Just when you thought I was on the miss tip---here I am again! So where have I been? Well......
About a week ago or so I fell. Yeah, I know, I'm as sure footed as a goat (smile)! Not! I was closing the window in the living room, I turned to leave and next thing I knew I was laying across the coffee table. I don't know what happened unless maybe my foot got tangled up in the leg of the coffee table and then BOOM! Not only did I smack the crap out of my leg, causing it to swell like crazy and turn wierd colors, but I did something to my foot, too. It swelled and turned crazy colors, too. I ended up at the doctors office on Monday because it wasn't getting any better and because I was tired of staying home with a foot too sore to drive. After xrays he said I had a severe ankle sprain. I am now wearing the most divine fashion accessory--an air boot (I think that's what you call them). He said if it's not all better in a week to come on back and he'd send me for an MRI. I'm feeling better, I'm driving (I'm at the library!) and I think it's going to be all right.
Have you been watching coverage of Hurricane Isaac on tv? I've been sort of glued to The Weather Channel where they have continuous coverage of it. Uncle David says I'm a ghoul because I like watching stuff like this as it's happening. And I'm not just fond of the hurricanes, I like watching big snows, too. Especially when they aren't happening where I live. And who knows, maybe I do have a touch of ghoul in me, but leastwise I'm not as bad as a friend of his is. Little Man (name changed to protect the guilty) goes to funerals like I go to the library. He doesn't even have to know the deceased. My uncle says it's because Little Man wants a free meal (he always attends the Dead Spread back at the family house), and I can believe that, but it's also because he gets off looking at dead people.
I've been particularly interested in Isaac because HSM and her family are living in rural Alabama. It appears as if the hurricane/tropical storm is going to miss Alabama, leastwise where they live, but they're going to get fall out from it--heavy rains, some winds, maybe tornadoes. They say Michigan, the lower peninsula, will get some of it as well. We can sure use the rain, although the crops are pretty much toast because of the drought. Tornadoes we don't need or want, but then who does?
I lucked out, although I don't believe in luck, and got a bunch of Michigan sweet corn from a place called Blocks which is out near Metro Airport. They sell it two bags for $5. You pack the bags yourself (no total shucking or you pay dearly) and if you know how to pack it right, well, you can get close to 40 ears in a bag. I bought six bags, over 200 ears, and shucked it, cooked it in a little butter, and then froze it in single servings for winter when freshsweet corn is but a distant memory.
They're talking close to 100 degrees for tomorrow around here. I hope they're wrong but I bet they're not. I was sure hoping the wicked heat was a memory, too. Anyway, because of that, I won't be out and about so no blog posting for me. And with it being the Labor Day weekend, and the library closed, I won't have a shot at this again until Tuesday at the earliest.
So I hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend!
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
tawny_ford@webtv.net
248-615-1300
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday Monday
Over the weekend my local PBS station, as part of their fundraising efforts, showed a one hour best of the best of Ed Sullivan shows. It was like watching vintage rock 'n roll videos! The Mamas and the Papas, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc. I really enjoyed it. If it plays in your area, well, don't miss it. Even if you're not from that era of music, like me, I think you'll still be tapping your toes and clapping your hands, and maybe even singing along. One thing though I don't understand from the sixties--why did the girls scream all during the Beatles and the Stones performances? What's up with that? Okay, I get that they liked them, but.....? Hysteria is a scarey thing and they all looked hysterical to me. And to think they went on to become the mothers of a whole generation. That's scarey too.
Another PBS special for fund raising that ran this past weekend was a look back at Detroit. From the early 1900's to, I don't know, maybe present day. What I found fascinating was Russ Gibb talking about a venue he used to operate at Joy Road and Grand River, the Grande Ballroom. Geez, for such a small place, I forget how small but small by todays standards, he was able to secure all of the top talent of the 1960's. From Jefferson Airplane (were they called Jefferson Starship then?) to Janis Joplin to.....Wish I'd been around then and able to catch the shows at the Grande. It must have been something.
My Uncle David said that there were a lot of drugs being used at the Grande back then. Marijuanna, heroin, LSD. He said it was a bad place to be if you weren't a stoner. I asked him how did he know, did he used to go there? and he said no, it was predominately white people who went to the Grande. He said black people went to the 24 Karat Club. That's where all the big name black acts played. And where the who's who of Detroit black gangsters went to see and be seen.
