginkgo fruit and the probably two years worth of leaves outside the back door yesterday when I found these. The leaf debris had left them starved for sunshine. I believe them to be daffodils. I can't wait to find out for sure. We have found other patches of plants that are growing up through the leaves and pine needles. It has been exciting. Not just finding the plants, but because it means spring is really truly here.

The new camera will have to wait. Other things are more pressing. For some reason bills need to paid first, go figure. I will keep taking less then perfect pictures with my little camera. I will keep posting them here. Please, be kind when looking at my take of my little world. It is the only world I have right now, it makes me happy to share it.

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. I'm not sure when it became a special day to look at women's accomplishments, I'm sure it was probably back in the 70's when the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment was strong. I remember much of that time. I remember women marching in the streets on both sides of the argument. I couldn't understand why anyone would march against people having equal rights. Any people anywhere. I know that some argued that it was unnecessary that the Constitution protected the rights of all. Others said that the fact that it specified that all "men" are created equal was simple proof of the need for the amendment.

I remember one woman in particular that was fighting against it. I don't remember her name, I do remember her being older and wearing very high collars. She was adamantly apposed to the ERA as it came to be widely known. She was not one saying that it was unnecessary because it was just wording. She wanted to keep women at home and in the kitchen. This baffled me at the time. The way I saw it this woman was out and working and not at home taking care of her family but wanted to make sure that other women didn't have the same choice. She was the dictionary definition of the word hypocrite. She was out doing exactly what she wanted to do, but no other woman should be allowed that choice. She and her cronies at the time did find a way to defeat the ERA, but she did not defeat the movement.

I look back, I had choices my mother would have never had, my daughters have even more choices then I. It is not a perfect world this is true. Women are still given a hard time in male dominated fields. But women are in these fields. I remember very vividly thinking that men were doctors and women were nurses as a child. Even when my oldest child was born 26 years ago there was still that expectation. It was getting much better, there were many women doctors by then. However, I had bought my daughter a doctors kit for Christmas, and a play tool set. I though they were wonderful gifts. My in laws, they asked me why didn't I get her a nurse's kit. I was shocked to say the least. They actually thought my choice of a doctor's kit was wrong, to the point that they went out and bought Valerie a nurse's kit to have at their house. We as a people have advanced.

That was the generation that they grew up in. They truly thought I was wronging my daughter by letting her think she could be a doctor. Our children and grandchildren know they have choices now. If a woman wants to be a doctor, there is no reason that she can not reach that goal. On the flip side if a man wants to be a nurse, he can also do that. Unfortunately there is still a stigma chasing him down. It is not a "you can't do that" it is an "why do you want to do that" stigma. The fight for equal rights wasn't just about women, it benefited men as well. There are more men in traditionally women's fields then ever. It is still more of a shock to see a male nurse then a female doctor though. I'm not sure if that is a plus for women or a negative for men.

I sometimes worry about the fact that so much emphasis has been put on girls in the schools. There is so much worry about girls math scores, girls science scores, to which I am not apposed. If the emphasis on girls scores comes at the expense of the boys scores, then I worry. Equality can not be gained at the expense of another  group. Especially when that group is still in school. Isn't there a way to lift both groups with out leaving one behind?

Our country has come very far in the reach for equality among the genders. Again, it is not a perfect world, but it has come along. We can chose to become what we would like to be in most cases. There is still a long way to go, sure, but the ground work has definitely been put down and is becoming more stable with each year that passes. In this country.

Other countries, especially in the developing world, women are not so lucky. Not only are they denied the right to choose a profession, they are denied the right to schooling and even thinking for themselves. They have no rights. They can't own property. Their children can be stolen from them if the father decides he wants a new wife. The are mutilated as children so that they will not enjoy sex, so that they are less likely to sleep with anyone but their husbands. They can be stoned to death for anything that men in their lives decide they have done wrong. Due process is a far away dream. I don't know how to help these women. They are in  male dominated societies, they have no hope for the future.

We as a country forget about these women most of the time. We go on with our lives and maybe think about them once in a while when there is something on the news. We gasp in horror about the stories we hear. But we feel helpless, it is so far away.



If you are like me and live in a loving household, be thankful and let your loved ones know how much you love them.

We live in a country full of possibilities. Let's remember those without.

