More on the life and times of the family circus!!

Ya sometimes it felt like a family circus. I had a comment from my cousin Doris on Facebook the other day that helped bring up a flood of memories about growing up and visiting family in Nevada. I dare any of you to know where Deeth Nevada is. Well my Aunt MaryLou, Uncle Jack, and their 5 girls lived there. I am named after Mary lou but I will that for you to figure out. I always thought Uncle Jack was at least 10 foot tall. He was for many years until I got to be an adult. I remember one time when we were staying down there for a week or two, don't recall the reason, but none the less we were there. They lived not to far from a creek. The only thing that between them and the creek was a stretch of all manner of brush that was not very forgiving. We loved playing in that brush and by the creek. One day we were running around, I do mean running, acting like crazy kids and I got a buck brush thorn under my knee cap. With the help of Doris and I am not sure who else they helped me back to the house. I got sat on the table and Uncle Jack took out of pair of tweezers the size of Texas. My oh my he was using them on me! Very gently he pried around on that thorn until he was able to get a good grip on it and pull it out. I swear it was a foot long but was actually about a half an inch. Big when you have skinny knobby knees. I remember him always been soft spoken unless you were making a racket and he was listening to the news then he would yell you kids go outside. We spent a lot of time outside. Deeth was a magical place to visit. No real traffic there, no paved roads, still aren't any, a very quiet slow moving place to live and visit. Was hardly any place we couldn't go as long as we let someone know. I enjoyed playing with my cousins there are 5 of them just like there are 5 if us. Doris is the oldest. Her and I are not far from the same age, Teresa was next and she was about the same age as Connie, Laurie was after that but she is older than Lucy and younger than Connie, then came Diana closer to Lucy, then the baby of their family is Alice. I have always called her Alice Jane, some call her Jane and others just Alice. She lived in Boise for awhile but moved back to Alaska some years back. Sometimes I wish I could go back and visit those years. The couch with the wagon wheel ends and horse head stitching on them, the flour coated kitchen when Aunt Mary lou made a meal. Lettuce from the ceiling to the floor, peas in Doris's pockets caused she hated peas, the only thing I don't miss is the darn bugs that packed a sane person off in the late afternoon.

I remember baby deer, bob cats, cows, horses and so much more that with some thought I can write about. Thank God for families. Have a great evening.

The top picture is of Dad when he was a very young man and the next is Mom just a week or so ago. Richard gave her bunny ears.

I get no respect!

Little Sis Lucy said she would have gladly eaten my egg sandwich for me. Just to bad she wasn't here to do just that. No Lucy I do not glow in the dark but I have a sneaky idea that something else might. LOL! I think the next time someone asks me if am allergic to eggs I will tell them of course! The tech just had no sympathy for me not liking them. I think he was really surprised when I confessed it had been oh so long ago that I had eaten them. Now if it were an egg salad sandwich no problemo I would have gladly downed it. Love those things. Oh well what is done is done and I sure hope I don't have to do it again. I will make darn sure the next time I have to lay still for 90 minutes I won't drink anything for a long time before that. Whew! that was quite the trial not to fidget!

I guess if I write down what I am thinking about the whole deal it might be a bit scary and then that gives it power. I really hope there is something to what the tests are all about and not the fact that the Lupus has reared it ugly head. Makes me a bit nervous, but the good Lord will watch out for me. I just have to keep remembering that.

My granddaughters were here tonight while their Dad was in class and Mom was at work and the two of them decided to play in my undies drawer. You all know the one I mean not only undies but bras to. Lainey came to the end of the hall and announced that "Coming down the hall is Isabelle" of course we, Richard, Chris (our friend), and myself turned to see what that was all about. In struts Izzy wearing one of my bras under her shirt. Okay tons of memories came flooding back to a time of graduation and a video that exists to this day.

