"Carnation"

Many years ago, way back in history, when all there was to drink was nothing but cups 'o tea when I was in grade school and Jr. High, I attended a couple of small country schools. Every year, the art teacher shared by these two schools would organize a huge pageant. Both schools referred to these pageants as "Carnations". Like the flower. In the school year books, and on one of the programs I held on to for years, the event was always "The Carnation".

One year, the theme was "Japan". My brothers wore karate uniforms, and my step-mother made my sister and I colorful kimonoes. She used flour powdered over cold cream to give Lalani and I white faces, after having used a bit of tape to give our eyes an upward slant. She finished our faces with fire engine red lipstick and heavy eyeliner. Not one of our fellow students recognised us! We learned several songs in Japanese... (I can still sing one of them!) and small skits. We learned "chinese jump rope", done with bamboo poles.

Another year, at the second school, we had a 1920's theme "Carnation". Lalani and I dressed as flappers, and learned the Charleston! This was the year that two of my younger brothers were class "Favorites". Brother Ricky in his shiney hot pink nylon shirt was paired with Tammie Frazier... he was the shortest boy in the class and she was the tallest girl. (School kids have the meanest sense of humor.)

It wasn't until after I was grown and thought back on the amazing job that the teacher did with the "Carnation"'s that it dawned on me that this was the annual even where the "King and Queen" of the school was crowned. 

I don't know when, in the long ago histories of either school, that "Coronation" was mangled into "Carnation" and STAYED mangled for all of the generations to follow. Why did no one ever correct the spelling, and pronunciation?
While I haven't been back to either school in more than 30 years, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that the annual "Carnation" event continues.

Organization

I always have the best intentions of getting organized and STAYING that way. For example, the contents of my purse... organized into ziplock bags. Organized!
Staying organized is my downfall. For example, the contents of my purse. Things that I already had organized in bags are randomly tossed into the purse.

My bookcases... I have schoolwork sections, library sections, kids sections, cookbook sections. Organized!
But then I have library books in a bag on the table. On a chair next to my bed. On the arm of the couch.
Cookbooks on the counter, on the table, on the computer desk. School books are all over the house!

I have the canned goods organized... and then more stuff randomly tossed in every which way.
I have my sewing stuff organized... in a willy nilly stack in the corner by my desk.

At least at work, I am consistent. I know exactly where my pen, highlighter, and markerboard pen are. I keep them "hidden" so that they stay where I can find them! I know where the monthly paperwork is located, separated into date order. The bi-daily paperwork has its place... highlighted for tomorrow or filed from yesterday. My stamp pad has its spot. My repair tabs have their place, as do the colored special order labels. I leave it all just so, every day. And when I return the next day.. it is as I left it. Most of the time. When my co-workers fill in for me, I may find my pen missing, never to be seen again. The repair tabs moved, the special order labels across the room. But I don't crab at them too much... they did the best they could.
My parts get put away in numeric order, according to type and brand. I DO crab when I find these things out of place! How hard IS numeric order? 50004 comes WAAAAAAAYY after 5023, not before it. And having worked shipping and receiving for nearly an entire year now, I have learned to anticipate some seasonal events and prepare my stock room for them.
Today, the lawn and garden batteries came in. Having anticipated this... I had a spot all prepared for them! Using my CDO (that is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but the letters are in order), I even have the U1R batteries on the right hand side, and the U1L batteries on the left hand side of the shelves.

I need to be this organized at home. And be able to maintain the organization. I have decided that as long as my family is helping with the chores, I won't be overly picky about them not putting the sugar back in the exact spot I had prepared for it. Or putting little cups on the mugs shelf. I just set the things back where they belong.
And maybe twitch a little.

OK. So I twitch a lot. Looks like a nervous tic.
But they are doing as little as they can get away with to avoid being asked to do chores trying to help.
I have wondered if a label maker would help them get things into the right spots. But then I think a label maker is just a waste. (Time, label supplies, money.) They would actually have to read the labels and remember not to just leave things laying around when they are done with them. I admit, I am bad about that very thing here at home! We do get a bit frustrated with Mr C though. His favorite thing is to tell everyone to "Clean as you go!... Don't leave things out! put them away as soon as you are done with them!" and then leave a trail behind him for others to deal with. He has no clue he does this. Since I know I am an offender, at least I don't harp on others being guilty of not picking up after themselves.