Milkshakes and Shopping

 Kahlen and I decided to go shopping one day last week. We went to the "mall" in Danville and had a good time going from shop to shop. At first, Kahlen was not in the mood to hold hands as we went into the stores. I however thought that keeping her close was a better idea. The first store we went in she pulled away and would not let me hold her hand. I turned us around and told her that if she didn't she couldn't go into the store. She was willing to hold my hand out in the hallways, so I tried a different store. Again, she tried to pull away. We turned around and left the store once more. That must be when the diva in Kahlen came through. Suddenly shopping was more important than walking on her own. We went back in the store and she cooperated beautifully. 

We had a good time looking at all of the things we couldn't get. The pretty Easter dresses, the cute little shoes, and then there were the things for Kahlen, too. We drooled over the clearance coats and boots, but had to pass them by. Funding for our shopping trip was meager, but it was still better than sitting at home. We did end up buying a plate and a spoon and fork for Kahlen. They were very springy. They had butterflies and pink flamingos, very happy, very Kahlen. 

After our not so productive but fun shopping trip we were both hungry. We decided to go across the street to Steak n Shake. We waited for our turn to be seated and ordered our drinks, ice tea for me and chocolate milk for Kahlen. We had our lunch and decided to order ourselves a chocolate covered strawberry milkshake. MMMMMM it was delicious! We took turns drinking it. We both enjoyed it very much! Until......

Suddenly, there they were. the crazy eyes.  I'd seen them before. They are not the sign of good things to come.


Soon after the crazy eyes popped up the wiggles started. Kahlen started shimmying and shaking in her chair. She started pulling herself back and forth to the table. Yup, it was the sugar high. It was hitting hard and it was hitting fast. Life in the sugar high world moves like bald tires on an icy road, at the speed of light and unpredictably. It was time to leave. We got back in the car and went to take Grandpa some lunch. The drive consisted of loud singing and lots of giggles. The shoes and socks were ripped off of the feet.

We got to Grandpa's work and the sugar high had set in %100. She was ready to run. We went to the break room and Kahlen set to rearranging the chairs. This seemed to be just the ticket for the sugar high. She moved chairs all over the break room. She chatted with Grandpa, and whoever else would listen. She ran back and forth until the crazy eyes started to fade away, being replaced with the sugar crash cranks. This timed out perfectly with the end of Grandpa's lunch hour. We said goodbye to Grandpa and headed home. The drive home..... quiet, the sugar crash had set in %100.

Nap Time

Naps, as children we hated them. We did whatever we could think of to avoid them. We kept ourselves awake as long as we could, while our parents yelled at us to lay down. Kahlen is no exception. She does not like going down for a nap. To her it is a waste of time, much like a diaper change. It cuts into an otherwise productive day and ruins the flow. I think it literally breaks her heart to have to take a nap. Without one though, life would not be good for anyone else. She still takes two naps a day, and needs them both. She plays so hard in between that sometimes she just passes out while playing. 

Nap time, as adults we love those two words. We look forward to those two words. Not just for our children and grand children. True, the break from the constant moving, and noise and spontaneous combustions of children is pure bliss. As adults, though. the idea of naps, for ourselves, is like a day at a luxury spa. Taking the time in the middle of a busy, crazy day, to just lay down and relax..... Heaven on Earth.  

We stop getting to take naps after kindergarten. Remember your nice little nap mat? You probably hated it back when you fit on it. Can you imagine if they made an adult sized nap mat. You could roll it up, stow it in your desk or locker at work and at 1:30 every day, every body would unroll their mats and take a nap. Would there be a loss of productivity? Maybe, or maybe, with everyone refreshed, production would increase. Think of a toddler after a nap. Battery recharged, on the go all over again. People often say if they could bottle the energy of a toddle they could make millions. Could it be that the secret isn't in a pill but a pillow?  Could it be that caffeine is not the answer? That the beverage companies have conned us in to thinking we can't live with out their addictive stimulants, when all we really need is a nap? Of course our way of life does not allow for nap time for adults. Unless multiple studies come out that prove that productivity is increased by napping it never will. If a nap can't make money, a nap we shall never have. 

Ah, nap time, we never appreciated you when we had you. Now that you are gone, we wish we could be held in your warm embrace once again. We miss you!

New Fangled Toddler Toys

 Stumped about what to get the toddler who has everything? Baffled by what you should get for the child down the street for her next birthday? Tired of guessing the next best Christmas wonder toy? Kahlen is here to demonstrate her favorite high tech  cutting edge toys.

