Thank you for stopping by!  My computer has been not cooperating since Wednesday and it won't let me get online!  It's going to be a few days more until they can get it repaired.  Thanks to my grandson for letting me borrow his computer for an hour or so :-) See you all soon!

Sssolving The Sssssssssnake Sssaga

Many of you who used to follow my old blog will remember that we've been having an enormous problem with these unidentifiable snakes.  For those who don't know the story, I have to tell you about our first encounter with them.

About 7 years ago, just after I asked my daughter and family to move in to help me, we decided to store some things of theirs in the attic.  My son-in-law was in their living room upstairs (by the walk-in short attic door) and Mateo was still a baby in a baby chair.  I opened the attic door, saw movement by my feet in the electric main-feed lines.  Once my brain processed 'eeeeeeek!!! Snake!!!', you never saw a door slam so fast.

My s-i-l whipped around and asked me what was wrong.  I explained that there was a huge snake right by the door. He looked shocked and asked how it could have possibly gotten in there. I explained to him that with old century homes, like this one, there's often older parts under the house that are still dirt-floor crawl spaces, and that it must have tunneled  under the dirt and gotten in.

I couldn't bear the thought of a snake in the house, even if it was locked in the attic, so I knew I had better come up with a plan, (especially since, God forbid, neither one of us wanted to actually touch it.) I told him to wait until I got some supplies, and didn't fill him in on what I was doing....not yet.  So, I went out to the shop and made a sort of smaller shepherd's hook with a fairly long handle, similar to one I saw Jungle Larry (on TV) use when he was handling snakes.

When I came upstairs, I had my shepherd's hook, and a flip-top hamper.  Boy, did his eyes ever bug out when I explained what I planned on doing! I explained that he was going to put the baby up high, safely up and away from the floor...ya know...'just in case'.  He was to hold the hamper with the lid open at floor level, and when I got that sucker in there, he was to slam the lid shut and take it immediately outside.

Now, while that all sounded good in theory, I didn't think about the snake moving away from where it was.  It was now part way behind something, and had his wrong end sticking out.  So, I slammed the door again and said 'You know, you're going to have to hold that hamper up higher, and I'm going to have to try and fling him in there.'  Boy, if I thought his eyes bugged out before, they were nothing like the incredulous 'whaddya, crazy?' look I got then!

I must say that I hit the basket first try, and, I'm fairly sure God never heard such fervent prayers from two people over a snake.  He prayed that I wouldn't miss, and I prayed that I wouldn't get bit AND I wouldn't miss the basket.

Looking closely at the snake I realized I had never seen one with this particular skin pattern before.  It reminded me of a rattler, and was extremely aggressive, chasing me when it should have been running away like any other normal snake.  I don't usually kill snakes, I prefer to take them for a ride on a shovel to the edge of the field.  This one wasn't so lucky, because there was a little child in the house, and because it was so danged aggressive, I thought that I would have to find out more about the snake.  Was it poisonous?  If somebody got bit, we'd at least have to know what kind of snake it was in case some kind of antedote was needed.  So, we killed it.

The next day a couple of the neighboring farmers stopped by.  Being 'old timers' I thought that maybe they could identify it.  (Ok, yeah...I get it.  I'm an old-timer too, but hey, they got 15 years on me lol)  When we work fields, we see all kinds of different snakes and stuff, but not one person in the area had ever seen this particular kind.

Thus began my endless searches on the internet at snake sites, and department of natural resources sites.  I found nothing, the only close looking one was from Arizona!  For at least 3 to 4 years after that, we found none in the house.  BUT, they totally invaded the garage.  One day I saw one coming out of a teensy hole that was where the foundation cement met the bottom cement block walls.  Yikes!  For years we couldn't step foot into the garage without a hoe or a sharp shovel, and if needing something stored in a box, or by the wall...well, we had to tip it first 'just to make sure...'   (Did I mention earlier that they were aggressive and chased you?!)

 I went to a lot of snake forums , where people actually choose, on purpose, to have a pet snake.  (Are they nuts?!?)  I found one person advising another owner not to ever use pine chips because the pine oils get into their skin and damage their nervous system, and they usually die within  a couple of days.   Hmmmmm, I found that very interesting to say the least.

From there I read up on ingredients of Pine Sol, and I hit on what I thought to be a good answer.  WalMart was having a sale on Pine Sol that week, so I got a few big bottles of it.  I mixed it with water, and with a funnel I poured a gallon down that hole where they were coming out of.  Judging from how many babies we caught coming out of there over the past few summers, we all assumed that they had hollowed out a huge den type area under the concrete floor.  I took the old orchard sprayer and made a mix for that too, and I sprayed the garage floor with it.  I was amazed that by doing something as cheap and simple as that, I didn't see many snakes on the floor afterwards.

I kept that up for about 3 years.  It helped a lot, but never totally eradicated them.  And each season I'd dump another gallon or two of my Pine Sol mix down any holes I saw one come out of.  Every year there seemed less, and less, and we didn't need to open a garage door with hoe in hand.

Forward to this summer...I had a young fellow stop by here to talk about some trees.  He saw this dead snake laying there and asked about it.  I told him nobody has been able to identify it, so I was going to Fed-Ex it to Columbus dept of Natural Resources hoping that they could.  He said he had a friend that was worked in that very dept. and could he take a picture and email him.  (Those emailing and camera phones sure can come in handy!) A few days later, the guy emailed him back, and he called me with the findings.

After all that worrying, it turned out to be a variety of milk snake. The Eastern Milk snake, to be exact. When I was doing my searches, I counted out the milk snake because the patterns didn't match or even come close.  Then I found out there are more than 25 sub-species of the milk snake, and many, many variations.  No wonder I had such trouble finding it.

It is now almost the beginning of September.  It's one month past the time when we typically begin with our snake problem.  The babies are usually hatched by now, and adult skins have been shed.  None of us has seen even one in the garage so far this year.  I believe the Pine Sol bath I keep giving their den has really decreased their numbers.  I did find one skin shed in the garden today though...and to think I was picking beans from that spot yesterday....ewwwwww!!  Time to bring out the orchard sprayer, fill it up once again, abandon the flip-flops, and keep a hoe by each door....you know...'just in case.'

Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

Since Labor Day is not too far away, I thought I'd share this recipe with you all.  I grew up with this one, and it's an easy cake to make, and makes for a great dessert for a 'bring a dish to pass' type gathering.  When I take it to our neighborhoods party, I just leave it right in the sheet cake pan.  That way it's easy to carry, cut, and share.  If you're a chocolate cake lover, you'll really love this one!

