ROUND ROBIN PHOTO CHALLENGE -- TINY THINGSThe

ROUND ROBIN PHOTO CHALLENGE -- TINY THINGS

The Challenge this go-round among the Round Robins is to photograph tiny things. This was indeed a challenge to me because my camera sometimes rebels at taking pictures of very small items, but I have done my best here. (To see the following shots larger, click on them to go to my Flickr site, where you can also specify to see them even larger.) The first two are of the tiny cat on the necklace that my son Tony, DIL Kamie, and grandsons Michael and Alex gave me for my birthday, and then the tiny cat next to the cat figurine it came in, to give you an idea of its size. (The figurine is only about 3-inches long at the most.)





The other tiny objects that caught my eye were these three tiny bears. I don't know where they came from, other than that my husband Steve acquired them somewhere (God rest his soul) and he said they represented our three sons. As I was photographing them, Socks became curious and thus I got the second photo of her with her face in the picture. That is fine because, again, it gives you some perspective as to the size of the bears. (And she is not a big cat.)





To find links to other bloggers participating in the Challenge so you can go see the tiny things they have featured, head on over to the Round Robin Photo Challenge site here. Have fun!

AN UNUSUAL POSTI am

AN UNUSUAL POST

I am posting two more Ziggies today as well as another short post, which is unusual for me (posting the extra Ziggies; not the additional post). I am going to be participating in the Round Robin Photo Challenge tomorrow so I wanted to post the Ziggies I had allocated for that day a bit early.

I also have a question for the computer gurus who may be reading this. I received a strange e-mail from my friend Edith in Toronto's online address yesterday. It was advertising all sorts of products. I knew that Edith wouldn't have sent such a thing herself and so it was likely that either she had a virus or that someone had hijacked her address. I deleted it, concerned about the virus possibility, and then I couldn't access it even in my AOL recently deleted mail file to send back to her so she could see what it was.

Edith is going to a religious conference this weekend so she is unable to take the time to look further into the strange e-mail. I told her that I would definitely send any further e-mails of that nature back to her, but so far, nothing else has come through.

Do any of you, my dear readers, have any idea as to how this could have happened, or what can be done about it? I feel that sometimes rather technologically-challenged individuals like myself and Edith are sitting ducks for hackers and perpetrators of fraud online. I have been lucky, myself, but I hate to see Edith having such a thing happen to her. I'm hoping it was just a fluke! Any input would be appreciated.

BY TAYLOR, BY GOLLY!

BY TAYLOR, BY GOLLY!

Yesterday, just for the halibut (as Steve would have said), I tried doing a search for "By Taylor" clothes, despite having been unsuccessful in previous years. (For those who don't know, "By Taylor" is my favorite brand of clothing and I can only seem to buy the components to the outfits at the Oregon coast in various little shops.) Believe it or not, the first item that came up when I Googled the brand name was Oregon Cotton Mill and they carry (and maybe even manufacture) some "By Taylor" clothing. I ordered one top that said it was in a cotton jersey. I'll see how I like that one before I order any more items from that site. They don't carry all of the items I like to get but maybe they will get (or make?) more over time.

*****

I e-mailed my doctor yesterday afternoon regarding a couple of odd spots on my right forearm. She is referring me to a dermatologist. I had done some online research and from the descriptions I found of questionable moles, I felt it would be a good idea to have these spots checked. They may be nothing but I'd rather play it safe. I will keep you posted.

At least I kept myself from getting sick by throwing out the last two pieces of Mexican chicken last night. They had been in the fridge too long and were developing an odor that wasn't due to the Mexican spices on them. I hated to waste the food but I just hadn't had a chance to eat them in time. I've had food poisoning before and I know how miserable it is; I wasn't about to risk that again.

*****

My sister Kathy is finding her work as a nurse to be very challenging and stressful. I imagine that is because of going from being a teacher's aide to a recovery room nurse -- quite a switch. She has a heavy weekend and she will have even more so on Father's Day weekend, when she said she will be working 4 12-hour shifts. I don't quite understand the rationale behind giving a nurse such a strenuous schedule, although I know that interns and residents work long hours. I will definitely be thinking about her and praying for her to have the stamina she needs.

*****

It is a quiet day here today. I will have some time to just fiddle around, and maybe read after my nap. Computer traffic is very light so far. I work tonight. Pretty mundane stuff. Even the usual blogs I check are fairly inactive. I wonder, does everyone have nice weather drawing them outside? It's supposed to be balmy and rain-free today. I may have to go for a walk, myself. It will be short, though -- I'm out of shape, unlike my oldest son J.D., who has a blog called Get Fit Slowly, where he has been describing his running in a recent race as well as his training for the upcoming Portland Marathon. My poor knees would never allow it. LOL! He came in just two minutes over his goal in the recent race, and I think that was doing very well. It is a challenge for me personally to bend down to clean -- and I have been putting some of that off upstairs. (A cat and a plastic bag of styrofoam peanuts are not a good combination.) But first -- after lunch -- a nap. ;-) I have found that most women and even some men my age (60) and older need to sleep a little bit during the day. I am merely fulfilling my aging destiny. ;-)

MY LITTLE WALRUSMy

MY LITTLE WALRUS

My little cat, Stevie, is getting fat in her old age. I took this picture of her yesterday, claiming my new bath rugs for her own, and I think she looks like a walrus. LOL! (My Flickr friend Cynthia -- Philosopher Queen -- thought that was rude but funny. LOL! She suggested weight loss medicine, which I can't find online.)



I would take her to the vet but I don't want to explain to my current vet about why I left the one that amputated her tail. (I didn't care for his personality.) I would also feed her less but if her bowl gets close to empty, she eats out of the other cats' bowls. The poor little thing! For now I am watching her and I will try to feed her less.

*****

Another public character is coming out with a book. This time it is Senator Larry Craig of Idaho. Yes, the man who gave a whole new meaning to the term "wide stance." LOL! I think this is another publication that I'm going to skip.

*****

After a painful day for the old arm yesterday, today seems to be better so far. I am having to put up with it because too much use of it or sleeping on it causes the pain to flare up. I am not taking Vicodin because I have just a few halves left and also I don't want to get hooked on it. I just put up with the pain. The arm has to be used or it will atrophy. So far today I am feeling pretty fair but I was icing it after I worked last night.

I always think of what Steve said when it was time to work, quoting an old donut store advertisement, in which the baker said, "It's time to go make the donuts." That is what we have to do, even in pain: Go make the donuts.

Speaking of working hard, I see each of my sons doing that, and I am very proud of them.

BTW, I have a couple of suspicious spots on the same arm. They are small but dark blue-gray and I suppose I should get them checked. One seems to be flaking off a bit. An online friend is urging me to get them looked at right away but I think I will watch them for a week or two, then contact my doctor if I feel it is warranted.