First, the multi colored, multifunctional cans of beans and bacon soup. They role, they stack, they make loud noises when dropped on the floor. They are surprisingly cuddly, and may in times of national emergency serve as an effective teddy bear replacement. Hours of entertainment for the most finicky eighteen month old.

Next, we have the ever popular oatmeal box. Now, don't let its trendy appearance fool you, it is actually a low tech marvel that can double as a storage container or a drum. No batteries required. Yes, seriously! Don't forget about the nice old Quaker man on the outside of the box, such a friendly looking chap.

Here we have the new and improved roasting pan. It can be sat in, it can be danced in. It can be slid across the floor and used as a transportation unit for self or  toys. And, it's silver and shiny, always a plus for the discriminating toddler.

This is the roasting pan's companion toy, the measuring cup. Played with together, the measuring cup can be a steering wheel or an advanced warning system when banged against the cupboard.

 Used separately, the measuring cup can also serve as a stylish shoe. Like the oatmeal box it makes a fantastic musical instrument that makes the sound of a bird in spring. It also successfully scatters dog food across the kitchen floor.

Finally, the tuna can and the dog bed. Not toys you normally think of to use together, but miraculously they work in coordination much the same way an artists paint brush works with hot coals. You think it isn't going to work, yet you throw them together and sparks fly. It's a beautiful site to see.

We hope this tutorial is helpful to you. Kahlen worked very hard to put it all together. She is exhausted now and must take a nap.

Ecosystem

I think I have said before that my backyard is its own little ecosystem. It has many old growth trees. It has fruit, nut and pine trees. It has everything to sustain an ecosystem. Right before we got that huge winter storm around Ground Hog Day the squirrels were out very busily gathering nuts and dead fruit. I had never seen squirrels working so hard anywhere. They freaked out as much about the impending storm as people did. I have often mentioned the abundance of rabbit poo in the yard, which of course means we must have many rabbits, though I have never actually seen them yet. A neighbor told me she has seen a possum in the yard. Every morning we hear birds chirping happily.

On the down side, with every healthy ecosystem there are predators. Every so often I would find the carcass of a bird torn to pieces out in the yard. When I saw the first one it was a little gross, but it was old. I figured it was dragged in by a cat or something and never thought more of it.

A few weeks later I saw another one, this one was a fresh kill. Again, I assumed it was from a cat. I noticed that the dead bird was pretty large. It started freaking me out a bit. Then there was another and another, and these birds were ripped to shreds. I really started wondering if it was just a cat, or something else. I even started to worry that there might be some creepy kids doing despicable things to these poor birds and throwing them in our yard. Or as my imagination swirled, maybe some very strange person putting a voodoo hex on our house, or some very angry ghost trying to scare us away. Blame it on too much time on my hands.

If you know what kind of bird this is please leave a comment

The other evening Kahlen and I were taking Bazinga out to do his stuff. It was right before dusk and the evening was setting in. I looked out into the yard and saw something moving. It was pretty good sized, at first glance I thought it might be that possum I'd been told about. It wasn't, it was a bird. A large bird, maybe a falcon and it had another bird that it had just caught. The other bird, (guessing by the remains) was either a blue jay or a pigeon. It was still alive, but wouldn't be for long.  I watched as the doomed bird struggled for its last gasps of life. Soon it was over.

All of this happened just yards from us. Kahlen and Bazinga were busily oblivious to the whole thing. I found it fascinating that a bird of prey chose our yard. We live in a rural area, but we are smack in the middle of town. A small town indeed, but still not where you expect Wild Kingdom to come to life. The most amazing thing was that he seemed to have no fear of us. I didn't share this sentiment, I didn't want him to think we were going to try to steal his kill, so we went in.

The next morning we all went out for our morning Bazinga poo time and our friend was back. He was retrieving what was left behind the night before. I took the dog and Kahlen back in the house and grabbed my camera. You can see the feathers and blood at his feet. Gruesome, but all part of the circle of life. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't know any voodoo.

Dancing In Our Jammies

Kahlen started the day bright and early again. Willie had taken Bazinga out before he went to work, so Kahlen and I got to have some girl time before I had to take him out again. We went downstairs and changed her diaper. She absolutely hates having her diaper changed. It wastes precious time that would be better spent doing something more important, like running through the house screaming. Diaper change done, we turned on the some music and started jammin in our jammies while we made breakfast. Kahlen loves to dance. She loves all types of music. She will dance to anything. We boogied together while we got everything out of the fridge. We shook our booties while we made chocolate milk. We got breakfast all put together and shuffled it to the table.

