Friday, January 29, 2010

Thank You Scrabble!

I must thank Scrabble for all the education I am getting from it! I play several games every day. When I check for e mail I just can't get up and leave the computer without playing at least one game of Scrabble. I always look at the definition of any word that I don't fully understand. I just looked up some word that mentioned scot free in its definition. So I immediately looked up scot free on Google.

So I learned the meaning for a new word--actually a phrase--today. Many times through out my life I have heard the phrase, getting off scot free. I have even used it myself. I never really thought about what it meant. I just assumed it meant to get off without paying anything. And it really does mean that, but there are several other things that other people think it means. Some associate it with Dred Scott, the black slave who was finally freed after several court cases. Actually, it has nothing to do with Dred Scott. Others associate it with the Scottish being stingy and cheap but again, it has nothing to do with that.

On Google in one entry a best answer to the meaning of scot free was chosen by voters and it was that the word "scot" in this expression is not related to Scotland or the Scottish. It comes from an old English word meaning "reckoning " or "payment". especially pertaining to a tavern or entertainment expense. The term "scot free" has been used since the 18th century.

So if you get off scot free it means that you don't pay a penny or get any punishment for whatever it is you're getting or doing.

I am amazed how much I can still learn even though I am 83 years old. You would think after 83 years I would know it all! Not so. I see more every day how little I really know. Thank you Google and Scrabble!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A long gone Era



Pernell Roberts just joined Hoss, Ben and Little Joe in the great Bonanzo beyond!
He was the last remaining Cartwright from the show, Bonanzo.
I loved watching Bonanzo back in the early sixties in its heyday. Normally, I don't watch westerns but I did like that one. Pernell Roberts, who was Adam Cartwright on the show, left it in 1965 for greener pastures--one being Trapper John M.D. I liked him on that show also.
There are not any shows on now to compare with the likes of Bonanzo. Young people do not know what they are missing by watching the kind of junk that is on now. Yea for the OLD STUFF!

Monday, January 25, 2010

CAT WOMAN

At the bottom Carla's live cats are pictured: Jet, Frank and Ilford




























My daughter, Carla is an authentic cat person. It all started back in the early sixties when someone dumped two little kittens in our front yard one night. They were in a box and were probably only about six weeks old. Fortunately, they were old enough to live without their mother if someone fed them. Carla brought them into the back yard and fed them some milk or something. She wanted to keep them but since we already had two dogs I put my foot down. But what can you do? The cats didn't go anywhere and they had to eat so I said she could have them in the back yard until we could think of what to do with them.


Of course, no one around us wanted the kittens so I ended up calling the humane shelter and they said they didn't have room for them. So I called another animal shelter where they did not euthanize animals but kept them until someone adopted them. I had to donate, I think $5, for them to take the cats. So at least we got rid of them.


Ever since then Carla has wanted cats. As soon as she married she got one. She was named Tiger and Carla had her for about 18 years before she had to be euthanized (the same day Tennessee Ernie Ford died back in 1991).


Soon after she got another cat, named Smokey, and had her until about a year ago.


Now she has three cats, pictured above, that is, live cats. She has hundreds of cats, the ceramic kind, all over her house! I have posted several pictures above of her shelves with cats. You can not look anywhere in her house without seeing a cat!


At a late count there were over one hundred cat figurines scattered around in every room of her house.


I could stand the ceramic ones but not the live ones--they have to use litter boxes!


Anyway, No one could ever take her love of cats away. She will probably be buried with a cat--or two!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

What's Up Doc?




This is kind of how my street looked last night except it was dark and there was snow!



















My street was surely a busy one last night and I haven't a clue why!


This all started about 11:00 PM. I was sitting by my window as I usually always am, and I saw several cars parking up the street right in front of my house.



I got up to see what I could see. I have about four windows that look out to my street and I can see down to the left and up to the right. I never heard a siren or other emergency vehicle. I ran my legs off going from one window to the other!