TEXAS SHEET CAKE
2 sticks of margarine
4 Tablespoons of cocoa
1 Cup water
         Put the above ingredients in a large cooking pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring, and then cool a little.
2 Cups sugar
2 Eggs
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Cup sour cream
       Add to the chocolate butter mixture.  Stir well.   Put into a greased sheet cake tin and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20 to 22 minutes.  Prepare the frosting while the cake is baking.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE FROSTING
1 Stick margarine
4 Tablespoons cocoa
6 Tablespoons milk
       Put all of the above ingredients into a cooking pot & bring to a rolling boil for a minute, then remove from heat.
1 Pound (1/2 bag) confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
       Put the sugar and vanilla into a separate bowl and then add the chocolate mixture to this.  Stir well.  Put on the cake immediately after taking it out of the oven.  Sprinkle crushed nuts over top if you want to add them.

An Easier Way Freezing Tomatoes & Green Peppers

TOMATOES: 

First, before I go on, and you read and go 'say what?!', I thought I should preface this with the fact that I have successfully been doing this for around 35 years, and I have never, ever, gone back to the methods my cookbooks all said to do.  That being said...

When I have a lot of cherry tomatoes, and my family has had their fill for the summer, I set about to freezing some of them.  I know that they always say tomatoes need blanched and all that, but really, cherry tomatoes don't.   I rinse them off, taking the leaf part off, (but not cutting or dicing, nor taking out the part where the stem attaches.)  Then I put them on a cookie sheet with sides on it, and place them in my freezer for a few hours to flash freeze them in a single layer. Once they are frozen solid, I transfer them to quart zip-lock freezer bags and keep them in my fridge freezer. 

In the winter time, if I'm making a stew, or a soup, or something, I can just reach into the bag and grab a handful to thaw and add. I don't bother to cut out where the stem was, and nobody has ever noticed.  (Case in point...did you ever snatch a cherry tomato right off the vine and pop it in your mouth?  Did you have a knife to core it, or did you just eat it?  Aha!)  The frozen cherries are a nice addition to the winter meals, and doing it by my method, makes them easier to process for freezing.  The skins do not get hard while they're frozen.  A few times I even sneaked a few thawed ones into other dishes, and nobody noticed that either!

For the larger tomatoes, like beefsteak and such (or even Romas), I do it a little differently.  I wash the tomatoes, core them, quarter them, and then run them through the blender or food processor.  Notice, I didn't blanch them, nor did I peel them.  When I throw them in the processor, all that breaks down to edible size.  If I don't want the peel part in, then I drain off the juiced tomato and throw out the leftover skin part.  Personally, I like to keep the pureed skin part in, it doesn't affect the taste in spaghetti sauces and things like that, plus I've always heard that most of the nutrients are closest to the skin!

After I have them all pureed, I put them in a large stockpot and cook them down for a while.  I let it simmer about half an hour or so.  Once that has cooled down to room temp, I start preparing it for the freezer.  I do not cook it all the way down, it seems like a huge waste of energy, plus this way works well for me!

I put this cooked tomato juice into, tada...you guessed it, quart or pint zip-lock freezer bags.  I know you're going 'is she nuts?!'  (Well, yes...but that's a whole nuther thing lol.)  I place the zip-lock in a short jar and fold over the edge over and around the top (so the bag doesn't fall in when I'm filling it.)  I then fill each bag leaving about an inch, or so, head space.  I remove the bag, get as much air out as I can, and zip it shut.  I layer the bags, standing up, in a bread pan, and then freeze them.

I know you're probably thinking, but it's not cooked down to make it thick.  Well, yes and no.  When I take a bag out to thaw it for cooking, or to make my own V-8 drink (or whatever), I stand it up and let it thaw out.  Once it's thawed you notice that the thick part is at the bottom, and the top part is more watery looking.  I pour off the watery part into a cup, and add the rest of the contents into what I'm cooking.  If I'm making a juice drink, then I blend the whole thing back together and add my spices, etc.  If I'm just using the thicker bottom parts, then the saved juice part gets used for if I need to add some more while somethings cooking.  If it's still not thick enough, then I add a Tablespoon or so of purchased tomato paste.

Whoa...purchased tomato paste?  Yes, to my way of thinking, it costs me more for the hours it takes to cook down my tomatoes to the paste stage.  Plus when it's on sale, the paste is actually fairly cheap.  When I get the paste and I only need a little bit to thicken something, I take the rest and give a ice cube tray a quick shot of Pam (or something similar), stick the paste in there and flash freeze that (of course, I transfer the frozen cubes to what else...zip-locks :-)

PEPPERS

I won't go into freezing whole peppers, but I like to keep bags of diced peppers on hand for those omelets and other things I want diced peppers for.  Do I blanch those?  No.  Do I peel them?  No.  I wash them, core them, dice them, flash freeze them on a cookie sheet, and store them in quart zip-locks.  Not one guest or family member has ever been able to tell they weren't blanched and all that other prep.  They taste just as good as fresh, or frozen, store-bought. 

Free Printable Internet Password List

I don't know about you, but I belong to a lot of sites on the internet.  That means a whole lot of passwords and user names to keep track of.  I don't use the same password and log-in info.  I found these free printable internet password/username lists come in very handy!  I keep mine in a thin 3-ring binder by my desk. 

My favorite one that I use the most is this first one.  It's real simple and straight forward: the website name, username, and password.  You need to have Adobe Reader, but I think most people have a version of that.

http://www.samplewords.com/password-list/

This second one is a little bit different giving you fields for more info.  It has a place for the web address, the site name, username, password, and date of registration.  I found this one to be very handy for some of the sites I belong to that I need to keep track of the registration date.  If you belong to something like CashCrate, where you sign up and then unsubscribe after a certain period of time, then this is the form that would help you keep that straight.  At the top, it also has 'email address I used for the following registrations:'...some of the sites I belong to I join under a different email address than the one I use for my own personal correspondance and such.  (Well, that is, unless I don't mind getting spammed because I signed up for something lol.)

http://www.mochabaydesign.com/printables/passwords.html

How A Tech Would Answer: Daddy, How Was I Born??

Daddy, how was I born? 

'Well, son, Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom, and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other. There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button , nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said: 
'You got Male!

The Queen Of Random Renames Her Bathroom

I decided I'm hanging a sign on the bathroom door:  Her Royal Throne Room.   It occured to me one day when I was sick and dizzy and I fell off my throne and got crowned by the bathtub.  I knew I was truly a Queen when a circlet of bright red gleaming rubies started appearing around my head.  Besides, I know that this is the only room I can truly rule in.