Well, Time for me to get stuff done around here. I am up to 96 miles of walking for the year, well on target to hit 50 miles a month to make my 600 miles by Dec 31st goal.
Tomorrow is Nickole's birthday! Happy "Twoth" birthday Nicky-Poo!

Have a blessed and happy day!

What do you have IN that thing?

A fellow blogger I read was comparing the size of women's purses to the size of their behinds. Then he remarked/ asked about what all a woman carries in her purse.

My purse has:
My billfold
hairbrush
dental floss
mints
lip ointment

drugs (ibuprofen, blood pressure medication I haven't needed in 2 years, allergy pills, lactaid)(In a ziplock bag)

paperwork (in a ziplock)
change (in a ziplock)
two "lucky Buckeyes"
receipts and other paperwork... not in a ziplock
a boxknife
a pen
another pen
another pen
ponytail holders and hair clips (in a ziplock)
makeup (in a zipock)

another pen

six ponytail holders (NOT in a ziplock)
change (NOT in a ziplock)
an eyeglass case
hand lotion
eye drops (not in a ziplock)
three extra key rings... without keys on them

an emery board

a rock with a hole through it strung on a ball chain
A datebook calendar
a clear travel size box of Q-Tips
A purse size pack of kleenex

my birthday card from my Mom (My birthday was in October!)

A christmas card from a co-worker

a clothespin

an eyeglass repair kit

another ziplock of change

an interesting rock 

eleven old paycheck stubs
a printout of a Google map to an inventory back in December.

My purse is lighter now. I put the change in my Cowwy bank.

MMMM! Purse change fills my tummy!

I tossed the old papers and check stubs. I even have best intentions of looking for a "new" purse, as this one is held together with keychains and safety pins! My problem with purses is they are so... ugly these days. And I hate to spend any more than $10 on one. In fact, I haven't even been able to bring myself to pay $10 for one. So between ugly and expensive, I just have made do with the one I have.

I have to say though, if it is a reflection of the size of my rear end... I'm not doing too bad!

Tuesday...

Another week past. Wow... the time is sure escaping!
Yesterday I had an inventory in Lincoln, AR. It wasn't until 1:00pm, so I spent the morning cleaning house and supervising the boys as they continue testing. I was gathering laundry from my room, and picked up Mr C's jeans. They had the billfold and belt still in them, so I carried them carefully to the laundry room and unloaded the pockets.
Then I went back to my bathroom to gather and dirty clothes that might be there.
Before I got too far into the dim room- I happened to go skidding and flailing across the floor- crashing shoulder and left arm into the towel cupboard by the bathroom door. I had slipped on Tom's car keys, which had fallen from his jeans when I picked them up a few minutes before. I got a scrape and bruise on my left arm to match the one on my right from Thursday. I am also feeling like I may of dented my left collarbone... I basically only notice this when I am lifting or carrying something. However, my job involves a LOT of lifting and carrying.... so I noticed it a lot today!

There was a lot of freight today... looks like things are really picking back up after the very slow last month and a half. Since we are getting large shipments of springtime items, I know that one day soon I am going to walk in and find an entire pallet of lawn and garden batteries. I have been making room for them in our "back room" area. I have put more hours in during the past week than I put in for the entire previous month!

My past week was not only rough on my physically (3 falls and sundry other injuries), but also emotionally. As I mentioned in my last post, a high school friend lost her husband. Then the friend I mentioned who was on life support, did pass away on Thursday. And yesterday, my son Christopher's old dog Sampson had to be put down after a weekend of seizures. Sampson was pretty old for a boxer, but that doesn't make it any easier on my grandchildren or their parents. I even cried over him, and everyone knows I am NOT a "dog person". I am so thankful to Jennifer and James for taking Sampson in when Seneca had to move away.

I heard that Ben has made his move down to Texas. Now, all of my kids are in Texas except Bill, and the twins. I told Tom that perhaps he should be looking to transfer to Abilene! (Though I REALLY do NOT want to live in Texas!)

