THE DUST WILL WAIT

I remember this day well. There was over 10 inches of snow and an Arctic chill had our valley shivering in it's grasp. Several hours of my morning were spent concentrating on an icicle growing towards the ground outside my living room window. I breathed a rhythmic chant of hee hee hee hee, hoo hoo hoo hoo. The hubby timed contractions. Our middle daughter was anxious to make her debut. During one excruciating contraction the water broke with an audible pop. It would have matched the sound made when Lou Ferrigno performs his infamous blow up of a hot water bottle . I provided a little extra thrill by splattering ambiotic fluid all over the bed and the wall. The eyes of the student nurse (who was assigned to me for her maternity rotation) flew wide with astonishment and wonder. Later, she told me the same could be said of mine. I wonder if she has heard anything like that since. The OB nurse said it was a rare occurence. I also immediately experienced bearing down pains a...

Three weeks ago, Ada passed from this earth, thus ending 97 years of a well-lived life that began on July 8, 1909 in Bertha Minn. 00000000000 (Ada as baby -->) These past four years Ada has lived in her own little world. A world from which you could pull her out for a quiet greeting or a dimpled smile. However, not for long. She was happy in there. Perhaps she was remembering the years that brought her to this place. Her Papa moved the family to McCall , Washington when she was five. Her Uncle convinced them there was "gold" growing on the the hills in Eastern Washington . He was a wheat rancher and the yield was filling the coffers. Unfortunately, Ada 's papa made a poor choice, ended up with scabland, and was not able to support them. She would walk with her sisters down the railroad tracks and fill her apron with coal that had fallen from the passing trains so they could heat and cook in the little sha...

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I picked up this silly quiz from Michele (The bloggin g Chicks Guru) It suggested she get a pet pony and get in shape with pilates . Mine are just downright ridiculous. That's what keeps us coming back to these stupid quizzes, isn't it? I hope you have better results than I did. Your New Year's Resolutions 1) Get a pet hedgehog 2) Eat less onions 3) Travel to Korea 4) Study cannibal cultures 5) Get in shape with capoeira What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be?

1st hint: It is catch and release 2nd hint: This is something Susan in VA would hold with fear and trepidation Barngoddess guessed it. It's to catch spiders. But I have no plans to release those poor little house spiders outside into the freezing weather. That would be torture. The Spiderman super hero hubby will no longer be required to catch those 8-legged monsters. The hubby and I agreed not to share gifts for Christmas because we gave each other repairs on the garage door, the dryer, the water heater, and now my lovely hole in the head. (No. Insurance will be very careful what costs it covers on anything associated with aesthetics and extracted teeth. ) On Christmas Eve I opened this weird gift from the hubby. Do you know what it is? I laughed and inquired, "What the hey?" Finally I found a very small printed set of instructions. It is the hubby's way of saying he resigns his position and assigns his super powers over to me. I will be working on a name that will ...

Having to travel home on Christmas Day was a bummer. Were some of the people on the highway heading somewhere to make merry, or were they going home like we had to do? How about those truckers? Some people don't celebrate Christmas so maybe it was just another day to work. The wonderful beauty of the Columbia River Gorge is not cluttered with any kind of billboards. None. Oregon did one thing right. PS. Check out Amanda and our our Friday night travel story.

UPDATE 12/23 All is well. But not something I will ever want to do again. I will keep you posted on the progress of a bone graft that was started -- Hoping that Amanda will share our travel story after the holiday and you will all pop in to her blog to read it. In the meantime all of those who mentioned they have clinching problems please ask your dentist about a NTI Suppression Device . Once more MERRY CHRISTMAS and all the other happys that people share this time of year. This morning we were supposed to be merrily singing across Oregon to spend the Christmas weekend with two daughters. And wishing we could see the third daughter in California. Instead: I am scheduled to see an oral surgeon. The week was going to be busy already with just the usual year end rush at work. I had added to that a decision to create a calendar for one side of the family. Unfortunately for the hubby's half, I knew I didn't have time for a 2nd calendar. Last Firday night I felt ill. The week...