Uncle David told me how there used to be big shows at the Fox Theater (in Detroit), especially at Christmas time. All the big Motown stars played together, act after act. He said for less than 2 bucks you had hours of music from the Temptations, Four Tops. Miracles, Supremes, etc. I wish I'd been around to see those shows, too.
On a more present note, Ramadan is over. Saturday night when the sun went down, locally around 8:31pm, that was it. I read on FaceBook, where I have more Muslim friends than I almost know what to do with, most of them ones I've never met, you know how FB is (smile), that the companions of Muhammed used to weep at the end of Ramadan. Evidently I am nowhere near as enlightened as they were because it never once occured to me to weep. I was kind of thankful that I'd managed to keep in tact all of my decisions during the 30 days and not mess up.
Saturday night I went to dinner with HSM's oldest son, the one who didn't go to Alabama with his family, who stayed behind to finish his degree at University of Michigan, and his girlfriend. We went to the Chinese Buffet. Typically, I would have dined with his whole family that night, so it only made sense that us 'orphans' got together for a celebratory meal. The Chinese Buffet is one of my favorite places to go and eat. Theirs too. #1 Son has a thing for General Tsao chicken and egg drop soup. His girlfriend likes Mongolian BBQ. I like everything. Okay, not the sushi (even if it made to order) and not the pork (I'm Muslim, remember), but everything else.
Most Muslims celebrate big time the next day, the day after Ramadan ends. They call it Eid. It's a celebration. We all, my Muslim cohorts and I, have never done that. Our big 'party' is when the sun goes down on the last day of Ramadan.
This was the best Ramadan I have ever had. I got the most out of it. Why? I don't know. I guess God blessed me. That's the only answer I can come up with. It's not like I did anything different, I don't think. Whatever caused it, I am thankful. And I hope next Ramadan, if it be the Will of God, I will have an even better one.
You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
tawny_ford@webtv.net
Another PBS special for fund raising that ran this past weekend was a look back at Detroit. From the early 1900's to, I don't know, maybe present day. What I found fascinating was Russ Gibb talking about a venue he used to operate at Joy Road and Grand River, the Grande Ballroom. Geez, for such a small place, I forget how small but small by todays standards, he was able to secure all of the top talent of the 1960's. From Jefferson Airplane (were they called Jefferson Starship then?) to Janis Joplin to.....Wish I'd been around then and able to catch the shows at the Grande. It must have been something.
My Uncle David said that there were a lot of drugs being used at the Grande back then. Marijuanna, heroin, LSD. He said it was a bad place to be if you weren't a stoner. I asked him how did he know, did he used to go there? and he said no, it was predominately white people who went to the Grande. He said black people went to the 24 Karat Club. That's where all the big name black acts played. And where the who's who of Detroit black gangsters went to see and be seen.
Uncle David told me how there used to be big shows at the Fox Theater (in Detroit), especially at Christmas time. All the big Motown stars played together, act after act. He said for less than 2 bucks you had hours of music from the Temptations, Four Tops. Miracles, Supremes, etc. I wish I'd been around to see those shows, too.
On a more present note, Ramadan is over. Saturday night when the sun went down, locally around 8:31pm, that was it. I read on FaceBook, where I have more Muslim friends than I almost know what to do with, most of them ones I've never met, you know how FB is (smile), that the companions of Muhammed used to weep at the end of Ramadan. Evidently I am nowhere near as enlightened as they were because it never once occured to me to weep. I was kind of thankful that I'd managed to keep in tact all of my decisions during the 30 days and not mess up.
Saturday night I went to dinner with HSM's oldest son, the one who didn't go to Alabama with his family, who stayed behind to finish his degree at University of Michigan, and his girlfriend. We went to the Chinese Buffet. Typically, I would have dined with his whole family that night, so it only made sense that us 'orphans' got together for a celebratory meal. The Chinese Buffet is one of my favorite places to go and eat. Theirs too. #1 Son has a thing for General Tsao chicken and egg drop soup. His girlfriend likes Mongolian BBQ. I like everything. Okay, not the sushi (even if it made to order) and not the pork (I'm Muslim, remember), but everything else.
