Hey! What Day Is It?

Today's high temperature was: 37 degrees

Third shiny day in a row.

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So relieved to wake up and hear that the blizzard has moved on and all my friends survived.  Even my Spartan's basketball game in Piscataway, NJ was canceled and will be played tomorrow night.  Why or how Rutger's ever got in the Big 10 is beyond me--along with Maryland.  Big Ten league is supposed to be Central-Mid West teams.  BAH!!!

During this night, we are expecting freezing rain and snow--perhaps 3" of snow.  No biggie for us that's for sure.  Unless you have to travel to work early in the morning, but then, Michigander's know how to drive on that stuff.
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Today, I had a consultation with my dentist to see about getting another crown put on.  Right next to the one I had done last spring.  My new insurance pays up to $1,000 a year for dental work and 2 free cleanings, x-rays and dentist check per year.  I will have to pay $500.00 for this crown, to keep some back in case I need fillings or something like that.  The dentist will let me pay $50.00 a month to pay it off.  Actually she said, "You pay me whatever and whenever you can."  I am putting $50.00 or more a month into my budget for it.  I already send them $30.00 a month to build up credit.  Now, I don't need credit for dental work, I will pay the $50.00.  I start the crown work on February 18th.  I hate it, but I do love to be able to chew without fear of breaking a tooth of losing a filling!!!

I can't believe this new insurance I have.  $19.90 a month for the payment and all the coverage?  There has to be a catch, but I have read their booklet and...I don't see where I am going to have to outlay a lot of out of pocket.  There's gotta be a catch--I guess I'll find out.
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I didn't tell you, but when Dar was here yesterday, she was looking through my bags of groceries from the Food Bank.  She said, "You didn't get any eggs."

"Nope.  I don't need them."

"Well, you could have given them to me."

Then she proceeded to tell me that she made thirty-two thousand dollars last year.  She works at the grocery store, where she gets a discount and yet...she wants me to give her stuff from the Food Bank?

It was the same way when she worked at The Salvation Army store.  She saw everything when it first came in and if she saw something she liked, she'd put if off to the side and take it home.

When she was on Welfare, she told them she wanted to go to work, but needed a car.  So, they gave her $2K.  She took that money and paid off a credit card and when she found a job, her Daddy bought her a 2012 Infinity.  I was so hoping that Welfare would ask to see the title on the car they gave her money for, but they never did.

Am I wrong or is this woman weird?  

To me it's just like stealing.  I am allowed 60# of food at the Food Bank.  No way can I use that much.  Yesterday it was 35#.  I only take what I need and even then, they forced 2 extra pounds of ground beef on me yesterday, which I gave to Pammie and feel guilty about it.    

I do not like the way this woman operates in her life.  Oh and by the way, ALL four of her children have liver problems because they are alcoholics and drug users.  Now--that either is a strange coincidence, or it stems from the way she (didn't) bring them up.  They all started drinking at about 12 years of age and using drugs at 15.

Just saying.
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Tomorrow is garbage day and I have been cleaning out a bit.  I am now down from 7 pillows to 4.  I got rid of the flat ones that were all stained and yucky.    

All Alright

Ms. Graysea/Kitty/Marcia, who lives on Cape Cod is all right.

Thank you God!

Snow Hurricane

Today's temperature was:  27 degrees

Another Shiny Day!

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A Snow Hurricane--that's what they are getting out there on Cape Cod, where Ms. Graysea/Marcia lives.  Lots and lots and LOTS of snow with a Nor'Easter bringing in hurricane force winds.   She hasn't told me that--I've been watching the Weather Channel.  They also showed pictures of Boston.  No traffic.  Hardly any people outside.  I think I'd like Boston if it were like that all the time.

Speaking of Boston, I have been watching "The Sons of Liberty" on the History channel every night.  Samuel Adams and Paul Revere and those guys--they were thugs!!!  Always inciting the Red Coats, trying to get them to fire on them, so the Rebels could blame them for starting more trouble.  I am sure, if I lived back then, I would probably be on the side of King George.  After all--they WERE British citizens and yet went against British rule.