This is The Christmas Tag of Joy from Marnie . She didn't provide a cheat sheet so I guess I will have to provide my own answers. I am under the microscope. Wiggling. (1) Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog? I'm not choosy. Whichever one you're pouring. (2) Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? I'm not sure. For years I've thought about hanging a "sold" tag around my neck and just lying around to find out if he wraps me. (3) Colored Lights on tree/house or white? On our tree Christmas Past, we have multi-colors. I've seen the total white effect and it is pretty, too. (4) Do you hang mistletoe? I have.. I didn't this year. That is because Vicki couldn't carry a shotgun and a ladder both. (5) When you do put up your decorations? I don't like to put up Christmas decorations. That means I have to take them down. Can I leave them up all year? That would solve two problems: taking them down this year and putting th...

Several have asked about Goober. My 4-year old granddaughter is home. Just as they have done during past extreme asthma attacks, the doctors prescribed Prednizone (steroid) which is taken in a large initial dose. As a precaution she is taking Zithromax, an antibiotic. She was already using Singular and Xopenox ( an inhalant.) Next week she should be weaned from the Prednizone, finished with her Zithromax and switched from Xopenox back to Albuteral, which is breathed through a machine, and Asthmacourt, an older but tried and true inhalant. That's too much information, isn't it? (You should have seen my spellchecker light up on those meds! ! !) When I talked to her on the phone this evening, she was happy and enjoying being home with her brothers and sister.

Heather Goodman over at L'Chaim mentioned today that she had never seen an Angel. "I've heard they're pretty scary warriors with the glory of the Lord accompanying them sometimes, which always inspires fear. Either that, or they come to tell you your pregnant. So I'm okay with not seeing them for now." I giggled over the pregnant part of her statement. Then I recalled the conversation I had with my sister Sandra earlier this week. This will be her first Christmas without her husband of nearly 44 years. This summer he died in her arms. On Thursday, she was in the card aisle of the store looking for the ideal one for her two sons and daughter. Time slipped by quickly as she read the many choices. She wanted a card that conveyed something special to each of them, as she knew they would have an empty place in their heart this holiday season. Finally! She found the one that had the perfect sentiment. The artistry gave her comfort and the words gave eloque...

ELF YOURSELF Couldn't help myself.

Thank Heavens For Little girls. For Little Girls Get Bigger Everyday. Thank heaven for little girls They grow up in the most deli gh tful way Those little eyes so helpless and Appealing. One day will flash and send you crashin' thru the ceilin' Thank heaven for little Girls thank heaven for them alll no matter where no matter who For without them , what would little boys do? Thank heaven... thank heaven... Thank heaven for little girls! Happy Birthday Karmyn.

Update early sunday. Doing better. The past three days everything I have done has been shadowed with worry because my 4 year-old Goober is in the hospital with another severe asthma attack. I come from a long line of grandma's who "take in worrying for a living." (A quote from my late mother.) However, this is more. When Goober was not quite three, I tag teamed with my daughter Jen through a weekend in Intensive Care. I know what it is like to watch a small child's stomach muscles contract in desperate attempt to expand the diaphragm and pull air into the lungs. I remember the plea's of help that came only from her eyes because the rest of her body has relinquished control to allow all energy to focus on one more breath. Then came the relief I felt when her first little smile begat a sweet request for a drink of water. Last night my brother Tom called to check on Goober's progress. He shared some memories of his own asthmatic childhood. Our parents wo...