Most Muslims celebrate big time the next day, the day after Ramadan ends. They call it Eid. It's a celebration. We all, my Muslim cohorts and I, have never done that. Our big 'party' is when the sun goes down on the last day of Ramadan.
This was the best Ramadan I have ever had. I got the most out of it. Why? I don't know. I guess God blessed me. That's the only answer I can come up with. It's not like I did anything different, I don't think. Whatever caused it, I am thankful. And I hope next Ramadan, if it be the Will of God, I will have an even better one.
You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
tawny_ford@webtv.net
Friday, August 17, 2012
More On The South, This Time Mississippi
Part of my family is from Mississippi. A little bitty town near the Delta. Right outside of Jackson. I've never been there, not ever, but I've heard a gazillion stories about the town and what it was like growing up there, both before and after the Civil Rights Movement. Being as I am a Northern girl, and one who has never had a yen for living in the Deep South, not a single one of the stories ever sounded good to me. Not even one.
My Uncle David told me about how as kids , he and his siblings would run behind a truck that sprayed the streets. Back then, this would have been in the late 1950's, nobody really knew what they were spraying. Okay, the officials knew but the poor folks who lived in those areas didn't have a clue. The kids just thought it was fun, something to do on a hot summer day, run in the mist/wetness that came out of the trucks. Turns out it was some sort of chemical spray, probably some kind of DDT. Wow, that was good for the kids. Not.
I've heard stories about how he and his siblings would go into the fields, as kids, and work, day laborers, pickers, whatever you want to call them. They picked sweet potatoes and cotton and whatever else the land owners needed picked for harvest. They got paid by the pound and, being kids, they were lucky if they made enough per day to buy a little package of soda crackers and a piece of bologna to eat as their lunch. Their parents picked too. Back then sometimes that was the only work my grandparents were able to get and they needed the money desperately in order to feed their 12 kids and keep a roof over them. Even if the house had a dirt floor in it and an outhouse out back.
There have been countless funerals over the years and I could have gone back for them, but I didn't. The thought of riding 15+ hours stuffed into a vehicle with relatives, some of whom I can barely tolerate when I have miles seperating us, was never a draw. The last funeral that I missed, Uncle Richard's, my cousins husband, Bob, drove his motorhome down loaded with relartives and things got so bad en route that Bob had to pull over somewhere in Kentucky or Tennessee, or maybe Ohio, who remembers, and leave one of the cousins, dope fiend Michael, at the side of the interstate. Michael, back when he was smoking crack, was not a joy to be around. I hear he's been clean now for six monthes, but, while I wish him well, kicking crack is a mofo.
Anyway, yesterday a caravan went down to Mississippi. Okay, not exactly a caravan. Uncle Ted drove his motorhome and he packed it whoever wanted to go. Then his AC broke down before he got out of Michigan. Needless to say, I didn't make the trip.
The purpose of this trip is pre-funeral. See, Uncle Walter is sick. Sick and he's going to die, it's only a matter of time, he's already in hospice care. He has Lou Gehrigs Disease. Uncle Walter, bless his heart, and I'm serious about that, doesn't want a funeral when he dies. He wants to be cremated. That way relatives won't feel obligated to make the long trek to Mississippi to plant him in the ground. I am so thankful for that because otherwise I know I'd have to go to his funeral. He's one of the have-to funeral family members. Don't ask why, just take my word for it.
Anyway, Aunt Gloria decided, since Uncle Walter didn't want the traditional kind of burial, why not go see him while he's still alive and tell him how much he's loved and going to be missed, etc. Uncle Ted and Aunt Anniebelle and Uncle Walter's daughter all piled into the motorhome, scooped up Aunt Gloria, and off they went from Detroit.. They drove straight thru, no hotel break overnight, few potty breaks, virtually none for food. They are hard core travellers. Uncle Johnny and Aunt Betty drove down from Kentucky, and Uncle Robert (never Bob) and Aunt Dot drove down from California. The only siblings missing are Uncle George (he lives in Minnesota), Uncle Ricky (who lives in Indiana), and Uncle David (who lives in Michigan). Uncle Mack is dead, he died some years ago, Aunt Sister is dead, she died earlier this year, and Uncle Larry is in still in prison. All of Uncle Walter's siblings accounted for.
