MOONDANCE ALEXANDERI watched a neat little movie yesterday

MOONDANCE ALEXANDER

I watched a neat little movie yesterday called "Moondance Alexander," which I got from my Blockbuster Online rental account (I get one movie a week). It was dated 2007 but I don't remember if it ever was in theaters or not. It's the story of a young teenage girl named, natch, Moondance Alexander, played nicely by Kay Panabaker, who finds an obviously-neglected horse that she calls Checkers and takes him home with her. She and her widowed mother live in a country town and although they have a pretty large bit of property for being in town, she must put Checkers in her mother's art studio. She is disappointed when the actual owner is located.

Moondance has a part-time job making deliveries for a local saddlery store and on making a delivery the next day, she literally stumbles upon the farm where Checkers is located. She goes to check on him and meets his gruff owner, Dante, played by Don Johnson. She negotiates a trade with Dante whereby she will clean out his horse stalls in return for riding Checkers -- originally Tinkerbell, but renamed with Dante's okay to Checkers after all.

Moondance has been the victim of snobbery and cruelty of older teenage girls at her high school and as she gets into riding Checkers, later on with Dante, she finds that a couple of them are serious horse-riders, too. Dante has been down on his luck but agrees to train Moondance and Checkers to jump, although he's a pinto and pintos aren't supposed to be able to jump.

I won't have away the ending but I will say that it is based on a true story. It was rated "G", which is refreshing, although I know that -- unfortunately -- a lot of people won't watch "G" movies. I thought it was a cute film and was great for whiling away the afternoon. I have always thought Don Johnson to be handsome, and although he has aged like the rest of us, it was nice to see him in this movie. Young Kay may have a nice future in films.

*****

I heard from my Dell saleslady, Linda, last night and today, and she answered some questions I had (there is plenty of RAM for the Vista program; J.D. or Jeff should be able to easily set up the computer -- don't call Geek Squad, as they are way too expensive). I appreciate her continued assistance.

I saw an ad for the Video Professor on the NW Newschannel last night and I noticed he had a disk instructing how to use Vista. I didn't get a chance to write down the phone number so I will keep watching for it because I want to order that disk. I will check online, too, to see if I can find a phone number for the company.

I have a few other online orders to place today so hope to get to that shortly.

*****

There was news that my friend in Brisbane, Les, has been moved from ICU to a ward. We, his friends, are all very happy about that! I don't know how long it takes to heal from a neck fracture so I have no idea when he will be going home. I do hope he will accept assistance when he gets there. In the meantime, we have sent him flowers through my new friend (and his old one), Mary. I don't remember how long Les and I have been corresponding but it seems like we started in 2000. He has certainly been interesting to exchange e-mails with -- I have learned a lot about Australia through him.

CRAZY STUFFI have

CRAZY STUFF

I have been saving some items, mainly in the back of my mind, for commenting on later, and later is here. ;-) Some of them are pretty wacky.

First of all, there is the pregnancy pact being reported from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Girls in high school are trying to get pregnant en masse. I saw a blurb on the NW Newschannel yesterday quoting a source at the Gloucester High School as saying this was false, but the source I link to in this paragraph (Time Magazine online) says the girls kept going back to the school nurse for pregnancy tests until they came back positive, at which time the girls were giving each other high fives. Perhaps movies like "Juno" are partly to blame, but some in Gloucester have attributed it to broken homes and loneliness.

Next, there is a fellow ex-Mormon who has a very popular blog. I am not going to name her here, as I feel that ex-Mormons should stick together; however, her humor gets pretty way out sometimes. After an appearance on the Today show where she was on with Kathie Lee Gifford, she wrote that Kathie Lee was coming onto her. I know that she didn't intend for this to be taken seriously, but I wonder what Kathie Lee thought of that. It certainly does go under the category of "crazy", in my book.

Then there are dreams I have been lately, which have featured a man who was involved in probably the very worst mistake of my life, and people close to him. I hate these dreams! I don't know why I'm having them but they are just crazy!

I am not telling my own family (siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles) about my upcoming minor toenail surgery. My youngest sister acted like having had my right big toenail removed last summer was a punishment from God, and I don't need that kind of reaction again. (I wonder what she would think of the fact that it has grown back in beautifully and is what I consider a blessing from God.) I think this kind of negative and unkind belief, which really seems out-of-character for my sister, is pure wackiness.

