It''s been awhile since I updated!

I don't know where to begin in updating my blog. I've been having a lot of health issues lately and they are interfering in my life.
Right now I'm off work because I'm having trouble with my right knee. I was at work on the 20th and my right knee went out and I almost went down to the ground. I was on my lunch break and I managed to hobble back into work and find a manager so I could go home. They had to call a paramedic and have him look at my knee. He wouldn't let me drive home so I had to call my Dad. Dad stopped by my home and picked Rich up. They got me home and I couldn't get into the doctor until Thursday. I refuse to go to our local hospital-that's another whole story.
My doctor was out of town and I had to see the other doctor in the clinic. He told me to stay off of my leg and work for the next week. I go back to the doctor tomorrow. It's better.........it still swells and hurts if I'm up on it for more than an hour. I'm supposed to go back to work Friday................I just don''t know if I can or not. Will update tomorrow about my knee.

Rich and I had a quiet Christmas. It seems like any more the family is so scattered that it is hard for us to get together. I sure miss the good times we spent together during the holidays.

Autumn

Autumn.............my favorite time of the year. I love the beautiful colors that Mother Nature paints. The reds, oranges, yellows, rusts and browns.........I love them all. The mornings are so crisp and the afternoons are warm.

Rich and I love to travel the backroads and view all the changes of autumn. Of course, we don't get anywhere quickly as I'm always stopping to take photos. It seems that a trip that would take the average person 2 hours...............turns into a 5 hour trip for us.

My Birthday

I had the most wonderful birthday weekend. It started out with me getting my stitches out after 4 weeks. For those who don't know I had a mole removed from my back......they had to go back in and remove more as there was a tail on the abnormal (no cancer) cells and they didn't get it all the first time.

We met Dad and Mae at Skipper's for a birthday lunch for both Rich and I. Rich and I had called Dad and Mae and invited them to lunch....but Dad wouldn't go unless he could pay for the meal for our birthdays. Dad always told us that if you invited somebody out to eat.....you paid. I reminded him of his rule........he told me that he had already planned to take us out for lunch so he was paying. After lunch Rich and I went shopping. We bought a card reader for our camera and a 512mb card. Now I won't run out of room for photos.

Rich was still being mysterious about what he had bought for my birthday. He asked me if I would like to stop at the LSS and spend the $25 shopping spree I had for filling my punch card. We stopped at the LSS and as I started to get out of the pickup........Rich handed me $50 and told me....."Happy Birthday, enjoy your shopping spree!!!!"

I shopped until I almost dropped!!!!!!!!!!

I bought Wild Asparagus paper and embellishments, SEI paper, brads, eyelets, stickers, Jolee's Scrabble embellishments, patterned paper and cardstock. I almost bought the Silent Setter........but I love my hammer too much. I bought everything I wanted and still have birthday money left.......I'm going to save it for vacation.

Paulette also gave me 25% off one item for my birthday.

After shopping we went home and watched DVD's and ordered pizza for dinner. I had the most enjoyable day for my birthday......but it wasn't over yet.

Thursday morning Rich let me sleep in.......then we went to Wildlife Safari (a drive-thru game park) and had lunch at the White Rhino. We then drove through the game park and took lots of photos........308 to be exact .

I had a wonderful birthday thanks to Rich, my family and my wonderful scrapbook friends at Scraphappy101.

Summer Days and Autumn Nights

It seems that here in the Northwest that we are starting to change into Autumn. The days are still hot but the nights are getting cool.

I love this time of the year. It's the time of the year to make sure you're pantry is ready for winter. Rich and I both grew up in families that depended on the timber industry for their income. At times, the mills would close during the winter months..........and the unemployment checks didn't cover everything. So we both learned to be prepared for winter. Even if you can't freeze or can fresh veggies and fruits.............you can buy a few extra cans of fruit and veggies at the store when it's on sale.

Rich and I recently bought a small freezer. With the prices of gas.........groceries prices are bound to go up sooner or later. So we are freezing fresh veggies and fruits for winter. We haven't done a lot of canning this year........but we are freezing blackberry juice to make blackberry jelly later.

Speaking of blackberries!!!!!!!!!! Dad and Mae showed up this afternoon with one and a half gallons of fresh picked blackberries from their back yard. So as you can imagine no scrapbooking for me today.

Not only did I have the blackberries to juice and freeze. I had a dozen ears of corn to prepare for the freezer that I had bought at the produce market.

It might be work now to get the veggies and fruits in the freezer.............this winter they sure will taste good.

HMMMMMMMMMM! I wonder if Bobbie will have any extra Concord grapes this year??????? I better check and see.