I had some left over french toast from yesterday, so we reheated that. Yesterday, Grandpa ate breakfast with her. He is much more meticulous than I am and washed the syrup off Kahlen's hands with every single bite. I prefer the wait till we are done and get it all at once method. Sometimes this backfires on me. Today was one of those times. I let Kahlen dip her french toast in her syrup and feed herself. She has not perfected the use of a fork yet. Each bite was an experiment in how to least efficiently get food from plate to pallet. When we were done, I went to the internet to try to apply for federal disaster relief funding. Somehow, the federal government does not have funding for syrup disasters, who knew? I think members of congress should have to clean up their own toddlers' breakfast messes instead of having the nanny do it. Perhaps, then their would be more understanding for this national crisis.

 When every thing was all cleaned up we brought Bazinga downstairs to join us in a game of monkey tag. What is monkey tag? Yesterday, when we went to Pamida, we got Kahlen a little purple monkey with bunny ears. I thought it was adorable, so Kahlen HAD to have it.  We started playing tag, and the person who was "not it" got to run with the monkey. When she was caught the other person got to have the monkey and run with it. I figure it was exercise and sharing all rolled into one. It seems a rousing game of monkey tag wakes a toddlers bowels up, so it was time for another diaper change.

To get her to cooperate a little more I told Kahlen when she was done she could have a diaper to diaper her baby with. It helped a little, she got the diaper and tried to diaper her glowworm. If you have never seen a glow worm, they don't have legs. It didn't really matter though, she mostly just wanted to shake the heck out of the diaper.

It was quite a busy morning. We got into the car to go have lunch with Grandpa. Kahlen passed out before we even got three blocks. We ate lunch with Grandpa. Today, it was Gramma's job to help her with her drink.

After dropping off Grandpa, Kahlen and I went to the pet store for dog food and cat litter. We spent a lot of time looking at the birds, rabbits, fish and mice. She really liked the big macaws. They busily showed off for her and made her giggle. The bunnies even seemed to be trying to get her attention. Not that it was hard.

About halfway back to Rossville Kahlen conked out again, and has been sleeping ever since. I think we may try cookie making when she wakes up. I wonder if there is disaster aid for that?

6:30 AM

Today started early. Kahlen woke up crying with a cold wet diaper. Wet everything to be more correct. I picked her up and gave her to Grandpa. She cried louder. I went downstairs to get diaper changing materials and dry jammies. When I got back up, she was still crying. We got her all changed and she cuddled up to go back to sleep. Bazinga, now awake, decided he needed to go out. I went to give Kahlen to Grandpa so I could take Bazinga out, but she was having none of that. A little heart broken, Willie  got up and took Bazinga out. Kahlen snuggled back down, eyes closed, calm and happy. Then Bazinga came back upstairs, rip roaring and ready to play. There would be no more sleeping.

We had a nice breakfast of french toast and pears. Cleaned up, got dressed and brushed our teeth. The rest of the day ahead of us, we tried to decide what to do. Running around the house from one room to the next seemed to be the favorite choice of the day. Kahlen would chase me, Bazinga would chase Kahlen, and Grandpa took a nap. I'm not sure how he slept through it, but he must of needed the sleep.

About 11:00 we decided to head up to Hoopston to go to Pamida for diapers. About two minutes into the drive Kahlen passed out. Willie decided to just keep driving so she could keep sleeping. We ended up in Watseka, turned around and headed back. Once we got to Hoopston again we stopped at Pizza Hut for lunch.

Kahlen, loves garlic cheese bread. She devoured that, apple sauce and a little pizza. She had a cup of lemonade. Grandpa or I would help her when she wanted a drink. Suddenly, she decided that it was Grandpa's job to help her with her drink, and only Grandpa's. If I would try, she would push the cup to Grandpa refusing to take a drink from me. I think Grandpa was secretly thrilled. They were both so cute. (Sssshhhhh, don't tell Willie I called him cute.)