So there you have my wacky items for the day. I imagine I will come up with more over time. Feel free to add your own.

*****

I have been eating Manwich sloppy joes off and on over the last 5 days or so, and I took this picture of what -- to me -- is the perfect Manwich meal:



I don't care for the taste of the Manwich with the hamburger meat alone, but I find it to be delicious when topped with a slice of Tillamook cheddar cheese. And paired with sliced tomatoes (the non-salmonella variety), it becomes a lovely meal!

*****

As for the cartoons above, I am glad that my cats who stay downstairs at night don't try to wake me up for food during the night or early in the morning. They are very well-behaved.

I love the Maxine! LOL! Patrick Dempsey, you've really made it big now that you are in a cartoon with her! Hee hee!

A BIG CONCERNI am very concerned tonight for a long-time

A BIG CONCERN

I am very concerned tonight for a long-time online friend who is suffering from Parkinson's disease. In letters I have received from him lately, he has talked about supposed recent events that are surprising, fantastic, and I feel have not happened. I was thinking that he might be having mini-strokes, as he is in his 70's, but then I did a Google search today under "symptoms of advanced Parkinson's" and this is what I found:

"Ask the Experts about Psychiatry/Mental Health for Advanced Practice Nurses
from Medscape Nurses

Managing the Psychological Symptoms of Patients With Parkinson's Disease?
Question
I am interested in knowing more about patients experiencing delusional and psychotic symptoms while being treated for Parkinson's disease. Antipsychotic medications affect dopamine levels and sometimes cause the symptoms of Parkinson's to worsen. I would like to know what approaches to treatment have been effective in managing these patients' symptoms.

Response from Maren S. Mayhew, MS, ANP, GNP
Nurse practitioner, specializing in geriatrics.

As we have improved the treatment of Parkinson's disease, patients are living longer and developing the psychotic symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease. Risk factors for developing psychosis include dementia, sleep disturbances, and nighttime use of long-acting dopamine agonists."

I had no idea. As the title says, I am very concerned about my friend. I don't know of anything to do other than to write to him as I usually do when I hear from him (today I didn't) and to pray for him. I get concerned and discouraged about my medical difficulties at times but situations like this friend's make me put them into better perspective.

PROGRESSThere is a saying

PROGRESS

There is a saying that Steve always used to quote: "If all else fails, read the directions." That applies, I believe, to my flyer from my physical therapist, which I have gradually been reading more and more thoroughly and finding out that I haven't been doing my exercises as often or as many reps as I should have. That's probably okay, though, because I have built up gradually to the number indicated.

Yesterday, folding laundry wasn't nearly as painful as it had been the week before. (I was glad to have my little helper, Socks, too, as shown below.)



The day was so beautiful when the sun came out in the afternoon yesterday that I went outside and picked up all sorts of small branches that had blown off the trees during the strong winds a few days ago, in anticipation of Jeff mowing, which he has just let me know he will do tomorrow. I also cut down a few thistles that are growing by the garage, which is separate from the house. I am doing that a very few at a time. I was given strict orders by my PT not to aggravate my arm.

One thing I was told, as well, and have noticed, is that raising my right arm up is very painful and is a no-no. I do it entirely with my left arm, and that has brought me a great deal of relief from pain.

I didn't work Wednesday night but will work over the weekend, as is necessary. Slow and steady is the answer, with frequent breaks.

It is such a relief to not be in pain all the time! I can't believe I waited so many weeks to tell my doctor what was going on and get the referral to physical therapy. I am glad now for my progress.

*****

With ID thieves out there, I get a bit on the panicky side when I don't get any mail, as was the case yesterday. I contacted my neighbor via e-mail to see if she had gotten any, but they have a post office box in town. Today there was mail, though, so I feel better.