Well, may I wish each of you a blessed and "trip free" day! Thanks for reading!

Having a "Bill" day....

My second son, Bill, is known for being accident prone. If he ever calls anyone and says "Guess where I am?"... the person guessing can usually count on being correct if they say "At the hospital?"

Once, he called me up and told me that his boss had brought a watermelon to work for the crew members to have at their lunch. As soon as he said this, I asked him "How many stitches?"

"What? Mom, all I said is that the boss brought a watermelon to work for us to have at lunch!"
"And I know you!" How many stitches?"
"*Nine." he mumbled. (I truly don't remember how *many stitches this incident involved.)

Today was "oil day" at my job. With only three pallets, it wasn't too bad. I was taking down five gallon buckets of tractor fluid and stacking them on a dolly to move. The buckets were about my shoulder height... and I was wrestling them down and turning and putting them on the dolly. My finger got caught between a brace of the dolly and a five gallon bucket of tractor fluid.
When I got my finger free, it was bent.. I was sure it was broken. I tried moving it.. and had free range of motion... the  misshapen portion was due to the pressure of the bucket lid pressing in on my finger. In fifteen minutes, it was almost as good as new. I do still have a blue line bruise on my finger.

After completing the oil check in, I went to work on the shipping. With the auditor due for our annual inspection any day now, I have to be sure anything that CAN be shipped out, gets shipped. Today, it included some bins that were recently removed from the front counters. they are awkwardly shaped to ship, and I had six of them going out. So I was wrapping the shrink wrap around my pallet good and tight.
The "oil day" shipment includes cases and cases of antifreeze and window washer fluids in addition to the oil.
My strong husky co-worker guys take care of the lifting, toting and putting away of these cases of fluids. But the cases may sit on one of the pallets until the guys can get to them, as happened this morning.

I am wrapping my pallet nice and snug with my shrink wrap, carefully stepping over the area where my pallet of freight is inches from the pallet of antifreeze. Round and round and round I go! It makes me dizzy on a GOOD day. Today I was even dizzier, since the awkward shapes required me to go around and around even more times.

Just as I reached the corner where I needed to step between the two pallets... my roll of shrink wrap ended. It is bound to itself at the end of each roll. I already had one foot in the air to step as I hit the end of the roll... and it jerked me up short! I stumbled over the pallet corner I was trying to step over and went flailing into the stack of trash and empty boxes nearby. Pretty much flat on my face, but breaking my fall with my right arm.

I gained my "seat"... not even trying to stand up right away. No one had seen my fall! I assessed... wondering briefly if my arm was broken. It wasn't. I did get a nasty scrape on my arm, as well as a bruised knee. My hip/pelvis area is a bit out of whack... but I am not seriously hurt.

The twins laughed as I told them about my scraped arm when I got home... Sam saying I must be having a "Bill day". Dan suggested I might need to put on a helmet.

Bill called me a short while later, and we laughed about one of his worst moments. He had a broken ankle, which he got from a "runaway pickle wagon" while at a restaurant. He had tried to save a waitress who was so petite that her cart carrying "pickle bar" refills escaped her on the incline from the kitchen. Bill tried to stop the pickle wagon, but was instead run over by it, and suffered a broken ankle.

He had had to drive Christopher's car to the local college for some reason. Chris' car had a bad door- you had to raise the door up as you closed it. So Bill punched down the lock on the car door, balancing on one foot (the other being in a cast), put the car keys into his pocket... raised the door, and shut it. On his fingers.
This happened to have been some sort of holiday at the college... no one was around.
Bill is trapped... car keys in his pocket, balanced on one foot, fingers slammed firmly into the car door... and he cannot reach the keys in his pocket with his other hand.
He yelled for help for over half an hour before someone finally came by.
And to reach the keys, the fellow had to spoon right up to Bill's body and reach around him, and fish in his pocket. The sight that comes to mind is obscenely comical.

Poor Bill.
But we did laugh at it today. And now you can too.

Have a blessed day, and thanks for reading!

As Kermit always said, "Time is fun when you're having flies!"