I saw nothing that gave me any clues as to what was going on. So I sat back down and kept watch on the goings on. Soon I saw people walking up the street to the left of my house I slipped out the front door and looked up and down and still didn't see what was happening. I finally got so puzzled that I called my next door neighbor and asked if he knew what was going on. He had no idea that anything was. He had not even noticed all of the cars. He said maybe someone was having a party. I told him to call me if he found out what was going on. I never got a call from him so I guess he never found out. If it had not been so cold, snowy and icy I would have walked out to the street and asked someone what was the uproar was. As for a party, it didn't start until almost midnight and usually parties start earlier than that. And besides, people were coming and leaving every few minutes. If it were a party I would think they would have stayed until the end.



I kept watch and more cars came and left every few minutes. I watched until midnight and then went to take a bath. After my bath I looked out again and cars were still all over the place. The odd thing was that there were no noises or rowdiness at all. I tried to see if I could tell what house they were going to but I could not because of the darkness.



So, about one o'clock I went to bed. By then a lot of the cars were gone but some were there later. This morning when I got up everything was just as usual and all of the cars were gone. So I am left with a big mystery on my hands. I am not close with any of my neighbors so I did not want to seem nosey. Only the one I called is any thing close to neighborly.



I hate to leave you with an unanswered puzzle but since I have no clue myself I can't answer it for you!



This whole thing takes me back to about forty years ago when we lived on Reed Street. The same kind of thing happened there. I had my doors and windows shut one night and was busy inside when I happened to look out a window and I saw cars parked all up and down the street and people standing around. At that time I went out and asked them what was going on. The man in the house just one door away from me had shot and killed himself. He had a family of two kids and a wife. We never knew the details of that but at least I knew what had happened. So I wondered if something like that had happened here. I guess I will never know. I didn't see anything in the paper about any kind of incident.



If I find out anything about what happened I will certainly let you know.

Friday, January 22, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY



Happy Birthday, Daddy. I am a little late getting this on, but I thought of you all day. I would love to give you a big hug for your birthday but that is impossible.

We all miss you as much as ever. I hope to see you again in the hereafter. It has been so many years since you left us. But your memory is with me every day.

You would be 111 years old if you were living! Once again, a very happy birthday to you from me and all of the family!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Valuable Art

































Above are some pictures that I came across in the drawer which was Ford's drawer when he was living. I had gone through it before but at that time I was not doing a blog so I didn't pay much attention to these pictures. They are pictures that our two kids made when they were just little tots. I don't have a date on them but one of the pictures is an envelope that they drew on a picture of the stamp and it is a 4 cent stamp. You know how long it has been since stamps were 4 cents!



The bottom picture is one that was in with them and it has Debbie written on the back. So evidently, Debbie, my niece, colored it for Ford. He had all of these in his drawer so he valued them greatly!



I am keeping them for now but when I die I am sure that my kids will want to have them to save for their kids.


They (my kids) may not be Rembrandts or Picassos but their art is more precious to me than any other artists!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

My Expensive Mouth!



















The picture on the right above is exactly the same tooth I had to have a crown on. However, I didn't have any pain with my tooth and actually, I never knew when the piece of the tooth broke off. I did notice a rough spot on it and wondered why it felt that way. I guess I swallowed the piece that broke off.



Since I was unaware of the problem I didn't even go to the dentist for it. I just went in for my regular cleaning and the hygienist informed me that it was broken and really needed to be repaired. She said it would be vulunerable for a new cavity if not repaired now.



She also informed me that it would cost $900! Isn't that horrible? I just can't see how they can justify charging that much for something that took, in total about an hour to do.



I was tempted to pass on it but I really can't stand the thought of not having my own teeth. I have too much invested in them to let them go now. Just about a month ago I spent over $200 for cleaning and x-rays.

Anyway, it is now repaired and it feels exactly normal so maybe it was worth it!



It is terrrible to spend $900 for something that no one ever sees and does nothing to enhance my looks--since it is an upper back tooth. However, I suppose I will be able to eat better and that counts for a lot!



I hope the teeth I now have will last as long as I do. It is bad enough to spend what it costs just to keep them cleaned and checked on. I have really helped my dentist a lot financially. I hope he appreciates it!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Peeling Potatoes


















Using a paring knife to peel potatoes





A swivel potato peeler


My mother was so frugal (maybe that is where I got my frugalness) that she never wanted to let anyone else peel the potatoes because she said they wasted half of the potato when they peeled them.