When Jason graduated from high school the whole family came to help him celebrate. We, the women I mean, were busy cooking and doing laundry. Lucy and I are folding clothes at the kitchen table when Lucy jerked a training bra out of the basket and flashed around the room asking who it belonged to. Of course we all knew and thought it was funny but Erin thought otherwise. She got all huffy grabbed the bra and flounced out of the room. Well then she found one of our Moms bras. She put it on then Carol filled it with socks and Jim, Connie's husband grabbed a hand full from behind. It was very funny and lightened the mood some what. Well it seemed everyone was obsessed with the bra thing I jerked up my shirt to show my very prim and proper, no frills bra, off. Of course I did not realize I was being filmed. Lucy and John forgot about that little exchange on the video and showed it to their Pastor and his wife. Can you just see the look on their faces when the bra scene popped up. Lucy and John were more than a little surprised but Mike and Nancy were very amused. It was fun in those days. A house full of family and lots to do. I wish I would have cherished those times more than I did. I haven't watched that tape in a long time and every time I do I cry. Emery is on there and he has been gone almost 11 years. Wow time sure has a way of getting away from us. Enjoy each day, love all the way, take care of each other, forgive first, and don't let little things dominate your life. Good night!

Fried Egg Sandwiches!!!

Ya you read it right fried egg sandwich! Probably wondering what in the world is that all about! Well I will tell you. The story really is not a long one and you may get a laugh or two but just remember my pain! LOL!!!!

Back when I was 9 or so about the 4th grade, I got real sick with Strep. I came down with it on a Sunday. Felt really bad at church that day but still went. Come Monday morning I told Mom I was not feeling very good. Oh well it was probably nothing she said so I ate a very small bowl of cereal, got dressed and sat on the couch to wait for the bus. I must have not looked so good by that time because Mom came over and laid her hand on my forehead. She sent me back upstairs to change out of my dress. I was sick and I was staying home from school. I wasn't really happy about it because I was really really sick. Mom took pity seeing as I ate very little breakfast she decided to feed me bacon and eggs. Yummy at that time I loved bacon and eggs! I ate the bacon first then attempted to eat the egg. By the time I got to it my throat hurt so bad I could barely swallow. A couple of bites and the egg came back up. I was really sick now. From that day on I have not been able to eat a fried egg. So that brings me to today. I had a test called a gastric emptying test. I couldn't eat for 6 hours before hand then had to eat something and have a video taken of my stomach working. When I got there this morning at the early hour of 6:30 a.m. I was okay with the upcoming test. At least I didn't have to drink some foul tasting stuff like a couple of weeks ago. I was just gona ingest some tracer laced stuff and lay about for 90 minutes. Bob the tech in the medical imagining dept. came and got me, sat in front of a fried egg sandwich! You have got to be kidding I said! It was huge and it was fried eggs! I couldn't believe it fried eggs! Not just one but two, two thick slices of bread, and nothing else. No butter, no mayo, no nothing not even salt. I was stunned. "I hate eggs" I told Bob. "Are you allergic" he asked? "No", "Okay eat up!" "But it is to big", I said. I can barely get down half a sandwich and certainly not a two egg one. We agreed I could take off one slice of bread, double the egg over and eat up. Yuck! I kept telling myself it tastes like bologna. Almost lost it once but I kept it down with the help of a glass orange juice. Drank a 10 oz. glass down to kill the taste of the egg then had to lay still for 90 minutes. Do you know how long 90 minutes is to a almost 57 year old bladder. The last 15 were more like torture. I was suppose to lay very still while the machine was running but I was beginning to go into over load. When the buzzer finally sounded Bob could not get that machine from over me fastest enough. To top it off I couldn't sit up by myself. I had laid with my legs propped up my upper body on some sort of slant thing for the pictures which put all my weight on my lower back and hips. I could not even sit up by myself. I was sorta numb. A numb butt, better then a numb skull. My first stop out of the hospital was the closest rest room. Whew! what a relief! Won't know until Friday what the test results were but I hope I don't have to do anything like that again. The egg I mean, shear torture!