Lou Gehrigs Disease isn't one of those that runs in families. It's situational, although I'm sure that's not the correct word. I did a Google on it a few weeks ago and it said you got it from inhaling chemicals (the burning oil fields in Iraq, for example), I forget the second way, and from certain drugs. Bingo.
Uncle Walter, for years, was on a cholesterol medication. Doctors push cholesterol meds like the dope man pushes heroin and cocaine and crack. Heck, they had me on it for almost a year after the heart attacks. Anyway, statins (cholesterold meds) can cause all sorts of side effects. Everything from muscle deterioration to psoriasis to diabets to Loue Gehrigs, etc.
If your doctor puts you on statins, please please please do some research before you pop that first pill. Look into diet changes, physical exercise, vitamins and supplements. Uncle Walter has Lou Gehrigs Disease and he's going to die. And it's not a pretty way to die either. All because his doctor wanted to get his cholesterol down.
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
My Uncle David told me about how as kids , he and his siblings would run behind a truck that sprayed the streets. Back then, this would have been in the late 1950's, nobody really knew what they were spraying. Okay, the officials knew but the poor folks who lived in those areas didn't have a clue. The kids just thought it was fun, something to do on a hot summer day, run in the mist/wetness that came out of the trucks. Turns out it was some sort of chemical spray, probably some kind of DDT. Wow, that was good for the kids. Not.
I've heard stories about how he and his siblings would go into the fields, as kids, and work, day laborers, pickers, whatever you want to call them. They picked sweet potatoes and cotton and whatever else the land owners needed picked for harvest. They got paid by the pound and, being kids, they were lucky if they made enough per day to buy a little package of soda crackers and a piece of bologna to eat as their lunch. Their parents picked too. Back then sometimes that was the only work my grandparents were able to get and they needed the money desperately in order to feed their 12 kids and keep a roof over them. Even if the house had a dirt floor in it and an outhouse out back.
There have been countless funerals over the years and I could have gone back for them, but I didn't. The thought of riding 15+ hours stuffed into a vehicle with relatives, some of whom I can barely tolerate when I have miles seperating us, was never a draw. The last funeral that I missed, Uncle Richard's, my cousins husband, Bob, drove his motorhome down loaded with relartives and things got so bad en route that Bob had to pull over somewhere in Kentucky or Tennessee, or maybe Ohio, who remembers, and leave one of the cousins, dope fiend Michael, at the side of the interstate. Michael, back when he was smoking crack, was not a joy to be around. I hear he's been clean now for six monthes, but, while I wish him well, kicking crack is a mofo.
Anyway, yesterday a caravan went down to Mississippi. Okay, not exactly a caravan. Uncle Ted drove his motorhome and he packed it whoever wanted to go. Then his AC broke down before he got out of Michigan. Needless to say, I didn't make the trip.
The purpose of this trip is pre-funeral. See, Uncle Walter is sick. Sick and he's going to die, it's only a matter of time, he's already in hospice care. He has Lou Gehrigs Disease. Uncle Walter, bless his heart, and I'm serious about that, doesn't want a funeral when he dies. He wants to be cremated. That way relatives won't feel obligated to make the long trek to Mississippi to plant him in the ground. I am so thankful for that because otherwise I know I'd have to go to his funeral. He's one of the have-to funeral family members. Don't ask why, just take my word for it.
Anyway, Aunt Gloria decided, since Uncle Walter didn't want the traditional kind of burial, why not go see him while he's still alive and tell him how much he's loved and going to be missed, etc. Uncle Ted and Aunt Anniebelle and Uncle Walter's daughter all piled into the motorhome, scooped up Aunt Gloria, and off they went from Detroit.. They drove straight thru, no hotel break overnight, few potty breaks, virtually none for food. They are hard core travellers. Uncle Johnny and Aunt Betty drove down from Kentucky, and Uncle Robert (never Bob) and Aunt Dot drove down from California. The only siblings missing are Uncle George (he lives in Minnesota), Uncle Ricky (who lives in Indiana), and Uncle David (who lives in Michigan). Uncle Mack is dead, he died some years ago, Aunt Sister is dead, she died earlier this year, and Uncle Larry is in still in prison. All of Uncle Walter's siblings accounted for.