Do you ever feel like some days your brain and your body are disconnected? At work we put the freshly brewed coffee into a carafe that keeps it thermos hot all day. The other morning at work I poured coffee in a mug, added creamer, and went on with my business. Not long after that someone else went to get coffee. Where was the coffee? It was no where to be seen. Finally, someone looked in the fridge in the lunch room and EUREKA, there it was. Everyone laughed at and with me. The laughter continued as each person admitted to their own distracted actions. The most common one was the early morning milk in the cupboard and cereal in the fridge. There were some other misplaced items that had people perplexed and amused. However, we all agreed that our co-worker Dan won the prize for the strangest one of all. He opened his fridge early one morning to discover his iron. What have you put away where it didn't belong? ****update**** revealing comments ...

Tuesday night dinner is often a brief encounter with the hubby at ARBYS. Usually he is heading home from a class he is teaching and I am on my way to Watercolor. Schools out, but Arby's still in. Tonight, as we sat and chatted over French Dip and Santa Fe Salad, I told the hubby that Karmyn had posted the story today about our 'Jammin' finding Santa Claus in July at a local Chinese Restaurant. His reminiscing smile beamed across the table but his words were interrupted by a 3 year old rocket that launched from the booth next to us and flew passed us at the speed of..... well... the speed of a 3-year old. Off he ran, around the condiment kiosk and directly to another booth where sat an elderly man with frosty white hair and beard. Beside the old gent sat a smiling lady in a odd knit cap and a kind face. The little guy spread his legs in a bold stance with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked directly into the eyes of the old white haired man, and with a...

There is a small town cuddled up to a cold mountain river, surrounded by the gateway hills to the Blues. Back when we all celebrated Y2K, the town boasted a population of about 1,200 people. Since then it has become a bedroom community to our somewhat larger town and sharing the growing pains of the valley. Homes and property are still more affordable there and twenty miles is not very far to drive, especially for someone coming from a large metropolitan area. Those people from the big cities have been arriving and buying. They are finding an idyllic place where their dollars go father, peace and quiet are the norm, and they break away from the corporate handcuffs. The hubby offered to take me "up" there to a new art gallery that one of the owners had invited him to visit. She and her husband, from the Los Angeles area, bought attached buildings on the "main" street of town. (I think the downtown area extends a whole five blocks.) They are both artists in differ...

The Blogging Chicks Carnival is being hosted this week by Rebecca at Of Making Many Books . The theme is H oliday L aughter , or Laughter in General. Bwaaak Bwaaak Bwaak!! We all need some extra smiles to remind us that this time of year is supposed to be fun. Find some time on Sunday the 10th to kick back and share some belly laughs. By the way, this carnival is open to everyone.

My brother Mike loves to dress up as Santa each year and pass out gifts to good little boys and girls. He practices the HO HO HO and attempts to disguise his voice so that no one will know it is him. He's done an excellent job, too. One year when our middle daughter Jen was 4 or 5, she was beyond excited about Santa's visit. She clapped with delight and was so entranced that she couldn't even open the present that he handed her. Her eyes were glued to him as he waved goodbye, called out to his reindeer, and disappeared out the back door. It wasn't too long after that he quietly sneaked back in through a side door and rejoined the merrymaking. Our daughter, nervous from all the excitement, needed to use the "potty" and her grandma offered to take her. When they opened the bathroom door, there lie Santa's clothes in a heap on the floor. In his haste, my brother had forgotten them. Jen looked up at her grandma with eyes as big as saucers and a mouth draw...

In remembrance of a man buried in the belly of a battleship. His name was Victor Lawrence Jeans. Gram and Auntie Fern called him Cousin Lawrence. He joined the US Navy and was on the USS ARIZONA that 7th day of December, 1941.

Swampwitch tagged me with a Meme ( read hers) that is very similar to one I posted in October. At that time the request was five weird things. The new one circulating the sphere is now demanding that we admit to six. In truth, it would be quicker to name all six things about me that aren't weird. For the first five I'm going to send you back to my October 12 post where you will find yourself in awe of my irregularities. That was probably a poor choice of words. So, drum roll please! Here comes number 6. I can't tolerate having a suitcase on my bed. Do not put a suitcase on any of my chairs, either. A suitcase either belongs on a stand (butler?) or the floor. Think about all those filthy airplane bellies. I've watched through the wee windows of a jet and viewed them being thrown on the ground, on top of questionable shipping boxes, and exposed to whatever chemicals that get blown all over the tarmac from jet exhaust and baggage trams. I don't want to...