Boating season is over! I am glad but sad in a way. We always have a nice time but it can be such work to get ready to go. I would rather go in the camper at least it sit in the yard before we go. Going on the boat I have to pack everything up and take it up there. Been doing it for so many years know I can almost do it in my sleep. I unloaded all the stuff that may freeze already! Gona put it in a clear plastic box this year so I can find it when it comes time to put it all back in. Forgot where most of it was last year. Found some stuff just the other day. Guess I did not need it so much if I went all summer without it. I'll do better next year.

Richard is happy today. We are getting a new slab of concrete poured on Friday. Our boat sat in the mud last year and it was a mess. Not again we got her covered now.

Weather is cooling off, feeling more like fall everyday. I love the color of fall just not the fact that it leads to winter.

It feels like a century since I saw Lucy and Connie. I love reading the blog that Lucy writes. I get to follow her family from the side lines. I can still hear little Lulu giggle. She is so blasted cute. Wish she lived closer I would spoil her rotten. Lucy now has an empty nest. I know so much of how she feels. Relieved and sad all at once. Got them raised and see what they do fly the coop. Ya I know! Her Matt, my Jason boys so far from home makes me ache just thinking about it. SSSSSSOOOOOOO I won't think about that just the good stuff.

Well all have a great day. Love and good wishes to all.

The pictures are the banks of Boise River, Bosley the water dog, Ja and Christys dog, my ode to summer pink toes!

Family!

Just got back from a Auxiliary meeting in Seattle. The meeting was informative and always to see old friends and make new ones.

After the weekend was over we headed south toward Eugene to see Mom and Bill. We made a stop first in Albany, Oregon to have dinner with family. It was so very nice to see Connie and Lucy again. They brought kids and husbands and grand kids. Connie,Jim, Lucy, John, Jodie, Kenny, Holly,Nathan,Myla, Jonah, Lucy, John, Kaylee, Bryce, Lucy (Lulu) for short, Aaron, and his girl friend Alexis. So very very good to see all of them. For all but Connie and Lucy it had been 4 years. Way to long for family, but pride and stubborness kept getting in the way before.

We had a wonderful lunch a Izzy's Pizza place. As lunch was winding down little Lulu sat on her Grandma's lap, my lil sis Lucy, she had a very keen interest in the green peas I had remaining on my plate. She kept reaching across the table for them. I put one on a fork and handed it to her. She took it from the fork but was careful to not get to close. We kept it up for a little bit and she edged further up on the table each time. Finally she was taking them from my fingers. She became fascinated by my ice water and straw. I let her play with the straw and fed her ice cubes. Finally she would reach in the glass for her own ice and try to feed it to Grandma, Great Aunt Connie and Great Aunt Penny. She is so absolutely the cutest little girl. She looks a lot like her mom but has a lot of her dad in her. She has a wonderful laugh, one that makes you want to eat her up. I enjoyed our play time together and so very glad I got to see her. Myla was not to sure about me so I kept my distance until she was ready to come around. She wanted me to chase her. I did a couple of times but it really makes me mad when I have to stop doing something so much fun due to limited physical ability. These darn steel knees of mine just don't go like they used to. Jonah is a beautiful little boy. He slept a lot and I got to kiss him on his check and neck. Sure wish we all lived closer together it would be so much fun.

Our time in a park let us relax and visit about all kinds of things. I hope we can do it again before much time has passed.

When we went to Moms we just kind of crashed. You know when you have information over load. Both Richard and I had that. We spent time just sitting around resting up and talking about every day things. I helped Mom can Connie 9 pints of green beans. I hadn't done that in a long time. Gave me the bug to get some peaches and pears done. Soon Erin and I will get them done.

