Here Kitty Kitty

We have a nice-sized flower garden in our yard, complete with a pond with a little fountain.  It’s Ken’s pride and joy.  Every year we stock it with goldfish and once in a while, a tadpole or two.  The fish are fun to watch, and will come to the surface if you twiddle your fingers on the edge of the water.

Unfortunately, this has been their downfall.  We start off with two dozen goldfish, the ones that survive the summer are put into our family room fish tank to grow bigger for the next summer season.  By the end of this summer, there were only about 5 or 6 goldfish left…we’ve seen a raccoon several times during the year (I even caught one in a critter trap..but released it…we were trying to catch the rabbits that have eaten our hostas and other flowers down to dirt level) I had always blamed the demise of  the goldfish on the raccoon.

However, this morning, I looked out of our kitchen window and saw a big cat on the back fence..at first glance, I thought, “oh my gosh” there’s a baby mountain lion”….four years ago a big, fully grown mountain lion, aka Puma was taking up residence in our neighborhood park.  He is now living in the Henry Doorly Zoo cat complex.

Anyway, this turned out to be a large, beautiful tan and black Siamese cat.  I could see that it was wearing a collar, so I know it was not a feral cat…it jumped off the fence and walked around the edge of the pool…ha!  Bet I know where our missing goldfish went….kitty breakfast. 

I walked onto the back deck and called, “here kitty” and up he came.  He stayed around for a while but decided to investigate the rest of the yard.  I don’t know if he was a neighborhood cat that is allowed to roam or if he had escaped from home and was exploring.  He didn’t have a name or license on his collar so there was no way to find out who he belonged to.  And, he definitely did not want to come with me into the house…I didn’t want to be scratched or bitten so didn’t force the issue.

Mom Raised Me Right...Thanks Mom!

I was RAISED - I didn't just grow up.

I was taught to speak when I enter a room, say please & thank you, to have respect for my elders, lend a helping hand to those in need, hold the door for the person behind me, say excuse me when it's needed, and to love people for who they are, not for what you can get from them! 

I was also taught to treat people the way I want to be treated! 

If you were raised this way too, re-post this. Sadly, many won't, because they weren't, and it shows~

(This is a family photo our daughter Christine and her family.  Husband David and sons Mason, Connor and Hayden)

Win Prizes at a Carnival or Fair

You CAN win at a Carnival Game

Try these hints at your next visit to the State Fair or carnival.....up your chances against the carnival's odds!  You are aware that many of them are "fixed" in favor of the carnival...right?  They are there to bring in money....not to send you home happily carrying a stuffed animal or plastic bag with a live goldfish in it.

Balloon Dart Throw

The balloons are under-inflated, and the dart tips are dull. Don’t hurl the darts straight for the balloons, loft them in an arc for a better chance. Most people aim for the middle, so the game operators will often hide the "good prize" tags behind balloons on the outside edges.

Milk Bottle Throw

The bottles used in this carnival game are often made with leaded glasses making them very heavy. The secret to winning the milk bottle throw is to aim at the base of the bottom two containers rather then at the intersection of all three bottles.

BasketBall Free-Throw

The basketball is over-inflated, the hoop is smaller than regulation size and often an oval shape rather than circular. The backboard is made of plywood and is very bouncy.   Do not try to rebound the shot. Use a high arc underhanded granny shot.  Ever wonder why so many kids end up with a prize?  Underhanded granny toss.

Milk Can Toss 
Aim for the back of the rim and toss the ball underhanded by gripping the ball on top. Give the ball some backspin as you release it give a little flick of the wrist so the ball starts spinning backwards in the air.  The ball will hit the back rim and the backspin will dump it into the milk can.

Test of Strength…the King of Carnival games
The object is to hit a pad with a mallet and ring a bell.  To “win” aim for the center of the pad. Remember, the center of the pad is the sweet spot. Make sure the face of the mallet hits the pad squarely. Swing the mallet like you were splitting wood.  Have your strongest hand towards the head of the mallet and your weaker hand as close to the handle edge as possible.  Bring the mallet up and over your head and as you swing down your strong hand will slide down towards the end of the handle.  This gives you more control and balance.

Water Guns / Balloon Races 
First clue:  Some guns have better water flow then others, some targets are more sensitive then others, and some compressors have better airflow then others.  The only way to know for sure is to observe a lot of games and see which ones win more often.  

Second clue:  Make friends with  the carnival worker, he can almost assuredly tell you which stations were most likely to take home the prize.