I got in an entire four hours at work this morning! Between today and yesterday, I now have more time in than I had the entire previous week.
When I got home, Dan and Sam had finished today's school assignments. I let them goof off for awhile, and then decided that, no matter what our final curriculum choice for this year will be, they ought to take a placement test. So, for the last several hours, they have been hard at work on an online placement test. I told them to take a break... it doesn't all have to be done in one day.

They put on their capes and ran out the back door. Lack of peer pressure means they aren't the least self conscious about racing around outside wearing home made capes.
We usually ask the boys two or three times a year if they would like to go to public school. They have always told me "NO!".

I asked them before we began the placement test, do they like doing all their school work on the computer, or would they rather have real workbooks and textbooks. Dan asked, "Which one is cheaper?" I told him the cost was near enough to be irrelevant. He said he like being able to stretch out on his bunk to do his reading and workbook type subjects. I pointed out that if he had a laptop, he could still do it on his bed, online.
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It was pointed out to me that I have stated my grand daughter Nickole's birthdate incorrectly. Her birthday is the 25th, not the 20th, of February. She has just over a week until she turns two.

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A few days ago, the husband of one of the girls I went to high school with, passed away. They had known one another since they were 12 and 15, and had been dating since she was 15, married 28 years. He had a heart attack.
And then yesterday I learned that one of the guys I had trained when I worked for Eagle, is in the hospital on life support. His two children have to decide on whether or not to "pull the plug".  His older child is only 20 or so, but they are all S. has left. He has killed himself drinking.

It just makes me so sad.
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Well, Thanks for checking in today. Have a blessed day, and tell someone you love them!

Annual Time of Decision Making

I am not so sure I want to invest $800+ (each) on the online curriculum for Dan and Sam. It would sure be the easiest way to be certain they are getting a full course load of learning done. But if they hate it and it becomes an ordeal to get it all finished in the set time frame... then what? It isn't like books I can resell on eBay or something.

I can order all the wonderful sounding books... and then have to do everything... or the workbooks that we gave up on with the older kids.... which was more of a middle ground approach.

Decisions, decisions.

I did discover that the American History series I have wanted to buy for years! is available to check out for free from our local public library! SO I checked out Volumes 1 & 2... and we will start reading those tomorrow!

Work today was WORK! There was a middling amount of freight coming in (all since Saturday), but loads and loads going out. I used every available tote, and the guys had to scrounge me a few more, just to do the MINIMUM of outgoing freight. It was 11:00 am before I got home. We left nearly at once for the library, and the boys did their volunteering. On the way home, we got a Papa Murphy's pizza for supper tonight. I like to brush the crust with garlic butter before baking. With their double thick crusts, it is like getting an order of garlic bread!

The snow is melting away... and the ground is a waterlogged mess. We are carefully parking as close to the front of the driveway as we can. Even walking between the house and car is slogging through puddles and mud.

It is hard to believe we are more than halfway through the second month of the year! Nickole's second birthday is just five days from now.
Have a happy and blessed evening!

Valentines day...

I got Mr C (or myself!) a Paula Deen kitchen tool. It is the "Kitchenmajig" by Ecko, reborn.  (Boy, was he ever impressed!)

I got a box with cookies, and a couple of pretty sweaters from my mom. (Thanks, Mom!)
I sent out the school type Valentine cards to the grandkids and grandparents! Toy Story!

I also sent candies to the grandkids.... I'm sure their parents appreciate the sugar induced hyperactivity.

For supper, I made Chineasy Chicken.  It was tasty.
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Aside from doing time on the treadmill, I don't think I have had my real shoes on all day... just my house shoes. I am a person who has to have my feet covered. Socks are a minimum requirement. I put my shoes on first thing in the morning, and they stay on until late in the evening... or sometimes all the way until bedtime. I just don't go barefoot.

I don't remember if I have ever posted about the accident I had in third grade, where I boiled the skin off both feet. I was cleaning the bathroom as a surprise for Mom. I thought that the best way to clean the tub was to fill it with hot water, and then use the toilet scrubber to wash the sides. the tub had sliding glass doors. Dressed in my patent leather Mary Janes, I was standing straddled the sides of the tub... one foot against the top of the tub along the wall, the other along the narrow edge of the tub inside the glass doors.