She always used just a paring knife to peel potatoes. I use a paring knife also. My daughter uses a swivel peeler. I use the swivel peeler for carrots but I don't like it for potatoes.

I don't think I waste any of the potato when I peel them. After all, you have to peel deep enough to get the eyes out. But somehow my mother still thought I wasted potatoes by peeling too deep!

Anyway, the surest way to not waste any of them is to boil the potatoes and then take off the peelings after they cool. That way you only take off the actual peel without wasting any potato. That only works if you want to use them for certain ways. Sometime you want to use the potato another way which might require peeling them first.

My mother has been gone for some time now. She died--not rich--so her potato idea didn't work to make her rich. I am not rich either and I probably never will be. So the potato scheme does not work.

I like to eat potatoes a lot but I don't worry about wasting them. I have found out that it takes more than that to get rich!




Friday, January 15, 2010

Another Jewelery Story



While I am on jewelery I will relate this story to0. It is more unbelievable than the other one.
Ford bought me these diamond earrings one summer when I had been to Texas and had been gone for about a month. When I got home we went on a camping trip and he gave me the earrings when we got there. I was shocked that he did that because he was not very much into jewelery and gifts. Anyway, he did get them for me.
Later after we got home from the camping trip we went to visit one of his friends who was in the hospital. We went one night and it was dark when we left the hospital to come home. When we got home I was taking my earrings off and one was not here. Immediately, I walked around the house looking on the floor because I thought maybe I had dropped it when I put them on. I did find the little back of it on the carpet, which is why it came off--it had not been fastened securely.
So I said to Ford let's go over to the hospital and look where we parked and see if it might be there. We had to wait until the next morning so it would be light.
The next morning we drove over to the hospital and to the place where we had parked. We had just got right there to the spot and I could see something shiny on the street. I got out and looked. There was my earring lying right there as pretty as you please! I jumped out and picked it up. The diamond was perfect but the stem had been bent over meaning that a car had driven over it but it did nothing to the diamond.
So I took it to the jeweler and he straightened the stem on it. I also had him to put stems on that had to have the backs screwed on instead of just pushed on. That way the back could not fall off without being unscrewed.
I felt like it was a miracle that the earring had not been picked up by someone or had not been damaged badly from being run over.
So now I have all of these pieces of jewelery that I love and were given to me by someone I loved so much but I do not have him anymore! I guess I will have to be content with the jewelery for now!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

My Opals

Top left, earring, bottom, ring
Pictured above are some of my favorite pieces of jewelry. Ford bought me the ring, necklace, and earrings all to match for either a birthday or Christmas--I can't remember which now. I have had them for many years.
Unfortunately, I lost the necklace a long time ago. I don't even know for sure when I lost it. I was going to get it out to wear one day and it wasn't there. So I never knew when I lost it. I was sick about it because I loved it for two reasons, number one, Ford gave it to me and number two, it was so pretty.
Then I was unlucky enough to lose one of the earrings. I was at the hospital getting my yearly colonoscopy and after that was over I came home and was taking my earrings off and one of them was missing. I went back to the hospital and asked if anyone had turned an earring in and they looked and said, "No, no one had turned one in." They said they would call me if someone did. I figure I lost it somewhere in the bedding during the colonoscopy and maybe it never was found at all. I loved those earrings and I wore them all the time. I was stupid to wear them during the procedure but I never dreamed one would come off.
So now I have my ring and one earring. I could use the one earring as a little collar stud pin or on a blouse but I never do. I do wear the ring all of the time. I get lots of compliments on it.
I hope at least I never lose the ring. It is very sentimental for me. I think of Ford when I wear it.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Am I lazy?


