Confused and Lost

I was happily sewing away when puppy in residence began his high pitched yapping. This was my notice that someone was approaching the office. We have a bell that sounds when the door opens and I have yet to convince Wall-E that his help is not necessary. (Can't convince him not to follow me into the bathroom and try to sit in my lap every time I go in there either.) I went into the office to encounter a little old man looking for a campground--not this one. He said the campground was near Williamsburg and that "you could park there, but not stay there". He stopped in Williamsburg and they sent him to me. He was hoping that if he described the park to me I would know how to get there. He offers me his road map. I want to help him, but I have only lived here five years, and the nature of my business keeps me from exploring the area much. He goes on to describe this campground, "It has a lot of water around it, lakes and ponds, but you can't live there, you have to have wheels on your trailer." Okay. I ask if he is sure of the name of the city and ask the name of the campground. Poor guy drove all the way from Michigan to see his daughter. The campground is either hers or she runs it. He said she had no phone, only a cell phone and he left her number in Michigan along with the name of the campground. He finally told me his daughters name, but that doesn't help with a cell phone. He was so confused and lost. He has been to the campground before, but can't remember how to get there. I'm guessing his daughter is wondering where he is and why he hasn't called. I sent him down to the station where Drew works in hopes that somebody will know the campground he is trying to describe. I hate to think of this 90 year old man on the road after dark, lost.

To Shave or Not To Shave....

It is winter. It is cold and I wear long johns under my pants. Got to thinking....what if I quit shaving my legs. Wouldn't that add another layer of insulation? Hmmmm. Not only that, I would save money on razors and save all that time and effort (is this not the epitome of laziness?)! So I decided to give a try (nothing ventured, nothing gained). I let the hair grow for over a month, then I got so sick. That led to more of my pondering and I was afraid that if I died, I would die with really hairy legs. I never stopped shaving my arm pits. I didn't think that would help keep me warm and I would be using more deodorant and that would defeat the whole saving money excuse. Bad enough to die hairy legged, hard to be embarrassed if you are dead; but what if I had to go to the hospital. They might decide to do an EKG and need to hook up electrodes to my hairy legs. Of course they may be so hairy that they would have to shave my legs. But they would only shave the necessary areas and then I would have bald spots on my hairy legs............ When I was a younger woman, long before I started taking my mood altering magic pill, I was known to get up and shave my legs in the middle of the night because the beardy feel against the sheets annoyed me so much that I would be unable to fall asleep. Of course almost everything prevented me from falling to sleep causing me to be really crabby a lot of the time (I should apologize to my children for being a crabby mom). Lack of sleep will do that. All this to say that project "grow leg hair" is officially over. I shaved........took two times to get it all off and that razor is now dead. Hope everyone has a hairless leg day.

Charity Begins at Home??