When you read about the biggest tailgate party ever held in Seattle it seems like a nightmare from another place and time. That is, until you hear about it first hand from your sister in law who became a player in the scariest traveling day of her life. Tami works just southeast of the Seattle city limits. Monday, November 27 was her day to work until 7 p.m. At 3 p.m., she stepped outside to view the sky after hearing radio reports of a rapid incoming snowstorm. As much as it snows in the towering Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges that surround the Puget Sound, it rarely falls in the I-5 corridor. An uncomfortable shiver ran down Tami’s back which she realized had nothing to do with an imminent hot flash. It was something more malevolent. “I’m going to cancel the remainder of my appointments and head home,” she announced to her co-workers upon her return. Tanya would have to do the same because they were carpool buddies. The other clinic staff laughed off the usual “hysterical”...

On Wednesday, Amanda expounded on the confusion one must encounter when he/she learns English as a second language. Her post is entitled Glish--nn-Eng. She makes up her own words all the time as an aspiring court recorder, so who knows where that one came from. In my list of things "to do," besides Chasing a Tornado and Touching the Northern Lights, I had also penciled in 'Learn to Speak Spanish.' I tried . I signed up for and attended three quarters of Spanish night classes offered at the local community college. Then I gave up. Our teacher was wonderful and encouraged me and the other "adults" that shared the classroom. One evening she asked us to each stand and give a short description of our morning routine. Most of the other students were struggling worse than I. Consequently, none of them understand when I told them in my (ahem!) excellent Spanish that I had gone to the bathroom and then crawled out of bed. The teacher was happy to in...

Julie at Another Chance Ran ch is hosting the Blogging Chicks Carnival of Holiday Recipes on Sunday. Check it out - and send in your own traditional food as well. She didn't say it was open to everyone , but I should think all recipe favorites would be welcome. In the past 10 years I have started a new tradition on Christmas Eve. It has been popular not only with my own family, but friends like to stop by and have a bowl, too. Give me a call and I'll save you a seat! Here is my CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP. (And I don't remember where I got it) The ingredients are highlighted for your list writing convenience. 2 lbs chicken breast 6 cups chicken broth 2 cloves garlic 1 large onion (I use Sweet Onions) 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 whole bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled 1/4 teaspoon salt Place the chicken, bay leaf, and broth in a soup pot and set on moderately high heat. The other ingredients can all be placed in a food processor and chopped up - then add i...

The guy has all the moves. (update, I'm thinking this is the Australian version of the Anniversary Waltz)

Today I have two loads of laundry trying to dry out in various places around the house - because the gas dryer refuses to work. Two weeks ago we had to replace some moving parts on our automatic garage door opener at some significant expense. (number 1) Then I noticed that the hot water wasn't quite getting hot anymore. The repairman found the problem which cost another pretty penny. A new hot water heater would be at least twice that amount. Let's hope this replacement part lasts a few more years. (number 2) Yes! Hot water again. I did two loads of laundry before I discovered that the dryer was turning but there was no heat. (number 3) I told the hubby that something must have happened when the gas was turned off to repair the hot water heater. The dryer was working just fine on Wednesday. This is not the first time old Mr. "bad things happen in three's" has visited my house. I recall one set of three was the garbage disposal, the dishwasher and the...

If you look in my sidebar you will see that I was nominated by Kelly at Pass the Torch for a Perfect Post Award for November for the little story of when I was The Runaway. What a wonderful suprise and a special gesture from a lovely lady. Thank you Kelly!! To read the other nominations just link to Suburban Turmoil.