*****

I love the Ziggies again today, especially the eHarmony Ziggy. I have never thought of using a dating service, especially since I have seen the ads by an eHarmony competitor saying that eHarmony rejects a lot of applicants. In addition, I have an online female friend who had kind of a bad experience with an eHarmony match-up, as the guy had been recently divorced due to his wife's unfaithfulness and it soon became apparent that he was not over his wife. Besides, where would I find a man who would put up with the amount of time I spend online? ;-)

RUSTING IN THE RAINThere

RUSTING IN THE RAIN

There are a few funny thoughts that are expressed here in Oregon when the rain is coming down like it is today. One of those is that Oregonians don't tan, they rust. Another is that we grow webs between our toes. I feel like I'm both rusting and growing webs. ;-)

Fortunately, I was able to get my car washed this morning and into the garage before the rain started to come down. This meant I was also able to keep from bringing my groceries into the house before I got soaked.

My groceries cost me over $60.00, and I didn't get all that much. The high gas prices are trickling down to just about every aspect of our economy. But I don't want to say too much about that subject, because it's one that really irritates me. I'll just say that when my Aunt Joan starts talking about how she and Uncle Bob may fit a trailer to one of their bicycles to use it to go get groceries in Twin Falls if the gas prices become too unaffordable, I get angry, because these are elderly people. Aunt Joan seems young for her age but Uncle Bob has had cancer and is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. I wonder if the oil company producers and executives realize how much hardship they are causing!

*****

I especially love the Ziggies today, as they fit my wacky sense of humor. The man who draws the Ziggy cartoons (and I can't quite read his name at the bottom) is masterful at coming up with fresh, funny ideas. I think I would be well-spooked by a talking toilet, though. As for tire balancing, I have just passed the 6,000 mile mark in my car, and my tires will get rotated (I assume that's the same as balancing them) when I take it in for its 8,000 mile service at the local dealership's fast lube department. (The "fast lube" title is somewhat of a misnomer, because there can sometimes be quite a wait for service there.)

*****

The big news right now is Scott McClellan's tell-all book about the Bush administration, and how we shouldn't be in Iraq. Do tell. This is especially being brought out on CNN today. It's kind of nice to have a distraction from the infernal, eternal electioneering but I wonder if Scott McClellan's book will actually say anything that many of us didn't already suspect. At this point, I don't intend to buy it.

THEY DID EXACTLY THE WRONG THINGSI watched a story on CNN

THEY DID EXACTLY THE WRONG THINGS

I watched a story on CNN last night about a young American soldier who committed suicide in Iraq. You can also watch it at the CNN site. As I recall it, this young man was severely depressed and on several occasions before actually killing himself had put the muzzle of his gun in his mouth. The response of his commanding officers was to punish him severely. They did the wrong things if they had wanted him to want to live; they did the right things for ensuring that he killed himself.

This story makes me very angry. I don't understand the macho mindset that says a depressed person in the military or anywhere else deserves to be punished. To me, that's just a step above a bully on the playground, only a much more deadly bully, using hard labor and threats of court martial to try to pound the depressed soldier into submission.

My friend Carly's Memorial Day 2008 blog entry talks about how a cemetery near her was adding extra crosses to remember those soldiers who have committed suicide in Iraq. I think this is the least that can be done.

OH SO SWEETHere is a picture

OH SO SWEET

Here is a picture of the rinsed carton of blueberries that I bought at Costco today:



My Flickr friend Cynthia (who goes by Philosopher Queen) asked me in a comment what I planned to do with them. I haven't decided yet, although I think I will have blueberry pancakes later on in the week. They are just lovely when eaten plain, and so healthful!

*****

I am wearing a "By Taylor" outfit today for the first time that I bought in Long Beach, Washington last month, and it's cute but it's a 1X. Since I have lost weight, I am swimming in it. I am wearing it anyway, to get my money's worth out of it. It's very cute, and has jumping dolphins on the design patch on the front. I guess it's good to have an outfit to wear in case I regain weight, but the bottoms are capris so they're really more for warmer weather (which, fortunately, we are having right now -- at least in the upper 60's today, I think).

*****

I received the prints from my trip to Bend today, and they are quite good. I am always pleased when I get prints made from my SLR digital shots, as they turn out beautifully. I made about three copies of each shot. I added my portion of the prints to my stack of photos that are awaiting scrapbooking, if I ever get back to that. (My obstacles are Socks and also not having a clue as to which scrapbook of the many that I have is the last one that I was working on.)

Speaking of scrapbooks and Socks, here is a picture of her and Silver that I took last night. She was about to use the scrapbooks as a great launching pad to go after Silver, who was on the coffee table.



I have lost track of how many scrapbooks I have. One day I'll have to count. Sounds like a good project, but also possibly a discouraging one? (I dated and numbered the early ones, but the later ones are not identified.)

*****

Blogger's saving feature is quite iffy today so I'm going to stop here and publish, if I can.

THIS MAY BE ALL TOO RIGHT!I found the following quiz on my

THIS MAY BE ALL TOO RIGHT!


I found the following quiz on my Australian friend Lynne's blog, as she and her husband have come back from their vacation. She got 100% on it! I am in awe! As you can see, I didn't do that well, although I still was in the acceptable range.

You paid attention during 86% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

I wonder if this is an Australian-generated quiz, or British? Lynne, do you know? Anyway, it's kind of ironic and funny, what it says about Americans not getting scores that high, because I am American. LOL!

THE STONE ANGELI started reading

THE STONE ANGEL

I started reading "The Stone Angel" by Margaret Laurence last fall, but I didn't find it an easy read due to the subject matter being about an elderly woman, Hagar Shipley, and the challenges she was facing in her later years. Recently, I heard from my friend Edith in Toronto that the story has been made into a movie and she went to see it, as it has been released in Toronto already, and that it was very good. Thus, I decided to finish the book and when I went to see how much I had left to read, it was just a little bit. I read the last of it yesterday.

When I told Edith that I had been reading the book, she was quite surprised because she had thought "The Stone Angel" came out many years ago. I checked the copyright date and, sure enough, it was first published in 1964. However, it was reissued by what appear to be Margaret Laurence's children in 1998. (She passed away in 1987).

The movie, according to a site I found, will be released here in the U.S. on July 11th. It stars Ellen Burstyn as Hagar. This will likely be one that I see in the theater, if it comes to one nearby. Otherwise, I will definitely rent it from Blockbuster Online, providing that they have it to rent. (It isn't on their list of movies that I can save for when it comes out on DVD.)

The movie is set in Canada, and was filmed there last year. That may be one reason why it hasn't come to the U.S. yet.

I recommend the book as it is an excellently-written character study. It puts you into the heart and mind of Hagar and makes her seem very real.

*****

Happy Memorial Day to my readers! I am not doing a whole lot today. I'm not even eating anything all that special. I did take flowers to the Zion Church cemetery to put on Steve's grave, and I'm glad that we have had all the rain since then, as they are likely to thrive for a while.

Speaking of eating, my appetite continues to be small and I am down another pound. This loss certainly is needed. I hope I can continue to lose weight. I think I am largely feeling upset by personal and family concerns, so I just don't feel like eating a lot.

Steve would have been barbecuing, most likely. I used to have a picture of him barbecuing in the rain, holding an umbrella over the barbecue. LOL! I thought that was very cute.

