Boise Temple from the parking lot.

Dinner just before the show

The cozy crowd

I didn't get up until 10:00 this morning and then when we got to Baker City I napped for another three hrs.  Guess I am catching up.
OK, to continue on, what memorable event Bill said I would elaborate on today. As he said we, TRA group,  boarded three coaches around 4:30 in the eve., for a dinner/play in Garden Valley Idaho, called the Starlight Mountain Theatre, surrounded by beautiful mountains.  The ride there was uneventful, meaning we had a great time and arrived safely.  We ate  first and were served by the cast, all young people.  The food was wonderful and the weather was perfect, for the time being.  It is an amphitheater, on a smaller scale.  We were all seated in anticipation of a fun filled eve., and we weren't disappointed, in the least.  At first the actors sang and danced to tunes of the past like "Purple People Eater", "Surfing USA", "The Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" and many, many more.  Then the play started, which was called, "Thoroughly Modern Millie", very cute and well done.  My goodness, what energy they all had.  The sky was beautiful, mostly, white fluffy clouds, temperature was right on for an eve. event outside.  Well into the play the clouds had suddenly turned from a fluffy white to a dirty gray.  Then off into the distance there was lightening and thunder that lit up the sky, which was a bonus for me since I love a good lightening storm.  As the storm got closer we all felt little drips of rain, but the play continued on until the, drips, turned into, drops, and then into streams and then a full fledged down-pour. Off to the sides of the stage are buildings, for props, changing etc. They had us all congregate in these buildings.  As you can see, by the size of the crowd, we were very cozy, too cozy.  In a very short time the rain came to a stop and we all went back to our seats and the play continued on, without missing a beat.  I couldn't help, not, looking at the sky, because it was many shades of light blue blended with hues of purple, very pretty.  The sun went down and the black clouds came tumbling in with more thunder and lightening only brighter this time and we knew the rains were next to follow and we weren't disappointed only this time it wasn't a down-pour, it actually resembled a waterfall.  Within 2 mins. we were all soaked, so the decision to stay or not to stay, the, not to stay, won out.  We all sloshed/running to the buses that were parked on very soggy grass.  Now to the best part of this story.  We all got on our buses dripping wet, but laughing and having a very good time.  Sat down, counted noses and we were ready to go, so off we went, only as the driver was starting out, a couple of lady's walked in front of the bus and he had to stop and then start out again, only this time the bus didn't move, so he tried to back up and it still didn't move. Back and forth over and over again until one of the rear tires was sunk in a ways and the more he tried the more it sunk.  The men got out and tried to push us out, then the idea all we girls to the back of the bus for more weight in the back.  My thought was just get us all out of the bus and then it would be lighter, less weight to push.  Every one had a different idea of how to get the bus unstuck. I felt sorry for the bus driver, as he was doing the best he could.  It really did start to become very funny watching these men doing things like, digging a hole, pushing and pushing this very large bus, putting a board under the tire.  Then a, not big enough, truck came with a tow cable and attached it to the back of the bus, in hopes this would work.  All it did was break the cable and almost burned out the motor of the truck.  Now this is the best part, you will never guess.  Then another truck came by and hooked up to the first truck and they both tried to pull the bus out.  OK, now what.  You know, when in the old movies the good guys are all surrounded and the outlook wasn't good and then the good guys start coming over the hill and everyone is cheering, well I know this isn't on the same page as our situation but after 2 hrs. of trying to move the bus, we saw in the distance something that looked like a tow truck and as it got closer, bright lights shining, we knew it was (the good guys in bright shining armor) a beloved tow truck.  We all cheered and laughed.  At this time the other two buses were still waiting for us, up the road.  Those are the ones I really felt sorry for.  The tow truck driver had the best idea of all, of course, this is their expertise area. He hooked up to the back of the bus with his wench, pushed a button, or whatever and the bus started moving backwards farther and farther until it was unstuck.  And again we cheered and cheered.  We all got back on the bus and we all were on our way, again.  Now if I had let Bill tell the story it would have gone something like this.  We went to a play, out of town, riding on 3 coaches.  The play got rained out so we started to leave but the bus was stuck in the grass.  A tow truck came, pulled us out and we were on our way. Well that is our memorable moment  and now you know the rest of the story.