I got to thinking too that it's fitting because my robe is in there along with my magic mirror and the scales of justice.  You really do have to listen carefully to what the magic mirror says.  One time I went out after the mirror told me I was beautiful, and then I found out I missed the mark and had a huge streak of mascara on my cheek.  I just know that magic mirror was laughing behind my back!

I have often felt that the scales of justice have been misnamed.  Is it just and fair that it should point out that I shouldn't have had that extra piece of pie and ice cream? Is it fair that despite the magic mirror showing me showing a thinner waist that I actually weigh more than I look.  Do NOT trust the scales of justice, I've found it can lie just as badly as the magic mirror!

What's nice about the throne room is that I can be myself, and quite cheeky if I want to be.  I also rule over all the porcelain Gods that live within those walls.  A few times I've actually bent over praying to the one porcelain God, but mostly I am busy giving it a clean environment so it can maintain it's gleaming personality.  I'm fairly certain this must be where the phrase 'cleanliness is next to Godliness' came from.  It doesn't realize though that real prayers can only go to the real God.

The throne room is the only place I can actually kick all my royal subjects out of.  And I have many royal subjects who insist on following me wherever I go...er, that would be the 2 dogs and the cat, but I digress.  I can truly relax there.  No milk and honey baths, but I do let Calgon take me away because it does tend to bring out my bubbling personality.  It's also a good room to be in when I first wake up because I know I can go there, talk to the mirror, and it will take away dragon breath by giving it the brush-off.

The other day I got to use the royal scepter.  I knew I'd have to drag it out from it's place by the throne because the Prince of Hearts is only 8 and he forgot that he had a royal flush at hand.

   Most people don't notice, but I do keep a few royal jewels in there too.  One is a great book I got for Christmas appropriately called The Bathroom Reader, chock full of facts and trivia that every Queen should know.  Most of the others are in a crystal bowl.  I believe when it was presented to me a Jester referred to them as some kind of air freshener crystals, but I'm not positive on that.  They're very pretty, a sparkly jade color.  Up until then I didn't have a clue that jewels could have a pleasing aroma too.

  All in all, I'd say it deserves the name of Throne Room.  It has everything a Queen could ask for, and loyal subjects can always feel free to visit...preferably when I'm NOT there.

The Difference Between Prison and Work

Sometimes when you're at work, it feels like you're serving a life sentence.  This humorous comparison was written anonymously, and one of my friends passed it on to me back in 2005.  When I ran across it today, I knew I had to share this chuckle...

The difference between prison and work:

IN PRISON...you spend the majority of your time in an 8x10 cell.
AT WORK...you spend most of your time in a 6x8 cubicle.

IN PRISON...you get three meals a day.
AT WORK...you only get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it.

IN PRISON...you get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK...you get rewarded for good behavior with more work.

IN PRISON...a guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK...you must carry around a security card and unlock and open all the doors yourself.

IN PRISON...you can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK...you get fired for watching TV and playing games.

IN PRISON...you get your own toilet.
AT WORK...you have to share.

IN PRISON...they allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK...you cannot even speak to your family and friends.

IN PRISON...all expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work required.
AT WORK...you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.

IN PRISON...you spend most of your life looking through bars from the inside wanting to get out.
AT WORK...you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.

IN PRISON...there are wardens who are often sadistic.
AT WORK...they are called bosses.

Quick and Easy Any Fruit Cobbler

At this time of year, with all sorts of fruits and berries getting ripe, it's nice to have a recipe that works for any fruit you have on hand.  There's hardly any prep at all to this recipe, and it seems to work just as well with canned fruits (drained of excess juice) and berries, as with fresh fruits or berries.  This is one recipe I keep on hand for when I want to make a quick and tasty dessert or treat.  I personally like it warm and served with a scoop of ice cream. 

In a mixing bowl, put these ingredients together and mix well:
3/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons melted butter (or stick margarine, not the tub kind)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

Grease your pan.  Put any fruit, or berries into the bottom of the pan. (If using berries, mix them with some sugar first and let them sit for a while to get a little more juicy before pouring batter over top.)  Pour the your batter mix over top and even it out with a spatula if needed.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

*note:  I did not put a pan size.  I've done this same recipe in an 8 X 8 inch square pan, a 9 X 9 square, a round pan, and an oblong pan.  They all turned out just fine, although the oblong produced a somewhat thinner version, it was still good.  The only thing you would need to change would be the baking time as it might take a little more time.  When it's done, the top will be lightly browned, and if you test it by the toothpick in the center method, you can be sure when it's done.

Free 2012 Women's Health Calendar

Yes, I know it's only August, but this is one of those things where if you wait you might not get one. They just put it up for grabs today.  Every year Women'sHealth.gov offers a free health calendar from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  It's totally free, and is a big enough size to write in, yet stuff into your purse.  I've been getting one for years now, and besides the good health articles incorporated in it, it's a handy place to keep appointments and stuff for when you have to go to the Dr.  It's available in English, and they also have a Spanish version, your choice. It arrives in 4 - 6 weeks. 

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/calendar/order.cfm

Use it up, Wear it out...

I've found that quite often, people of the younger generation don't think that we members of the older generation do, or ever did, recycling.  But, truth be known, we were recycling way before the word ever came into popular usage.  We are from the generation that grew up with the phrase 'use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.' 

We didn't have plastic bins to separate paper, plastics, glass and such, and then conveniently set them at the curb for somebody else to pick up.  Bottles were returned to the store, and they would return them when the distributor came and then recycled and either re-used, or melted and re-formed into new bottles.  Although it would be a hassle for stores to do this now-a-days, I still think it's a shame it's gone by the wayside.  It's mind boggling to think of all the glass that could be recycled instead of going to a landfill.  Not every community offers recycling, so much glass still goes into garbage bags when it could be recycled.

Back in the 50's, things were built to last.  Today, almost everything has what they call 'built in obsolescence.' In other words, things are made so that they only last a few years, and then you have to purchase a new one.  Built in obsolescence may keep a company selling merchandise to repeat buyers, but at what cost in terms of gigantic waste of items that won't disintegrate in the landfills for years?!

A friend of mine has an old refrigerator from the 1950's in his garage.  It's used mainly to store beer and pop during the hot months.  This old refrigerator has never needed one repair in it's lifetime, and is still running strong.  Of course, I'm sure it's not as energy efficient as the newer models of today, but the point is: it was made to last...and it did! 