Gas Prices

Rich came home this morning and told me that gas prices had jumped to $3.07 for regular at the Truck and Travel Center where I work in Canyonville.

How are the people that are barely surviving now going to afford the gas to go to work at minimum wages?????????????????????

Something has to be done about gas prices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Hurricane Katrina has played a part in the gas prices..............but the gas prices were rising before Hurricane Katrina.

At the Truck and Travel Center the prices are rising 1 or 2 times a day.

Maybe we should all go back to horse and buggy!!!!!!

Hurricane Katrina

My prayers go out to all the people affected by Hurricane Katrina and their families that are waiting to hear from their loved ones. My prayers also go out to the animals.........both domestic and wild.

Puppy Size

This is one of the neatest stories I've ever read. You will know precisely what this little girl is talking about at the end!!!!

"Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least 5 times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the mother told the volunteer.

"What is it she keeps asking for?" the volunteer asked. "Puppy size!" replied the mother.

"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for." "I know...we have seen most of them," the mom said in flustration.

Just then Danielle came walking into the office.

"Well, did you find one?" asked her mom. "No, not this time," Danielle said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?"

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed. "You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I'll find one this weekend," she said.

Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," dad finally said in flustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, you're not the one."

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

"Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. "It's the puppy size!"

"But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks," Mom said.

"No, not size.............the sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said.

"Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends in the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!"

The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.

"Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said.

Then holding the puppy up close to her face she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!"

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day.

Take the time to stop and listen, you will be surprised at what you hear.

"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that ake our breath away."

Note: This story was sent to me by Danny, my best friend. It has so much meaning. In today's world we often forget to stop and listen.

Living in the Country

One of my dreams has been to live in the country. I'm just a country girl at heart. Recently Rich and I purchased a mobile home in the foothills of Myrtle Creek, Oregon. It is so quiet and peaceful. The other night Rich and I was sitting on the porch with the light out watching all the stars. We heard some rustling in the grass upon the hillside behind our home. Rich shined the flashlight and we saw the most beautiful deer. I just don't understand how anyone could hunt and kill such a beautiful animal. We haven't seen them but we have heard coyotes and wild turkeys. We also was told that there is bear and cougars in the area.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today Dad is 73 years young. I say that because I have a hard time keeping up with him. I never know if he will be home, out fishing, setup at flea marts, gone crabbing, or visiting the family. It's a good thing that cell phones were invented or I would never know where to find him.

Since I have to work today........I went yesterday and celebrated with Dad. At times I never know what to get him for his birthday. When that happens.........I get him Goodies. He loves black jelly beans, Brach's coconut squares, Fiddle Faddle and cashews.

The photo above is Dad and his companion, Mae. They both love to buy and sell at flea marts. They sell beautiful Queen size blankets, windchimes, knives, tools and lots of misc.

Pet Peeves

Pet Peeves!!!!!!!!!!

We all have Pet Peeves........some more than others..........some less than others.

One of my all-time Pet Peeves is Grocery Baggers.........putting non-food and food items in the same plastic or paper bag.

Whatever happened to plain ole' COMMON SENSE when it comes to bagging groceries.

Today I went shopping for a few items. The nightmare of grocery bagging started off with the first 2 items the clerk pushed down to the young lady bagging..........a pint of cottage cheese and a container of laundry booster. Yep, you guessed it!!!!!!!! She threw them into the same bag. I reached over and removed the cottage cheese and politely told her that I would prefer to bag my own groceries............Thank You!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, you guessed it!! She coped a attitude and asked me what she did wrong. I told her that I didn't like non-food and food items in the same bag together. She looked at me with the "Well, Duh!!!!!!!!" and went over to the next checkstand and proceeeded start putting whatever she grabbed into the bags to fill them.

After paying and bagging my groceries...........I go out to the pickup where hubby is standing and smoking. He tells me............"Oh, I see from the look on your face that they didn't bag your groceries the way you like again." I told Rich that I should start my own business.........Training Grocery Baggers.

Well, I better get off my soapbox and get busy scrapping.

Danny and The Wall

Danny would visit The Wall every time it came to Southern Oregon. He always went to the same panel and would sit or stand in silence for a long time. He never talked about why he always went to that panel. He never said if it was a friend's or a family member's name engraved on The Wall.

He sat or stood there.....what was going through his mind? Was he remembering good times or the bad times that would haunt him the rest of his life? We will never know what Danny's thoughts or memories were when he sat or stood there in front of The Wall.

Danny Dean Gairson died at the age of 55 on December 26, 2004 of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Desease). There is a good chance that Danny's ALS was caused by being exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam while serving his country.

Danny's name will not be engraved on The Wall.....but he too was a casualty of the Vietnam War.

Author's Note: Danny was my best friend.