Our poor disabled coach

Our knight in shining armor

It was a full day again today.  We got up this morning and went to the Temple and then returned to the motel to change and rode over to the Harley dealership as they were putting on a luncheon for us which was very nice.  Back to the motel for an hour nap, then we loaded up onto coaches for a trip to the Garden Valley Starlite Theater for dinner and a play.  It was a memorable evening as we were 2 hrs late getting back to the motel.  I put Robin to bed so it's me again tonight and she will explain tomorrow.

This was our group of 21 bikes for todays ride.  The oldest in our group is over 90 and still rides his GL1000 which he bought new in 1978 and has over 300,000 miles on it.

This is Bill.  Robin was too tired tonight to write, so I'm writing for her.  We got an early start on a ride which looped up and into the mountains today with ideal weather and Robin did very well.  We stopped in Idaho City for lunch on our way back into Boise.  By the time we got down into Boise City it was starting to get pretty hot, so after lunch Robin put on her cooling vest to finish the ride into Boise which was 100 degrees.  That really zapped her energy, so she laid down until dinner time.  Following dinner we had a wonderful program followed buy ICE CREAM. 


"Senior" personal ads.

I am into solitude, long walks,
sunrises, the ocean, yoga and meditation.
If you are the silent type, let's get together,
take our hearing aids out and enjoy quiet times.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: 
freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope, faith."
Winston Churchill

What a great experience to have our pictures taken with Brother Newell.

Today was definitely a day of rest for me, which I enjoyed very much.  I think my only frustration is my tiredness but other than that things are good.  Well, you know, I have to have something to complain about, right.  The weather has been great and we expect it to remain that way, cause we said so, so there.  This eve. we had a nice dinner and then a guest speaker.  Many of you will know who he is when I say his name.  Lloyd K. Newell from "The Spoken Word" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  It was wonderful to have him in our midst and to give such an inspirational message.  He was funny also.  Next time I hear "The Spoken Word" I will see and hear it in a totally different light.  His wife is adorable with very kind, sincere, caring eyes.  I know this is a gift that not everyone is blessed with.  This is all good.


"SENIOR" PERSONAL ADS
  Long-term commitment
Recent widow who has just buried her 4th husband,
and am looking for someone to round out a six-unit
plot.  Dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath not a
problem.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
If all our troubles were hung on a line, I would
have you take yours and I'll take mine.

Bill likes to take pictures of flowers and these are a few around the motel.

Had a very good nights sleep, nice comfy beds, all fluffy and cozy.  This morning we left at 9:00 for our scheduled ride, which was only supposed to last until around 2:00, but we didn't get back until 4:30.  We had lunch at 3:00 and dinner was at 6:00, so needless to say I wasn't the least bit hungry and anyway they were serving Mexican food, which I can't eat, so I stayed in our room and rested, very nice and I am still resting, even nicer. 

"SENIOR"  PERSONAL ADS
FOXY LADY
Sexy, fashion-conscious, blue-haired beauty,
80's, slim, 5'4"  (used to be 5'6"),
searching for sharp-looking,
sharp-dressing companion.
Matching white shoes and belt a plus.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"I am writing my life to laugh at myself, and I am
succeeding."
  Giacomo Casanova

We're off and running, and mean riding.

People starting to arrive knowing they are going to have a great time.  They announced tonight that there will be 100 bikes.

Cute trainler.  Very cleverly done.

Yesterday we had stopped, for fuel about half way between Kenn. and Baker City and noticed it could rain, pretty hard, for the rest of our way. We decided to put our rain gear on, which takes about 15 min. to do so, just to be on the safe side.  Well it did sprinkle for a short while but not enough to warrant, the time, putting on our rain gear.  I guess it is better to be safer than sorrier. (new word)  Today we had the joy of  experienceing lots of rain.   We arrived in Boise around 4:30, safe and sound. I am glad we took two days to get here, because I was ready to get off the bike, but then, it all went better than I thought it would.  We registered and took a rest before dinner.  We had dinner with about 200 TRA people, great fun.  Most people signed up, for fun rides, for tomorrow.  It is good to be here.


A little girl ran to her grandfather, jumped into his arms
and gave him a great big hug.  Then she ran her fingers
along his balding head, down the side of his wrinkled
face.  "Did God make you Grandad?"  she asked.  "Yes
honey, he made me."  She felt her cheek and then asked
"Did God make me?"  "Yes honey he made you too."
"Well" she shrugged,  "Don't you think He's doing a better
job now than he used to?"