Mom invited me to go to her quilt group on Tuesday. I am glad she has finally been able to get together with some fellow quilters and do what she enjoys. We did see Randy, Bills youngest boy, while we were there. He is so very thin and facing a real battle. He was recently told he has liver cancer. He recently battled throat cancer. I feel his time on this earth is limited. I was glad to hear he is going to church. I guess it is true that it is never to late. I feel so bad for Bill. Just knowing that one of your children is living his last days has got to be hard on him. I know it is hard on Mom knowing how much Bill is hurting. They all have their heads held high and want quality not quantity. The best possible way to live ones last days. I pray for Gods will to be done what ever it may be.

Going through a bunch of tests to find an answer to a physical problem took me back to the farm we used to live on. I was trying to recall the accidents I have had or the other thousands of medical questions we are asked. I remembered on day when Mom took the trash out to the burn barrel. That was in the day when everyone burned what they used. Our burn barrel was located near a telephone pole. I always liked to go out there with Mom and this one particular was not different. As Mom lit the fire I leaned on the pole kicking a bleach bottle with my heel. Yes as you have probably guessed I cut my heel wide open. Back in the 50's bleach bottles were just that glass bottles and brown to boot. It is funny I can not remember if I had stitches or not but I probably did. Just one of the very few booboos I had.

I was chatting with Mom and she told me about the time that her sister Marylou and herself went to live with their Aunt Marty in a town called Pollock. They did this because their parents had moved to Richfield and they would not have been able to ride their horse to school because it was to far. They stayed with Aunt Marty because they could ride the bus from where she lived. I asked Mom how long they lived with her and it was only until early spring when Grandma and two of her sister went to get them. She also told me they had a flat tire on the way back home. Her and Mary Lou had to sit in the car very still because the car was up on a jack and if they moved the car would fall and they would be stuck out on the road for a very long time. Someone came along and picked up Grandma and her sister Julia while Jean stayed with the two girls. They sat very still for over 2 hours while they went to the nearest town got the tire fixed and the gentleman that picked them took them back to their car and put the tire back on. Can you imagine your children or grand children sitting still for over two hours. Not in this life time. Just one of the things I have learned from Mom. I need to talk to her more and write them down so I don't forget the stories.

Well it is getting late and I am tired. Still recovering from the trip. Good night and God Bless all.

IM BACCCCCKKKKKK!

Okay so I was gone for awhile. A mild case of to much on the brain to even begin to unravel it all. Richard and spent a wonderful 4 days not doing a lot but spending time together visiting old friends, meeting new friends, and spending one of the last weeks on our boat.

We went to the Twin Falls County fair and we had a ball. Gary Loggan has been Richard's friend since Jr. High School. With his wife Marion and I we wondered around a very old and dear place filled with so many memories it makes want to cry. We ate Pronto Pups, drank real home made Lemonade (yum yum), I ate Cotton Candy seeing that I am the only one of the four that is still really a big kid at heart. While we were walking around my cell phone rang out a very catchy tune that always makes me smile. Giddy Up Giddy Up 409, can you just hear it in your head. Well any way back to the call it was my oldest and oh so far away son Jason. He wanted to know where we were and he was jealous. As he listened to the sounds around me he was taken back to a time at the fair when he and three other boys were there. They were, your not gona believe this, but Jason, Jason, Jason and Emery. Kinda reminds me of the Bob Newhart show when the guy is introducing his brother Daryl, his other brother Daryl and he is Larry. My Jason had taken his friend from Boise a neighbor Jason Squire and Emery had taken his friend Jason Carmichel, boy can you just imagine the confusion. I had to call them different nick names to keep them all straight. My Jason brought back that oh so wonderful and long ago memory. He even went so far as to ask me to send him a carmel apple. You know I almost went and had one air brushed on a shirt just so he would get his apple. Now I really wish I would have.

I have been in sort of a funk lately. The anniversary of Emery's death is fast approaching and it always makes so very sad and missing him so much. Sometimes it feels just like yesterday that I could see his large hands reaching out to give me a hug and tell me see ya later Aunt P. It is almost 11 years now wow where does the time go.