BTW--Paul Revere did not ride through the streets yelling, "The British are coming.  The British are coming!"  That would have made NO sense, since they were ALL British citizens.  Rather he yelled, "The Red Coats are coming".

Sure, later we see they had every reason to be p.o.'ed and now we revere them as the first who fought so we could have our very own Country, ruled by our very own people, but at first?  I would not have been on their side for sure!  and, the way our country is right now, I'm not so sure we wouldn't do better with a Prime Minister and the Queen.

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So this morning, I had my appointment at the Food Bank.  They had a lot of fresh, new stuff.  I got a nice bag of salad fixings to put my canned chicken in.  They had Cauliflower!  I love steamed Cauliflower!!!  I got 6 cans of diced tomatoes and 2 cans of kidney beans to make more Chili.  They had freshly brought in tubes of ground round.  Because they were only 1# tubes, they told me to take two.  Since I am allowed two frozen meats, I got four tubes of ground beef.  

I also found someone to bless today.  A young mother with a four year old boy, who sang "Old MacDonald's Farm" to me and then I asked him the animal sounds and he knew all of them!  She was ahead of me all the way through the little store and out to our cars.  I walked over and gave her my free toilet paper and jug of detergent.  She was so happy--I knew she needed them more than I did.  She has kids--I have only me.

And you will never guess what else I found in the freezer--no you won't--you could not possibly guess or even imagine--

               ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  

MY FAVORITE SEA FOOD? 

 AT THE FOOD BANK?

HALLELUJAH!

and they had cake--those little round ones that I love.

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After I left the food bank, I had some stuff for Pammie, so I drove over to Jen's.  I wanted an excuse to see Little Boy-Evan.   I had some of those Box Tops for School thingies you sometimes get on cereal boxes and Zip Lock bag boxes.  Alex takes them to his school.  I put two tubes of the frozen ground beef, a can of soup, baked beans, peanut butter and jelly in a bag for Pammie and stuck them in the front seat of her truck.  She will be going home tonight.  and then...I knocked on the door and she opened it.

Guess what--both Evan and Alex were there--both have bronchitis and both have been in ER over the weekend, because Alex was very close to pneumonia!  I guess it's a good idea Jennifer doesn't call me anymore and let me know what is going on.  In the old days, she would have called from the ER and I would have been in a panic.  Better to find out AFTERWARDS--when everything is all right.

So--I got to see both of them, ruffled Alex' hair and a kiss on top of his head, and a nibble on Evan's ears.  I said, "Mimi won't eat your ears--I just want a tiny, nice little nibble," and he stood very still so I could nibble and then he giggled his head off.  I love three year olds!!!

Then Pammie told me all about her cooking experiment.  She made Kraut Brouke--one of my kids favorites, and Pammie especially loved them, but had never made them.

"Did they turn out all right?"  I asked

"Oh Momma--I ate five of them on Saturday!"

OMGosh!

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I got home at around noon and Dar walked in right behind me.  GEEZ!!

"I just had to come tell you, Jeff is in the hospital part of detox now.  He got to make one call last night and he called me.  He can't have any family contact for the next three months."

"So after the hospital stay--then he goes into the treatment center?"

"Yes, for three months or longer.  Then he goes to a half-way house.  I probably won't get to see him for at least six months.  I am so glad!"

"You're glad you can't see him?"

"Yes, because he will be in sessions with a shrink and I know, it's all going to come about his childhood and the bad way I brought up him and the other kids and...well...really, I don't want to visit and take a chance of running into his doctor's."

<of course not, because, after all, it is all about you>

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I had guests for lunch.

Baby Boo

Smokey

and a couple of their friends that didn't 

have reservations for the 

Feeding Station Squirrel Cafe

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Worries

Today's high temperature was:  26 degrees

It was a Shiny Day!

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It seems I do love to worry about things I have no control over--like the weather.