My Mary Janes slipped, and I fell into the water, which was about four inches deep and still filling. The water heater was set to deliver water pretty well at the boiling point. I grabbed the door rail, which slid me back and forth as the door rolled along its tracks.

I was screaming... and my brother Rick grabbed me and pulled me out of the tub. He ran to get my Mom. I climbed up onto the sink vanity and turned on the cold water... I stuck my feet, shoes and all, under the cold water.  Mom was on the phone, but hung up to come see what the commotion was about. As I took off my shoes and socks... my skin stayed in the socks.

Mom called a neighbor, who drove us to the  ER. His wife looked after my brothers. I remember my feet were bandaged for weeks, and I had to go several times a week to have the dead skin removed and my feet re bandaged. My Camp Fire Girl group brought me games and books. I returned to school on crutches, as one foot was worse than the other. Everyone though I was so brave... I just felt stupid!

I don't know if I went barefoot much before then, I really don't remember. But the burns made my feet very sensitive, so I know I seldom went barefoot afterwards. Most of the pigmentation tissue was burned off, so my feet don't tan. Since I seldom get outside enough to develop much of a tan, that really isn't a problem! If I DO happen to get a tan, I have "white sock" tan lines, even if I TRY to tan my feet.

I don't know that I can remember a time that I painted my toenails. I have whatever is opposite of a foot fetish... a foot revulsion? I don't want people messing with my feet... the thoughts of a pedicure sends waves of revulsion through me.

Well, so much for Valentines Day...  Hope you aren't too grossed out by my foot post!
Have a blessed day, thanks for reading!

Spontaneous!

Today was another day I didn't work get a truck at O'Reilly's. The roads here have pretty much cleared off, and the boss said YES, I will be working tomorrow.
 I scrubbed my bathroom and forced Sam to scrub the boys' bathroom. Dan cleaned the kitchen and neatened the front room. We had intended to go over to Bentonville/ Rogers and buy Dan a new pair of shoes at the New Balance store, and pick up my reserved library book. I got Valentines ready to send out to those who weren't getting boxes... and missed the postman. So we had to add a stop by the post office to our errands.

But I saw  (on Facebook) that my grandkids had been out of school for two full weeks at home, with the weekend looming large. I asked if they would like to come for the weekend. They were agreeable, so I went to Siloam Springs instead of Bentonville. Dan got his New Balance sneakers, but at The Shoe Dept instead of at the NB store. My library book was put off... maybe it will still be there Monday? Since there is a Post Office in just about every little byway in America, we mailed the Valentines while we were out.

Sam thought Chicken Fajita Alfredo sounded good for supper, and I needed a few other things... so Dan and I stopped by WalMart with Connor and Alana. We got our supplies, plus a few extra goodies. Alana is now decorating some sugar cookies... Connor didn't want to help. At the store, Alana chose the breakfast cereal, Connor chose the soda pop. Connor also chose the "everything" loaf of deli bread we will warm up with garlic butter to go with our Alfredo and salad for supper tonight.

They are fixing to go out and play in the snow. It has warmed up to 38*, but we still have PLENTY of snow on the ground. (Finally to snowman/ snowball consistency!) They have played with the Magnetix, and raced cars on Ben's Wii (under supervision from their uncles). Whew... almost out of entertainment ideas and it is just three hours since I picked them up! (I'm sure it is taking them longer to dress than they will actually play out in the snow!)

Shortly after I arrived home, I got a phone call from my godfather, Paul! I haven't heard from him in ages. We had a nice chat. I linked him to the pictures over at Moocrew2.

That's been my day... other than the usual laundry, walking the treadmill, and cruising the Internets!
Have a blessed day!

Not the only one with Senior Moments...

Mean Mom Alert!
I told the boys earlier today that there were TWO things they had to get done before today is over: Their math... and the building of a snowman.
Dan said they don't have the scaffolding that was around when Ben and Tommy built their big snowman. I said they don't have to make an epically tall one... they can be creative. look at some Calvin and Hobbes cartoons and have fun with it.