I have mixed feelings about Memorial Day when it comes to honoring war heroes. I wish there was no such thing as war, but at the same time I am grateful to the soldiers that fought in World War II in particular, and the young people who gave and do now give their lives for our safety and protection. I question the rightness of sending them off into battle in Iraq, as they are presently doing, however. I will be glad when they can come home from there.

I received a picture from my British online friend Greg today, showing him with the British flag he put up on his and Alison's house in Virginia this morning. He said he hopes he doesn't get arrested. I'm sure he won't -- I think it is very amusing!

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?I had meant to mention a strange thing

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

I had meant to mention a strange thing that had been happening on my Flickr site in the past couple of days. One woman commented under a picture of my 2-year-old granddaughter Emily that I had posted there that she wanted permission from Emily's mother to use Emily's picture, but it was very difficult to understand what she was saying about what she would do with it. My immediate reaction was to say "no" but I wrote to Jeff and Steph, forwarding the information, and asked for their opinion. Their answer was the same as mine -- they said "no."

I thought I would be able to perhaps e-mail or go to this woman's Flickr site but when I tried to, I found that her site had been deleted. Not a good sign! So I responded to her in a comment under hers on my own site, under the picture of Emily that she had been interested in.

At about that same time, I received the exact same comment under another picture of Emily on my site, although from possibly a different woman. I just automatically said "no" to her request to use it. I checked her Flickr site and she had pictures of young people kissing and of little children.

The next step I took was to go to both pictures and change them from being viewable by the public to being viewed by friends and family only.

I'm not sure why these two women (if they were different, and not the same person under two different names) were so interested in pictures of a little girl. Granted, it's flattering that someone thinks my granddaughter is so pretty, but I was made uneasy by these requests and my urge to protect little Emily, even just in photographs, was very strong.

I have taken similar measures in the past with pictures of my grandsons, when it seemed there was too much interest in them, but I had been warned by other online friends about pedophiles on Flickr and so I knew what I was protecting my grandsons' photographs from. I have to admit to being a bit baffled why there is so much interest in Emily's photos. Could the same kind of dynamic be at work when it comes to little girls? The very thought makes me sick!

I have considered closing my Flickr site down but I can use the option to have friends and family only view the pictures of the children when necessary. I do use my Flickr site to store pictures that I can transfer to my blog, too. Plus I have a number of nice friends on Flickr, and I enjoy looking at their pictures.

For now, the situation of the women wanting the use of Emily's pictures is a mystery. If anyone can enlighten me as to why that might have been the case, I would appreciate knowing, rather than just feeling a little bit paranoid about the whole thing. Maybe it was all very innocent -- and I hate to accuse people falsely -- but I have friends who told me when I started blogging that they would never allow pictures of their grandchildren or anyone in their family to be posted on the Internet. Maybe they were smart, I don't know.

MY BIG JOB YESTERDAYThis was how my garage looked yesterday,

MY BIG JOB YESTERDAY

This was how my garage looked yesterday, and had looked for several weeks:



The cause of the mess was a neighborhood cat that had gotten shut in the garage without my knowing it. The clawing off of the insulation near the only window in the garage was due to the cat's fruitless attempt to get out.

It took me a while to feel up to cleaning up the mess, due to my sore arm and also because I'm not supposed to bend over (doctor's orders). However, since it's just me here, I decided that if it was going to ever be removed, I would have to be the one to do that. I used a dustpan to scoop up much of the insulation. There was a little bit of insulation on my gardening gloves but once I could remove that, I was able to wear them and protect my hands, which helped in completing the cleaning job. Here is a shot of the garbage bag full of the shredded insulation:



Since posting the above photos on my Flickr site, my Flickr friend Cynthia commented underneath the first that there was a Flickr group that this picture would be well suited for called "CSI: Cat Scene Investigation", so I posted both of the above pictures there.

I have to say that naturally the trapped cat left some unwanted momentoes of his visit, which I also scooped up with the dustpan. Thankfully, I seem to have foiled his further attempts to get into the garage.

The cleaned up area looks like this:



I did get tired and feeling like I didn't want to press my luck regarding my health after a bit so there are a few small pieces of insulation remaining, but I will take care of them later. At least the huge mess is gone!

This encourages me as far as other chores that need to be done in the house, especially some messes that Socks has made here in the office while in here during the night. More material for the "CSI: Cat Scene Investigation" group! ;-)

*****

Last night we had the weirdest weather I can recall seeing. A thunderstorm rolled in from the mountains and brought with it some lightning and thunder, although not much hitting near to me. Mostly, I watched out my back door with amazement as the rain drove horizontally across my back yard. I was glad I wasn't out in that! The cats were somewhat spooked by the thunder, with Silver taking to my lap for comfort and Socks running around as if she didn't quite know where to hide. I was glad to see that pass through! Other areas around Portland had fairly good-sized hail, but thankfully it didn't hit us here. Wacky stuff!

LAMANNA LOST!You may recall the campaign phone message I got

LAMANNA LOST!

You may recall the campaign phone message I got from a "chief of police" campaigning for Rick LaManna for county sheriff, which scared me at first because I was afraid something bad had happened to a family member. I had pretty much forgotten about that until I had an e-mail post about it from one of the members of one list I'm on as she was trying to catch up on old mail. She had told me previously that she thought I should have complained about the upsetting phone message but I had been unwilling to do so. In this particular post, she said she had forgotten the reason I had given for not complaining; I wanted to drop the subject as it was pretty old (this person drives subjects into the ground at times) and also I did have a valid reason for not doing so: I had erased the message and so I didn't have all of the information I would have needed in order to make a credible complaint.

This lady's question did prompt me to do a Google search on the election results and I found them on the Canby Herald online site, saying that LaManna had lost to the incumbent, Craig Roberts, by a tremendous amount. The numbers given at the Canby Herald site (and I don't know if they are final) give Roberts about 39,000 votes and LaManna about 8,000. In my opinion, that's about 8,000 too many. ;-) Still, this was a very satisfying outcome to me.

ENCHANTED BY McDREAMYI watched the

ENCHANTED BY McDREAMY

I watched the Disney movie, "Enchanted", last night, and I thought I knew pretty much what to expect because of seeing previews of it on TV. I guessed that it was going to be a little on the dumb side, and the main reason I had ordered it from Blockbuster Online for viewing was due to Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy's "McDreamy", shown above) being the main source of eye candy in it.

I was pleasantly surprised, but more by Dempsey's performance in it than any other factor, although Susan Sarandon wasn't half bad. Dempsey made even the cutesy and rather dumb situations somewhat believable. And it was a relief to see a movie without bad language (I was raised to be somewhat of a prude and bad words still grate at me when I hear them in movies). I think it is a good movie for older grade-school-age children through adults, although it may be that it could bore some adults, perhaps the kind who prefer more sophisticated movie fare in general.