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Have a real happy day today!  Enjoy it because
you got up this morning.

Thought I would drop a line before we leave.  We are all packed and the trailer is full to the brim.  No kitchen sink though, thought they would have one there.  Dogs are up at Kristene's, poor Kristene, lucky dogs.


WHAT LOVE IS
"You really shouldn't say "I love you"
unless you mean it.  But if you mean it,
you should say it a lot.  People forget."
  Jessica - age 8  (very wise young lady)

Well, we never have been light packers and this isn't all that we are taking.

Shirley, I will take you up on that, I think after my surgery's we will do the wall because I won't be going anywhere for a while and you can come over then.
Baileigh, sounds as if you had a very good day, and thank you for writing.  I love you too.
I was over at Janene's earlier this eve. and she painted my toes, sparkles and all, very pretty, shiny, pink.  Spent most of the day doing laundry, cleaning and packing.  I seemed to have a lot of energy and I still feel pretty good.  After two yrs., since our last rally, we are almost on our way to the next one, which is in Boise.  I am excited. I may not be able to do my blog tomorrow night since we will be in a motel that doesn't provide internet access.


WHAT LOVE IS
"When you  love somebody, your eyelashes go up and
down and little stars come out of you."  (what an image)
  Karen - age 7


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Some people are always grumbling because roses have
thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses."
    Alphonse Karr

This is Sandy and Pieper after their bath.  Barry is a little camera shy so he didn't get in the picture.

I am so sorry to hear about Larry's sister, not what she was planning, if things weren't bad enough for her and then this happens.
Shirley, thank you for your ideas, for our wall, but I wouldn't know how to put it all together, need more info.
I am trying to think if I went anywhere today and I'm thinking I didn't, even Bill didn't go anywhere and for him that is saying a lot, since he seems to go somewhere everyday.  He just worked all day around here accomplishing many chores on our list.  Did you notice I said...our...list, well maybe it was a lot... my...list.  He groomed all three dogs and then we bathed them,   yes we,   and then I gave Bill a hair cut, which I have been doing since we were first married, a few yrs. ago. 



.Life is what you make of it
kinda like play-doh

Here is a test to find whether your
mission on earth is finished
If your alive, it isn't.



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary,
men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.
   Joseph Conrad

We just purchased this Kinkade picture at a wonderful price but it is on a blank wall and looks very...blank...just hanging there by itself so if any of you have ideas as what to put on either side I would welcome it.  There is a small table underneath.

I'm a bit late with my blog tonight because we were watching the movie "Invictus", which was very good.  Janene was over today and we sewed scarf head/covers, added buttons, shortened and mended jeans and started another night cap.  This eve. we had dinner with our F.H.E. group.  This was a very busy day, but a good one.  It's time for bed but that doesn't mean I am going there, I just know that it is time.


WHAT LOVE IS
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me
all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
  Lauren - age 4


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Pain and suffering are inevitable
but misery is optional.

I bought Bill a new leather couch that reclines for Fathers Day.

Went over to Janene's and Kevin's home, this afternoon, for Father's Day, with family and had another great feast.
Diane, we saw the picture of Joe and Jacob, cute,cute,cute.  Such proud Grandparents.  We will save the picture for you.
I have one cap to wear to bed, very soft and comfortable but one just isn't enough so I went on line to buy more and much to my surprise one would cost 25.00 with shipping, what a deal, so off we went to the fabric store and got 1 yard of fabric, which can make at least 15 of these caps.  Then we proceeded to make a pattern from the cap I have, which only took about an hr.  Tomorrow I will attempt to sew it together and see what I come up with, hopefully it will look like a cap.
Four more days until we leave.....YES!!!

THREE WISE WOMEN

Three Wise Women

Would have...

Asked directions,

Arrived on time,

Helped deliver the baby,

Cleaned the stable,

Made a casserole,

Brought practical gifts and

There would be

Peace on Earth

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember."
   Seneca the Younger

Bill, along with four of his friends, rode thier motorcycles to Dayton this morning for breakfast.  There was a classic car show going on and as part of it they were having drag races with these riding lawn mowers.  Bill said they all have been modified with motorcycle engines.  Very fast!