I had one of the neighbor boys come over here with a note... could I take his mom to the store, they were stuck in their driveway? Since Tom had kept our cars cleared yesterday, and shoveled  the driveway... I could get out. The kid said their neighbor on the other side had a "clear driveway" and I could use it so his Mom would not have to walk so far in the snow.
So I pulled down to the neighbors drive....  It had seen some traffic- like a truck or tractor had made ruts through the snow. But my wee little car would no way, no how have been able to make it! His Mom trudged out to the road. We went to town. As long as I was there, I got some milk, and chocolate chips. I could see nice warm cookies fresh from the oven....  *drool*

The boys were so glad to see the bags of chocolate and butterscotch morsels me home! They asked right away if they could open the morsels. I said only if cookies were made TODAY. So, they opened the morsels. I reminded them of the snowman... Dan reluctantly dressed to go out and play in the snow. I asked Sam, wasn't he going? "Someone has to make the cookies" he tells me.

A few minutes later, I got up from in front of the computer to check on the roast in the slow cooker... which I had forgotten to plug in this morning... a fact I discovered some two hours into the "cooking" time. (Senior Moment #1 for the day?)  I saw that the boys had followed earlier instructions... sort of. Scrubbed potatoes were cooking... but no carrots or onions. I got out the carrots... and needed to peel them. I looked and looked for the can opener...  only to discover when I did find it... I was wanting the carrot peeler... NOT the can opener! (Senior Moment #2?)

Meanwhile, Sam is unloading the dishwasher. (He and Daniel take turns cleaning the kitchen.) It was strange that he wasn't whining and complaining about having to unload Dan's dishes. I mentioned the cookies he was supposed to be making. He stops... looks at the dishes in his hands and says , "COOKIES! WHY am I unloading the dishwasher!" (Sam's Senior Moment)
Apparently, he had forgotten why he was in the kitchen.
I sent him out to help with the snowman. The cookies are postponed.

Soon both boys came back inside.. the 20" of snow is still too dry to hold together in either snowballs or snowmen.

Supper is smelling wonderful.

Dan baked a very good "bread" this morning. "Loamhedge Legacy Nutbread" from their Redwall Cookbook. It was chock full of pecans... and I LOVE pecans in anything! I was munching a piece of it... and noticed my whole esophagus was warm, my tummy burning a bit. This bread actually uses red pepper in it! It wasn't too hot in my mouth, I would probably not have noticed the heat, had it not warmed my innards so much.
The author of the Redwall books, Brian Jacques, passed away earlier this week. The boys are sad to learn of this.

My wish for you...

I wish for you: a very happy day. May you realize all the blessings you have. May happiness surround you and dwell within you this day.
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Today the sun is shining, blindingly, off our 20 inches of fresh snow. We have giant snow drifts. The snow is dry as powder and as light as down feathers. Pictures are up over at Shutterfly. (The word Pictures is a link to the site). Those are from yesterday and from the blizzard at the first of the month. Sure looks like the local weather and old timers had it right... so very few people around here can remember it EVER being this snowy. Maybe I SHOULD of bought one of those sleds at WM the other day!

Mr C was able to get to work this morning, as he and the boys (mostly Dan) dug out the cars and driveway yesterday. The snow plow came through and cleared the roads of all but the least bit of snow. (Sam was bathing while tom and Dan shoveled... then used the opportunity of the ONE time I actually went out into the snow... to hack my facebook page I had left open. (I left it open because I was bundled up to go outside when Becky popped up to chat. I told her I would be right back. I THOUGHT both boys were outside.)

Have a blessed day. Give someone you love a big hug and let them know you care!

"Lucid Dreams" and disasters

My son Ben has been practicing learning to know when he is dreaming...inside the dream... so that he can control the events of the dream.

The last few nights I have had some wild and crazy dreams myself.
In the first one, I was at a house in a valley, between some hills. There was a stream and a field behind the house. What looked like storm clouds began to gather in the northeast... and then the most AMAZING sight... a HUGE white horse appeared behind the trees on the hill. Huge doesn't really do justice to describing the size of the horse... it was taller than the 130' tall trees growing on the hillside.