J.D. ON TVMy 39-year-old (thus

J.D. ON TV

My 39-year-old (thus eldest) son, J.D., was on Portland, Oregon's KGW Channel 8's 6:00 news last evening, and above are pictures that I took of him being interviewed. He had said yesterday on the Twitterblog portion of his main blog yesterday that the interview had taken 90 minutes but the piece itself was 90 seconds. It was about tips he has for people on his very successful Get Rich Slowly blog, on how to do just that: Get rich slowly. He has not only talked the talk but walked the walk as he got completely out of debt in 3 years. This is impressive because he is a man that loves technologically-developed devices but he advises restraint in not buying every new gadget that comes on the market.

(BTW, although I have posted the above photos to Flickr, this time I uploaded them from my Windows database so clicking on them will just enlarge them, not take you to my Flickr site.)

I thought J.D. did a fine job on his interview and I was impressed and (very motherly, of course) proud.

*****

Today I am feeling less sore and ill in starting out the day, although I am more tired because I had quite a restless night last night. I have been having odd dreams the last couple of nights, too, although I can't remember them very well now. I delayed working until the weekend so that I can do the filing slowly and take lots of breaks; I am still doing laundry today and trying to go easy on the sore arm in the process, especially of folding clothes.

*****

I had a couple of family e-mails yesterday. One was from my youngest sister, Kathy, the new nurse, and she has started working graveyard shifts. She says it is quite an adjustment, which I know from when Steve worked nights. The other e-mail was from my Aunt Joan. She said that her daughter Mary's husband David has a blood clot from his ankle to his thigh and that prayers are needed for him. This has happened after ankle surgery. She didn't exactly say so, but she indicated that although she is Mormon, she feels that prayers from all faiths are very helpful. It sounds serious but my online friend Lynn said that her husband's cousin also had a bad blood clot and that medication cleared it up, so I am hopeful and will let my aunt know that.

TAKING IT EASYThank

TAKING IT EASY

Thank goodness that son Jeff is able to make the Costco trip for my business this week because I woke up incredibly sore and ill-feeling. Typing doesn't help.

I did want to share the teacup bouquet I bought yesterday to commemorate Mom's birthday on the 16th. It reminds me so much of her because she inherited her mother's teacup and saucer collection.



Of course, Socks was crazy about them and had to sniff and bite them. Here is a shot I took of her doing that. (I have to hold the camera in my left hand; it's too heavy for my right arm to support without a lot of pain.)



It's a wonder that I got the bouquet home in one piece because on the way back from Fred Meyer's, a lady pulled out in front of me on the highway (99E) and it took all of my braking power to stop without hitting her. Everything on the front seat went flying, but the bouquet had been on the floor and somehow managed not to be broken by the flying clipboard and other objects that had been on the seat but wound up on the floor as well.

I have gone no mail on a couple of lists and I am being very quiet on the remaining ones. My correspondence will likely be light. I may see you here tomorrow; I may not. Best wishes to you all.

THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER

THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER

An amateur photographer was invited to dinner with friends,
and he took along a few pictures to show to them. The
hostess looked at the photos and commented, "These are very
good! You must have a good camera."

The photographer didn't make any comment, but as he was
leaving to go home, he said, "That was a really delicious
meal! You must have some very good pots."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

The above joke came to me from my friend Jackie. I had to gulp and hope I hadn't said something similar to my photographer friends, although a camera's quality can make a big difference. LOL!

*****

There was a blurb running across the bottom of the Northwest Cable News channel yesterday, saying that the Mormon Church (which I was born and raised in) was celebrating the 30th anniversary of the "revelation" which gave the Mormon priesthood -- which is held only by men -- to blacks.

I did a search on Google about this subject as I was curious as to how the event was going to be celebrated. I found an interesting article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the subject (which you can access by clicking on the link in the first part of this sentence). It covers both positive and negative aspects of the LDS Church's handling of the blacks in the past and a current example of a black convert.

Until the time of the "revelation", individuals with any black blood in them at all were unable to attend the Mormon temple ceremonies. I have a good friend who went through these ceremonies quite a few times (they are done in proxy for people who are dead), only learning a few weeks before her mother died that her father had been partly black. According to Mormon doctrine, she shouldn't have gone through the temple ceremonies before the change in beliefs, but of course she had no way of knowing that.

I have written my LDS friend Fran in Utah to ask what the Mormon Church is doing to celebrate this anniversary, but I haven't heard from her yet.