Better change the subject or I will drown my keyboard. Now wouldn't just shock me! HaHa! Gota laugh hurts to much to cry.

I have been battling my stomach for quite some time and my little trip to the hospital via the ambulance made me take steps to find the cause. I have been prodded literally on both ends not at the same time mind you but on the same day in the same visit. Slept the best I had in a while after getting a good share of Versaid, and a couple of other unnamed drugs. No results as yet so will go in on the 28th to have a gastric emptying study. What even in the world that means. Just so as they make me feel better soon I am really past the point of caring.

I am getting ready for a meeting of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Seattle with a whole bunch of big wigs that are active duty Coast Guard. It is always informative, a tad boring at times, full of good fellowship and makes me nervous. Can you imagine me nervous. Welllllll it happens. I start to shake and have to be careful not to hold paper in my hand or it shakes right along with me. At least my voice doesn't shake. I am looking forward to getting away for a little while and the prospect of seeing my two little sisters again. I sure do miss their company. I have been trying every way possible to get my Dad out of the nursing home and back into his own home but it is just not happening so far. I feel like I am pushing a big flat boulder up a hill. Who ever said that old age was the golden years. For heavens sake take me into the woods and leave me to the animals. I get so frustrated with the whole buracratic process. If he lived closer to us or we lived there it still would be a hard fought battle because his home is not condusive to him being there. He needs a step in shower and only has a tub. I need to talk to him and find out what needs to be done on the bathroom to possibly get it fixed up. Jason said he would go down and fix it but I think us girls are going to have to pay for it. All of Dads money is going to the nursing home and he doesn't have much to begin with. I do not want Jason to pay for it. He has two boys that eat a body out of house and home. I have to do some more checking to see if it is possible if we can meet all the conditions or if he is just going to have to be content where he is. Time will tell. Right now I have this big meeting to deal with so I will deal with that issue when I get home.

On a much lighter note we are gona go to Minnesota for Christmas. It has been 4 years since I have had a holiday with my son. That is when I miss him the most. When he was growing up he was a terrible snoop at Christmas. He even so far as to take the hinge pins off a locked door to find the presents we had locked inside. We knew he had been in there because I took special note of how I had things stacked. He admitted later on that knowing wasn't as much fun as he thought it was. He still wakes up really early and he is 36 years old. Imagine that.

Well It is getting very late, I have to get up early to get on the road to Washington and I haven't even packed yet. Oh my stars!

Before I go I will do one more thing. Gona add some really cool pictures of my grandsons and some of the fishing they did this summer. Have a great week and Luc you make me smile you make me laugh and I am so glad you are my sis.

Blank mind!

I am sorry to report my mind is a blank! Wellllllll some of you may find this situation funny or typical but for me it just doesn't happen!! Truth be known it does happen just not very often. I very rarely find myself at a loss for words. I am thinking it is all the gobbledy gook that I have running around in my head that has to do with all the things I should be doing and don't want to do. Such as painting the house, weeding my flower beds, cleaning yuck. I really should get in the closets and get rid of stuff I don't wear anymore. You know how that goes when things shrink as they hang. Couldn't possibly be the fact that I have grown a little bit. NAW!!! Seems when the time comes to clean them I open them up, stand there for a few seconds and say NAH not today. Oh well it only bothers me, and sometimes Richard.

We did get to the fair in Twin. It was so much fun to walk around and see all those thing as they once were. It is a real fair with lots 4-H animals, and individual projects, home arts and tons of good food. I bought 5 bags of cotton candy to share with the girls. Jason wanted a carmel apple so I seriously thought about having a picture of one air brushed on a t-shirt so I could send it to Minnesota. He is such a goof. Well, this old well has really run dry for the night so I will post this and get on to quilting. Maybe tomorrow I can get the fair picture moved over from my phone and post it here.

I wish everyone a great night and a better tomorrow.