Yesterday, just yesterday, I was bemoaning the plight of the homeless. I still have empathy for the plight of the homeless..... A few minutes ago a man came into the office here at the campground wearing coveralls that were unzipped at the legs revealing some very unclean jeans. He was small of stature, but that didn't quell the prickly sensation on the back of my neck. He only wanted to get change for a dollar and directions to the interstate. You can see the interstate from my campground and the only thing you might need change for is the laundry or maybe the soda machine. He was lurking around the restrooms, so I locked the office. I am alone here because Drew is at work. To top it off the dogs are acting all hinky (is that a word?). I hate this feeling, but have learned to acknowledge it. I really miss my big dogs. There is nothing quite so comforting as having an animal big enough to take someone out on your side. I don't care what the love of my life says...I AM getting another big dog. Last July on a day such as this (Drew was at work) I was going about my business preparing for a big holiday weekend. I took my phone with me to the side of the building to tend my vegetable garden. Left the store unlocked, as was my habit, because I can see the entrance drive from the garden and make it in to register guests easily. I had several regulars already in the park for the long weekend and if they went into the store for ice or anything they will simply leave the money on the counter or pay me later. One of my regulars found me in the garden and told me he had seen a strange looking man, on foot, come into the park on the other side of the pond. He described him as being a tall white man carrying a rolled up towel and said he looked "European" to him. (I still don't know what that would be...) Knowing this particular camper to be a little strange himself I was doubting his story a little and was glad to see another couple coming up. They had not noticed the strange man and had been walking their little granddaughter through the park--now I am really having doubts. The strange man appears suddenly from the restroom side of the building. He was most definitely tall and was dressed in plaid shorts with a matching polo shirt and sandals and was carrying a shaving kit wrapped with a towel (European, I guess).Emboldened by the number of folks with me I walked right up to the man and asked what he was doing in my park. He said he was "looking" at my restrooms. I told him that he was on private property and not a registered guest; therefore he would either have to register or leave. He inquired about my rates and said they were too high, so I directed him to the state park down the road. He left on foot (Those sandals didn't look all that good for walking the mile he was in for). Having that prickly sensation on my neck I called the sheriff's office to report the incident---for all the good it would do. The next morning I went into "town" (there is a four-way stop with blinking caution lights) and purchased the necessities of the weekend (bread, buns, eggs, etc.). Upon my return Drew told me I had just missed the sheriff. Seems my stranger was an escaped rapist. There was a man hunt in progress, all the local constabulary were out in force trying to find the guy. Leaving me to wonder why they hadn't responded to my call the previous evening. Had they done so he would have been in custody and they wouldn't be searching all the caves and such in the area. So here I sit in my self-imposed prison with my yappy little dogs searching for that empathy of yesterday. The whole story of the rapist in the park is in the book I am currently writing about owning a campgound. Every day is a new adventure here and I try to capture as much as possible from my own unique point of view. Even if I never publish it, it will be good for a laugh or two.

Fashion?

In light of my last post--I am appalled to see all the attention to the first ladies new wardrobe. One dress was described as very affordable at around $400.00. Affordable for who? The mother and her three kids living on the street? I have nothing against Michelle Obama or anyone else who might have the means to buy whatever they want; but in the current economic atmosphere I don't really think it is appropriate to flaunt it (so to speak). I do realize that the media is to blame here, I am not daft, just appalled. How many meals would $400.00 provide for that homeless family? You might argue that the new wardrobe is providing jobs. If so, then she needs to buy even more clothes. Somehow, I don't think that is the answer. Think I'll just turn of the TV and go read a book or take a shower. Maybe I'll just go and flip the bathroom light switch on and off...........

Homeless

TV was on. I wanted to see Dr. Phil's take on the octuplet situation. He is of the opinion that Nadya doesn't "get it". Really. He also thinks that we all need to look beyond it because the children will need help. Anyway, after wasting my time watching I was going about my business, half listening to the background noise of the TV, when Oprah came on. The entire show was about how people were coping with joblessness and foreclosure. I feel a little sick now. A mother and her three children wandering the streets with all their belongings in a large trash bag, going from one shelter to the next. Tent cities full of people with nowhere else to go. If you live in a tent, where do you relieve yourself, much less take a shower? They interviewed a woman who said she missed having a shower when she wanted one, flipping on the light in the bathroom, and she started to cry when she said she was embarrassed that her fingernails were always dirty. These people want to work, but can't find any jobs. A lot of the people they showed were around my age. They said they had children, but the children didn't know how they were living. (They will now if they watch Oprah). I don't have so much pride that I wouldn't call on my kids for help. Beyond that, what a horrible guilt trip you would be inflicting on your kids when they found out. I fell very fortunate to have a roof over my head and a bathroom light that comes on when I flick the switch. Things are tough, but I have everything I need and so much more. This just reminded me to be more thankful.