Hummingbird Moth

Our red Bee Balm flowers have gone wild...now I read that we should cut them in half so that they stay a nice size.  Well, too late for that, they are 4 to 5 feet tall and are the very favorite flower of a whole bunch of big yellow and black bumblebees. I don't know if bumblebees collect necter from them and create honey like the little honey bees do. I would suppose so, but I'll have to check my favorite "go to" place, the internet.

Yesterday I watched several hummingbird moths sampling the Bee Balm flowers.  At first I thought they were  baby hummingbirds.....although I have never seen hummingbirds in our area.  They hovered over the flowers just like hummingbirds, thus, I suppose, the name, Hummingbird moth or hawkmoth. They are about the size of my thumb and their little wings beat frantically.   I looked them up on the internet and found that there are several species....since this little guy never was still and I didn't have a camera (photo here was from the internet) I don't know what species they were.  I had never seen one before, and between watching the bumble bees and the moth, I spend a good half hour in the garden.

Later I found that they emerge from eggs laid by green caterpillers, probably on the honeysuckle vine which was planted last year.  New vine, new visitors to the garden. 

Words Women Use

While in Charleston, S.C. our tennis team visited many, many great eating establishments. One of our favorites was Hyman's Seafood Restaurant at 215 Meeting Street.......where we found these words of wisdom......along with some delicious food and fun-lovin' waiters!

(Men! this is for you!....it will warn you about future arguments you can avoid if you remember the terminology)

WORDS WOMEN USE:

FINE...This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

FIVE MINUTES...If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

NOTHING...This is the calm before the storm. This means "something" and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "Nothing" usually end in "Fine"

GO AHEAD...This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.

LOUD SIGH...This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A "loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

THAT'S OKAY...This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

THANKS... The woman is thanking you. Do not question it or faint. Just say "you're welcome".

Why Didn't Someone Tell Me a Long Time Ago?

If you wash your laundry using a gallon container of liquid soap i.e. Kirkland (from Costco), Wisk, All, etc. you have a little plastic cup that you measure with. And, that little cup gets goopier and stickier every time you use it. Its a mess to try to clean out. Plus, when you put the cup back on, the soap drains out of the cup down the side of the container, making an even bigger mess.

One day I was complaining about it to my husband, and, as he occasionally does, he looked at me like I had no brains at all. "why don't you toss it into washing machine along with your laundry?"

Well duh!

Yes folks, tossing the little plastic cup in with each batch of clothes was a brilliant idea, and it works! No more goopy, sticky plastic cup.......Hurrah!

I'm not sure if it would survive a trip through the hot dryer, so be sure to remove it from the washing machine before tossing the clothes in!

Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

My husband’s hobby is model trains and we never pass up the opportunity to see train set-ups. In November we drove to Chicago to visit the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry….it’s not only machines but contains exhibits that were unexpected.

I had expected rows and rows of machines….wonderful for some guys, but not me.

But, we were surprised to find ourselves ingrossed in “the Baby chicks Hatchery"– we actually saw a chick peck it’s way out of the shell and tumble into the world. Hmmm, wonder what they do with all the chicks that hatch?

Our grandsons had a great time....most of the exhibits were "hands on" and they played with everything from the Idea Factory to robots and flight simulators.

There were three displays that we particularly wanted to see…the U-505 Submarine, the Coal Mine and the Great Train Story. We saw them all, plus everything else we could possibly cram into in an 8 hour period. (wear your walking shoes, it’s a BIG place.)

The Great Train Story has a huge layout with 34 HO scale train engines and cars. The layout takes you on a cross-country journey from Chicago to Seattle through very realistic terrain and cityscapes. My husband was in heaven! He spent hours examining the buildings, bridges, mountains and tunnels as the trains chugged past.

“Ron, one of my club members has a train like that!” …”I had that engine but sold it”…”look at that Silver Zephyr!”

Speaking of the Pioneer Zephyr , the actual engine and several cars are housed in the museum. We took the free tour and sat in a passenger car (with lifelike statues) while the tour guide told us about the train's background. Our grandkids loved sitting next to the models -- they talked!

I HIGHLY recommend the museum to anyone who is visiting Chicago with youngsters....they (and you) will have a ball! Plus, they have some GREAT desserts in the museum lunchroom!

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It was a day well spent!

31 clues to a lasting marriage

How many of these promises do you keep? When you stood at the altar before God and all those witnesses, you promised to love and honor your spouse.....but sometimes the little things get lost in the daily shuffle of life.