Lou Gehrigs Disease isn't one of those that runs in families. It's situational, although I'm sure that's not the correct word. I did a Google on it a few weeks ago and it said you got it from inhaling chemicals (the burning oil fields in Iraq, for example), I forget the second way, and from certain drugs. Bingo.
Uncle Walter, for years, was on a cholesterol medication. Doctors push cholesterol meds like the dope man pushes heroin and cocaine and crack. Heck, they had me on it for almost a year after the heart attacks. Anyway, statins (cholesterold meds) can cause all sorts of side effects. Everything from muscle deterioration to psoriasis to diabets to Loue Gehrigs, etc.
If your doctor puts you on statins, please please please do some research before you pop that first pill. Look into diet changes, physical exercise, vitamins and supplements. Uncle Walter has Lou Gehrigs Disease and he's going to die. And it's not a pretty way to die either. All because his doctor wanted to get his cholesterol down.
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Two Days in A Row! Must Be A Record!
Today there is no one using the computers. How wierd, but how wonderful for me. I was able to score my favorite seat, the one in the last row of computers, the one where no one else (if there was anyone else in the computer lab) can see what I'm writing. Yes, I know, it's not like this stuff is top secret or anything, but still. It's wierd to look around and see everyone else staring at my screen. Just because they have writers block, or a severe case of the nosies.....
So yesterday I told you that HSM and her brood moved to rural Alabama. I wish I could say I was just joshing so as to have something to write about but the sad and sorry truth is--they moved. It was mid-May when they rolled out with two huge do-it-yourself moving vans and HSM's vehicle on one of those, I don't know what you call them, things you drive your vehicle onto so it can be towed without racking up mileage.
ABM, who had a good job here in Detroit working at a body shop, got offered a perfectly awesome job doing body work in rural Alabama. I know, who'd have thunk he could make more money in rural Alabama than in Detroit. But he can.
They're renting a house down there. A nice one. I've seen photos. Big kitchen, deck off the back of the house, etc. And, maybe best of all, when something goes wrong, and there's always something needing fixing on a house, it's not their problem. They just pick up the phone and holler at the landlord. Sounds like heaven to me. So far they've only had to bother the landlord twice, both times the AC went out. The AC guy came out the first time and fixed something but it wasn't the right something so another fellow had to come out. Turns out it was the thermostat. Fortunately they weren't totally without air. Aside from the central AC system, there are also two in-the-wall units, but HSm says they're expensive to run. She says a house that size needs two central air type AC units to effectively cool a house that size. She says when they buy a house down there eventually they'll have two compressors (or whatever they're called).
At first the sun and the heat was all but killing them. HSM said they all got headaches when they went outside because the sun was so much brighter down there. They ended up purchasing black-out drapes for all of the bedroom windows (in addition to the blinds that came with the house) and darkening curtains for the rest of the windows. And putting up a tinted removeable plastic-type material on door windows, etc.
One of the next obstacles, or maybe things to get used to would be a better way to phrase it, was grocery shopping. Yes, there are stores in rural Alabama. Walmart (which is like the Southern equivalent of a northern shopping mall), Publix, Winn Dixie, Piggily Wiggily, etc. But because the South isn't the Midwest, well, things she normally bought up here don't exsist down there. Or at least she hasn't located a local source for them yet.
Never one to be thwarted at anything she's doing, HSM now bakes her own pita bread from scratch, her own soft rye bread, etc. The local bakery which always has a sign on it that says open but it never is (?) has forced her to bake cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, bread, etc. from scratch. She even makes their own donuts. Necessity and mother of invention.
There's a Costco and a Sam's Club, both in Hoover, the nearest big town to them, still a long ways away, so once a month she makes the drive to get the staples that seem to be universal north or south. Turkey bacon from Sam's. I don't recall the brand name but I buy it here and it's wonderful. About $8 or $9 for a two pound package. Lay-down case if you're looking for it. The slices are big and meaty and two slices is enough for a TBLT. She was thrilled to see Alabama Sam's sells it, too.