Well, here it is Sat. night, June 19th....already.  Enjoy and learn from each day because they come and go so fast and today was a beautiful day, which we enjoyed.  Hey, Mick and Barb it is zero hr. for you two, leaving on your much needed vacation.  I will keep you posted on my happenings.  I am so excited for you.  For those of you that don't know, Mick and Barb are my brother and sister-in-law, that live in Portland, OR.   This eve. we went over to Janene and Kevin's, for dinner,  to celebrate Eric's 15th birthday.  What an amazing young man, fun to be with and to talk to. 




My husband has a bad habit of holding his breath during his sleep and then very slowly releasing it, similar to sleep apnea symptoms.  I have gotten used to tapping him lightly to get him to stop holding his breath.  One night, I tapped him and said, "Stop, you are holding your breath."  Without a moment's hesitation he replied while still asleep, "Well, it's mine!"
He is known for his quick wit during his waking hours, and that night I realized how naturally that quick wit must come to him.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty,
they merely move it from their faces into their - hearts.

Well, what do you think?  Pretty cute, huh, for free blouses.

Made a killing today at Macy's, bought 3 blouses for $32.00.  I had a coupon so that helped.  In actuality, in the end, the blouses didn't cost a thing.  You will see what I mean, just follow me.  A couple times a year, a product called "Estee Lauder" offers a nice bag with make-up products inside, if you spend so much, and this time it was $32.00, maybe a touch over.  I had something in mind to buy but they didn't have what I was looking for so I didn't get anything, which saved me $32.00, so in my mind the blouses didn't cost a thing.  You have to think like I think so if you ever need help in saving money I will be glad to help you out.  I save a lot of money this way. 
Got a lot accomplished today, which we need to do everyday, since we are leaving next Thurs.....I'm excited.


WHAT LOVE IS
"Love is when you tell a guy, you like his shirt, then
he wears it everyday."
  Noelle - age 7

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best
piece of chicken."
   Elaine - age 5


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face
trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness,
and triumph with humility.

As you can see, these little stuffed animals are a Lion (representing our high school, Kennewick Lions) a Moose that we got when we were in Alaska, and a new member of the group, a pretty pink bear.  They always travel with us.

Went to "Real Deals" today with Kristene, a really fun store that is open only on Thurs. and Sat.  Amazing prices on many items but I mainly just go to look at what's new since their inventory changes from week to week.  I did buy something today though, a couple of candles that are run by batteries, which is really the best kind.  No flame, no wax dripping, no fire, no soot on the ceiling and it smells good also, what a "Deal".  : )   Came home a bit tired so took a short nap, which I haven't needed to do for quite some time.


HOW THE FIGHT STARTED
My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink, as she sat alone at a nearby table.
My wife asked, "Do you know her?"
"Yes," I sighed,  "She's my old girlfriend.
I understand she took to drinking right after we split up, those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.
"Oh my!" says my wife, "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?"
And then the fight started....


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
People will forget what you said...
People will forget what you did...
But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.

We always try to stop at Darigold, in Sunnyside,  for one of their wonderful ice cream cones, whenever we are returning home from the West.

Well, I had my appointment today with Dr. Droesch (surgeon).  The very good news is the chemo, I was given, worked for me, as in, it shrunk my tumor from a 5 to a 1.  I really was very happy with this news but the other news I wasn't as happy with.  I thought I was going to have a lumpectomy but it seems I will be given the full meal deal as in a radical mastectomy, limp nodes and all.  At first I was a bit shocked but I feel better about it now, just one more step in my.....Adventure.   I certainly wouldn't want to be left out of anything.  Here is my schedule of events....I did all the preliminaries today at the hospital, so that is out of the way.  A week from tomorrow, as in Thurs., we head for Boise, by way of our motorcycle.  We will only go half way so it won't be so exhausting.  Our rally starts Fri. and goes to the following Wed.  We return home on Thurs.  I am really looking forward to this vacation
I am signed up for surgery the 8th of July, hopefully early in the morning.  I have been told I will spend one night, which is plenty for me.  On the 12th I see Dr. Fischer, the 13th  Dr. Droesch, to see if everything is going well and then the 14th, surgery on my elbow.  I am calling this....surgery month, probably one I will never forget.  And then August, more vacations to look forward to,  I'm excited.  Ok, that's all for now.