I called out for my family (It was mostly Tom's family... his Mom, brother Bob, sister Joyce, as well as the twins were there.) to come see what was happening... this could simply NOT BE. The horse spread massive white wings and beat the air... sending tree smashing gusts of wind.

Wait a minute!  For one thing, it is impossible for a horse to get that large. And for another thing... horses do NOT have wings. Therefore, I MUST be dreaming!

I said as much to the family. Bob said, "No... you aren't dreaming... we can all see the same thing!" He pointed out the rolling clouds of dust the wind from the horse's wings was stirring up... as it boiled back into the sky, the dust looked like a man's hands reaching down.

This was some serious stuff! I was praying that my kids were all OK, and wondering what was happening wherever they were at. MomArlene said we needed to get prepared to hold our home as long as we could. Bob rigged up a way to operated the well pump without electricity. MomArlene and I began to assess the stock of foods... enough to last us all about seven days...

Then Mr C woke me up.
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Since then, I have found myself repeatedly wondering just how prepared we really are in the face of some catastrophic disaster. It doesn't have to be a giant winged horse to be a nightmarish disaster. We are pretty complacent as a people. We expect to be able to get to the grocery store... if not today, because of weather, or illness, or earthquake... then certainly by next week. We don't give a lot of thought to the supply lines... the things that have to happen for us to get water, electricity, gasoline, and food.

So few of us today put food by... canning, freezing, hunting and fishing... we would not be prepared for a major disaster. What will we do when the stores aren't refilled with food, the gas stations are out of gas, and water doesn't flow from our faucets? Are we ready for the "lean" seasons... such as the ones that came after the years of "fat" in Joseph's time? (Joseph of the Bible)

I think my current household could last at least 10 days... maybe two weeks. I would find myself having to do some emergency canning if the electricity failed... after we ran out of gas for the generator. But we could eat. Water could prove a problem, without power.

Since the disasters seems to be a recurring theme of my dreams the last couple of months, I am thinking I will do more to become prepared for survival! Perhaps preparing will alleviate whatever is in my mind that disturbs my dreams so much.

The second recurring theme of my dreams is moving to my own house. It never seems to be the SAME house I move to... but several times a week I can count on dreaming of having my own place. Sometimes it is in a town, with people close by. Sometimes it is out in the country. It is always a big place... though not usually in great shape! Many times my grown kids are living there, as well as my grandkids. (Becky was in my dream last night, with Tyrel, Kimber, and a baby girl who was the size Kimber is now!)

Happy trails... be blessed!

Remember that our "meeting place" in case of a disaster is supposed to be Grandpa Bill's house. Maybe we should have Becky's place as a back-up... though that would sure impose on Nola!

Playing around

I have been playing around on the blog this morning, giving it a bit of a face lift. (I could use one myself, but this is as close as I am likely to get!)
After being off for four days, I went in and worked an eight hour shift on Saturday. (I had an hour lunch, so I was there for nine hours.) It was busy, not only in shipping and receiving, but on the register as well. I sold MANY wiper blades, and enough washer fluid to fill a bathtub. I discovered how completely rusty I am on the register... and at standing on concrete for such a long time.
So far, the snow predicted for today has all gone south of us. It is supposed to be (relatively) nice tomorrow, breaking out of freezing temperatures into the upper 30's. The roads are now mostly clear... but the rumor mill at work has folks battening down for mid-week. Since I don't usually watch local news and weather, I just hear what the locals are saying: "The worst storm EVER seen in this part of the country". "This next storm is going to put the last one to shame!"
As we now have more snow on the ground now than I have ever seen (since I was a toddler in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains), this would have to be some storm!
(The day after the blizzard, we got another 5" to 7".)
I am planning to make it to the library tomorrow. I placed several books on hold, after having run out of reading materials this week. Who knew I would be off an extra four days and get them all read?
I didn't go to WalMart with Mr C this morning. I got up and Twin was playing a video game. I spoke to Twin several times, he responded several times. I did my daily treadmilling. I showered. I came out and asked Twin if Sam was still sleeping. He gives me "the look" and stated "DANIEL went to the store with Dad."
All the time I had thought I was talking to Daniel... some hour and a half! I never once thought it was Sam. Oops. These two seem to look MORE alike all the time.