I am patiently waiting to hear the president tell me tonight what his plan is. I hope he is well prepared and doesn't stutter (I find it extremely annoying). More than that, I am sad to say, is that I can't wait to hear what Stewart and Colbert will have to say. Laughter may be all we have left soon. My retirement is gone (no, wait there is 31 cents left--they actually sent out a statement), my business is not thriving and my husbands paltry hours were cut at his part-time job. I am glad he didn't get laid off, but I am a little anxious that the cut in hours is going to eliminate him from receiving benefits. We cannot afford health insurance without the benefit plan. I am sure that his company is also feeling the pinch here. Most companies--WalMart, for instance--are cutting back on hiring full-time employees to avoid having to offer benefits. Pretty soon we will be trying to barter for our health care. Hey, I am willing to barter now! So here I sit on pins and needles to see what the leader of our country has to say. Who wants to bet I will probably be disappointed?

Next Reality TV--14 and Counting?

Watching the mother of the octuplets on TV argue with her mother about her decision to have more children when she already had "six beautiful children" makes me wonder what her big plan is. Why would you choose to air your dirty laundry (so to speak) in front of millions on national TV? Nadya seems to be quite articulate and intelligent. The pregnancy was no accident, so you have to wonder---well, aren't we all wondering---what she was thinking? She has no home of her own, I haven't heard of any gainful employment, and she has no mate. She just might be more clever than we have given her credit for. She is already receiving assistance from the state for two of her children. Maybe the thought of rearing those six on state assistance, living with her mother and barely scraping by began to seem like hole she could never crawl out of. Add to that, the upcoming foreclosure of the home she is in. Maybe, just maybe, she could turn it all around...... Look at reality TV. Jon and Kate Plus Eight, 18 and Counting.... All she had to do was have those embryos implanted and go for broke; even if only half of them survived she would still have some notoriety with ten children. But she hit the jackpot and all eight seem to be thriving. All the interviews she has given, she claims to not have been compensated for. But she has gotten herself out there, everyone is talking about her..... Publicity, advertising, proving that she is willing to let the world see her life. I have to wonder if she is waiting for a TV producer to contact her...... Maybe she's not as thoughtless as we all think and this is all part of her plan to rise above what everyone can agree is a hopeless situation. Maybe......

Drug Testing

Watching the news the other day (not so much watching, as listening) I was suddenly alert. Good news as far as I am concerned. Seems one of our state legislators has proposed a bill that would require drug testing for anyone seeking state aid. The applicant would have to submit to a drug test on a monthly basis in order to receive assistance. It is almost like he read my mind. I think it is a wonderful idea. I do realize that someone will argue that this is violating the rights of the applicants and the bill will be in debate for quite some time and likely will never pass. I am of the opinion that in order to take advantage of programs funded by my tax dollars one should be prepared to suffer any inconveniences involved. If you aren't partaking of illegal substances you probably wouldn't care if drug testing is a requirement. In order to obtain employment most places now require drug testing, and if this is not considered a violation of rights, then I don't see why the bill should not go through. Think of the money the state would save! It would more than make up for the cost of the drug testing....and might even create jobs! Another argument on the table is that the children of those refused assistance would suffer. If these children are living with addicts, aren't they already suffering? Of course, if said children have to be placed in foster care, the state will still be supporting them. There is no easy answer as far as the children are concerned. They will either rise above their circumstance or succumb to the life they see as they grow. Reminds me of a couple that showed up one day asking for a tent site. Actually the man arrived first and paid for three days. Said he would be working in the area temporarily. This is not unusual and I thought nothing of it until the wife(?) arrived in the role of pack mule. They had no vehicle and had walked about 40 miles to our campground. She had a backpack containing their tent, etc, and carried a kennel full of cats. She was a mere skeleton with skin on her bony frame, rotting teeth, sunken eyes, and a body odor that defies description. Both were addicted to meth and had panhandled enough money to stay for three days. They bought hot dogs and greedily ate them raw as soon as they had paid for them. Of course I felt sorry for them, but realized that they would become squatters and would beg from my other campers. There is a fine line between charity and self destruction. I later found out from another campground that they had five children being cared fro by the woman's mother. The mother had refused to give them any help other than taking in the children. It seems she had paid for re-hab numerous times without any positive results. I guess what I am trying to say is that this bill would weed out those parents who refused to put their kids first and those who would refuse to. My vote would be yes........