Up until about 1995 or '96, I had a toaster from the 50's.  Talk about one funky looking appliance! Despite the fact that it looked like an old Air Stream trailer in size and design, it worked perfectly up until it toasted itself to death.  That means it worked perfectly fine for right around 50 years!  Find me one toaster you've ever owned that lasted that long...I've had 3 toasters just since when I replaced the old one!!  Point being: the old one was built to last, and those other 2 that only lasted a couple of years went off to the landfill of useless obsolete objects.

Furniture was made to last too.  I have chairs that were from the 1800's that have lasted way longer than that computer desk I bought and had to put together myself.  Back then, they were made with sturdy wood, and with jointing that didn't use staples.  When old club chairs got worn, we made new slipcovers, or re-upholstered them, and they were just like new.  Todays chairs probably don't last long enough to ever have their fabric get worn, they usually break before they hit that point.  Sagging seats on the club chairs and sofas?  We re-tied the springs.  Sagging seats now mean the whole chair gets tossed because there's no fixing to them.

We also did re-purposing.  I had a neighbor give me an old Singer Sewing Machine.  The bottom treadles and ironwork was in perfect condition, but the machine and cabinet top were destroyed beyond repair.  He said that he had a hunch that if anybody could find a new purpose for it, that I could.  (I'm not positive to this day whether that was a hint at my old age, or something to do with clever ingenuity.) I took off the top pieces, and made a desk top for it, and it relives again as a table that holds my portable sewing machine when I'm sewing. I've had lots of people ask where they could get one like it. It could have gone to the landfill, but, as back in my youth, it's always intriguing to figure out some new purpose for something.

Even clothes were recycled back then.  Old clothing turned into beautiful pieced quilts to keep us warm in the winter.  I have many such quilts, and they have far longer stood the test of time than any of the fashionable quilts or bedspreads that I've purchased since.  When we outgrew something that was still nice, it was passed along. If something was too old or stained, it went to a rag bag and was used in the shop, or for cleaning.  When my one Uncle passed on, I took all of his red, and green, ties and made them into a beautiful memory Christmas tree skirt.  Every year when I put it under the tree, I think of him, and remember him wearing these ties on Sunday and special occasions. A waste of time?  Maybe for some people, but for me, the memories of my Uncle and Christmas's past are worth it!

In this age, everybody wants everything new.  And...in their quest for everything new, they rack up huge bills.  Back then, we used to save for a purchase, and not demand instant gratification.  We looked forward to the day when we would have saved enough for that prize we so dearly wanted, and when we got it, we appreciated it even more because of the hard work and saving that went into getting it. If there's one thing I could wish for this era, and this country, it's that we could all learn to 'use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.' 

National Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases

Within a year after having lymph node removal during my surgery for cancer, I developed lymphedema. I found this website for the Lymphatic Research Foundation.  Their purpose is to raise awareness of lymphedema, and raise monies for research, treatments, and hopefully, cures.  They are having a 'walk' to raise money.  This following is from my most recent email from them with their upcoming scheduled events:

Stomp out lymphedema and lymphatic diseases!

THE NATIONAL WALK FOR LYMPHEDEMA AND LYMPHATIC DISEASES

offers a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of lymphatic diseases, and to raisefunds to support the research to find improved treatments and cures.

Participate in the National Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases! 

Now in 3 locations!

TEXAS - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Mayor Arena at Loy Lake Park, Denison, TX 

NEW YORK - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, NY 

 MASSACHUSETTS - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2011 

Ell Pond Gazebo, Melrose, MA

Register to walk today!

Contact Colleen McGuire at: 855-435-7573 / walk@lymphaticresearch.org. Check out our Walk website at www.walklrf.org to create your individual or team pages.

Can't be there in person? Do a virtual walk. For more information go to www.walklrf.org.

Sponsorships available for one, two, or three walks. Contact Colleen McGuire at 855-435-7573 / walk@lymphaticresearch.org.  

To join LRF's mailing list:  http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/

 

How I Overcame Lactose Intolerance

Yum...I just had a humongous bowl of vanilla ice cream!  I know you're thinking 'big deal, so what?!'  Well, to me it IS a big deal, because for a period of at least 10+ years I was so lactose intolerant that I couldn't even enjoy mashed potatoes because of the milk in them!  I re-adjusted my system without Lactaid, or any of those other products on the market.

I wasn't always lactose intolerant.  I grew up drinking milk, every day, and all the time.  We had a dairy farm, so to become lactose intolerant was almost akin to a slap in the face!  I can pinpoint exactly when I developed a problem with milk.  It was after my divorce when I had no money for food, and I really couldn't afford milk or other nutritious foods.  Then after I could afford food again, I found I could no longer tolerate milk in anything at all. The theory is that once an adult quits having a constant intake of milk they become intolerant of it.

I avoided any and all milk product for years, and I got my main source of milk and calcium by drinking milkshakes that were made with yogurt. I tried soy milks, but I didn't care for the taste, and I found out the hard way that I'm allergic to soy (not mere intolerance, but truly allergic.) Not bad for a start, but you know, I really missed those mashed potatoes, cheeses and things like that. On top of that, my one Dr kept insisting that I must have more daily dairy products. 

My oldest daughter, a veterinarian, suggested that I try re-introducing milk slowly, just a dab at a time, to see if my body could once again get used to milk products.  I started out with a half teaspoon of milk once a day during a meal.  After a couple of weeks of that, I moved it up to a full teaspoon a day for a week or so.  Then it was 2 teaspoons, one during lunch, and one during supper. Through gradual increases, I finally got up to the point where I could at least have a bowl of cereal with milk, or even those mashed potatoes!  Although this seems like a slow and tedious process to most people, I found the end result was definitely worth it.  Just as in the story of the tortoise and the hare, slow wins the race :-)

WRONG NUMBERS

I don't know about you, but I seem to get a lot of wrong numbers.  They either aren't paying attention to what numbers they're dialing, or they misunderstood the number when they first got it or something.   Sometimes they're funny, sometimes confusing, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes entertaining.  Here's a few of my favorite 'wrong number' encounters...

I answered my phone and this guy asked for Jack.  I told him that there is no Jack at this phone number. "But, Jack HAS to be there, this is the number he gave me!"  I then explained how I've had this same number forever, and that maybe he copied Jack's number down wrong.  After 5 times of this guy calling and arguing with me that I have the wrong number, not him, I finally began to lose patience.  My comment that made him and his buddies stop calling?  "Well, maybe, just maybe, Jack gave you the wrong number on purpose because he doesn't want to really talk to you because A. you just don't get it, and B. you can sometimes be a stubborn pain in the butt" ...Never heard from HIM again...ever, lol. I don't like it much when a person misdials and then loudly cusses and hollers at you blaming YOU for answering the phone number HE called wrong.