We got back home and it was time to move some furniture. We have a little red rocking chair that we bought at the Habitat For Humanity store. I plan on repainting it this summer. It is a nice sturdy little rocking chair. Kahlen loves it. She can pick it up and move it around. So, she does. She moved it one place, sat in it, then moved it again. She put it against the wall, she put it in the middle of the room, she put it facing the wall. Each time sitting in it to see if it was in the right place. Finally, it came in from the front porch to the living room. Again, put in many different places and sat in. There was a perfect place for this chair and Kahlen was going to find it.

It was time for another game of tag. Then a game of fetch. Ok, in my defense the game started out with me trying to get the dog to fetch. Every time I threw the toy for Bazinga,  Bazinga and Kahlen both would go running after it. What're ya gonna do? It turned into a race between them to see who could get to the toy first. Whoever got it, would bring it back to me. Finally, Bazinga gave up, knowing, that girl, would bring the toy back,  and then it was just Kahlen chasing the toy. I wondered if it was somehow wrong for me to be playing fetch with my grand daughter, but she was having fun, so we kept playing.

Supper was pig out time. Here was the menu..... Yogurt, starfruit, tamales, peas, and Chocolate milk. When she was done with those she decided she needed part of Grandpa's tuna sandwich and a pickle. I guess playing fetch builds up an appetite.

Bath time was fun as always. Then Monsters Inc, then bed. I'm glad the day started early. It was a good day. 6:30 am will be fine tomorrow, too.

Cheese Puffs and Long Drives

Cheese puff disaster

Cheese puffs are a wonderful snack. They are crispy and cheesy and airy. I enjoy a nice bag of them now and then myself. However, eighteen month old + long drive + cheese puffs = big mess. There was fluorescent orange cheese puff nuclear waste every where. There was cheese puff glue in places there should never be cheese puff glue.  It had plastered to itself to her pants, it was in her hair, on her car seat. I do believe that cheese puffs should be reclassified as a weapon of mass destruction. They did keep her happy for a while though, that's what counts.  

Kahlen's Party Pad

Kahlen and I have this whole traveling thing down to a science. She has become a well seasoned traveler. I have a very specific way of setting up the car. I call it Kahlen's Party Pad. She has enough toys to keep her entertained for a few hours. Then we bring out the computer to watch movies.

We stop often. Iowa has some awesome rest stops. They have really nice clean bathrooms. Sturdy diaper changing areas and lots of picnic tables. They also have free WiFi, a way to check the weather and of course vending machines. I know it may seem strange to gush over a rest area, but when you have a child with a stinky diaper and a case of the "I WANT OUT OF THE CAR" blues, a nice rest stop is a life saver. Compared to the rest areas in Illinois, Iowa's are mini spas.  Illinois' rest areas are functional and usually clean, but that's about it.

Since we had Bazinga with us, we ate our lunch at a rest area while Bazinga played in the grass and waited for Kahlen to drop food.

Iowa I-80 rest area

After we were done with our lunch We went for a little walk to stretch our legs. Kahlen "walked" Bazinga. All went well until Kahlen tripped on a stick and fell. It broke her heart more than it hurt, but she was ready to get on our way again. 

All was good, Planet 51 was playing on the computer. Bazinga was snoozing in his kennel. We were traveling a long on I-74. We played a quick game of peek-a-boo in the rearview mirror. We got to Highway 136 and the whining started. She was getting tired, and was sick of being in the car. I slipped her some crackers and that seemed to help, for about two minutes. It was dark and she couldn't get to her toys. I started praying for her to go to sleep. When we got to Rantoul she did. The rest of the drive went smoothly and quietly. 

She knows that at the end of a big bye bye, she gets to see Grandpa. We got to the house. I got her out of her car seat and brought her into the house. She ran into the front room, calling for Grandpa the whole way, so excited! No Grandpa, he was still at work. 

She passed the time waiting for Grandpa working very hard rearranging my cupboards. I had them all wrong. I was just lucky she was there to fix them. It was pure chaos, it took a very long time for her to get them just right. 

Then, a sound at the back door. Bazinga starts barking, who could it be? GRANDPA!!! She ran to the door laughing the whole way! She ran straight into his arms and gave him a big bear hug. She was very excited to see him! She told him about her trip, and how she fixed Gramma's cupboards. She told him the long drive was all worth it!

Olivia and Bazinga

I wanted to use a picture of Bazinga and Olivia,
but Olivia never stops moving

Bazinga and I got to Valerie's last night a little after nine. When I got there I started prying into my daughter's love life and got a few details about the new man in her life. We had a good talk. I enjoyed it, not sure if she did.  Bazinga, completely bored with the subject went to pouncing Olivia.