Spam

Just read my e-mail. Decided to peruse the spam before I deleted it. I don't want a date with either a man or a woman, don't want my colon cleansed, and I doubt there is really a job I can do at home and make thousands a day. What caught my eye was the foreclosures that one can obtain for next to nothing. First of all, consider the fact that someone is losing their home. Then you have to wonder what you would do with all the properties you accumulate. Sell them? To who? Only someone with disposable income can afford even cheap homes to be able to hang on to them until the economy turns around to be able to sell for a profit...... The rich get richer. To what end? Will we come full circle and do it all over again? Maybe we need a depression to change our values..... We have raised a whole generation of people who feel entitled. They want it all now and don't want to have to work for it. Buy now, pay later. And when you get in over your head, wipe the slate clean (bankruptcy) and have a giant do-over. Could this be why the banks are failing? No innocence there either; how many credit card invitations do you get every week? Our financial institutions have made it way too easy to get in over your head, then our legal system is providing a way out. In the end we all have to pay the price for this. There is ultimately no easy fix and I think we are all beginning to see this. We elected a new president in hopes that he was a magic button we could press and make everything better. It will not be that easy; brace yourself for some hard, lean times ahead.

Baby, it's cold outside....

This has been a very cold winter, I think Al Gore should be here to witness the lack of global warming. It is currently a balmy 27 degrees. It probably wouldn't be so bad if the wind weren't funnelling through here like a tornado. I have two wood stoves going and it is quite pleasant in here, but a trip to the wood pile makes you really appreciate shelter. Makes me wonder what homeless people do in this kind of weather. If our economy continues in it's current path, there will most likely be quite a few homeless families in the days to come...... What exactly do you do when you can't find work and the bank takes your home? I watched the news footage of all those folks in Florida losing their homes to foreclosure. What do you do, I wonder. I think we will see more generations of families living under the same roof in the days to come. Which one of my children will take me in? I say this tongue-in-cheek, but what if it did come to that? Would I be a grouchy soul like Grandma Walton, full of stern love for the grandchildren as I cook their meals and bake their cookies? Would my children be annoyed that they have to live in such close proximity with their parents? It is hard to fathom. I got married when I was 15-a huge mistake that required moving back in with my parents and it seems that I have spent the rest of my life trying to achieve a modicum of independence. I have never lived alone. I had two children when I married the love of my life and we have only lived alone together for less than ten years. Always putting ourselves last until the kids were on their own and now the economy has risen up to bite us in the ass.

Dreams......