A couple of months ago an elderly, confused lady called.  She was trying to call her Dr at 10 O'clock at night, hoping to get his answering service.  The first time she called, I politely informed her she had probably misdialed the number.  Two more times she called, and the more I talked with her the more I knew that she must be having some kind of medical problem and really needed to speak with her Dr.  So, I told her I was a hospice nurse, and asked her a few questions. Then I knew she really DID need to speak with her Dr.  I asked if she lived alone.  Yes. Any relatives nearby?  No  Then I asked where she was calling from...Brooklyn New York...and I live in Ohio!  I then decided to ask for her Dr's name, and her name and address, as well as what hospital she usually goes to.  I also asked for her phone number and area code.  I usually don't go this far with a wrong number, but clearly this woman needed help.  I got on the internet and searched for her Dr, in Brooklyn, at the name of the hospital she gave me.  Long story short, I called the Dr's answering service for her, and passed along the medical info about what her health problem was.  I gave them her phone number & address so they could look up her files.  They were shocked that a wrong number from Ohio would take that kind of time to make sure a very ill woman got some needed treatment. With the Dr on his way for a house call, I called the lady back to tell her he is on his way.  Sometimes you just have to play it by ear and do the right thing with a random act of kindness.

Today I got a text message with a picture from...I haven't a clue!  I looked at this picture of these 2 fellows, and had never seen them before in my life. Judging from the picture, I'd say they're either at Bates Motel, The OK Corral, or maybe attending a rifle and knife convention?  I looked at the phone number it was sent from and realized it was sent from a town where my oldest daughter lives...almost 3 hours away.  So I sent them a text back: I don't know either of you, you must have dialed wrong. The surprise was that they actually apologized, which doesn't seem to happen much with wrong numbers.

Free Printable Family Health & Medical History Forms

I was talking with my one Aunt today and the subject of our family's medical history came up.  On that side of the family, it is loaded with breast cancers, heart attacks, strokes, and thyroid issues. I keep track, for future reference.  A couple of times it came in handy when one of my doctors was asking about if this or that was in our family.  It's also helpful if you need to take somebody to the ER.  It's a whole lot quicker to have it on hand and just grab it and go than it is to rely on memory.

This first one keeps all the necessary medical information right at hand, from a short medical history, to allergies and insurance information.  I keep one in my purse because I have a lot of allergies, and a lot of different medical conditions that emergency personnel would need to be aware of.  I have to admit, it sure came in handy when I had to visit a surgeon last year.  I had all the info right there and it made quick work of filling out his necessary forms!  Print one out for each family member and keep it on file.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/family-health/medical-history-forms

Here's an another site that has a slightly different type of free printable family medical history form.  The first one was from Good Housekeeping, and you never know when (or if) that page would get taken down, so it's nice to have a choice, as well as a back-up.
http://www.overflowliving.com/Simplify_Organize_FreeForms.html

Cornflake Goodies, easy and yummy!

This recipe is simple and easy to make. It's one of the recipes my girls, and their friends, grew up with. My grandson loves them too! This recipe never really had a name, so we just refer to it as 'those cornflake goodies.' They're a good snack, and keep well....that is, they keep well if you can keep them around long enough that they actually need stored hahaha.

Cornflake Goodies
1 Bag of Butterscotch Chips
3/4 to 1 cups worth of peanut butter (crunchy OR smooth)
5 or 6 cups of Cornflakes (generic is fine)

Melt the chips and peanut butter together in a double boiler. (I don't have a double boiler set-up, so I use 2 saucepans. I fill the bigger one with an inch or so of water in the bottom, and put the chips and p. butter in the smaller saucepan and set the bottom of that pan in the water)  Stir them together until they melt and blend well.

Pour the melted mixture into a large bowl that has the cornflakes in it and stir well.  Have 2 lightly greased cookie sheets setting out ahead of time so that when you've got the mixture all together you can immediately put it onto the sheets before it sets up.  I grease the sheets with a little dab of butter or margarine. Press the mixture down and chill the pans in the fridge.  When they're chilled, break into bite-sized bits and store in a covered container in the fridge. 

You might notice that I put a lot of recipes in my blog, it's because I've been asked so many times over the years for them.  Anybody that wants one of my recipes, please feel free to print them out.

Stuttering Kitty...lol

I read this today and thought it was so funny that I had to share it.  It just proves that kids say the darndest things:-)

A teacher is explaining biology to her 3rd grade students. She says, "Human beings are the only animals that stutter." 

A little girl raises her hand saying, "I had a kitty-cat who stuttered." 

The teacher, knowing how precious some of these stories could become, asked the girl to describe the incident.



"Well,'' she began, "I was in the back yard with my kitty and the Rottweiler that lives next door got a running start and before we knew it, he jumped over the fence into our yard!" 


The teacher exclaimed, "That must have been scary!" 

The little girl said, "It sure was! My kitty raised her back, went 'Sssss, Sssss, Sssss' and before she could say 'Sh*t' the Rottweiler ate her!

The teacher had to leave the room...

Fourth of July Quotes

I wish every person in America a safe and happy July 4th, and that they cherish the freedoms that we have living in this country.  These freedoms came not without a price.  Just as on Veterans Day, I salute those in the armed services who work hard for our country, as well as other countries in their quest for peace and freedom. Wishing you all a wonderful Fourth of July, filled with family, friends, barbecues, and the peace from knowing that we Americans live with liberties and justices that not every nation knows and enjoys!  Here are some of my favorite Fourth of July Quotes. 

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." ~ Erma Bombeck

"My God!  How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!"  ~Thomas Jefferson

"Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die."  ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."  ~ Author unknown, but sometimes attributed to M. Grundler

Dangerous Plants That Grow In Our Yards

On one of my newsfeeds today, there was an article about 10 common but deadly plants.  Most people tend to think that most weeds and plants are fairly harmless.  The common ones that come to mind are Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, and Poison Sumac.  Yet there are many other ones we should be careful of, especially if we have children, grandchildren, or pets.

When I was about 5 growing up on the dairy, my grandmother used to pick these berries called gooseberries.  They made a really tasty pie!  I used to stay pretty much in the areas between the house and the barns, but, one day I wandered to the back side of the barn and there were these beautiful berries growing all over.  Plump, luscious looking, and I just couldn't resist...I thought they were gooseberries!  Well, when I went back into the house, my Mother asked what the red was all over my mouth.  I told her I was eating Grammas gooseberries.  She hurried me out the door and had me show her where this patch of berries was.  Next thing I know I was in the emergency room getting my stomach pumped.  I had eaten deadly nightshade! How lucky I was that my Mother noticed, and that I hadn't wiped the juice off my chin to get rid of the evidence.  