1. Start each day with a kiss
2. Smile often
3. Touch
4. Talk about dreams
5. Select a song that can be "our song" (ours is The Twelfth of Never )
6. Laugh together
7. Listen to his or her ideas
8. Encourage
9. Do it his or her way occasionally
10. Give a compliment twice a day
11. Call during the day if you are away from home
12. Hold hands in public
13. Cuddle
14. Ask for each other's opinion
15. Show respect for his or her opinion
16. Welcome the other person home
17. Look your best
18. Wink at each other
19. Apologize
20. Forgive
21. Be positive
22. Be kind
23. Talk about your love
24. Reminince about your favorite times together
25. Treat each other's friends and relatives with courtesy
26. Admit when wrong
27. Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires
28. Watch sunsets together
29. Say "I love you" frequently
30. End the day with a hug
31. Remember that unkind remarks can wound deeply and may never be forgotten

We've been happily married for nearly 50 years... I can honestly say that we keep almost all these promises. And... he's still my best friend.

Candy fix....mmmmmm

Remember those old fashioned candies....names that you seldom see any more. Try these sites:

http://www.oldtimecandy.com/

http://www.nostalgiccandy.com/

http://www.sweetnostalgia.com/

OK, I admit it, I like candy. When I was a kid, Hersheys was my very, very favorite choice.....those nice sized bars (either they have shrunk or my memory is getting bad) that MELTED.

Now this is a secret just between you and me. I would take a Hershey bar (wrapped of course) and stuff it into my back pocket to soften. Then after the bar was no longer solid, really nice and gooey, I would take it out and unwrap it. Yummmm, licking the melted chocolate off of my fingers and then licking the wrapper was one of the joys of my young life.

At 8 years old....joy came easily.

Candy, gotta love the stuff

Remember those old fashioned candies....names that you seldom see any more. You'd walk into the neighborhood grocery, a penny or two clutched in your hand, and head for the candy counter. (if your folks were really good customers, the grocer would sometimes give you two candies for a penny.....you were in 7th heaven)

OK, I admit it, I like candy. When I was a kid, Hersheys was my very, very favorite choice.....those nice sized bars (either they have shrunk or my memory is getting bad) that MELTED. I'm tempted to google the ingredients of the original Hershey bar...for some reason they aren't as gooy, soft and meltable as they used to be.

Now this is a secret just between you and me. I would take a Hershey bar (wrapped of course) and stuff it into my back pocket to soften. Then after the bar was no longer solid, really nice and gooy, I would take it out and unwrap it. Yummmm, licking the melted chocolate off of my fingers and then licking the wrapper was one of the joys of my young life.

At 8 years old....joy came easily.

Look at these sites...maybe your childhood favorite is waiting for you!

Old Time Candy

Nostalgic Candy

Sweet Nostalgia

Buying insurance -- Necessary at any age

Yep, I’m a senior…

When I say I’m a senior, I don’t mean in high school or college. I am a senior in life.

My husband just celebrated his 72nd birthday so I guess its time to start thinking about the pros and cons of long term care insurance. I am Mrs. Cheapskate…any way to save money on senior health insurance or senior health care will get my attention. Actually, I’ve never liked thinking about insurance….the only way YOU come out ahead is to die.

My friend, who has more money than George W. Bush has a long term care and a burial insurance policy . Actually, she doesn’t need an insurance policy, she has more than enough to get buried like royalty, but her accountant said she needed additional insurance in case she, for some reason, ended up in a nursing home or needed help with Medigap plans. According to him, her small fortune in stocks, bonds and savings would dwindle down to a pittance.

Ugh, this is not a subject that makes me happy…..so, I’ll just stop writing and go read a book! We have the new Harry Potter one (gift for granddaughter) …she won’t mind if I read it first.

Buttons and fly flaps

Did you know that the buttons on a man's shirt are on the right side and that on a pair of men's jeans the flap on the fly is on the left side.

And, on women's clothing, it's the opposite....buttons on left side and fly flap on the right.

Bet you never gave that a thought!

Which Movie Star Are You?

Have fun with this. Which Movie Star Are You? Ever wonder which movie star you are most like? (probably not...but do the quiz anyway)

Well ~ A team of researchers got together and analyzed the personalities of movie stars. The gathered info has been incorporated into this quiz.

There are only 10 questions so it doesn't take long. Number your paper from 1 to 10, then answer each question with the choice that most describes you at this point in your life, and then add up the points that correspond with your answers. Don't look ahead or you will ruin the fun!

1. Which describes your perfect date?
A) Candlelight dinner for two
B) Amusement Park
C) Roller blading in the park
D Rock Concert
E) Have dinner & see a movie
F) Dinner at home with a loved one

Wealth...a dream not realized

"Always try to rub against money, for if you rub against money long enough, some of it may rub off on you." (from Damon Runyon's "Very Honorable Guy").