Insomnia is an annoying thing. You lay there trying to shut down your thoughts to sleep and only end up thinking more and more and more. One thought leads to the next and if there is a clock close by you will consult it frequently. If you are mathematically inclined you will then start to tally up the hours and minutes of sleep you are losing, then you will calculate the hours of sleep you will achieve if you fall asleep by a given time.....thus creating a vicious cycle. To top it all off when you do finally fall to sleep, you dream. Must be my last published thoughts of my childhood that have me dreaming about my childhood. I loved cream soda when I was a little girl of about seven or so. In those days any kind of soft drink was an enormous treat---very out of the ordinary. I dreamed about this one incident..... I had apparently gone to the supermarket with my dad and was helping bring in our bounty. He had purchased a six pack of cream soda just for me, so , of course I wanted to take it in and flaunt it in front of my sister and mother. Back then all soft drinks were in bottles, as cans hadn't made their appearance yet. With my hand firmly holding the cardboard container of bottles I rushed into the house, tripped on the threshold and fell face first into the mess of broken bottles and the spreading puddle of my cream soda. My first thought was to wonder how mad my mother was going to be about the mess I had just created and to wonder if any of the bottles had survived. My chin hurt, but I was unaware of any injury until my sister screamed "blood" and ran to another room. I had a piece of glass lodged in my chin. I cried that loud open-mouth wail that is so spine tingling it makes you want to slap the crier. I was actually relieved that I was injured; my mother wouldn't be that mad about the mess. She was somewhat unpredictable with her reactions to any given scenario. As I remember, she was still pretty angry about the floor, although I think my dad probably cleaned it up as well as tending to my injury. I remember that it was him cleaning the blood off my chin and discovering the bit of glass still lodged in my chin. He applied a drawing salve and a band aid and the glass worked it's way out three days later. I was as proud as a child losing a tooth. Years later, I guess I was around ten or eleven, and Palmolive dish wasing liquid had come out with the plastic bottle with the pull-up stopper. On the TV ad they would hold the bottle up and drop it to the floor proudly proclaiming the bottle to be shatter -proof and with the innovative new lid, leak-proof. Not so much, I'm afraid. I don't know why I decided to emulate the commercial for my mother. We had a very small kitchen, so I took the bottle to the dining room to put on my show. The dining room had carpet, so you would think this would have helped me, it didn't. The bottle bounced once, just like on TV, then to my horror it broke and all 48 ounces spread across the floor. I braced myself for punishment. I had made a huge mess in addition to wasting the Palmolive and I knew I was in for it. To my utter amazement she told me it was not my fault!!! She blamed the TV!!! I was safe!!! She was not happy, but told me to go outside and she cleaned it up. Carpet in a dining room is never a good idea if you have kids. This was a rental and removing the carpet was not an option. That carpet smelled very clean and would suds up if you spilled anything on it until the day we moved. Ahh, dreams of childhood......

Old Wives Tales--Home Remedies

Up most of the night with the sick dog....which led to more coughing. Was I really coughing more; or did I just notice it more because I was awake? Don't know. Maybe I have been coughing in my sleep, you would think that would wake me. I am a very light sleeper and was very aware of Oscar all night. If one of the other dogs got too close he would whimper, so I sort of held him all night and built a barricade around him with pillows. This meant that I had little room for me....... This left my mind to roam.... First I rearranged the cabinets in my kitchen and when that was to my liking I went on to imagine some walls out of my way. Love of my life will not be happy to hear this. Some where in the wee hours of the morning I was remembering some of my grandmother's old remedies. I had the croup a lot when I was young. All the adults in my life were smokers and the effects of second hand smoke weren't yet something that anyone would consider. Many nights would find me struggling to breathe---croup is a scary thing as you think you can't breathe. My earliest memories are my grandmother scooping me into her arms and heading outside to put my bare feet onto the frosty ground. I don't know why, but this brought immediate relief. Maybe the shock of the cold feet and the moisture in the air. This would be followed with some vile tasting cough syrup and a hot water bottle tucked next to my feet and an old rag doused with turpentine tied to the bed post. Seriously, this was her remedy, and this isn't the most bizarre one by far. Earaches were "cured" with a dose of urine in the ear. I never got to experience that one, probably because I didn't have brothers. The urine had to be warm and I guess it was probably best straight from the bladder. When I was about four I was playing with a puppy and he scratched my eye. I am sure I probably had a pretty bad corneal abrasion. I remember that it felt like my eye was on fire; but no trip to a doctor for me. I can still remember watching my grandmother get out the iron and ironing board to scorch a piece of old sheet that she tore into long strips. After that (I suppose that was to 'sterilize' the rags) she then grated a potato onto some other strips creating a poultice. She applied this to my eye and tied the whole thing to my head. It did provide relief, I am guessing the starchy fluid from the potato was soothing and my eye was covered, so no light could get to it. I am just now wondering where my mother was in all this. She always seemed to defer to her mother in an emergency. Funny thing was that she would always tell my sister and I stories of her childhood that involved neglect of her by my grandmother. Relationships are funny things. My mother and her mother were estranged when my grandmother died. It was an ugly affair involving the courts and she was quick to tell anyone who would listen that she only attended the funeral to make sure that my grandmother was indeed dead. This was doubly sad to me because my mother and I spent most of my adult life not seeing or speaking to one another for various reasons and when she died we were on the outs. I went to her in death, not to make sure she was dead, but to make some sort of amends and to say goodbye. The only way I could sum it up was to tell my dad that she was so hard to love. She would always belittle herself and want constant reinforcement of one's loyalty to her. This loyalty involved shunning whoever she was on the outs with at any particular time. Such a sad way to live your life, with the emphasis always on the negative. I couldn't do it and as a result she died pretty much alone. She had alienated most everyone but my dad. So sad. Gee, I am really sleep deprived to get to this! Time to take Oscar to the vet.............