Nightshade is fairly common in our neck of the woods.  I patrol my yard around the house and barns just to pull it out and make sure MY grandchildren never get into it and have to go through what I did!  I thought that today I would pass on the link with some of the other poisonous plants.  There are good color photos so that it would make them easier to identify and see if you have any in your yard.
http://www.oddee.com/item_97805.aspx

My 1800's orchid bloomed again :-)

Thought I'd share a picture of my one orchid bloom.  It kind of reminds me of a Christmas cactus bloom, but it truly is an orchid.  What's cool about this particular orchid plant is that it goes way back to the mid to late 1800's, and has lovingly survived all those years.  This plant has been passed down in the family over many generations now, and I hope it can continue to be passed along!

When it was passed down to me, it had not been repotted in many years, and reading up on it, I found it loves to be root-bound.  So...I have not repotted it the past 20 years and it still has a zillion blooms once a year!  Another weird thing about this particular orchid is that it has to summer outdoors in a protected corner where not even much morning sun can get to it.  Where it's housed in my laundry/plant room during the winter, it only gets indirect lighting in a very cold room.  It stays outside all summer long, right up until the nights start dipping into the 40's.  If not, then it will not bloom the following year.

This picture was not of the biggest bloom on the plant this year.  Most of the time they are about as big as a saucer.  For size reference, I set it on the floor because the tile is a 12" X 12" square.  I have many flowering plants, but this is one of my favorites and I look forwards to when it blooms each year!

Six-Weeks Bran Muffin Mix

If you like bran muffins, you'll definitely love these!  You make the batter up, and you can store it in the fridge and make fresh muffins every morning if you want.  Really handy if you have a small oven,  or a toaster oven, where you can make just a couple, or a few, at a time.  Making a few, or as many as you like at a time, you can have different types of muffins whenever you want without starting from scratch! 

You can add extras like blueberries, cranberries, craisins (dried cranberry raisins), banana, trail mix, nuts, whatever you like you can add just before you bake them. You can add fresh, frozen or dried, as long as you add the 'extras' to the batter in the cups just before you stick it in the oven. You can even substitute the Raisin Bran with Raisin Bran Crunch, or other cereals like that that have bran in them.  It's fun to experiment, and it always turns out yummy!

When I was a hospice nurse, as well as doing private duty, this was one of the most asked for recipes, and the one that I was always asked to throw together for them when I'd visit. Yes, it does make a big batch, but it will keep in the fridge in a covered container for a whole 6 weeks at a time!

Six-Weeks Bran Muffin Mix

5  cups flour                            1  (15 oz) box Raisin Bran (generic works fine too)
3  cups sugar                           4  beaten eggs
1  cup salad oil                        1  quart of buttermilk
1  teaspoon salt                       1/2 cup pure bran (optional; I leave it out)
5  teaspoons baking soda

Mix all of the ingredients together into a large bowl.  Keep in a tightly sealed bowl, or pitcher (I use a Tupperware pitcher with a sealed lid).  Refrigerate for up to 6 weeks. 

Bake in muffin tins with cupcake liners at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes. 

One daily click & sponsors will donate a free mammogram!!

The breast cancer site has had this program for many years now.  If you go to their site and click the big pink button 'click here to give - it's free', sponsors will pay for someone to have a free mammogram.  I've been doing this for many, many, years now, and as of today, there have been 51,439 free mammograms given since October of 2000.  Put into perspective: that is 51,439 women who wouldn't be able to have one otherwise!!

There is absolutely NO cost to you if you click the link, and 100% of the sponsors money donated goes to this charity.  Such a small thing to do that helps so many who couldn't afford their mammograms otherwise!  In my family I've had so many relatives who've had breast cancer, and recurances, so I try and click once a day.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

And...if you're motivated to do a few extra clicks, there are links at the top for hunger, animal rescue, veterans, autism, children's health, literacy and the rain forest.  Each click for them is the exact same kind of program.  You click, and a sponsor donates to that cause.  Of course, this is free to you too, the only thing it costs you is the time it takes you to do it.  It's a wonderful way to support causes you believe in even!

Running in circles-getting nowhere!

Did you ever have one of those days where you feel like your running in circles and getting nowhere?  Or just feel plain 'boxed in'?!  I seem to have more than my fair share of those kinds of days.

Last night there was a pool of water in front of the kitchen sink.  I didn't think a whole lot about it because, well, when there's a 8 year old boy around...that happens.  So I cleaned it up and this morning I found towels in front of the sink.  Hmmm, I know I didn't leave those there.  Turns out my s-i-l put them there because there was water in front of the sink.

I was fearing the worst and wondering just how long that plumbing has been in the kitchen.  And when I think about the old cast iron enamel double sink and top, I know it has to at least have been there since I was young.  (Trust me, I'm older than dirt, so it has to have been there a lonnnnnnng while!)  I took everything out of under the sink area.  Who knew a 59 1/2" space could hold so much stuff?!

I had my daughter fill the sinks and let them drain while I lurked under it to check for leaks.  Nope, no drips.  Then I'm thinkin' 'Oh no!  Please don't be an ancient pipe where it goes down into the floor!"  I removed the bottom of the sink floor...dry as a bone  (whew!!) Frankly, I was puzzled, and still am.  Maybe somebody was filling the coffee pot and was half asleep.

Then it was so nice out I decided I'd just have to do something about the peonies by the front walk.  There's so many of them, and so full, that you can't tell there's a side-walk there!  I had some old trellis and cut it in half length-ways with the old skil-saw.  Hmmm, sounds like a good idea doesn't it?  Have you any clue what happens when you cut one down the middle...and all the pieces parts start falling off?!  Good thing I like puzzles and I have a lot of itty-bitty nails!

After cutting it I had to attach it to to the wooden baseboard that's already there.  Sounds easy....nope.  Now I have something 8 foot long with a mind of it's own.  I thought the easiest way would be to just nail that sucker on there.  Uh...no again.  What kind of wood did they use for that baseboard?  Ironwood?? Admitting defeat at the simple method, I drag out my trusty Black and Decker variable speed drill.  Even that had trouble getting through that darned wood!