Olivia is Valerie's cat. The back story to Olivia, as seen through my eyes, is a story of a terrorist. You see, Olivia came to live at our house at one point for about six months. Olivia, normally is a sweet, excessively loving cat. On her own I love Olivia. Olivia plus Mia, and (at that time) Sierra, was a war zone! If it had been before Wickett, our dog, passed away, he would have protected Mia and Sierra. On their own they didn't stand a chance. 

Most of it, I must admit, was my own cats' faults. Olivia came to our house frightened at first, but then ready to play. Mia, of course was terrified! Sierra, being very old and fragile, had no intention of playing with a new cat. Olivia didn't understand. Unfortunately, she still had all of her claws, and when she did try to play, it scared Mia even more. She would pounce and role Sierra, who's old bones couldn't handle it. This ended up scaring Sierra, who turned to Mia as her defender. Not a good choice, but the only choice. The end result being, one frustrated cat who wanted to play. Olivia, finally ended up mad, and instead of playing, started attacking. Attacking ferociously, she put a hole in Mia's back. Seems, if you aren't Olivia's friend you are her bitter enemy. This resulted in terrified cats that wouldn't leave my bedroom. We ended up moving the litter box in there. Willie was now unhappy, too.  Olivia = terrorist. 

We all lived through it, battle scares and all. Valerie ended up with a place of her own, and Olivia moved out. Such a relief. I love my daughter, she didn't need to move out, her cat did. I love Olivia, when she doesn't live with my cats. Later that year Sierra passed away. It was because she was 100 years old not because of Olivia. It makes me sad though that Sierra missed out on her last Christmas. She loved Christmas, she really did. 

Enter Bazinga. The first time Olivia and Bazinga met he was about half her size. Obviously, I was a little nervous. I put him down, they sized each other up. Bazinga is very good at being calm submissive. Olivia liked that. Olivia and Bazinga are now best buds. She truly just wants someone to play with. 

On the outside Olivia and Bazinga are polar opposites. One is pitch black, one is snow white, (well when he is clean, which isn't very often.) One is long and lean one is short and stocky. One's a cat, one's a dog. In the heart, though, they are soul mates through and through. They love playing together. Olivia is Bazinga's most best toy, and Bazinga is Olivia's. He will play with her toys and she will take them back. She will run and hide and he will go find her. It is a very symbiotic relationship. If Olivia and Bazinga ever had to live in the same house, things would be good. Chaotic, for sure, but no one would be quivering in the bedroom.  Then Bazinga goes home and expects Mia to play the same way. 

Well........ It's getting there. 

Weather Beacon Red

Bazinga and I left Rossville today for a long trip back to Des Moines. Willie and I asked Alyssa and Shane if we could have Kahlen for  a few days. They said yes, yay, and I decided to bring Bazinga. When we left Rossville it was forty some degrees and raining. It rained most of the way through Illinois. When I had to stop to let Bazinga relieve himself we got rained on. It was annoying, but nothing that bad. At least it was warm.

As we crossed the Mississippi the wind started picking up. It wasn't raining so much, but still drizzling and foggy. The closer we got to Des Moines the colder it got. Apparently, it is still winter here. We got to Grimes, and the wind was blowing, it was cold and it was snowing. Definitely still winter.

Then I saw Little Miss Kahlen's smiling face and the weather just didn't matter any more. I was so happy to see her, and she seemed happy to see me. It already seemed ten degrees warmer. I got her buckled in her car seat. Bazinga was thrilled to see her, but not thrilled to be in his kennel where he couldn't properly greet her. This was agony.

The three of us went over to to see Great Grandpa Bob. Bazinga chased Kahlen, Kahlen chased Bazinga and Great Grandpa Bob smiled and laughed. Kahlen decided that she needed to "walk" Bazinga. She wanted me to put his leash on, I did. She "walked" him back and forth across the living room. This was a very proud moment for both.

Uncle Ben and Aunt Stacey each were there and got to see Kahlen, too. She amused them with her supreme dancing abilities. Soon, Alyssa came as well. We all had quite a good time at Great Grandpa Bob's. Then it was time to go. I gave Kahlen a kiss good bye and promised her a big bye bye in the morning. A big bye bye is when we take the long trip to Rossville together.