Puppy Love

My little dog is sick. This dog came into my life through no fault of my own. My daughter bought this adorable little dachshund, just a handful of puppy. She decided she had made a mistake--she hated the dog--and threatened to drop him off at the pound. So, of course, being an animal lover I took him. Didn't want to; you see, I have always had real dogs. You know, dogs of substance, like St. Bernards. I had a Collie and a Saint currently residing in our house at the time, along with a very conceited cat and wondered how this new member would fit in. Oscar asserted himself into our animal kingdom and immediately let it be known that he was indeed the alpha male. He remains the leader of our animals to this day. I should also say that I fell in love with this dog and he is my dog exclusively. He tolerates my husband and will play ball with him, but at the end of the day he will only sleep next to me. If he is sick, he wants me to hold him and comfort him. Today he has an ear ache--I think. He cries out if his ear is touched and isn't jumping on and off the sofa as he would normally do. He has a wife-dog, Emmy, and we are keeping our grandson's little dog, Wally for a time. The three usually have a grooming session together that involves some serious ear cleaning. Today he growled at Emmy to warn her off and snapped at Wally (Wally is still a puppy and not all that bright about some things). I am particularly worried because I don't have a vet at the time. Living in the middle of nowhere means you have to either drive some distance or be willing to use whatever may be available locally. I had used the local vet until last June when our old girl Louise (the Saint) had to be put down. It was a horrible experience. The vet on duty lacked any compassion whatsoever and I now refuse to take any of my animals back. I guess tomorrow will find us looking for a new vet with Oscar. In the mean time he will be right here in my lap...as he should be.

Economy

The president is speaking....... He seemed somewhat eloquent during his campaign. Must have rehearsed a lot, because now it would appear that the man is a reformed stutterer. He is no different from any other politician of late. The whole evening can be summed up with "yadayadayadayadayada". Should have watched my soaps on DVR instead of this, it would have at least been more entertaining. Face it, folks, things ain't gonna get better any time soon. Drew insisted on watching this tonight and as he sleeps, I write. Geez, he is stuttering again, this is very distracting and I wonder if it is intentional; stalling for time to come up with something to say that might sound halfway intelligent. I can not listen any longer!