Once I got the holes drilled, I attempted to put in anodized decking nails.  Hah!  The phillips head slots were too small for the attatchment I stuck on the drill, so I ended up using a regular old screwdriver.  I only got half of it up before I got a big blister in the palm of my hand.  Having futzed around enough, I decided tomorrow's another day and packed it up.  I'm thinking now: the best part of the day was Allison going and getting Kentucky Fried Chicken :-))

Free! Online Mahjong Games

I love mahjong, and I've played it online for years.  I'm always searching around the web for different versions of the game.  I've tried playing the one on FaceBook, but to be truthful, with dial-up, it takes way too long to load up.  I found this site and it's got 4 pages of different mahjong games, and with 12 on each page, that makes a whole lot of different versions to play with. There's no sign-up needed, no log-ins, just go and play away:-)

My favorite version is the mahjong gardens game on the first page.  As you play and match, you release little birds into the garden.  This version has unique tiles that have sumi warriors, dragons, and other different types of symbols.  The gardens one has 5 different layouts to boot, from easy to harder!  What I like about this one is that once it's loaded up, I can disconnect from the internet and play whenever I take a break (without having to go back online.)  Fun game, my grandson loves it and always asks to play a few. I left the room to go make a cup of coffee, and when I came back he had his favorite layout and was playing away lol.

Like I said, there are many, many, different versions of tile styles, as well as tile layouts.  The Looney Tunes tile set is one that kids love, as well as a Mahjong toy chest where all the tiles have toys on them.  Lots of different ones that kids enjoy.  I haven't tried all, but I'm working on it!  There's definitely something for any kind of mahjong game you feel like playing.  Check out this mahjong only website and have fun!!

http://freeonlinemahjonggames.net/mahjong-1.html

Eeeeek...a cheese thieving mouse!

Hmmm....I've been wondering why the cheese would disappear in my basement mouse trap!  Living in a home that's over 150+ years old is sometimes a challenge.  The old stone foundation is in good repair, yet I find I have to make yearly rounds and tuck-point any, and all, loose mortar.  While most of the basement has been concreted, the oldest part of the house has a dirt crawl-space...and therein lies the problem lol.  So, I keep mouse traps down there, you know: 'just in case.' While not MY mouse, I found this picture just plain funny not to share...

Cake Mix Cookies: quick, ez & yummy!!

Like the taste of home made cookies, but you're pressed for time (or cash), or don't know much about baking?  Have to come up with something for school lunches, school parties...or just have a munch that must be satisfied now...(and the sooner the better lol) Then these are the perfect cookies for you.  There's only 3 ingredients, and are so extremely easy that my 8 yr old grandson can mix them up and I do the oven part.

Easy Cake Mix Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1 box cake mix 
1/2 cup of softened margarine (1 sticks worth)
1 egg

Combine the 3 ingredients into a bowl and stir until moistened.  Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Place them 2 inches apart because they'll spread some.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes.

Sometimes I add a handful of chocolate chips, or even 2/3 cup of oatmeal to make them a little different.  You can use any flavor cake mix, chocolate, vanilla, or whatever suits your fancy that day.  I've found that it doesn't matter in the least whether you use a name brand cake mix, or the cheapest on the shelf.  I use the cheap ones there is no difference in the flavor of the cookies at all.  For the margarine, only use the stick kind, tub butter doesn't work well.

When I make mine, I use a small sized melon scooper, then slice each one of those in half, roll it into a ball and put it on the cookie sheet.  Doing it that way, I always get uniform sized cookies, and with the melon ball sized, you get more cookies.  My family loves them and asks for these more than most of the other cookie recipes I have.

The perfect computer add-on...

Ah, the 'coffee tower'...this is just what I need to upgrade my computer!  Really, they should of thought of this years ago.  Imagine all of the steps that could be saved.  No more trips to the kitchen if you're working from home, and no more trips to the coffee room.  Sure would solve those manic Monday mornings.  Now if they would come up with a printer mini-fridge to store the cream, it would be totally awesome...

To Dad: Things you probably think I didn't notice as a child...but I did!

When I was 4, back in the early 1950's, I had the brilliant idea of selling dandelions and set up a road-side stand.  Our little farming community was SO small, that if 3 cars went down the road in an hour, it was like a parade.  I spent the morning picking those pretty dandelions and had them arranged in mason jars under the front maple tree.  One of our neighbors fathers stopped on his way home and bought two bunches for his wife to enjoy.  You never told me that you called him and asked him to stop that day, but I was so thrilled about those two nickels in my hot little hands.  As a parent, and grandparent now, myself, I understand the true love behind such a small deed just to make a child happy!

I'll bet you didn't notice that your unselfish deeds for the community made an impact on me.  When you mortgaged our farm and house to start a volunteer fire department, and buy the first truck and all, I saw you were willing to put everything on the line to keep other people safe and protected.  Not every man would be willing to take such a gigantic risk:  if the fire department failed, not only would you lose your house, but your family farm and income.  This year celebrates the 50 plus years that our volunteer fire department has been in the black.  The little building that held one pumper and tanker, is now huge and holds many pumpers and tankers, as well as rescue equipment and trucks.  I'm so proud of you!  You taught all of us how one man can make a difference for the betterment of all!

I'll bet you didn't notice that you taught me that sometimes life causes you great injury and pain, but with faith, life goes on.  That fall, during harvesting, you lost your arm in a corn-picker. It was so devastating, to you and changed your life forever.  Yet you learned how to do everything all over again when you were forced to become a 'lefty.'  On fire safety days at the local elementary, you not only taught them about staying safe, but you let those curious children sit on your lap and see how that arm actually worked to open and close.  What you didn't know, is that you were teaching them too: things happen and you can still be productive and have a good life.  You taught me perseverance, and that even in life's sometimes darkest hours, with the help of loving family and friends, one can still find rays of sunshine. I also learned that when disaster strikes, a whole community pulls together to help.  I'm pretty sure most of those firemen never planned on re-arranging their schedules so that they could send extra help for Mom and us during the twice a day milking of all those cows. 

I'll bet you didn't notice that you taught me determination through all those years of riding and loving horses. I have to admit I wasn't always thrilled about getting bucked off a horse and then having to get right back on so that it wouldn't learn bad habits.  It taught me that even though things don't work out well the first time around, you have to keep trying until it does work out, and if plan A doesn't work, there's always plan B, and a whole alphabet to go through.

You taught me love of family, love of nature, love of community and country. You taught me that animals that can't take care of themselves get took care of first.  Your actions and deeds taught me more about life than mere words could ever tell. You taught me so much, and did it with a Father's love.  If Heaven has a post office, I wish it could deliver this message to my Dad!  Happy Father's Day, and I'm really glad you get to be with Mom again, and that God hand picked you to be my Father.

The cat's meow...

My cat is driving me crazzzzzzzzzy tonight! And that IS an understatement!  Garfield is a huge male house cat that looks, and acts, just like the cartoon Garfield.  While the cartoon character is cute, it's not always cute in a real cat, especially if he looks like a Garfield on steroids.  He's bigger than our shitzipoo, and weighs in at about 20 pounds or so.  Not fat, but huge and long.  