Nothing will stop my day, like a predicted severe thunderstorm.  I listen to the weather channel, the local TV station and track the storm's approach on radar on my computer.  I want wind speeds and I want to know precisely where that storm is and if there are any Hook Echoes near me.  I pay no attention to the siren, because that goes off if there is trouble in any part of the County.  I want to know what is coming directly at me!!

Today, I am worrying about Flo out there in the North-East and Marcia on Cape Cod and my one reader in Binghamton, NY and Cheyenne in Pennsylvania.  I know I will get no reports from then because they are probably going to be without power.  Hurricane force winds coming into the Cape.  You take even one foot of snow and mix it up with Hurricane force winds and you are going to end up with snow drifts eight feet high.  I know people near the New Jersey shore--they are going to get it.

There are 50 million people in this storm's path.  Have you EVAH driven up I-95 into Bahston and beyond.  It is nearly impossible on a good day, but with snow of any amount?  I hope they close it down!

New York City?  I don't know anyone who lives there, but with it's heavy population.  Can you even imagine.  They are shutting off the lights on the Great White Way and and all traffic forbidden, except for emergency vehicles.

 I fear there is going to be many deaths from this storm.  They don't have the equipment to take care of something this big.  Our power company employees have already left Michigan, headed out that way to help.

I pray for my friends in that area.  Please, if you have power to read this, be careful.  DO NOT take ANY chances!!! 

Carrie, Cheyenne, Judy Frey, Julie, Marcia, and Binghamton, this means you!!!  Please let me know, as soon as you can, that you are all right.

DAMMIT!!

You're going along in life--trying to eat healthy, being kind and gentle to everyone, being a good person.  Everything is fine, you feel great, until you get the bad diagnosis.  

My blogging friend Balisha (Pat) is going through that now and I HATE IT!!!  

I love this woman, that I have never met.  I've read her blog for quite a few years now.  Read the painful experience she so bravely shared when her son died.  

She had her yearly check-up in November and all was fine.  That's the way Ovarian cancer is.  It doesn't show up in a PAP test or a physical check-up.  My BFF had it and the only way she knew...she put on a pair of slacks she had worn the month before, and she was so bloated, she couldn't get them on.  

Sure there is a special blood test you can get, CA-125, but it is costly and insurance won't pay for it until AFTER the diagnosis.  Then they do it all the time to "check your numbers."

I HATE IT!! We should all have hysterectomies when we are done with child bearing!!  

I am just asking that you all take a moment today--right now--and say a  prayer for Balisha.  She deserves only good things in life AND she will have remission--after the treatments, but it will take a while.

She has very strong faith and that will help get her through.

God, hold Pat in the palm of your hand, help the doctor's find the correct treatment and bring her to remission.  I pray this in Jesus name!  Amen.

Oh Yeah!

I am not a spontaneous person--in any way shape or form.  For some reason, the people I have lived with most of my life, were not Spur-of-the-Moment people.  I like things scheduled, prepared for--I think it is a control thing.

So, this morning at 10:30, Pearl called and said, "We want to invite you out to supper tonight, our treat.  You pick the place and the time."

I opened my mouth to make an excuse and then I said, "WOW!  Golden Door Chinese restaurant at 5:00."

She said, "We will pick you up at 5:00."

It's the same place Dar and I stopped for take-out after Maddies' ballet performance the first weekend of December.  I loved the food and had wanted to take Merle and Pearl there because, last year we went to their idea of a Chinese restaurant, a buffet place, and there was not one single thing that tasted like Chinese food on the entire buffet.

So, they picked me up and off we went up the road.  

I told them, "Now you don't have to order off the menu.  You tell the guy what you want and they will make it for you."  Then I remembered, Merle doesn't really like Chinese food--oops.  I should have suggested Bob Evans.

They were pretty adventurous however.

Pearl said, "I want shrimp with fried rice, and Won- Ton soup."

Merle said, "I want sweet and sour pork with fried rice, and Won-Ton soup.