Waterfalls

I should have followed my first instinct and just waited for him to go to work and moved the freezer myself. After all it was my idea..... Negate the fact that I am sick and want nothing more than to crawl in a hidey hole until fully recovered. This particular "project" has been going on for weeks (Little Annoyances) and I just wanted some progress to console myself with. I spent all day yesterday moving everything in the path of the new freezer location in between fits of coughing. Had it all ready to go. Now, I have moved said freezer before by myself, but have a new rough finish on the floor. I was cooking a decent meal as a reward and asked Drew if he would help me. Off he goes to find a dolly to put the freezer on to roll it. Good idea. I get hung up with a phone call and he says he can't find the dolly. Anyone who knows Drew would not be surprised that he was unable to locate any particular item. So I finish the call and go to the shed and locate said item. I was under the distinct impression that this didn't exactly make his day...nothing he said, just a vibe I was picking up on. So it is with this attitude that we are navigating the freezer to it's new home. Need to back up at this point to describe the waterworks department in our utility room---there are big pipes, small pipes and various twisty connections that would remind you of a maze puzzle. No one on this earth should know the location of this contraption better than Drew; after all he created most of it. So he is moving along pushing the freezer and I am trying to get the crazy dachshund out of the way along with myself and Drew gives a mighty thrust and all of a sudden a geyser of water is raining down on us!! Yep, he hit the pipe and popped it off. I took the high road and admitted that it was all my fault, since I am the one who wanted to move the freezer. This will probably be funny at some time in the future after everything is dry again, but not right now. Trying to look on the positive side--I needed to mop anyway. Of course I didn't really want to have to wipe dry every surface in the room. This all brings me back to my original theory on this building--it is trying to kill me. I have had way too many respiratory difficulties since moving in. Seems like I spend the whole winter trying to get better, then Spring brings the pollen to feed my allergies, Summer is a breathe easy zone before Autumn and more allergies. Should I just succumb and let the building win? No way.

Coughing

I have been coughing non-stop for three days. I get that little tickle in the back of my throat and I HAVE to cough. That one cough turns into a spasm of coughing that lasts at least two minutes. All my muscles hurt. My neck, my shoulders, my back, my stomach and even my legs. My cough sounds awful--my ears are hurting. And to top it all off I am not in a very good mood---wonder why? Throughout all this the love of my life has drifted in and out seemingly oblivious to my distress (Are you cooking dinner today?). Oh, yeah, buddy, I will cook up something for you alright!

Local News

Being sick and cold has confined me to the couch in front of the TV. As I huddle with the dogs under the afghan with the headache of the century I look for any distraction I can find. I spy the local (weekly) newspaper. I have read all 16 wide pages and I still don't feel enlightened. The lead story on the front page is the celebration of a local gentleman's 102nd birthday, complete with a photo of the family and him in front of a huge cake. The Chamber of Commerce has installed new officers and the other story on the front page is about a local woman who attended the inauguration. She is depicted in a photo with caption"It was cold". I find that to be profound. I usually don't read the paper so much as scan through it to see if I see anything related to my campground in it. Then I do the crossword and pull out the one grocery ad to check for specials.Inside the paper you will find the usual ads, birth announcements, weddings, engagements and obituaries. The local police chief and sheriff each have a column and all the 911 calls (even the hangs) are listed for posterity. The "commentary" page is shared by the district congressman and senator---and a local pastor; causing me to wonder if they have violated the division of church and state. This week has a reprint of last weeks comments along with this weeks. Two whole pages are dedicated to photos of elementary children who have been awarded for obeying classroom rules. ( In my day, obedience was a given and any notoriety was reserved for those who did not obey.) The "want ads" occupy a very small portion of the paper and are interspersed with little jewels labeled "thought for the day". This weeks thought is " A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured, then quietly strangled". I find the sentiment to be profound, but can't help but wonder how many readers of this publication will actually understand it. Maybe I have taken too much flu medication or I have too much idle time on my hands...........

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes..Nose and Throat

Okay, I am sick again. Second time this season. It is freezing cold out and I am coughing and wheezing. It is not all that warm in here....maybe that is why the love of my life is trying to build a bigger fire in the stove. He decided that the stove pipe isn't functioning properly and that's why, I suppose he was banging on it. I can barely see to write and am quite sure the smoke inhalation can't be good for me. It is having a strange effect on the animals, too. Crazy cat just fell off the window sill. Maybe he was trying to open it to breathe. I have the collar of my turtle neck over my mouth and nose, but can still taste the smoke. The dogs can go outside for a breath of air, but it is cold out there. I think I have a fever. My eyeballs feel hot to my eyelids. All my teeth ache and my nose is running........... Probably got this from kissing Maya and Jada while they were sick, but it was worth it to see my grandchildren. I want to be in my sewing room creating, instead I am huddled in front of the TV breathing smoke and sipping soda in the throws of non-productivity!