I got Garfield as a rescue cat from my oldest daughter, who is a veterinarian.  My ancient cat, Sweetie, was looking like her last days were to come soon (she was then 19 and showing her age.)  Now, I know I have that special stamp on my forehead that says 'sucker', but what was I ever thinkin?! I mean, I get a lot of drop-offs here at the farm.  It's like people see a barn and say:  here's a likely place to dump that kitty Ma!!  It's not like another one wasn't going to show up anytime in the near future or something, but, like the misguided nut that I am I said 'OK.'  DUH.....

So, I got Garfield, who was then about 3 or so, and wouldn't you know it, Sweetie started acting younger and playing more.  Go figure!  Sweetie passed this past spring, so now I no longer have that special set of mini stairs so she could walk up to her window seat, or onto the bed.  The things we do for our pets huh?!

I swear Garfield knows how to play games.  I think his favorite game is:  if she's laying in bed watching tv, then exactly where can I position myself best so she can't see it?  So, he stretches out and lays along the footboard of my antique bed, and he's so big I can't see the tv itself, much less what's on it. The only way I can get him to move is if I pat the bed and call him.  See, I think it's a ploy just so he can get petted.  Pretty smart, no?  Kind of makes you wonder exactly who owns who!

Tonight, somehow, a big old moth got in.  I swear that cat must have launched off of every piece of furniture in the room just trying to get it.  And fast?  For a cat that only sashay's around the room, he has unexpected speed!!  What I find humorous is that if that was a mouse, the only place he'd run would be into my lap. I know for sure, because last fall one got into the house.  I put Garfield into the kitchen, thinking 'the cat will get it'.  Once I shut the door, he was body slamming it trying to get away from it!  What's with that...hey, you're a cat, for pete's sake go into attack mode!  Sigh...I got the mouse with a mouse-trap, and Garfield avoided the kitchen for months afterwards lol.

Tonight I ran out of cat food.  Too late to go to the store, so I gave him some of the dog food.  I've never had a cat refuse that before when I ran out of cat food.  But of course, we are talking about a picky Garfield.  Tried an egg...nope.  Tried a little milk on the dog food...nope.  But...as soon as I had a bowl of potato salad sitting on my desk, and left the room for two minutes, guess who was eating it?!  (Really, do cats like potatoes and onions and stuff?) And don't even ask what happened to my slice of pepperoni pizza! I'm thinking that maybe the trick is to put the dog food on a people plate and leave it on my desk.  

Of all the things I miss, I miss my mind the most!

Sometimes I just have to laugh at myself, if only because I know there are others are probably doing the same thing; the only difference is that I definitely don't snicker and turn my head.  We have 2 house dogs here, Kelly, a German Shepherd (around 10 yrs old and 60 pounds) and Lola, a little Shitzipoo (about 2 years old and 15 pounds.)  Let's just say Lola lives up to her breed, ie: she needs to shitzipoo every time I turn around.  So I find she needs to be let out into the run far more often than Kelly.  As long as she doesn't shitzipoo on my carpet or floors, then I'm OK with that.

Last night my daughter Alli's hubby let little Lola out into the outdoor run.  When it's dark out the motion detector light pops on when any of the dogs are out there...and unfortunately, it pops on for the coyotes, squirrels, and raccoons too.  I saw him going towards the breezeway door heading for the garage, but I didn't see Lola following, or him let her out.  So,  I guess I didn't really pay attention, I just kept typing away at the old computer.

I shut down the living room tv, computer and all, and in the quiet I could hear this quiet scratching noise. Knowing I had left a window cracked open in the hallway, I stopped like a deer stuck in the headlights thinking: 'NO, don't let that be a raccoon, or something, trying to get in!' (I still get nervous when I remember that coyote sniffing at my open window a couple summers ago...and then killing my barn cat 2 minutes later!!) Then the noise quit for a minute and started up again.  As I got closer to the breezeway I realized the noise was coming from outside, and found Lola paddling 90 mph on the door with her forefeet.  I didn't know that a dog could run like that and actually go nowhere. I have no idea how long she was out there, but she stuck to me like Elmer's glue for the rest of the night.

One thing about getting old, sometimes you forget the important stuff while remembering something totally stupid.  There is no Betty Rubble in the jar of Flintstones Chewable Vitamins.   Case in point!  I  can remember that, and yes, I know it's stupid, but there it hangs in some trapped 'trivia spot' in my grey matter.     

How to remove bees: free AND easy

What's the buzz today? Well, I'd like to share with you how I solved my problem with bees...and it was easy, free, and so stupid I know you think it won't work.  But, it DOES work!  My back porch had borer bees, so many I couldn't get out the back door without getting dive-bombed. Inside the dog's outdoor kennel, there was some kind of bee that tunnels down into the ground and was driving the dogs crazy.  Today, voila, there's no more bees in either of those spots!  Yippie:-)  How'd I do it without chemicals...and for free to boot?

Take a brown paper bag (lunch sack size works well), and blow it up into a ball shape.  I take old newspaper and cram it inside, and make it look football shaped.  I tie off the end with a twist tie, and then hang it in a visable spot where the bees can see it.  I usually thumb tack it into a building corner because that's where hornets like to build their nest.  By day 2, most of the bees were gone, and by day 3, all of them. Three weeks later and I'm still bee free in both areas. I do get a lot of strange looks and questions because I have a paper bag in the corner of my porch, but hey, I'll be pleased to look like a whacky old lady if it does the trick!

Why does it work?  Well, bees are all very territorial creatures.  If they think another colony of bees, or species of bees, has moved in close to them, they will high tail it out of there and go build somewhere else.  Why can't they tell that that's only a paper sack?  Uh, who knows?!  Maybe it's because of the way their eyes work.  All I do know is it's a good chemical free way to get those bees, and best of all, it's free. One friends husband said it was too stupid and it'd never work...and he just HAD to try it to disprove it.  He tried it, his bees left, and she said he was amazed something so easy could work.

Joys Noise has moved from Live journal...

Hopefully, many of you will remember Joys Noise from when it was hosted on Live Journal.  Before they made their switch, I had quit blogging because of a spammer who constantly was putting inappropriate 'stuff' throughout my comments links. After many discussions, and repairs, by the Live staff, I decided to abandon that blog and not renew at their new site.  I have had so many letters and thank you's for the 'how to move a queen sized bed up narrow stairs' post.  If anybody still wants or needs this info, shoot me an email or leave a message.