I had a strange reaction after I watched "Enchanted", in that I got depressed for a little while. Then I realized that I had been brought up on "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," and "Peter Pan"; in other words, a world of fantasy via Disney movies, and perhaps there was a part of my subconscious remaining from my childhood that wished the fantasies I have seen in such movies could be reality. Once I recognized that as the source of my depressed feeling, it went away.

I think it's about time to go to Blockbuster and see if there are a couple more movies to put in my queue. It is a very short one but I'll see if I can't make it somewhat longer today. ;-)

EQUAL TIME FOR NOAHI have kind of a strange

EQUAL TIME FOR NOAH

I have kind of a strange scanner, as it won't scan every size of picture. I seem to have the best luck on the small ones like the school pictures of grandsons Michael and Alex from Bend, Oregon, that I scanned in and posted the other day, and this one of grandson Noah. Speaking of this picture, I received it from Noah's parents, Jeff and Steph, some time ago, and it has been on my fridge, but last night it occurred to me that I hadn't posted it to my blog. I think it is so very cute and it definitely deserves that equal time.

The picture is from Noah's soccer playing of last year. The back gives his height and weight, his uniform number (5) and his age (5). Also the team he was playing for. Noah is just a couple of months from being 6 and he already looks older than 5, but I think this is a very cute picture of him.

*****

Speaking of children in the family, there is one child, who I won't name here, who according to his mother has been tested as being just below the borderline for having ADHD, ADD, and autism. I am very concerned about this little boy as I think these are some pretty big challenges for him to have. His mother said he is doing well in school regardless, but in being around the little guy, I don't see compassion for or understanding of the accompanying personality quirks; in fact, I have witnessed some quite questionable (IMO) teasing. I did speak up about that in one situation where the little guy seemed to be quite hurt and fearful; I hope it helps.

*****

And then, on the issue of health, I am feeling happy today because I have started on the last small dosage of a medication that I have been taking for a number of years and which I am now going to be able to go completely off of in a few weeks. When I started taking it, the medication was quite new but in the time since then, it has been found that the med causes a person to crave carbs, can cause high cholestrol, and can also elevate the blood sugar, all of which are problems that I have had. My doctor prescribed it partly for anxiety but one of the side effects I have also read that it has is anxiety! It can cause uncontrolled, jerky movements, too, which can become permanent. I have no doubt there must be other side effects that it has, as well. It is going to be good to see if I don't do and feel better in general once I am off it.

THERE'S NO WAY TO QUIT USING THE ARM . . .. . . unless I put

THERE'S NO WAY TO QUIT USING THE ARM . . .

. . . unless I put it in a sling, and I have too many things I have to do that use both arms. I guess I have resigned myself to having to deal with the soreness, icing it down once in a while and taking 1/2 of one of the few Vicodin I have left if it gets too bad.

I have considered e-mailing my doctor but then I remember that I lifted some things yesterday that likely irritated the right upper deltoid that hurts and I also did a lot of filing last night at my business. It's amazing how that bit of grunt work with its repetitive action can exacerbate the pain, which then radiates down my arm to my hand and up higher, to my shoulder. Today it's been getting Mexican chicken into the crockpot to cook, putting away clean dishes from the dishwasher, and doing loads of laundry. Easy enough stuff, eh? To which I answer: Believe me, getting old isn't for wimps! ;-)

As my friend Greg commented on yesterday's post, it also may have been the laser sword fighting with grandson Alex that made it flare up again when I was visiting his family almost a week ago. -G- It doesn't take much, it seems! (However, Alex is pretty big and strong for a 7-year-old -- I was amazed at the force he could put into his laser sword dueling!)

*****

I have broken down and temporarily abandoned my resolve to not turn on the propane heater. With the weather outside being in the upper 50's, I felt I needed to set the thermostat to 65 degrees F in order to be able to tolerate being downstairs at all. I have also turned on the electric heater here in the office. This weather is crazy!

*****

I signed up for fraud alerts through my credit card and on Monday, just a couple of minutes after I placed a photo print order with my favorite online digital photo developing company, I had a phone call from the credit card fraud alert department, triggered partly, I'm sure, by the fact that the charge was so low. It was no problem to okay it and I'd rather be notified and have the charge be all right than not be notified if there actually was a fraudulent charge made to the credit card.

*****

I have been feeling bad for Ted Kennedy and I have meant to mention that here. I have not always been that crazy about his political stands but I wouldn't wish a malignant brain tumor on him or anyone. He is in my prayers.

HANDSOME GRANDSONSAbove are

HANDSOME GRANDSONS

Above are this Spring's school pictures of my grandsons, Alex, 7, and Michael, 9, the sons of my youngest son, Tony, and his wife, Kamie. Alex's hair is a lot blonder right now due to being outside and playing a lot. Michael's hair is quite a bit shorter.

I'm not proud of them or anything by titling this entry what I have. ;-)

*****

I have more pictures in NowPublic.com articles! Several of them feature my cat Silver with the mouse he caught a month or so ago and also one of him going after a toy mouse. There are about 142 images as of right now with the article, but there is a search feature on the site so you may be able to find the pictures using that, if you're interested in tracking them down. The article is about a 72-hour blackout that was caused by a cat-mouse chase.

*****

Perhaps I should have titled my entry today: OBAMA WON! He did so here in Oregon, anyway. A few people that I didn't care for also won their primary races, but then a couple that I did like made it. The General Election in November is going to be very interesting.

*****

I am trying to keep my typing brief today as I was in a lot of pain due to my sore upper arm last night and the pain radiating down to my hand. I am quite sure I typed too much yesterday in attempting to catch up on my e-mail.

BACK FROM BENDI got home from Bend, Oregon, yesterday

BACK FROM BEND


I got home from Bend, Oregon, yesterday morning after a mixed weekend. The drives there and back were uneventful and pleasant -- I love the scenery along the way. I used up 1/2 a tank of gas each time, which isn't too rough considering that it's 160 miles or so one way from here to Bend.

I got to the motel Friday afternoon and tried to avoid calling Tony's cell phone number, as it was long distance, so finally got in touch with him at his work at Majesty's Animal Nutrition in Redmond, which is about 18 miles from Bend. He said that Kamie and the kids should be home by then so I went to their house, where I found Kamie packing and the Michael, 9, and Alex, 7, outside with friends.

Kamie and I chatted for a while until Tony got home, when it was decided that we would go out to dinner as a late Mother's Day celebration for me, and we went to Greg's Grill Restaurant in the Old Mill area of Bend, along the Deschutes River. It was lovely there. I was given my choice of whether to eat in the air-conditioned restaurant or out on the terrace. I chose the cool of the restaurant -- it was very hot there -- although I think Kamie would have preferred the terrace. She was generous and didn't complain. ;-) I had an oriental chicken salad, which was delicious, and Kamie offered me a taste of what I believe was a lemon drop martini. It was good. I am unable to drink alcohol but it was refreshing to taste the drink as I had never had vodka before (having been raised Mormon and with limited experience with drinks after leaving that religion, plus now being forbidden to drink with my diabetes medication).