Bazinga and I were staying at Valerie's in Ames. On the way there, we decided to stop and see Josh and Caitlin and Tallulah. Tallulah  is their chihuahua. Bazinga exploded with speed and energy and chased Tallulah everywhere. It was like he was hyped on caffeine. Tallulah, excited at first played and chased back. After a while she was sick of the darn kid and sat on me. Bazinga was very disappointed. Time to get to Ames.

On I-80, I noticed the weather beacon was red, warmer weather is ahead. For those of you not from central Iowa, Des Moines has a weather beacon. It belongs to one of the TV stations. It is a TV tower that has green, red and white lights on it. Way back in the day, before the Internet, and smart phones and heck even color TV, (yes youngnes, TV used to just be black and white,) the weather beacon was a quick reference to what the weather would be the next twenty four hours. You could see it from miles around. There's even a little poem to help you remember...
Weather beacon red, warmer weather is ahead. Weather beacon white, colder weather is in sight. Weather beacon green no change in temperature is foreseen, weather beacon blinking night or day, precipitation is on the way.

Snazzy huh? It used to be quite useful, now it's mostly tradition. As I said, I notice it was red. Tomorrow I take Kahlen and Bazinga back to Rossville. I'm a little nervous about the idea of taking an 18 month old girl and a 6 month old dog on a 7 hour drive all by myself. It will be an adventure. One thing I do know though, it will be warmer. Kahlen is our very own red weather beacon. She warms up the coldest day!

Was Phil Right?

Remember a few short weeks ago, around groundhog day, a majority of the country was in the middle of a monster winter storm. Despite all of the weather news going on around him, Punxsutawney Phil,  predicted an early spring. We laughed and scoffed. We said "shows you what a rodent knows." Yet here we are, not even the end of February, the tons of snow gone, and temperatures this last week have been beautiful. Maybe we should listen to rodents more often. They usually know when to leave a sinking ship, after all.

Phil is only the first rite of spring. Another being the most famous words in racing, "Gentleman, start your engines!" I'm not a big Nascar fan. I do watch a lot of races, because Willie does. I know more about Nascar then I had ever planned to, but still don't know much. I do know, though, that the Daytona 500  is the first race of the season, and therefore a rite of spring as well. This fact made watching those cars go fast and turn right much more enjoyable today. (Until Jimmy Johnson, Willie's favorite, ended up in the middle of a big wreck.)

Another rite of spring, one of my favorites, GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!! As a former scout, cookie time never felt like a rite of spring. Having to go out and pound on doors in the freezing cold, at the end of January, to take the orders, does not make you think of spring. I hated selling cookies. I liked that it helped me go to camp every year, but I hated it. I am not a sales person. I don't like being very, very cold. I don't like my toes hurting with every step I take. I hated selling cookies. Then delivering, at the end of February. Toting those cookies, back to all of those people who ordered them. Toes cold, again, and carrying cases, almost as big as me, of little boxes of cookies.... well, you get the picture. Now, as a buyer, cookie time signals the end of winter. Opening that first box of Peanut Butter Patties, (or Tagalongs, depending on what state you live in,) is like the first little hope of spring. It reminds me of Camp Sacajawea, the true goal I always had when selling.

There is another, more pungent, sign of spring. It wafts through the air. It attacks your olfactory senses. It takes you aback and makes you cover your nose in repulsion. It is, the smell of skunk. Yes, this is an unpleasant experience. The first time you smell it after a long winter, however, lets you know, that spring is truly on its way. Soon after this odoriferous spring reminder, another appears. Roadkill. When you see your first squished raccoon, you know it is spring.  I do not endorse going out and squishing a raccoon to try and make spring come. I also hate seeing anything squished by the side of the road, so if you are a member of PETA, don't comment on how horrid a person I am. The fact is, road kill happens, and it happens more in spring.

I will stand by Phil, and the hopes of an early spring. I know, North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan got socked with a blizzard again this weekend. The first day of spring for them usually doesn't get there until June 27th anyway, so that doesn't count. Yes, we will probably have another bump in the road. We are sure to be scooping more snow before we are mowing lawns, but for the most part Phil seems to have gotten it right.  He seems to do as well as the people with Doppler radar anyway.

What is Baking Soda?

YUM!

I was eating one of the delicious cookies that Josh and Caitlin sent me. It was sweet and vanillaee and heavenly! I was so excited to unwrap it and partake in its decadence. It was bliss!