The kids have made friends. They play basketball in the evenings when the sun isn't as bright and it's cooled off some. Two of her son, #2 and #4, run at night. They say the only other people they ever see running are middle-aged folks. No teens (?). HSM is still home schooling them so changing schools isn't an issue.
#1 son is up here still. He's at University of Michigan. They wanted him to move with them but they also wanted him to graduate from UofM. Conundrum.
Well, that's it for today. The clock on the computer says my time is just about up.
You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
So yesterday I told you that HSM and her brood moved to rural Alabama. I wish I could say I was just joshing so as to have something to write about but the sad and sorry truth is--they moved. It was mid-May when they rolled out with two huge do-it-yourself moving vans and HSM's vehicle on one of those, I don't know what you call them, things you drive your vehicle onto so it can be towed without racking up mileage.
ABM, who had a good job here in Detroit working at a body shop, got offered a perfectly awesome job doing body work in rural Alabama. I know, who'd have thunk he could make more money in rural Alabama than in Detroit. But he can.
They're renting a house down there. A nice one. I've seen photos. Big kitchen, deck off the back of the house, etc. And, maybe best of all, when something goes wrong, and there's always something needing fixing on a house, it's not their problem. They just pick up the phone and holler at the landlord. Sounds like heaven to me. So far they've only had to bother the landlord twice, both times the AC went out. The AC guy came out the first time and fixed something but it wasn't the right something so another fellow had to come out. Turns out it was the thermostat. Fortunately they weren't totally without air. Aside from the central AC system, there are also two in-the-wall units, but HSm says they're expensive to run. She says a house that size needs two central air type AC units to effectively cool a house that size. She says when they buy a house down there eventually they'll have two compressors (or whatever they're called).
At first the sun and the heat was all but killing them. HSM said they all got headaches when they went outside because the sun was so much brighter down there. They ended up purchasing black-out drapes for all of the bedroom windows (in addition to the blinds that came with the house) and darkening curtains for the rest of the windows. And putting up a tinted removeable plastic-type material on door windows, etc.
One of the next obstacles, or maybe things to get used to would be a better way to phrase it, was grocery shopping. Yes, there are stores in rural Alabama. Walmart (which is like the Southern equivalent of a northern shopping mall), Publix, Winn Dixie, Piggily Wiggily, etc. But because the South isn't the Midwest, well, things she normally bought up here don't exsist down there. Or at least she hasn't located a local source for them yet.
Never one to be thwarted at anything she's doing, HSM now bakes her own pita bread from scratch, her own soft rye bread, etc. The local bakery which always has a sign on it that says open but it never is (?) has forced her to bake cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, bread, etc. from scratch. She even makes their own donuts. Necessity and mother of invention.
There's a Costco and a Sam's Club, both in Hoover, the nearest big town to them, still a long ways away, so once a month she makes the drive to get the staples that seem to be universal north or south. Turkey bacon from Sam's. I don't recall the brand name but I buy it here and it's wonderful. About $8 or $9 for a two pound package. Lay-down case if you're looking for it. The slices are big and meaty and two slices is enough for a TBLT. She was thrilled to see Alabama Sam's sells it, too.
The kids have made friends. They play basketball in the evenings when the sun isn't as bright and it's cooled off some. Two of her son, #2 and #4, run at night. They say the only other people they ever see running are middle-aged folks. No teens (?). HSM is still home schooling them so changing schools isn't an issue.
#1 son is up here still. He's at University of Michigan. They wanted him to move with them but they also wanted him to graduate from UofM. Conundrum.
Well, that's it for today. The clock on the computer says my time is just about up.
You be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Here We Go Again!
Hey, first post of the new year and it's only August! Better late than never.
One of my biggest problems with being able to post, or not being able to post, has been the lack of access to the library computers. Unemployment is raging here in Michigan and many folks need these machines to do job searches, post resumes, etc. And then there's the kids who want to use the library computers to surf without parental interruption. I always seemed to be vying for one of the machines with about 100 other people. But now, with school getting ready to start again, and the kids at the mall with their parents purchasing clothes and other back to school necessities, well, I stand a chance at gaining access. And I don't know where the unemployed are, maybe they've given up or are taking a break, I don't know, but thank goodness.