It was so nice to see how the boys have grown up. Alex was in the house more when I was there, as a general rule, than Michael was, and he had plastic toy "laser swords" that he and I dueled with. It made my upper arm an little bit sore later but how do you say no to a sweet 7-year-old? Here are a few pictures of various people playing with him (his dad, my son Tony and his mom, Kamie).







The photo immediately above was of Michael coming through the door, as well.

Below is a shot of Michael, who has a shiny spot on his cheek where Kamie had put ointment on an area where he had been cut by a rock a couple of weeks ago and had somewhat of a scar. Kamie said Michael didn't care much about that.



Kamie and Tony gave me directions to Michael's soccer game the next morning, and it wasn't far from my motel. The only problem I had finding it was in the fact that there were many fields of both soccer and baseball, resulting in my wandering around in a rather lost state until I found the field that Michael's team was playing on -- of course, way back at the back. The only reason I found it was that it was half-time and Tony was out on the field playing a bit of impromptu soccer with some of the other dads. It was terribly hot and Michael did his best but was overheated. I felt for the little guy! Their team lost, after having been unbeaten all season. I did get just one picture of Michael playing; he is in the white shirt below.



I wasn't feeling real good and my arm was aching so, after the game, I went back to my car and ate the lunch I had brought in my cooler; then I went to T.J. Maxx to shop. (Tony told me later that T.J. Maxx isn't a store. LOL!) I got some items for Jeff, Steph, Noah and Emily for taking care of my cats and house while I was gone.

Tony had brought home a trailer and they used it that afternoon to move from their old house to the one in which Kamie's mom and step-dad had lived in, just 1/4 mile away. I had made arrangements for Tony to call me at my motel when they got to a point where they were winding down a bit and I could come over.

I bought a couple of sandwiches at the Shell service station just across the parking lot from my motel, and ate one for dinner. About 45 minutes later, Tony called and I went to their place. Kamie was very tired so I stayed for about an hour and arranged to have them call me the next day after they had moved the heavy items in the trailer to the new house. I planned to drive down to Sunriver, Oregon, on Sunday, as I had never been there.

So Sunday morning, on the way to Sunriver, I stopped at Fred Meyer's and found some shirts for the guys and a top for Kamie. While there, I kept having to dash to the bathroom. Finally, I felt better and headed south, to Sunriver. I stopped in the area where the shops were and walked around a little, but I didn't see anything that interested me, so I went back to Bend, and made a quick stop in Safeway, where I got a small container of tapioca pudding and had to rush to the restroom again. I went right back to the motel, where my room was made up, thankfully, and I remained sick off and on while trying to rest there. (I had to throw the tapioca pudding away as it was runny and didn't taste good -- all I needed.) I left a message on Tony's cell phone (deciding to go ahead and pay for the long distance) about how I felt and for him to let me know when they were ready for me to drop off the clothes and say goodbye.

Tony called at about 6 and said they were all moved out of the old house and into the new. When I got there, he was still unloading the trailer he had brought from work to use in moving, and I felt for him when he said how tired his legs were from all the going up and down stairs. Kamie had gone to get dinner as the boys were very hungry. The shirts that I had bought them got mixed reviews; Tony liked his, while Alex felt his was too small (it was a 7; he said his mom always got 8's for him). I had brought over the receipt so she could exchange it. Michael only seemed a bit astonished and amused that I had bought them more shirts, as I had also given each of the boys one that I had brought from home the day before.

I had a chance to chat with Tony while he kept unloading boxes from the trailer, and he thought maybe my Shell service station sandwiches were what had made me ill. I had to agree that it could be a possibility. Fortunately, I had brought over-the-counter medication with me. I left after about an hour as I didn't want to take a chance on giving the boys what I had if I was contagious, catching Kamie as she turned into the housing development and saying goodbye to her there.

It turned out to be quite a busy weekend for Tony, Kamie, Michael and Alex, but -- as Tony says -- they are always busy. I'm glad they got moved in and I wish I could have helped them more. (As it was, I seemed to be a distraction for their big black lab, Buddy, who truly loves me and gave me lots of attention, resulting in my pushing him gently away with my arms, making my sore one a bit sorer for a while.)

Yesterday morning, somehow I had managed to set the alarm in my room for 6 a.m., so I decided to get up then and get ready to go. I got home at about 10:30 a.m., still feeling very rocky. I basically rested during the day, just doing some easy stuff like uploading the pictures and ordering them from Snapfish and getting pictures from the birthday/Mother's Day dinner ready to send to family members, which I will do tomorrow.

Today I am better. I don't need to go to Costco today as Jeff needed to get heavy items. Tomorrow I will run errands while Norma is here cleaning. I think I'll be up to that.

I slept well in my bed last night, loving the feeling of Silver in his usual spot at the end of the bed. The cats were well cared-for; once again, though, I had to hunt for Stevie, and I wound up pulling her out from under the office bed. She was fine; just had been spooked by Jeff's heavier footsteps, I suppose.

I am not back on a couple of lists, but I suppose I can remedy that. I didn't feel like doing correspondence yesterday, while today I have probably half of that done.

It was interesting to come home to election day today in Oregon. It is predicted that Obama will win. I probably didn't help him by basically throwing away my Republican ballot via writing his name in. ;-)

I don't know when I'll be able to see Kamie and Tony and the boys again. It depends a lot on the price of gas, among other things. Michael and Alex are going to visit their other grandma and grandpa in Florida after school is out. I can't remember how long they're staying but it seems like it may be 6 weeks. It was worth the trip this last weekend to see them, despite my illness.

So there you have my travelogue. I hope it wasn't too boring. ;-) It's good to go see family but it's also nice to be back home.

*****

My sister Kathy's oldest daughter, Teddi, is graduating later this week from San Francisco State University. I have been debating what to send her. I tried to order a Target gift card for her but I couldn't get the ship-to information to type in. I think I will get her a card tomorrow and send her a check. I'm very proud of her. She has always been a very intelligent girl.

*****

After 5 days of heat, it has cooled off here and it was rainy this morning. I'm glad for the relief from the hot weather. It still is nice enough in the house to keep the heat off; in fact, the air conditioner here in the office is on "low." There is no way I'm burning propane until fall. I am so totally dreading how much it's going to cost for more of that when it comes time to make out the budget agreement again. At least, gas prices seem to be staying about the same (unless I just haven't noticed and am in the throes of wishful thinking).

WHAT KIND OF FLOWER ARE YOU?Thanks, Kris, for referring me

WHAT KIND OF FLOWER ARE YOU?


Thanks, Kris, for referring me to this quiz! Some of the questions didn't quite fit me so I chose as close to the ones that did as I could. It was fun!

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

"You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."

THE KITE RUNNERI read

THE KITE RUNNER


I read the book, "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini, several months ago. It was a powerful and riveting tale, and I enjoyed it a lot. Today I watched the movie, and it was every bit as excellent as the book was, staying true to the tale. It brought me near to tears at the end.