Can you see the row of mail boxes in the picture above? They are just in front of the garage of the house that is there. There are three boxes on the rack. Mine is the first one and the other two are for the house in the picture and the one right next door to me.
I am kind of mixed on how I feel about my mail box being across the street. I hate having to walk across the street every day to get my mail and paper--the paper boxes are just under the mail boxes. But on the other hand I like not having to mow and trim the grass around the rack.
Of course, I had no choice about the matter. They put the mail boxes where they wanted them. I just happened to be on the side of the street where they did not put them.
I lived for 25 years on a street, Reed Street, where the mail boxes were on your house. All I had to do was open my front door and reach to the left about six inches and there was my mail. I liked that, especially when we had heavy snow and ice buildup. Now I have to walk across the street on ice, snow, slush or whatever, and walk back across to my house. When I was young ice and snow were the least of my concerns but now that I am older, much older, it makes a big difference!
I have no plans to ever move from this house--unless to a nursing home-- so I will just have to contend with the snow and ice. Fortunately it is for just a few months during the winter when we have those conditions.
I would just like for the mailman to walk the route and come to each house and deliver the mail--fat chance!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Bed out of Chairs for the sickee!













Is he sick?




She doesn't look sick!



When I , or my sisters, were sick as kids we always had a bed made for us in the same room where the rest of the family stayed.

My mother would take two kitchen chairs and place them together close by the stove in our living room. She would then fold up a large comforter and use it for a padding on the chairs. We would bring in our own pillow from our bedroom and we were then right in the thick of all of the activity of all the family. I can remember how thrilling it was to be able to see all that was going on and be right there! The little girl in the picture above looks happy also. I don't know if the dog in the picture is sick but he looks happy on his chair bed!

This also made it possible for our mother to keep close check on us when we were sick. She could check our condition and get us whatever we needed without leaving the room. Sometimes we were too sick to care about anything but if we were not too sick it was fun to be in the middle of everything.


Back in those days we didn't have a couch nor a recliner but the chairs served the purpose well. Fortunately, I am never sick hardly at all, but if I were I would certainly be on my couch overseeing everything that went on!






Saturday, January 9, 2010

PINS--All Kinds



Hat pins, shawl pin>

Bobby pins













Stick pins















Rolling pins
It seems that pins are going out of style. I have been observing each time I see any kind of pin: Rolling pins, hat pins, stick pins, bobby pins, shawl pins, clothes pins. If you notice most of the items I just listed are things that are not in style anymore.
Rolling pins are still around but not used nearly as much as they used to be. My mother used her rolling pin just about every day. I might use mine once a month!
I still have some bobby pins but I seldom use them except for some strange thing once in a while.
Hat pins are a thing of the past, stick pins also. I never even knew of a shawl pin until I researched for this post. I never had a shawl pin but I did have, and still do somewhere around here, a couple of stick pins. I could not find them when I looked. That is how important they are!
Clothes pins are also an ancient item. I still have mine but the only thing I ever use them for is to attach and hang sheets over the tools on my garage wall, which I don't want to sell, when I have a garage sale!
One kind of pin that may have a infinite life time is the bowling pin. I know that they are used all the time by bowlers and probably will always be. Otherwise don't name something any kind of pin if you want it to go on into the future! Pins are doomed!

Friday, January 8, 2010

I am Snowed In!




The pictures you see are what I have to look at every time I look out my front window. Isn't it dismal?
Hopefully, tomorrow will be a little better. They are predicting we may get one or two inches more snow tonight but then later tomorrow they say the snow will end.
I have not been out of my house for all of this week. Thankfully, I have a great neighbor who has brought my paper and mail over for me every day. I keep stocked up on bread, milk and everything I need to keep eating!
I even freeze milk so I always have that on hand. I would prefer not to freeze milk but I have gotten used to it so I don't mind it now. It is certainly better than running out of it. I also keeep cans of evaporated milk on hand for cooking. After living here for sixty four years I know how to manage having food on hand in bad weather.
The snow is pretty to look at but not to drive, walk or work in! If you live in the south where you don't have this kind of weather, be thankful!
However, according to the TV news, you have been having bad weather also. Just be glad it is a once in a while thing for you but it is every winter for me!

Friday, January 1, 2010

HELLO 2010!!



It is finally here! 2010 is a new beginning for us all. I certainly hope it will be a great one.



We are due for some good times. Let's hope that the economy turns around and the war comes to an end.



I will be praying for that along with praying for all of my loved ones. We have two new babies that have joined our families and I am hoping that they will be good additions to our American family!



Once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone of you. I love you all!