Greenbacks, dough, moolah, rhino, jack, buck, bread, c-note, dead presidents are just a few names for our American dollar. No matter what you call it, money is necessary and money is wanted. But the question is, “how do I get it”.

Lets see, you could have inherited it, i.e. Kennedy, Romney, Bush, and other billionaires in the United States. Or, you could have won the national Lottery (as opposed to that one that you keep getting emails from in Nigeria), hit the jackpot at a casino or, like Jed Clampett, be “shootin’ at some food” and strike oil.

"We need to make some extra money!" Who hasn't said that at one time or another!! Our first attempt, several years ago, was to join the Amway group. Unfortunately, although they have great products, most people didn’t want to pay the prices for quality products. They could "get it cheaper" at Wal-mart or Target. We didn’t make any money (but had a really clean house!)
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Next, I thought I’d try selling Tiara glassware, another great company. I was doing pretty well, taking the glassware to home parties, a la Tupperware, until the company went out of business. I had high hopes that we had found our "pot of gold" (the only gold we have is the trim on the Tiara plates.

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Our last endeavor was selling on EBAY….we still do that, but aren’t getting rich that way either. Ebay’s charges and fees are killing any profit that we could make.

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And, people are looking for bargains and unless you are offering items that are really special, unique or outrageously cheap, things don't sell. (see me for some great deals on jeans, shirts, dog hair, Nebraska sweatshirts etc.)

Oh well, I didn’t start writing this blog to make money…in fact, I didn’t know that blogs COULD make money. (and this one isn’t !!) But, I enjoy doing it, doesn't cost anything and gives me something to do on those long, cold Nebraska nights.

Costume Party

Only our friend JJ would want to host a costume party in the middle of January in Nebraska. Since she is a fairly new Nebraskan, she has no clue how quickly the weather can change from reasonably bad to really ugly!

JJ and husband have a home on a lake near the Platte River about 18 miles from Omaha....it's a nice drive and since its fairly "woodsy' we usually see a few animals....deer, pheasants, raccoons, and the occasional turkey. But, its somewhat isolated.... many of the owners only are there in the summer so most of the neighboring homes were closed for the winter.

The party was so much fun....bunch of old friends dressing up. I went as a 1960 hippie....I had made a wig out of dyed cotton balls glued on a cap made out of a piece of panty hose. Actually, it looked pretty good. My husband went as an organ grinder, complete with monkey.

It was lightly snowing when we left home but by the time the party was over.....we were in the midst of a blizzard. It must have been hiding somewhere in outstate Nebraska and arrived here faster than expected, because the local weather forecast didn't say anything about having a major snowstorm!

JJ didn't want any one to try to get back to Omaha, so we had a senior slumber party. 8 couples managed to sleep on couches, floors or whereever they could. I won't say that we were comfortable, but it was adventurous. Since we didn't plan on staying overnight, we all slept in our costumes.

I woke up to the sounds of what I thought was gunfire....."hey, this is a game preservation area...no hunting allowed".....but I was wrong. What I was hearing was the sound of tree sap freezing and breaking branches....the temp had really dropped, nearly two feet of snow had fallen AND no electricity.

B-U-M-M-E-R big time! no hot coffee, no bacon and eggs...just cold cereal, chips and dip and whatever was left over from the party.

Getting back to the main road was very tricky....one of the guys had a pickup truck and he blazed the way for us and we all followed each other....a caravan consisting of a hippie, organ grinder, Arab, little black monster, male nurse and surgical team, a couple of "ladies-of-the-street", an overage cheerleader, and members of the "Village People" (yes they did a great rendition of "YMCA").

We all arrived home safely only to find that our own homes were without electicity, downed trees littered the streets, and people were in their yards wondering "what in the heck happened!"

Menards, Lowes, K-Mart and another other stores that sold chain saws sold out within a day. We'd get calls from friends.."hey, I was just at Menards, they got in a new shipment of chain saws!"....or "don't bother going to Lowes, they're sold out".

Have a Hug because.......

Hugs are not only nice, they're NEEDED.

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Hugs can help relieve pain and depression, make the healthy healthier and the most secure among us even more so.

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Hugging feels good.....overcomes fears......eases tension......provides stretching exercises if you are short......provides stooping exercises if you are tall.
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Hugging also does not upset the environment.....saves heat......is portable...requires no special equipment.......makes happy days happier.......makes impossible days possible.