Set in Afghanistan, it began with the tale of two close young friends -- Amir, the son of a fairly wealthy man, and Hassan, the son of his servant -- who loved to spend time together, especially flying kites. As a team, they won a Kabul kite-flying tournament, where the object was to cut the strings of the other kites and then to run and retrieve the last fallen kite. Due to jealousy of some older bullies, Hassan suffered a horrible indignity after retrieving that last kite. The awful act was secretly witnessed by Amir. The remainder of the story had to do with how this drove a permanent wedge into Amir's and Hassan's friendship. Interwoven was the relatively recent history of Afghanistan, with the invasion and occupation by the Soviets, and then the rising up of the Taliban. These historical events ultimately influenced Amir's life more than he expected, as he had relocated to America, and in the end, his early relationship with Hassan became something that he could not escape.

Watching this movie, I was made very aware of how much we have compared to people in other countries, even with the difficulties we face here in the U.S. at the moment. I was also struck by a realization of the way in which human mistakes can be overcome, and redemption achieved.

I highly recommend this movie. It is well worth watching.

*****

The air conditioners are on. I don't know if I'm going to leave them on while I'm gone -- maybe just the newer one, upstairs. I don't want my poor cats to swelter in the heat while I'm gone!

I may write one final post tomorrow morning before I leave, but if I don't, have a great weekend, everyone!

STEPH AND KRIS ARE NOWPUBLICI received an

STEPH AND KRIS ARE NOWPUBLIC

I received an invitation the other day from an intern named Lea at NowPublic.com, asking if I would allow a picture that would fit an article she was working on called "Female Gamers on the Rise but Where are the Heroines" to be published there. The photo is of my daughters-in-law Steph and Kris playing Wii bowling on Thanksgiving day, 2006. This morning, after some difficulties, I was able to upload the shot (which you can see at the link earlier in this paragraph) to accompany the article. I think it is such a good picture of my them and I am glad they both gave me their permission to allow the shot to be posted.

*****

I have been able to get out clothes to pack for my trip to Bend tomorrow, as few of the ones I am washing in my laundry today are going to be needed as far as taking them along. (I just want to leave here with my chores done.) Since the heat is coming in today and sticking around for a number of days -- both here and in Bend -- I am having to pack mostly light items. I had thought that perhaps I didn't have that many, especially by my favorite clothing manufacturer, By Taylor, but as I looked in various areas of my house (I have closets full of clothes), I found some summer items that I had forgotten buying, and so I will be able to keep from going naked in the heat! LOL! (I wouldn't want to inflict that on anybody!) ;-)

The cats have once again been enjoying reclining in my open suitcase, which is on the dining room table. I even found Stevie in it yesterday, which was a first. Thankfully, they are on the plastic cover that folds over the area where the clothes go, so I won't be getting cat hair on my clothing.

I don't know entirely what we are going to be doing while I'm in Bend, but I called the motel last night to confirm my reservation and I do have a full kitchen, in case it is needed while the kids (youngest son Tony, DIL Kamie, grandsons Michael and Alex) move.

Middle son Jeff will be taking care of my cats and bringing in the mail and the newspaper. It is a relief not to have to worry about that. I appreciate so much when he and his family assist me in this very important way.

I had been concerned about my arm during the trip but it seems quite a bit better today, even without 1/2 a Vicodin. Hopefully, it will hold up for the 3 to 3 1/2-hour drive to Bend.

I still haven't heard anything about possible candidate visits to Bend over the weekend. It would be fun to see Sen. Barack Obama or even Sen. Hillary Clinton in person! But my family comes first.

I hope that, if you are in an area with heat like we are going to have over the next days, that you can stay cool! I'm sure going to try to!

ONLINE MAGICAL THINKINGYesterday, I received

ONLINE MAGICAL THINKING

Yesterday, I received an e-mail that was pretty typical of a number of them I receive, especially from certain people. This one came from a family member. The bulk of the e-mail consisted of screen names of people the forward had been sent to (a great way to get them in the hands of spammers) and at the very end, there were colorful happy faces and a nice verse about friendship. That, however, was followed with this:

Beautifully stated....
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time.
You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You'll fight with your best friend.
You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.
You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
So send this to all of your friends (and me) in the next 5 minutes and a miracle will happen tonight.

I sent it back with a note saying that the sender knew I didn't much believe in these things but I was sending it back because I love her. Personally, I would love to see a miracle in her life but things just don't happen that way. I guess I'm a skeptic, but I never believe these promises of miracles if the e-mail is passed along within a certain time frame or to x-number of people. Do you? Tell me what you think!

*****

I had a comment a while back regarding Ziggies, giving me the URL for GoComics, where it was possible to sign up to have the Ziggy cartoons sent to me every day. I went to the site and tried to sign up, but before I did, I read the "Terms of Service" as requested in the sign-up area. I learned that the owners of the site frown upon Ziggies received from them being published elsewhere. They didn't specify that blogs were included in the limitations but I'm not wanting to take a chance. I think I'll just wait for my friend Lynne -- who has been sending them to me from Australia -- to get back from vacation and start sending them to me again.

*****

My upper arm continues to hurt off and on. I am not looking forward to lugging my suitcase at Bend. (It does have wheels, but I do have some spots where I need to lift it manually.) I am going to try to take it real easy on the typing for the next couple of days. I think I'll get my suitcase out today and start packing it, though, so I get that bit of hauling over with.

Speaking of my vacation, I just checked the online weather forecast for Bend through Saturday (they didn't have Sunday's up) and it is going to be as warm there as it is here, but not much hotter, thankfully. I am hoping that I can pack a good quantity of light clothes and still get my suitcase shut. ;-)

I HAVE BEEN REMISS!I was contemplating what

I HAVE BEEN REMISS!


I was contemplating what to write about today, and I didn't really have much of a clue as to what that would be, so I decided to surf my favorite blogs to see what their writers were saying. I went to my friend, Carly's, and it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had been remiss in thanking her for a lovely entry she posted on May 9th, wherein she said some extremely nice things about me.

Entitled "I've Got Mail," it was about how she and her husband Alan remembered that they hadn't checked their post office box for a while, and when they did do that, they found some unexpected surprises. ;-) One of those was a pad of ocean-themed post-its that I had found out at the coast, in the Tillamook Cheese Factory, I believe, that had her name on it. (A note: I am a sucker for personalized items at the coast.) In all of my years of perusing such personalized goodies, I had never seen one that said "Carly" on it, to the best of my recollection. So, of course, I had to get it for my online friend!

If you follow the link in the first paragraph, you will see a close-up picture of the post-its. Carly was very sweet in the nice things she said about me in writing her entry. You're very welcome, Carly, and I count you as one of my dearest online friends! Maybe someday we'll get a chance to meet in person, but in the meantime, it is a pleasure to know you and enjoy your friendship online. I can always count on you to be upbeat and encouraging, and those are traits that we don't seem to find enough in the world. Thank you for being the loving person that you are!

In my hurry to acknowledge and thank Carly for what she said in this earlier post, I didn't stop yet to read her most recent one, which the title said was an update on the health of her adorable kitty, Elvis, who has been diagnosed with cancer. I will definitely be going back shortly to read that, as I am very concerned about him. Like Carly, he has a very endearing personality and I wish him the best.