HOW THE FIGHT STARTED
"My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary". 
She said, "I want something shiny that goes from O to 150  in about 3 seconds.
I bought her a scale.
And then the fight started.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Make a promise to give to yourself as much as you
give of yourself.  Remember, do not put yourself on sale."

I'm a little teapot, short and stout, here is my handle, here is my spout, when I get all steamed up, hear me shout,  just tip me over and pour me out.

Yesterday, on our way home from Yakima, we stopped at Zillah to see the Teapot Dome Service Station.  Now I will give you a little tidbit about the Teapot.   The Teapot Dome Service Station was built in 1922 on what later became U.S. Route 12.  The building has a circular frame with a conical roof, sheet metal "handle," and a concrete "spout."  The station was intended to be a reminder of the Teapot Dome Scandal that rocked the presidency of Warren G. Harding and sent Interior Secretary Albert Fall to prison for his role in leasing government oil reserves in, among other places, Teapot Dome, Wyoming.  The unique service station continued operation as a full service gas station for some years.  When interstate 82 was constructed near Zillah, the station was relocated less than a mile down the Yakima Valley Highway.  It is no longer in operation.  In 2007, the town of Zillah purchased the station, and is attempting to raise money to keep it operational. 
All these years of driving by the Teapot and just now finding out about what it was intended for.  I know, you are going to say....I already knew that.


Had a good day.  We went to see the movie "Shrek Forever After",  this afternoon.  It was real cute but I don't plan to buy it but then I don't buy very many movies.  Bill groomed  our Sandy this morning and there is more to do, such thick hair, and a very pretty color.  I should save it and make a wig, but then again not such a very good idea I guess, I could get fleas and that would be really bad. 


HOW THE FIGHT STARTED
My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping
channels.  She asked, "Whats on TV?
I said "Dust" .
And then the fight started...


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"I intend to live forever, So far, so good".

See what fun we were having.

What a great day, went all the way out of town to Yakima with 9 other class-mates, to visit another class-mate, (for lunch),  that lives in Yakima.  Wow that was a mouthful.  We had a great time, laughing and playing catch-up.  What a great bunch of friends.  Like I have said many times before, the class of  "1962"  is the best.  Hope you found your dress Diane.  We came home and actually crashed for a while.  It was a very good day.



HOW THE FIGHT STARTED
When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive...so, I took her to a gas station.
Then the fight started.



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable."
    John F. Kennedy

This is a California Poppy, very pretty to look at and a little different.

I really do believe Spring is upon us, anyway for now.  Next week could prove to be totally different but that's ok because no matter what the weather is, it is nice outside.  It was nice I was able to go to church today, except, it sure wears me out.  Normally I would be having chemo this Weds. but since I won't be, maybe, I can start getting some energy back, we will see. Kareen was here this afternoon and then Sean, her boyfriend, came by and we had such a great time talking and talking about everything and anything.  He is a wonderful young man.



1955!    That's only 55 years ago!

I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $10.00.
Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging 7 cents just to mail a letter.
When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 25 cents a gallon.  Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.
If they raise the minimun wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store.
Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $50,000 a year just to play ball?  It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President.
The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.
There is no sense going on short trips anymore for a weekend, it costs $2.00 a night to stay in a hotel.
No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $15.00 a day in the hospital, it's too rich for my blood.
If they think I'll pay 30 cents for a hair cut, forget it.



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
    J.K. Rowling

This is Sydney with aspirations of wanting to be a lap/dog.

We just finished watching a movie "I am Sam".  It was full of many very tender moments, display of extreme love, an abundance of patience and a very good message, which brought tears to both of us.  Best of all it had a, feel good, ending and I like that.  Janene and family went to Moses Lake but Kareen stayed behind, due to her working today.  We spent the morning talking and playing with dogs, including her dog, Sydney, a golden retriever.  She is so funny and cute, and  you should see her playing with our 6 lb. Maltese, it's a hoot.  She is very gentle with her but when she touches Pieper, Pieper squawks, not from pain, she just gets excited, very entertaining.



Hospital regulations require that a wheelchair be used by patients being discharged.  However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital.  After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator.  On the way down, I asked him if his wife was meeting him.  "I don't know," he said.  "She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown."