I still believe that the "revelation" was one of convenience, as so many of them seem to have been, because at the time, college football teams were threatening to boycott BYU's team due to the church's stand on the blacks not being able to hold the priesthood.

Brigham Young and other early church leaders had said that blacks would never hold the Mormon priesthood, and Young had gotten even pithier than that, with very strong statements about what he would do to a mixed-race couple. Perhaps his adament anti-black thoughts reflected the thought of a majority of whites during his time; I don't know.

I am truly glad that those times have changed, to the extent that we have a black candidate for President of the U.S. But that is going onto a different subject. I do think that black individuals who are interested in the LDS church should do some research to see what the LDS church once believed about them. If they can live with those old beliefs, then fine. I'm not sure I would be able to if I were in their shoes.

*****

There is still no word on my brother-in-law Stan's condition. I have quite a few members of several lists praying for him. I am hoping and praying that he will have a good quality of life for a long while, despite what I have read on his daughter's blog about the possibility that he could have kidney failure.

*****

I am about ready to eat lunch, take another Vicodin, and then nap. (The neighbors' dogs are out and barking, which may make napping difficult, but maybe they will be back in the house by the time I try to get to sleep.) The Vicodin may get me through the barking if it continues. ;-) The arm got some exercise, taking the recycling out today, so has been sorer than the Vicodin could readily handle this morning, but that should change this afternoon.

I am really hoping that an evaluation of my arm will show that it is getting better on its own, and that it will just take time. I can guarantee that I am going to be more careful in what I insist that this 60-year-old body does!

MY DOCTOR'S DECISION ABOUT

MY DOCTOR'S DECISION ABOUT MY ARM


I am in between Vicodin doses -- or rather, at the end of one and while waiting for the new one to take effect and pretty well knock me out -- so I will blog quickly in the meantime. I am quite relieved at the moment despite my need to rely on this painkiller for now, as I heard from my doctor this morning and she is putting in an order for me to be evaluated by the Physical Therapy department. I will need to give the order 24 hours to go through, which means that I need to call on Monday to get an appointment set up, hopefully at the Tualatin Clinic, as it is closest to me.

I am also thankful that my arm pain didn't radiate down into my forearm and hand last night the way it did the night before, when I hurt horribly. My night's rest last night was fairly reasonable, although I still can't sleep on my right side.

I do hope that there is promise in this future, possibly including PT, to be pain-free!

*****

The following joke came from my friend Jackie:

Caution

A pharmacy major was taking a course in Dispensing. One day
they were discussing the various labels affixed to
prescription containers, such as, "Take with food," and
"Take with water."

At the end of class, the professor passed out a few sample
labels.

Days later he noticed that one member of the class had
stuck one of them onto his chemistry textbook. It read:
"Caution: May cause extreme drowsiness."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

Somehow I can relate very strongly to this joke. LOL!

*****

A few days ago, I mentioned a family member who is in the hospital with some serious health problems. This is my brother-in-law Stan (my late husband Steve's sister Virginia's hubby). My most recent report is that he is in surgery due to a large blood clot in his bladder and a kidney stone in each kidney. His daughter, who blogs under the name of Mrs. Darling, is able to keep the family updated due to her daughter having brought a laptop that is usable from their motel room in Boise. I can't complain about my health problems much when I think about those that people like Stan have.

*****

I received a very cute e-mail from grandson Noah this morning, thanking me for the truck I gave him as a preschool graduation gift. It made my day! (He dictates his thoughts to his mother, who types them in and sends them to me.)

THE VICODIN FUZZY-BRAINI

THE VICODIN FUZZY-BRAIN

I took a Vicodin about an hour ago, and my head is telling me it's time to sleep. LOL! How could I take a Vicodin when they didn't come in the mail yesterday? you may ask. Well, I did a second check of the mailbox last night and either I missed them the first time around or else the mailman had accidentally skipped them the first time he came through and brought them back to the mailbox later. I have traded off a brain that thinks at the moment for a pain-free arm. I will try to write this post all the same; if that doesn't work, I will save it as a draft and get back to it later on.