Anyway, lots and lots has happened since last December. I hardly know where to begin. Let's see.
Kathleen, my beloved cat of almost 16 years, has been ill. It started with any time she drank more than a few sips of water at a time, she would puke. According to my internet research (I have webtv at home, it's just not compatable with the blogger site) she had a blockage. She's almost 16 which is about a thousand years in human terms so surgery did not seem to be an option for us. I started restricting her water intake, giving her as much as she wanted but in small dosages, small enough that she wouldn't puke. That meant getting up at all hours of the night with her. Sleep and I were not in tandem. But it worked! Whatever was blocking her up disappeared! And she is her old self again. Thank God!
This is icky, this next news flash, so be prepared: In late December and mid-January there were two rats in my house. Not mice, rats. Big rats. They chewed their way in through the addition on the back of the house. I won't go into all the gory, gruesome details, I like you too much to put you through it. But if you really want to hear, well, give me a call and I'll tell you all about it. Thanks to the efforts of my Uncle David and the assistance of ABM and his #1 son, the rats were killed. Gruesome story about that, too. And the exterminator came and all is well, no more rats. Rats are awful.
Next, in May HSM (my best friend), ABM and three of their kids moved to Alabama. Yes, you read me right, Alabama. Over 12 hours away. Their #1 son, who attends University of Michigan. stayed behind at the family homestead in order to finish his degree.
Because the damn clock on the library computer is clicking away and my time is almost up I'll have to tell you about their Southern exploits next time.
Yes, the library computer gives you 60 minute intervals to do your business, but I lost lots of minutes because I couldn't remember how to use this doggone thing, it's been so long, and my cheat sheet is hopelessly outdated. Embarassingly enough, I had to have the librarian help me twice, much to the amusement of my fellow computer users. The things I go through for you (smile).
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
One of my biggest problems with being able to post, or not being able to post, has been the lack of access to the library computers. Unemployment is raging here in Michigan and many folks need these machines to do job searches, post resumes, etc. And then there's the kids who want to use the library computers to surf without parental interruption. I always seemed to be vying for one of the machines with about 100 other people. But now, with school getting ready to start again, and the kids at the mall with their parents purchasing clothes and other back to school necessities, well, I stand a chance at gaining access. And I don't know where the unemployed are, maybe they've given up or are taking a break, I don't know, but thank goodness.
Anyway, lots and lots has happened since last December. I hardly know where to begin. Let's see.
Kathleen, my beloved cat of almost 16 years, has been ill. It started with any time she drank more than a few sips of water at a time, she would puke. According to my internet research (I have webtv at home, it's just not compatable with the blogger site) she had a blockage. She's almost 16 which is about a thousand years in human terms so surgery did not seem to be an option for us. I started restricting her water intake, giving her as much as she wanted but in small dosages, small enough that she wouldn't puke. That meant getting up at all hours of the night with her. Sleep and I were not in tandem. But it worked! Whatever was blocking her up disappeared! And she is her old self again. Thank God!
This is icky, this next news flash, so be prepared: In late December and mid-January there were two rats in my house. Not mice, rats. Big rats. They chewed their way in through the addition on the back of the house. I won't go into all the gory, gruesome details, I like you too much to put you through it. But if you really want to hear, well, give me a call and I'll tell you all about it. Thanks to the efforts of my Uncle David and the assistance of ABM and his #1 son, the rats were killed. Gruesome story about that, too. And the exterminator came and all is well, no more rats. Rats are awful.
Next, in May HSM (my best friend), ABM and three of their kids moved to Alabama. Yes, you read me right, Alabama. Over 12 hours away. Their #1 son, who attends University of Michigan. stayed behind at the family homestead in order to finish his degree.
Because the damn clock on the library computer is clicking away and my time is almost up I'll have to tell you about their Southern exploits next time.
Yes, the library computer gives you 60 minute intervals to do your business, but I lost lots of minutes because I couldn't remember how to use this doggone thing, it's been so long, and my cheat sheet is hopelessly outdated. Embarassingly enough, I had to have the librarian help me twice, much to the amusement of my fellow computer users. The things I go through for you (smile).
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
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