Will Rogers

Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. His trademark, scratching his head in thought, is recognized by many. His "I never met a man I didn't like" is famous. Enjoy the following:

1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

3. There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman...neither works.

4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

5. Always drink upstream from the herd.

6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.

8. There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.

9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.

12. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him.

The moral:

When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

The Hunt for Apples to Apples

I love our family....young and old. I love our fun times, I love our love for each other and I love our family gatherings. We are a game playing bunch....whenever we're together, the kids and adults start playing board games....they are fun games that can be played by a group of people. We usually play things like Pictionary, Toss Across or Outburst......and the action can get pretty rowdy with a group of people yelling out answers.

I was listening to the John Tesch radio show the other night and he was raving about a board game that he and his family really enjoy.....Apples to Apples . So, I thought it would be fun to buy it and we'd give it a try. I called Wal-Mart, usually my 1st choice to find things....no they didn't have it. Next were K-Mart, Shopko and Target...no success there either. I turned to my computer and googled Apples to Apples .....yippee, I'll find it at Toys R Us. So, I drove over to our local Toys R Us store.
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Well, that was was a lost cause....they didn't have it either....."just sold out the other day" Evidentally the John Tesch show is more popular than I had thought. Everyone who heard it decided to buy Apples to Apples......
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They did offer to call their other store (on the other side of town) and oh yes, they had two...no wait a minute, they just sold one. I asked them to put it on hold and I would drive to their store and buy it. "we can't hold anything this close to Christmas".....bummer!
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I broke the speed limit getting there ..... this was fast becoming an obsession with me....I HAD to have that game. I walked into the Toys R Us store and made a bee line to the board game section.....Success...they had ONE game left....at $26.99 you wouldn't think that they would be the hottest item in the store....but its good to know that somebody plays board games as opposed to video shoot-em-ups.
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After Christmas dinner, dishes in the dishwasher and perishable food put away, we opened the game and start reading the directions.

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Ok, you choose a player to be the first "judge". The judge deals seven red apple cards to each player, face down. The judge then picks a green apple card from the top of the stack, reads it out loud and the players choose a card from their hand that best describes the judge's card.

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Now this really sounds simple doesn't it.

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The judge draws a green apple card...."Woebegone" What in the heck kind of a word is that?

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I look at my seven red apple cards....Ragweed, Earwigs, Cold Pizza, Mud, Princess Di, The Statue of Liberty and George W. Bush. Nothing that even closely resembles "woebegone".

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Everyone HAS to play a card.....I am leaning towards George W. Bush, but decide on Cold Pizza. So I slide it over to the judge, face down. Each of the other players do the same thing. From the looks on their faces, their red apple cards weren't much better than mine.

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The judge then scrambles the cards so that he/she doesn't know who they came from, and one by one turns it over. "My First Kiss", "Stubbed Toes", "Midlife Crisis", "A Bad Haircut", "Pond Scum" and my offering "Cold Pizza".

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As each card is turned over...the players lobby for their particular card. "what could be worse than a first kiss that was a flop", "nothing is more dismal than a bad haircut", "A midlife crisis..no wonder you look so dejected", "cold pizza has got to the the most woebegoneist thing to have for breakfast".....

Lots of loud table talk goes on and finally the judge picks one......"A bad haircut" is the winner. What! why did you chose that! Actually, that is exactly what would be a "woebegone" situation to the judge...a woman. You have to remember to "play to the judge".

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The table talk gets louder and more intense. The "judgeship" passes to another judge who picks another green apple card and the whole process starts again.

Our players were between 11 and 70 years of age......the young ones think it's great to play games with their family and the older ones marvel at the fact that they can still remember how to play anything.

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If you don't already, make it a holiday event to play board games or any games with your kids or grandkids......they'll remember the fun long after the game is over.

What can be more fun than BEING FIVE

Being Five is a series of cartoons.....nice little way to break up a dull morning.
This little guy is five years old, but has some deep thoughts! (grin)

Click on Being Five

The Chocolate Chip cookie problem

One of my tennis team members makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world! She brings them to us twice a week.......Our mouths start to water when we see her getting out of her car, tennis racket in one hand and a big plate of cookies in the other.

We've told her that she doesn't have to do this, but she insists that "playing with you is such an honor that I feel I need to bring more than just my tennis racket". My, my, my, how wrong she is.

We have decided that she is really a "plant" from our opposing teams! I know, we didn't have to eat those wonderful cookies, full of chocolate chips and made with pure butter, we couldn't help ourselves.......

Just Look At Us Now!!!!!!