I had purchased ingredients for a couple of dishes yesterday morning so I decided to make them while they were fresh yesterday afternoon, using my left arm as much as possible. The first was Blueberry Breakfast Scones from the Better Homes and Gardens Simple Everyday Diabetic Meals Cookbook. Here are pictures of them -- first on the cookie sheet and ready to bake, then baked and glazed, and a piece on a plate, ready to eat. They contain finely-grated orange peel in addition to blueberries -- yum!







The only problem I had with them was getting the inside baked completely. It isn't bad -- just a hair underdone -- so I am warming the slices up before eating them.

*****

Yesterday I had an e-mail from a lady who is working on the Schmap Northwest Photo Shortlist, and she wanted to know if it was okay to put the following photo in contention for use in her project.



The shot is of the Sternwheeler, which had been moored at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon, for the previous couple of days before heading upstream. This picture was a lucky capture. It will be fun if it is selected.

*****

BTW, thank you to everyone who urged me to contact the doctor about my arm. I have e-mailed her, although there has been no response yet. They do say to give the clinician 48 hours to get back to the patient. I have waited this long; it won't matter much if I have to wait another couple of days. My feeling is that the arm is just slow to heal, but maybe she will have other ideas.

NOT A GOOD DAYI am trying

NOT A GOOD DAY

I am trying to go about my daily activities as usual, but my arm is rebelling. As a result, I am feeling quite sick to my stomach. I probably should contact my doctor but I'm going to wait until Friday, I think, as I have just bugged her about my "barnacles". One good thing is that my refill for Vicodin has been okayed, and my nurse friend Sheila said that having that happen would probably indicate that my clinician recognized that my pain could take a while to clear up. It didn't come in the mail today, though.

I feel kind of silly because of others I know who are going through so much worse. That's one reason I push myself to try not to baby my arm. I regret it after I use it in a normal fashion, though. I am quite inclined to do my best not to use it for the next few days; however, that is easier said than done.

One thing that cheered me up this morning was seeing a fat bunny in my back yard. What a cute creature! Socks saw it, too, after a bit, and was quite intrigued from her perch in the utility room window.

I am very concerned for a family member right now and I keep checking the family blogs, as he is in the hospital and the possible ailments they were checking him for were extremely serious. I guess no news is good news on that front so far today. My prayers are going up for him.

I guess it's time to take the ice off my arm. Sheila also said that having to ice it a lot isn't a good sign. But as Steve used to say, "You've just gotta be tough." That's what I'm trying to do, although I am also trying to limit my social contact right now because pain makes me grumpy. Grrr!

COUGH SYRUP POPDue to

COUGH SYRUP POP

Due to shopping at a different store for pop than usual a couple of weeks ago, I wound up having to buy diet Dr. Pepper in the cherry-vanilla flavor. When I tried drinking a can of it a couple of days later, I found that it reminded me more than anything of cough syrup. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to drink the small case of 12 cans that I had bought, but I seem to have gotten used to it in the time since then. However, I don't plan to buy more if I can help it.

*****

The following cartoon, which came in a mailing last night, reminded me of a picture of Socks when she was quite little. I am posting that shot after the cartoon:
























Hee hee -- I get such a kick out of Socks. She is very different from any other cat I've ever had.

*****

This afternoon is my appointment to have my moles checked. In the meantime, I took 1/2 a Vicodin this morning, for my still-sore arm. My nurse friend, Sheila, feels that I need to have the arm re-evaluated. I am not quite sure how to go about that. I will wait until after the moles are checked before tackling the question of the continuing pain in my deltoid. The Vicodin is making me very sleepy so I will likely nap, setting the timer so I don't go over the time I need to leave for the clinic this afternoon. I will report on the suspicious spots and the evaluation of them when I get back.

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? ;-)

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.

AM I CRUNCHY?I have

AM I CRUNCHY?

I have good friends, Alison and Greg, who are from England but live part of the time in Virginia, near Colonial Williamsburg. (Greg has commented here quite often.) Each have their own blog, and when I checked in on Alison's yesterday, she had a picture of a green bumper sticker with white lettering on it. (She gets amazing pictures of interesting and funny license plates and bumper stickers to post on her blog.) The bumper sticker said:

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School"

I would provide a link to Alison's blog so that you could see the bumper sticker for yourself but she has set it up to be viewable only by friends and family.