*****

Speaking of blogs, my LDS friend in Utah heard about an ex-Mormon blogger on TV, and she told me about her, about how funny she was supposed to be, but it took her several days before she was able to find out this blogger's URL. When I went to the blog, I learned it was Dooce, which rhymes with moose, according to the blog author, Heather B. Armstrong. I went back and read a few entries, and I saw a couple of rather droll references to her Mormon background. Mostly, the most recent posts were about her public appearance on the Today show, which I do happen to watch but not during the time slot she was on in (10-11 a.m.). I have bookmarked her site and maybe when she comes back down to earth, she will write more funny stuff about Mormonism. (My LDS friend heard that Heather had lost her job, but I didn't find any reference to that in her blog; however, stranger things have happened in the working world, especially if she lives in the land of Mormondom: i.e. Utah.)

*****

I feel I have to say how sad I am for the people in the world who are suffering right now due to the horrendous recent national disasters -- first, the cyclone that hit Myanmar, with so many casualties and a government that hesitates to allow foreign aid to come in and get it to the individuals who really need it; and second, the earthquake in China. These are the kinds of events that tend to make me ask, "Why, God?" I try to have faith that there are reasons for everything that happens in life, but I have never been put in such a horrible situation. I don't know what else I can do at the moment -- not being a rich person -- but pray for them.

TWO THINGS ANSWERSThis came from my online friend, Lynn, also

TWO THINGS ANSWERS

This came from my online friend, Lynn, also known as "the boomer", and she sent it as a forward but I thought it would make a great meme.


Two names you go by: Sue and Suzanne

Two things you are wearing right NOW: black sweatshirt with colorful Native American horse design on it and blue jeans

Two of your favorite things to do: scrapbooking and making computer signature tags

Two things you want very badly at the moment: For gas prices to stop going up and for health and well-being in all ways for my children and their families

To have Two people who will fill this out: I don't know

Two things you ate today: turkey hot dog and carrots with ranch dressing

Two people you last talked to: J.D. and Kris

Two things you're doing tomorrow: Go to Costco and answer e-mail

Two Favorite holidays: Mother's Day and Christmas

Two favorite beverages: Sugar-free Suisse Mocha and caffeine free diet Pepsi

If you would like to do this, let me know and I'll come visit your blog!

"HELLO, THIS IS THE CHIEF

"HELLO, THIS IS THE CHIEF OF POLICE . . ."

That is what I heard when I checked my voice mail yesterday morning. It immediately filled me with panic because my first thought was, "Oh no, something terrible has happened to one of my family members." The call had actually come in Saturday morning, however, and it went on to say that this chief of police (I don't remember his name) was endorsing Rick LaManna for county sheriff. My reaction to that was swift: I felt immediate relief mixed with anger, and I instantly erased the message.

I was angry because this stupid political campaign voice mail recording had me so scared for a few seconds. I was relieved that there had been no reason for the immediate fear. In considering the call, I knew that if something bad had happened in the family, there would have been more attempts to get in touch with me. In a way, I wish I had kept the message so I could have gotten the chief of police's name, although I'm not sure that I would have done anything with it, other than gripe about him here, and that probably wouldn't have accomplished anything but made me feel better. Ultimately, I am glad that I hadn't voted for Rick LaManna; I voted for the incumbent sheriff in the ballot I sent in a few days before getting the phone message.

This is such a complete invasion of privacy -- it really frosts me that such tactics are being used in political campaigns. I'm not up to complaining in a more public venue about it but I wish someone would. And I hope that the jerk that okayed the voice mail message (Rick LaManna, I presume) loses by a very wide margin!

*****

Does anyone else do this? Do you accidentally bite the inside of your lower lip, and then keep doing so? The fact that the area is swollen makes it an excellent target for biting it again and again, and that hurts and takes away from the fun of eating! That has been happening to me lately and I don't like it. Such a bummer!

*****

I heard from my youngest son Tony last night, wishing me a Happy Mother's Day and saying they were still planning on seeing me when I got there Friday late afternoon. They are going to be in the process of moving for part of the weekend (just to a house about 1/4 of a mile away) but he said they would definitely make time for being with me. I'm very much looking forward to seeing him and Kamie and grandsons Michael, 9, and Alex, 7. The weather is supposed to be getting hot by then so I will take my new, more summery By Taylor clothes that I bought last month in Long Beach, Washington. I don't know if there will be a soccer game or a swim practice to watch or not. (Kamie had said that Michael was in soccer and Alex was going to be swimming.) In the meantime, there are Mother's Day cards on the way from them and I'm looking forward to receiving them! I just love my family!

MY MOTHER -- 1927-2007

MY MOTHER -- 1927-2007

This is a picture of Mom from the late 1980's, but she never did look a whole lot older than this.

I am remembering her today. I am recalling her positive attributes. I especially enjoyed it when I talked to her on the phone, after sending her snail mail letters and pictures of the children and grandchildren, and she would tell me how much she appreciated that and how beautiful the grandkids were.

I know she wished that I would go back to the Mormon church so I could be part of the eternal family she believed in, and I recognize the love in that desire. I wish in some ways that I could have pleased her in that way, but I had to go my own direction when it came to my beliefs.

Time certainly is passing quickly, as it seems like just yesterday that I was in Twin Falls, Idaho, and then on to Logan, Utah, to say my final goodbyes. Now I am an orphan, since my dad preceded her in death, passing away in 1991. The cycle of life goes on.

*****

I had an e-mail from my sister, Kathy, yesterday, telling me about how her nursing job is going. So far, she seems to like it fine. When she has finished orientation, she will be working 3 12-hour days a week, and they will at first be assigned by the other nurses. For being the age of 50, she has a great deal of stamina. She will need it, as she will be working nights starting in June.

*****

I watched "The Bourne Supremacy" last night, starring Matt Damon and Joan Allen. As I watched it, I realized that I may have seen it before -- perhaps a number of years ago when I was on Netflix. Either that, or the plots of this second in the Jason Bourne series and the third one, which I watched recently, were remarkably alike.

I imagine that more of a love story would have been a better, more positive movie for this weekend, but I am at the point where I take what Blockbuster Online sends me. (I don't have many movies in my queue, and I get just one at a time.)

*****

I wish everyone who reads this and is a mother a very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY today! (That includes cat- and dog-moms, because you are nurturers, too.)

MY LOVELY BIRTHDAY/MOTHER'S DAY DINNERI am

MY LOVELY BIRTHDAY/MOTHER'S DAY DINNER

I am so fortunate: I have very caring and wonderful sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. Last night, my oldest son, J.D., and daughter-in-law, Kris, picked me up here at the house and took me to a Mexican restaurant called San Blas, in Molalla, Oregon, where we were to meet my middle son, Jeff, his wife, Steph, and grandchildren, 5 1/2-year-old Noah and 2 year-old Emily. (My youngest son, Tony, daughter-in-law, Kamie, and grandsons, 9-year-old Michael and 7-year-old Alex, live in Bend, Oregon -- about a 3 1/2 hour drive from here -- and I will be going to see them next weekend.)