I spent a good hour working on the taxes online... only to discover that they don't do direct deposit and wanted to refund to us on a debit card. No Thank You! And it was going to cost almost as much as having the pro guys do it... so maybe tomorrow Tom and I will get down there and let our regular tax guys take care of it.
For supper tonight: Pork and Sauerkraut. Hope I have enough potatoes to mash, since I forgot to put potatoes on The List.
That's it... another cold snowy, boring day here.
Hope your day is blessed!

Still Here

The boys have been having a great time in the most snow we have ever had here. Dan has been tunneling through a snowbank across the road. His tunnel is about 15' long, so far. Yesterday's temperature didn't make it TO the teens, and today it should hit the low 20's. So looks like we will have the snow a few more days.
Since Missouri got it worse than we did, I haven't had a freight truck at work since Saturday. This translates to me NOT working since the inventory on Monday. A co-worker says "the store is down to three wiper blades and some pocket lint"... so when a truck does get through, I will be working all day long.

I spent the morning working on some paperwork I need to get mailed. The roads are still rather "iffy", so I am not going to even TRY to get to the post office today. Sam asked me what I was planning for supper tonight... and at first I suggested chicken fried steaks. But then I changed my mind to spaghetti, and some of my breadsticks. That way I can get the bread stick/ pizza crust recipe put up on the cooking blog. (And the spaghetti sauce recipe, if I haven't done that already.)
Mr C called me a few minutes ago to say he was staying at work for lunch today. He says he will buy his lunch from "The Wheel of Death", as he and his co-workers call the lunch vending machine. It has sandwiches, pizzas, fruit, pastries and such in it.

So far, we haven't seen the neighbor hoodlums kids out in the snow. When I looked outside a bit ago, I see sets of footprints going to and from the iced over pond... and prints right out onto the ice. I wish their stupid parental units would just take a look. Follow the kids prints and they will see where their darling little brats angels are going when they turn them out to play. that pond and the parents lack of supervising really scares me.

I have been out to check on Dan and Sam several time... and they are 14. With Dan tunneling through a snowdrift, I want to be sure they are OK.  Yesterday, he heard a vehicle stop as he was tunneling. Thinking it was the postman, he squirmed back out of the tunnel. It wasn't the postman, but a curious guy who had seen the snow being flung out of the opening in the drift. When Dan appeared, the guy gave him a thumbs-up and drove on.

I am hoping to be able to get out tomorrow... I have this packet of paperwork to mail, and really ought to get Becky's stuff sent to her. I would like to get the valentines goodies purchased and sent to the away grandkids.  The nearby grandkids stuff may be bought at the same time, but can wait til closer to the day to get it to them. With me missing an entire week of work, it will sure be cheap valentines goodies!

That's all for now. Have a blessed day!

BLIZZARD!

Really, the snow is just beginning, but we already have a good inch and a half of sleet on the ground. So far, very little freezing rain... there was just enough to make the sleet stick really well to the roads. Need I say that I did NOT go in to work?

My job is receiving the morning freight, shipping out the overstock, warranty returns, and cores. It usually takes me between two and four hours to do this. There is little or nothing to DO at work when it is nasty  outside. Those who can make it in and MUST be there can easily do my job... saving the cost of paying me, and saving me forty minutes or more of driving on bad roads. (Normally it takes me less than 10 minutes to get to work, and the same returning home. I'm allowing it would take me twice as long... if I could get UP the hills at all.)

The revised forecast has us snowing and /or sleeting ALL day... and up to 15" of accumulation guessed predicted. The wind is roaring, and quite a wind chill going on. It is just 9:30 here now, and supposed to keep this up all day. The direction the storm is moving keeps us right in the heart of it as it moves its length along. (We are right where the warm front of moist air from the Gulf hits the Arctic air front. The "collision" is then moving cat a corner to the ENE from here.)

We have the generator, gasoline, groceries, lots of water stored.... and I am NOT going out. Mr C went to work. I can just sit back and watch the weather happen!