At any rate, she wondered what it meant, and so did I. I checked it out on Google and found the saying in a number of different contexts -- mostly on other blogs -- but no where did I see it explained. Do you know what it means? If so, let us know!

*****

Today is a big day in U.S. politics, as the Indiana and North Carolina primaries are being held. I will definitely be watching the results tonight. Go Obama!

*****

Yesterday while I was on the computer in the afternoon, I suddenly heard the welcome sound of the lawn mower outside. I hadn't said anything to Jeff about the lawn needing mowing but he apparently knew that it was about time, and he spent a good while mowing it. When I wrote my e-mail to thank him, he said that he hadn't been able to do as much as he had wished to because the rain had made the grass quite wet and it hadn't dried out enough to cut well. That's not a problem as far as I'm concerned because it is great to have the grass short. (Which once again reminds me of my mother-in-law's saying that the two things she liked best were a haircut on a man and a freshly-mowed lawn.) I also enjoy the smell of fresh-cut grass.

*****

I just took a Vicodin so -- once again -- I expect to get drowsy in a little bit. I skipped mine this morning as I was driving to Costco and back. I am going to try to get by tomorrow morning without it again, as I will once again be driving, and then go for 1/2 of a Vicodin in the afternoon and probably keep it at 1/2 tabs for a couple of days. I don't want to get hooked on this pain killer, as has happened to other people.

I received information about high blood pressure this morning in the mail, from my HMO, Kaiser. I am hoping and praying that my blood pressure will be much lower tomorrow. One of the recommendations I noticed in the literature I received was to avoid salt, which I already knew was the case for someone with high blood pressure. Kind of weird about that, though, is the fact that I've had low sodium counts and they just have come up in this last batch of tests, according to my doctor last week.

*****

I watched most of the episodes of "Little People, Big World" that ran on the Learning Channel yesterday evening. For some reason, after I watched the part towards the end of the last one shown, where Amy suggests to Matt that maybe they should separate, I came upstairs and didn't watch the last of it, so I don't know what happened. I guess I'll have to catch the following episode next week to find out, unless some kind-hearted soul who watched it can fill me in. It does appear that Matt got himself in a fix in doing a huge remodel of their house. I have to wonder how he managed to extricate himself from that -- IF he did!

Then I watched "Jon and Kate Plus 8". It's a cute family but I certainly wouldn't be able to handle having 8 children! At least, Jon doesn't seem to be rolling his eyes over some of the things Kate says when they are being interviewed now. LOL!

YOU'RE GOING WHERE?Since Blogger doesn't want to upload my

YOU'RE GOING WHERE?

Since Blogger doesn't want to upload my Ziggies right now, I will instead post a picture of Silver that I took yesterday after I got my suitcase out and put it on the dining room table in preparation to pack it.



Even though he was just doing his catly duty and investigating something new, or in this case, perhaps forgotten, I thought the picture made him look like he was telling me he thought I should stay home! LOL!

*****

I have continued to follow the FLDS drama on CNN and I was quite dismayed last night to hear a report that quoted a Texas ranger as saying that they found a bed in the temple and that it was used for nefarious purposes. I am concerned that people who don't know much about the mainstream LDS church will assume that similar things go on in their temples. (My mother-in-law Lola told my late husband Steve and I many years ago that she thought that there were sexual ceremonies in Mormon temples.) That certainly was never my experience in attending any of the several Mormon temples that I went through. The ceremonies were somewhat strange and bizarre, IMO, but never anything like what was reported last night about the FLDS temple.

(If any Mormons are reading this who have followed previous comments I've made about the LDS Church, don't faint; yes, I actually am defending your -- and my former -- church here.)

*****

I heard from my sister Kathy yesterday about her new job, with more detail as to what she will be doing. She will be working at a medical center/hospital in Post Op. It seems that such a position could be a good one for a nurse who is getting started. I am looking forward to hearing how it goes for her. I would imagine it will be a lot easier than the time she spent as a nurse trainee in a Psych ward, which she told me about during one part of our drive from Logan, Utah, back to Twin Falls, after Mom's interment.