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
          ATTITUDE
The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill, it will make or break an organization...a school...a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past...we cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you...
                                                                                           Charles Swindoll

Amanda and Baileigh gave me this little bear with a  t-shirt and Baileigh's hand print on the front.  Pretty cute huh.

I can hardly believe it but today is the last day of school here and now all the mother's have to figure out what to do with their children all summer long.  We now have a senior, junior, sophomore, 8th grade, 7th, and 3rd.  It is so exciting watching them grow up and explore their interests, as long as the interests are in the right direction and so far they are all, right on track.  I just love being a grandmother as it is the best profession one could have, wonderful fringe benefits, lots of love, hugs in abundance,  and I could just go on and on, you know us grandmothers.



Recently in a large city in France, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym.  It said, "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"  A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.  To whom it may concern, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)  They get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.  They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.  They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia.  Whales are wonderful singers and have been recorded CD's.  They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans.  They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in their world.  Mermaids don't exist.  If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis.  Fish or human?   They don't have kids, not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?  The choice is perfectly clear to me:  I want to be a whale. 
We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, dinner with the man I love, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.  With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Now, you will have to admit these are very pretty head-scarves.

Spent part of the day at Janene's watching her make 4 more head-scarves for me, you see, I must have one in every color to match what I am wearing and this way I can be a trend setter and also very stylish....cool huh. 
Can you believe this weather, I love the rain but there is a limit to wetness.  Your right Diane, the yard looks nice and green and our flowers are doing well so, as always, there is a silver lining to everything.
Hope everyone has a great day because I know I will.


A little more now on the word  UP.
And this UP is confusing:  A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close UP at night.  We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.  It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.  When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.  When it rains, it soaks UP the earth.  When it does not rain for a while, things dry UP.  One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP for now.....my time is UP.    : )



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"It's not an old movie if you haven't seen it."

Looks good enough to eat but not for me.  We made 8 doz. cookies, 24 muffins,  4 loaves of banana bread and 1 cake.

So many foods sound good but when I take a bite it doesn't taste like it should.  This afternoon I made blueberry muffins and they looked and smelled so good but when I took a bite it tasted like soap and not blueberry's at all.  What a disappointment that was. I had Bill taste one but he doesn't like blueberry's so that didn't help me at all.   Bill made some choc. chip cookies and just no taste, not at all and I love choc. chip cookies.  Also made banana bread, for a gift, and I had to have Bill taste it to see if they were any good at all because to me it was blah.  You would think I would lose weight, with my taste buds altered, but oh no not me,  I seem to find enough food that tastes OK.  The cake is a banana cake with choc. frosting, probably tastes awful though.  We plan on giving it to a lucky recipient, anyway I hope they feel lucky after they eat it.  Well, that's our baking experience for the day.



This two-letter word in English has more meanings  than any other two-letter word, and that word is  "Up".  It is listed in the dictionary as an (adv), (prep), (adj), (n), or (v). 
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?  Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why it is UP to the secretary to write UP a report?  We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.  We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.  At other times this little word has real special meaning.  People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.  To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

Well, I have more to share but I will save them for tomorrow night.



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Whenever I get a little money I buy books; if any is left over, I buy food and clothing."
  . Desiderius Erasmus

This is Bill sleeping while I am doing my blog.  I think he was bored or just plain tuckered out.

We got our first movie from Netflix today so we sat right down to watch the "Flight Plan"  movie.  We never watch T.V. or even a movie during the day but I have been wanting to watch this movie, again, for quite some time now.  Bill hadn't seen it before so I had to keep very quiet and not answer his inquisitive questions.  It really is a good movie if you like suspense and drama.  No comedy here.
A bit tired today so, mainly, took it easy, most of the day.  My arm keeps me awake at night and I hate to take pain pills so I use a lot of heat and Tylenol.   Surgery is set for July 14th.



PHILOSOPHY OF HOUSECLEANING
I don't mind the dust bunnies because...they are very good company, I have named most of them, and they agree with everything I say.

I don't disturb cobwebs because...I want every creature to have a home of their own.

I don't put things away because...my husband will never be able to find them again.

I don't stress much on anything because... "A Type" personalities die young and I want to stick around and become a wrinkled up crusty ol' woman!!!!



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Friends are the greatest.
Friends make you laugh till your cheeks hurt.
Friends can pull you out of a dumperday
Friends are always there for you.
Friends are heart-to-heart talks and remember when stories.
Friends are good times shared.
Friends are the best...especially friends like all of you.