I said,"I want beef with Chinese vegetables, steamed white rice, a small bowl of sizzling rice soup, and a pot of Oolong tea."

We had our tea--Oolong is the only kind of hot tea I like, and we had our eggs rolls--made on the premises.  

Pearl said, "These are good!  They taste so much better than that place we go to, Merle."

Merle nodded his head.

Then our dinners came--plates piled high with what we ordered--more than any of us could eat. 

Oh man--it was soooooo good.  I haven't had "real" Chinese food since I moved here.  Ernie and I used to go out once a month and have it--at a Chinese family owned place where they grew their veggies in their own garden.

Pearl ate her food with gusto, as did I--we chattered along as we ate.  I don't Merle liked his, but he did eat half. 

On the drive home, I thanked them over and over. I said, "I think it is good for me to get out once in awhile.  Did you like the food?"

Merle replied, "I liked the Fortune Cookie."

HAH.

In the Olden Days

When I was born, in the bedroom of my parent's farmhouse, there was much celebration.  I was the first girl child born in three generations.  I am sure that is the ONLY reason my father had a child--to shut up his mother and grandparents.  After all, my parents didn't have another child for 13 years and she certainly wasn't planned.

Anyway, when I was born, the next day, our old neighbor's just to the west of our farm, came up the road, leading a Holstein heifer calf.  It was their gift to my parents for having a baby.  

That sounds odd, doesn't it?  I thought it was funny when I first heard about it, but my father soon stopped my laughter with his explanation, "You don't realize how dear that animal was to our neighbor.  That calf grew into a wonderful cow, one of my best producers of milk by weight.  She in turn calved and all her calves were heifers.  She turned out to be one of the best assets we had."

What a boon to my parents the baby Golden Girl (me) was.  Too bad he didn't put the money that cow brought in, into a trust fund for me.  Eh?  Oh well, the baby Golden Girl drank the milk and grew to be tall and strong and very healthy, and at my age now, that's more important than money.

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Can you see all the squirrel tracks on my driveway?  They are such well mannered little rodents--as long as I keep the Flaming Squirrel mix on the bird feeders and corn and peanuts in the squirrel feeder.

I think I see some bunny tracks in there too.

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At Christmas, my best friend Bethie gave me a gift card to the Rich People's store and today....I went there and got myself some treats.  I do love their deli salads--Antipasto, Crab Salad and Tuna Mac, cake, plus the biggest cinnamon rolls I have ever seen and candy bars.  I also got some cat food for the fur kids and a bag of potato chips.  I didn't want to waste my gift on more sensible stuff and besides that, those salads will do me for 7 meals!!  I'll be living high on the hog for the next week!  Thanks Beth--I love you!

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A lot of my blog buddies are posting such profound words lately.  Thoughts and feelings and ponderings.  I can't come up with any of that right now.  I feel so calm and relaxed and lazy that I am hard pressed to know what to blog about.

I have had 10 days straight of perfect sleep--no dreams, no monster nightmares.  It could be the little Melatonin tab I take at bedtime, but I think it is because I have practically secreted myself away from the world.

On Face Book, if I see a link to a story about cruelty to animals, I refuse to even look at it.  The same goes for missing children/adults/pets.  I refuse to read any stories of what is going on in the East and I truly try not to read anything political.  I also have quit watching the news.  I turn it on to get the weather report, just out of curiosity because I couldn't care less if we get a snow storm or blizzard of two feet of snow, then I turn to another channel to watch a classic movie or I turn it off and read.

I have only been out in my car, four times this month and that basically was to meet with friends or family and to get food.  I filled my car with gas on December 27th, and it is still more than half full.

The most excitement I have had all month is playing games on Face Book, reading your blogs and cross stitching the baby quilt.  There has been a bit of drama on my Soap, but there's supposed to be, LOL.

My "Stay-cation" is about to end however, as next week I have a dentist's appointment, and go to the food bank and doctor appointment and blood draw coming up.

This has been the best January I have had in a long time.