*****

I was having a lot of discomfort yesterday in my left collar bone area, which I have mentioned before, telling about how I broke it when I was 5. I tried to keep from using it too very much but I sent out prayer requests on the lists I'm on that are dedicated to that kind of thing, containing people who love to pray for those needing prayer. I went to work after that, unsure if what I was doing in putting papers in the filing cabinets would irritate it more, but I actually began to feel better. I slept well overnight without discomfort and I have felt fine this morning. I had been concerned about how I was going to make the drive out to the coast and take care of my luggage on Sunday but today I am feeling more optimistic about that. I am going to rest my arms by not typing as much as usual and maybe reading this afternoon. (The chime on the dryer may not allow me to get my usual nap, but I'm not feeling sleepy at the moment, anyway.) At any rate, I feel that the prayers of my online friends have been answered -- I am quite amazed by the lack of achiness in my left shoulder today. The difference is like night and day.

Just Like Heaven

I watched another movie having to do with death yesterday; these last movies I have watched with that theme have come at such a coincidental time, because I put them in my queue months ago. It was "Just Like Heaven," starring Reese Witherspoon, who I like a lot. I especially liked her in this movie, as a spirit entity who is fighting a new tenant for her San Francisco apartment, and only he can see her. It was rather far-fetched but a cute romance and it fit the bill as being what I needed at the time.

*****

The Ziggy above is also quite ironic today as I learned something on my son J.D.'s blog about our truck driver that I hadn't known, and if you're interested enough to find out what, go to the link earlier in this sentence. I don't know if there has been any suspicious activity or not -- no one has told me -- but this has added to the concerns I have these days.

*****

I was feeling very ill last night, and almost living in the bathroom. Today has been a little better but not much. If I continue to have difficulties, I may not be able to go to the funeral home tonight, as it is about a 45-minute drive one way. I have sent a large standing spray arrangement of flowers that will arrive at the church before Ron's memorial service tomorrow, so the family will know I'm thinking of them, hopefully, even if I don't get there tonight. (As you may recall, I am babysitting grandchildren Noah and Emily tomorrow afternoon so DIL Steph can go.)

I had thought my internal troubles might be because of the Glucerna bars I ate yesterday, so I have been staying away from them today. Or it could well be medication side effects. Or maybe it's a case of what stress does to my diverticulosis. Or maybe I'm actually ill?

*****

I have gotten involved in writing this entry and forgot that I let Socks come in here and have forgotten to take her out again. So far, she has been very good, but I am not going to hold my breath so I am going to end this before she can roll over on the on/off switch on the surge protector or something like that.

Just Like Heaven

I watched another movie having to do with death yesterday; these last movies I have watched with that theme have come at such a coincidental time, because I put them in my queue months ago. It was "Just Like Heaven," starring Reese Witherspoon, who I like a lot. I especially liked her in this movie, as a spirit entity who is fighting a new tenant for her San Francisco apartment, and only he can see her. It was rather far-fetched but a cute romance and it fit the bill as being what I needed at the time.

*****

The Ziggy above is also quite ironic today as I learned something on my son J.D.'s blog about our truck driver that I hadn't known, and if you're interested enough to find out what, go to the link earlier in this sentence. I don't know if there has been any suspicious activity or not -- no one has told me -- but this has added to the concerns I have these days.

*****

I was feeling very ill last night, and almost living in the bathroom. Today has been a little better but not much. If I continue to have difficulties, I may not be able to go to the funeral home tonight, as it is about a 45-minute drive one way. I have sent a large standing spray arrangement of flowers that will arrive at the church before Ron's memorial service tomorrow, so the family will know I'm thinking of them, hopefully, even if I don't get there tonight. (As you may recall, I am babysitting grandchildren Noah and Emily tomorrow afternoon so DIL Steph can go.)

I had thought my internal troubles might be because of the Glucerna bars I ate yesterday, so I have been staying away from them today. Or it could well be medication side effects. Or maybe it's a case of what stress does to my diverticulosis. Or maybe I'm actually ill?

*****

I have gotten involved in writing this entry and forgot that I let Socks come in here and have forgotten to take her out again. So far, she has been very good, but I am not going to hold my breath so I am going to end this before she can roll over on the on/off switch on the surge protector or something like that.