 

Chris Woodruff made this string of cranes for me.

The promise of 1000 origami cranes.

In many cultures around the world, the crane has long been considered a symbol of health, longevity, and commitment. Often senbazuru are hung on strings and presented to a person who is ill, as a wish for recovery.

It felt good to go places today after 3 days of staying in but knowing this was my last, stay-in, time, I was ok with it but then I was ok with things before.  Actually we ventured into about  6  stores, all with a purpose in mind, so it never took very long.  I really don't like to shop, as in just looking around, I just, mostly, like to have a purpose.   This afternoon Diane and Larry came by bearing gifts from Chris Woodruff, another classmate's wife.  That was very thoughtful for her to think of me like that.  Like I have said before, with all the love and prayers and thoughts poured upon me, this to shall pass.
It was fun to have a good visit with them.  Class of 1962 is, by far, the best class there ever was.  Getting reaquainted with classmates has been so wonderful for Bill and myself.

Today I read in the paper about this young lady (age 16)  that has a very rare disease called Eisenmenger syndrome, a condition that effects the blood flow to the heart, that in her case is caused by a hole in her heart.  Her blood pressure is high because of the hole in her heart, thus, the pressure stops surgeons from closing the hole.  Not enough blood flows into her lungs and she becomes fatigued and short of breath.  Her parents found a Dr. that repairs high blood pressure using adult stem cells.  Being it's experimental it can't be done in the US so he takes his patients to the Dominican Republic to perform the procedure.  If it is successful she will be able to lead a relatively normal life with no oxygen tank. 
This caught my eye because all this young lady wants is to be able to go to the mall like other teenagers and swim and walk without getting exhausted.  Such simple things for most, that we all take for granite.  It just made me remember how blessed we all are with the simple things in life.  We can go to mailiasmiracle.com to follow her story.  This touched my heart so I will end my blog with this story.

A green sea turtle.  I didn't take this picture, but I did get to swim with a couple of sea turtles on one of our trips to Hawaii.

I wasn't able to attend church today but I will be able to next Sunday and many after that unless we are out of town.  This is really good news for me, it's been much too long in coming.   We are now with the  "IN" group, so to speak, according to our family, because we just signed up for Netflix.  At least we will give it a try.

I have this wonderful recipe, I got from a friend when she made it for one of our get-togethers.  I have made it several times because it is so easy and....oh....so good. 

"Chocolate Eclair Dessert"

2 sm. (3oz pkgs) vanilla instant pudding

3 cups milk

8oz cool whip

1 can chocolate frosting (I prefer milk choc.)

1 box graham crackers ( use most of box)

Layer 9x13 pan with whole graham crackers. Mix pudding with milk; fold in Cool whip.  Put 1/2 of pudding mix over crackers; add another layer of crackers, rest of the pudding and another layer of graham crackers.

Frost top layer of crackers. Best when made the night before.

ENJOY...

MORE PHILOSOPHY OF HOUSECLEANING

I don't wax floors because...I am terrified a guest will

slip and get hurt, then I'll feel terrible.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this:

Decide what you want."     Ben Stein

 

The cutest, hot pink, sequinned, sparkly, shiny pair of tennis shoes.

Today was our class luncheon that I wasn't able to go to but I will be at the next one and the next one and etc.  Before the luncheon Shirley came by, she said she had a gift for me but I never would have guessed what she had in her box, she was carrying.  At our last class get together she was wearing the cutest, black, sequinned,  sparkly, shiny,  pair of tennis shoes.  Several times I mentioned how pretty her shoes were and where she got them and more and more questions.  Well, this sweet friend looked all around and couldn't find what she wanted so she went on-line and found the very same shoe only she felt black wasn't for me so she got me a hot pink pair.  Wow, they are so cute, sequinned, sparkly,  and shiny just like Shirley's.  I will wear them with great pride.  I know I can run faster now. 
Janene and family brought pizza and a movie over because their oven had cooked it's last meal so they needed an oven to cook their pizza and then they shared, oh....shucky darn.
Phil came by to put in the part we got but it didn't work so back to  "Best Buy" on Mon. 



PHILOSOPHY OF HOUSEKEEPING
I don't do windows because....
I love birds and don't want one to run into a clean window and get hurt.