J.D., Kris and I got the the restaurant a little bit earlier than Jeff's family, so we munched on tortilla chips and salsa until they arrived. Noah came running up to me and gave me a big hug, then settled into the chair next to me. I got hugs from him all evening. A little later on, Emily wanted to get down from her high chair and come sit on my lap, so I quite carefully lifted her up onto my lap. She stayed there for quite a while and at one point said a complete sentence having to do with Noah. I was very impressed.

I don't like pictures of myself as a general rule but here is one that Steph took of me and Noah and Emily.



I had a delicious meal of chicken in a sour cream sauce that contained mushrooms and onions, which I put in flour tortillas. I also had Spanish rice and refried beans. I was unable to eat it all and I didn't take any home -- I'm not sure why; I guess I wasn't sure how it would affect my cholestrol and diabetes to eat a lot of it.

Noah and Emily had their favorite quesadillas. Noah pointed out all of the colorful fake parrots hanging from the ceiling at various spots in the restaurant. We had a few interesting conversations: One was about my rings. He wondered why I was wearing my emerald ring since I'm not married. I explained to him that if I was married, I would wear a diamond ring on my left hand (where I am wearing a cat-figured gold ring). And that I wear the emerald ring on my right hand because I think it's pretty. He is getting so grown up!

Kris gave me a pretty fish suncatcher. Noah approved. I hung it in my kitchen when I got home and my friend Cynthia on Flickr agrees that it is cute. Here is the picture I took of it last night after hanging it up when I got home. (I had thought I didn't have a suction cup hanger but I borrowed one from another suncatcher that had fallen down; I'll have to get more of the hangers later on for that one.)



Kris is so thoughtful! I also received a card with a kitty on it from Jeff, Steph and family, promising pictures of the kids, which I always love!

Here is a picture of Kris and J.D. I notice that J.D. is looking thinner, and that is likely attributable to his time at home now, part of which is spent running in training for the Portland Marathon, which he hasn't run in before. (He has a blog called Get Fit Slowly.)



Here are Jeff and Steph. Steph had taken a sudden trip south to Corvallis, Oregon that day for a class, and she learned at one point that Barack Obama had been right next door. She said she would have liked to go see him if she had known! ;-)



It was such a pleasure to be with my family. It had been a few years since we had gone out together. Thank you, Kris, for suggesting it. And all of you for being there and making it a special evening for me.

*****

I had been kind of expecting a call from my friend, Linda, this morning, if she was going to have time to see me today as she thought she would be in the area, traveling from her home in central Oregon. There has been no call yet and I suspect that she has either not made it here or else is just terribly busy, as she generally tends to be. I plan to be in her area next weekend when I visit Tony and family, but she is involved in helping produce a musical at one of the high schools there in the Redmond-Bend area at that time, so I won't be able to see her. She thought she would be in this area sometime in the next week -- we are truly playing this by ear, which is fine with me.

*****

This afternoon, I am going to be working at the business, doing the work that I generally do on Friday evenings. I suspect there may be another stack of filing but Jeff said last night that it wasn't anything like what I had waiting for me on Wednesday! ;-) I also have a movie to watch sometime this weekend -- probably tonight. It's "The Bourne Supremacy" -- I believe the only movie in the Bourne series that I haven't seen. So the weekend is looking busier than I originally expected. I hope y'all are having a nice one, too!

CAT ENDORSEMENTS? :-)Yesterday, I went to my

CAT ENDORSEMENTS? :-)

Yesterday, I went to my friend Carly's blog as I do every day, and she had posted a very clever and cute entry about her cat, Elvis, and the presidential election. I would recommend that you follow the link in the preceding sentence to go there and read what Elvis had to say. ;-)

As for my cats, I suppose I would have to say that they are loyal to me like Elvis is to Carly in her support of Hillary Clinton, and they like my candidate, Barack Obama. They approved of the fact that I wrote Senator Obama's name in as a write-in vote on my Republican ballot, although that may have negated my ballot and my vote, I don't know. But I did this on a matter of principle.

Still, we here in our household also have lots of prayers going up for Elvis, as he has been diagnosed with cancer. We are extremely sad about that and wish him the very best, hoping that treatment is available for him so that he lives the maximum number of years possible.

*****

Yesterday I wound up causing all sorts of problems with my arm, thanks to doing the laundry, although it isn't nearly as bad as it was the week before. I'm glad for ice that helped the area to feel much better after a while.

*****

I have mostly finished my "Understanding Your Grief" book and journal -- or, at least, I've gone as far as I can go at this point. I think it has been helpful. I recommend it for those who have suffered the death of someone close to them.

*****

I love the Ziggy, being of Scottish descent. I don't want to get repetitive, as I have talked before about how I have loved bagpipes since I was a little girl. And Blogger is threatening not to save what I'm writing, so I will sign off for today.

FILING -- STRENUOUS?

One of my jobs at my business is to keep the filing caught up, generally doing it Wednesday and Friday evenings. This is important because the guys need to be able to find quotes and order sheets when they are looking for them. I like to do it, to get an idea of who we are quoting and who is ordering and in what quantities. I had to take a week off from the filing due to my injured upper right arm, and so I knew there would be a stack of papers to file last night, when I was able to go back to work.

Actually, though, before I got to the office last night, I was wondering if I had been a wimp to take the doctor-recommended week off from doing it. I found out differently once I started to work.

I had a 3 to 3 1/2 inch stack of filing to sort and to file last night. I had been planning on doing sections at a time and spreading them out over the next few nights, as I had time available, but once I got them sorted and ready to file in a system I use that works very well, I didn't see any way to divide them up for subsequent days, so I just stayed later than usual and finished filing them all. It took me 3 hours, and I discovered when I was finished that my arm was very sore! I came home and put ice on it.

I have been chuckling about the fact that the filing was so strenuous. LOL! I guess maybe I'm a bit of a wimp? ;-) Actually, it was good for me to do the filing, because not using the arm for a week had made it weaker than was healthy for it, and I suspect that the filing was a good way to exercise it and make it stronger. Kaiser's physical therapy department couldn't have done it any better! Hee hee!

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I have been seeing political ads as they have gotten naturally more prolific in the last number of days, since the Oregon primary is May 20, and we Oregonians need to mail in our ballots to get there by that date. I have noticed one particular ad that disappointed me in LDS church member Gordon Smith, who I was planning to vote for. He has been running an ad quoting the big Portland newspaper, The Oregonian, as saying that one of the challengers, Steve Novick, was a big-spending liberal. This confused me because Steve Novick's ad says that The Oregonian has endorsed him. Then I noticed that in Gordon Smith's ad portion criticizing Novick, the date of the editorial criticizing Novick was 1/16/06! Hmmm, that makes me wonder how honest Gordon Smith is being. Would what the ad says bother you as it does me?

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LOVE the Maxine! Oh, so true! I haven't heard a candidate propose a health care plan that I thought sounded good yet -- not even my favorite, Barack Obama.