But I started thinking about the cookie in general. My kids think I'm strange sometimes because all of the sudden I will ask a question out of nowhere.  I'll be sitting watching TV with Alyssa and ask a question that has nothing to do with anything that is going on. But it is usually something that I have been pondering on for a little while. I'll be watching the fish  in the aquarium, instead of the TV. Watching them flow through the water and fight with each other.  Carefully, paying attention to their eyes, "Do fish blink?" I'll blurt out. Alyssa, watching Say Yes to The Dress, seeing no connection, will look at me like I have lost my mind, "What?"

Today's question.... Who invented cookies and how did they figure out it was the best idea they would ever have in their entire life? Was it on purpose? Did they put the flour and sugar and baking soda together thoughtfully and with a specific goal in mind? Or was it a happy accident? Was the real goal a bread? Were they trying to make pancakes and put them in an oven to make more at once and ended up with cookies instead? Who were these geniuses?

All good questions lead to more questions. What the heck is baking soda? Seriously, we use it in everything. We know what it does, it makes our cookies light and airy. I think. Well, it helps make our cookies good. If you accidentally use baking powder instead, your cookie is NOT good, and visa verse. Some cookies take both, how come? What are these powdery white substances really? Where do they come from? Is there a baking powder mine, like a salt mine? Are they concoctions of other things? And who was the first person to figure out to use them?

You don't hear about cookies in Biblical times, but they definitely had bread. Did they have baking soda and baking powder way back then? We know there is talk of unleavened bread, which means they had leavened bread, which means they had yeast. How did they know to use yeast? Did God give Adam and Eve a cookbook? What a cook book that would be. Did stone age man carry baking soda in his wallet as he moved from place to place? Ok, yeah, that is just absurd, he wouldn't have room for his emergency condom if he did that.

I'm not sure where cookies first came from but I, along with Cookie Monster, am very glad we have them! The world would be a much sadder place with out them.

St. Valentine's Day

I have never had a lot of use for Valentine's day. While I know there is a true and good history behind it, I have no idea what it is. I know there was a true St. Valentine. I don't know what he did to become a saint or why he is connected with love. (Ok, yeah, I'll look it up on the net when I'm done, now I am curious.) At Christmas you see a lot of "Remember the reason for the season." Which I completely agree with. But if St. Valentine was important enough to get his own holiday, why don't we know anything about him?

Because perhaps, it has become so commercial that it has even out commercialed Christmas?  While, we don't spend near as much money on Valentine's Day, I think it has even more power over us to buy something. If we don't buy something very romantic and fabulous for that one special person, we risk relationship DOOM!!! Isn't that what the flower and card people have convinced us. Why do we put so much importance on the perfect Valentine's present? If we doom a relationship because we didn't get the perfect Valentine is the relationship worth having in the first place? The Valentine industry would love us all to believe that all relationships will end on February 15th if Valentine's Day is not perfect!  All of this put together jaded me on the holiday long ago. I have a wonderful and loving husband. He proves his love to me everyday, I don't need him to buy me some insane present on Valentine's Day. (Yes, he did get me something wonderful, because he is wonderful.)

Then I went out to get the mail this morning and found a box. A pretty big box. It was sitting on the front porch. We don't use our front door very often except to get the mail. I wondered to myself, first, what is it? Second, when did it get there. And third, who sent it. I didn't remember ordering anything, did Willie? It was addressed to both of us. Perplexing. I picked it up, it wasn't as heavy as the size of the box led me to think it would be. Curious. I took it inside. 

They smell even better then they look!!!!

 

I opened the mystery box. The sweet decadent aroma of sugar cookies enveloped my senses. I found the message on the outer wrapping. "Happy Valentine's Day! We love you and miss you very much. Love, Josh and Caitlin." Suddenly, the spirit of St. Valentines Day came over me in a rush. I understood, I got it. My day brightened up immediately. It was like a rainbow after a terrible storm. It was my spring after the long winter. It made me HAPPY!

Will I still scoff at Valentine's Day? The cynic in me wants to say yes. But the mushy, soft hearted part of me will probably win out. I'm very glad about that. Maybe the flower and greeting card industry has taken this "holiday" by the throat, but the unexpected, joy of it is still there.  It is sitting on my table waiting for Willie to see it, too!

And the box made Mia very happy, too! So, a belated Happy Valentine's Day to one and all!