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still, small, voice of conscience."

This is a chalk drawing, that my Grandmother did, of her two horses.

This is my last....low time....so,  three more days and I am free as a bird.     I  -  am  -  excited.    Phil came over today to work on my laptop and computer.   He uses real funny words to explain what he is doing so I just stay out of his way and let his magical fingers do their job and then everything is fixed or he tells us what we need to get to fix things.  Bill is going to Best Buy tomorrow to get the stuff.   To bad I can't go with him but then I am sure he is ok with that because he knows I would find other things I couldn't live without.   I love it when our kids are smarter than we are. 



It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the  US postal service.
Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month.  The day after she died, my 4 yr. old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.  She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her.  I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words.
Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog?  She died yesterday and is with you in heaven.  I miss her very much.   I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope You will play with her.  She likes to play with balls and to swim.  I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog.  I really miss her.
Love Meredith
We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven.  We put our return address on it.  Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.  That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.  A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet.  I told her that I thought He had. 
Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed,  "To Meredith"  in an unfamiliar hand.  Meredith opened it.  Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers,  "When a Pet Dies",  taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had writted to God in it's opened envelope.  On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:
Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.  Having the picture was a big help.  I recognized Abbey right away.  Abbey isn't sick anymore.  Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.  Abbey loved being your dog. 
Thank you for the beautiful letter.
I send my blessings everyday and remember that I love you very much.
Love, God


I will never know if this story is true or not but I like to think it is.  Makes me feel good.

A white rose.  I thought this was so pretty I wanted to share it.

Well,  today was my last day for lunch with my girls, at least for now.  I asked them where they would like to go for our last lunch and they chose Bruchi's.  We will have to sneak in a lunch,  at times, between their busy schedules.  They both got good jobs for the summer and into next year.  They are now officially,   SENIORS,    according to their calculations, which is,  the  "now"  seniors were done today so that makes them the new seniors.  I figure that works.   I am so proud of them. 
I feel good today, even a bit more energy than yesterday.




I have a bit of info from  "Good Housekeeping"  magazine.  (Food for thought)
FALSE:  A tan is a signal that cells have been damaged, says Fairbrother.  When you use a tanning booth, you're getting deeper radiation than you'd get from the sun.  "Tanning booths also give people a false sense of security," she says,  "A tan only gives you an SPF protection of two to four compared to sunblock, which gives you SPF of 30 or more."



More of what does love mean.
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who
are still friends even after they know each other so well."
  Tommy - age 6


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"The joy that isn't shared dies young."
    Anne Sexton

Diggin for the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow.  Actually this is a picture of the beginning of the construction of the first missile silo at the Missile Defense Site just south of Delta Junction, Alaska.

Hey, Diane, or should I say Madam Pres..  Those poor ladys, they won't know what hit them, or are you hoping to get fired right at the get-go.  You and Roxie will be great at your new duty.
Not a whole lot cookin today.  I could give you a run-down on my day but it would be sooo boring.  My two high/lights, for the day, was Janene came by on her way to work and I got a call from my brother, in Portland. 
I'm getting a bit more energy each day so that makes me happy.  It's so great, no more chemo, so that means no more low point, after the chemo and so I will get my energy back totally and also a little hair, but it will take a while and that's ok.



More of what love is.
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start
with a friend who you hate."
  Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom."
  Albert Einstein

Kristene outlining the banner for our TRA rally.

Saw Dr. Fischer today, about my arm, and up until now he always had good news.  No broken bones or torn rotator cuff, just nerve damage, I thought, no big deal.  So, I was wrong, I found out today, nerve damage can be a big deal especially when it is on the side of, severe nerve damage.  Those were the words he said to me and then in a matter-of-factly-way, "you will have to have surgery to fix it".  No way, not now, we have plans for the summer and this just doesn't fit in, "fine" he says, "you don't have surgery and your fingers and hand will cripple up, like this", as he shows me.  Ok, but not before our TRA trip at the end of the month.  He said he could live with that and so could I, so the date is July 14th.  I gave the suggestion of him doing my elbow while Dr. Droesch did the lumpectomy, only knock me out once, right,  but he didn't think that was such a good idea, they would get in each others way.  Funny man!



What does love mean?
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas
if you stop opening presents and listen."
   Bobby - age 7



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."
   Anais Nin