The Party's Over . . . . . . . At Least For The Moment

The Elders are fed and Mariah just took her little brood home.  The house is so quiet :+ D . . . well except the snoring in my ear . . . music to my ears . . . . . it means he is home.

I've had a busy three days spending time with the boys.  In some ways not much seems to happen other than a fair amount of destruction but it is good time well spent.

Today Gabriel watered out front while I "assembled" a new toy, a two wheeled barrow.  I have some very well hydrated rocks in my front yard!  I finally decided it was time to have him water my garden tires in the back yard.

What has happened to me?  This kit was the dream set up.  All of the parts were stuck to cardboard under some shrink wrap.  Labeled in a way there was no question or loss.  The diagrams (pictures) were clear and easy to "read".  Three hours later I realized that I was going to have to almost start over.  Grrrrrr.  So I just got mad and went to dig in my garden.  That makes everything better.

Gabriel was a good help by watering all the replacement plants as I did most of the digging, tilling, fertilizing and mixing peat moss in.  I've said it before and I 'll say it many times again, water is the best babysitter in the world.  They may make a mess, but you can just follow the hose and find the little characters!

Next on his agenda was rebuilding the bird perch I took down after Jon & I had strangled ourselves on it one time too many.  He is so proud of his projects.  This one will be easier to get past to get on out to the yard, but it is also strung out all over the place, so it will be a tripping hazard  . . so we will see how long it lasts.


When it was just hot to stay out any longer, it was to escape the heat and come indoors. Time to redraw the battle lines and regroup.

Lots to do here as well as I go through, measure, sort and reorganize the wedding stuff.  No canopy parts or pieces will survive the process!!!




On a little different note:  "Kitty", my cat's claw vine seems to like were she is sitting in a pot.  Unfortunately, I have to move her as soon as I get the shed painted so that she can grow on the west side and shade it.  No it isn't painted yet . . . . and the garden isn't finished YET.  Everything seems to be work in progress around here.  So plug away as usual and some day maybe, just maybe, something will accidentally get finished!

A CALIFORNIA PRINCIPAL'S OPENING MESSAGE TO STUDENTS

I don't know if this really happened, I hope so, and I wish it would be taught in our area, meaning the United States of America.   . . . . . . .OK, I snoped this.  Dennis Prager put this on his show in July 2010 of what he would say as a commencement speech of something like that.  I would still love it if my grandchildren could attend a school with this philosophy.  Especially the ones who are of "Hispanic decent", genetically speaking.  their Daddy did just fine on his own and so should they.  He wouldn't be the man he is today, if he had not felt he could earn his own way on his own merits.

From: Dennis Prager, principal at a high school in Redding, California, on the first day of classes in 2010: 
 
To the students and faculty of our high school: I am your new principal, and honored to be so. There is no greater calling than to teach young people.
 I would like to apprise you of some important changes coming to our school. I am making these changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public education in America have worked against you, against your teachers, against your parents and against our country.

Therefore: First, this school will no longer honor race or ethnicity. I could not care less if your racial makeup is black, brown, red, yellow, or white. I could not care less if your origins are African, Latin American, Asian, or European, or if your ancestors arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships. The only identity I care about, the only one this school will recognize, is your individual identity -- your character, your scholarship, your humanity. And the only national identity this school will care about is American. This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans.

 If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial, or religious identity through your school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity-, race- and non-American-nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America , one of its three central values -- E Pluribus Unum -- "from many, one."

 And this school will be guided by America 's values. That includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation, or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness. Your clubs will be based on interests and passions -- not blood, ethnic, racial or other physically defined ties. Those clubs just cultivate narcissism -- an unhealthy preoccupation with the self -- while the purpose of education is to get you to think beyond yourself. So, we will have clubs that transport you to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, math, carpentry, and more. If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interested in are those based on ethnic or racial or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself really interests you.

 Second, I am not interested in whether or not English is your native language. My only interest in terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing English as fluently as possible. The English language has united America 's citizens for more than 200 years, and it will unite us at this school. It is one of the indispensable reasons this country of immigrants has always come to be one country. And if you leave this school without excellent English-language skills, I will have been remiss in my duty to ensure that you are prepared to compete successfully in the American job market. We will learn? other languages here -- it is deplorable that most Americans only speak English . But if you want classes taught in your native language rather than in English, this is not your school.

 Third, because I regard learning as a sacred endeavor, everything in this school will reflect learning's elevated status. This means, among other things, that you and your teachers will dress accordingly. Many people in our society dress more formally for a meal at a nice restaurant than they do for church or school. Those people have their priorities backwards. Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at this school.

 Fourth, no obscene language will be tolerated anywhere on this school's property -- whether in class, in the hallways or at athletic events. If you can't speak without using the "F-word," you can't speak. By obscene language I mean the words banned by the Federal Communications Commission plus epithets such as the "N-word," even when used by one black student to address another, or "bitch," even when addressed by a girl to a girlfriend. It is my intent that by the time you leave this school, you will be among the few of your age to distinguish instinctively between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene.

 Fifth, we will end all self-esteem programs. In this school, self-esteem will be attained in only one way -- the way people attained it until the state of California decided otherwise a generation ago -- by earning it. One immediate consequence of this is that there will be only one class valedictorian, not eight.

 Sixth, and last, I am reorienting the school toward academics and away from politics and propaganda. No more time will be devoted to scaring you about smoking and caffeine, or terrifying you about sexual harassment or global warming. No more semesters will be devoted to condom-wearing and teaching you to regard sexual relations as only or primarily a health issue. There will be no more attempts to convince you that you are a victim because you are not white, or not male, or not heterosexual, or not Christian. We will have failed, if any one of you graduates from this school and does not consider himself or herself inordinately lucky -- to be alive and to be an American.

 Now, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America . As many of you do not know the words, your teachers will hand them out to you.


I graduated from Maryvale High School which is located in Phoenix Az. in 1968.  I was never prejudiced until my senior year. A girl who was a member of a "minority" kept throwing the college  grants and help she was getting, just because of her birth, in my face.  Her parents were both more educated and financially better off than mine.  


Thanks federal gov't and all of you dopes who have created a couple of generations of citizens who feel that they are entitled, just because of their birth.   It really helped, didn't it?

24 "Wasted" Hours . . .

It all began with a beautiful morning with Garrett's help in the garden.  I got a
surprising amount of work done in my tire garden in spi . . .  I mean with the little guy's help.  He got to stay here for lunch and naps then went home for a few hours.  I got to enjoy eliminating my "gardener's manicure" .  I seem to look like this most of the time these days.







When I picked Garrett up for his overnighter last night, he came up with a seed from their yard . . . . . that of course needed to be planted in a pot.  When I came up with a plain old boring white pot, he seemed disappointed . .  so I offered to find some ribbon to weave through the holes.  He got excited and asked for "PINK".  There was lots of the sparkle tulle laying around for some reason, he loved it . . and really loved the roses made out it . . . so we put our heads together and came up with this!

I felt like I should "accomplish something" even with a little helper around so I decided to wash my Wonder Box (thermal cooker) to clean it up after a few slops and spills.  This is what happened with that idea.  The styrofoam beads either swelled in the water or just stuck together, the two pieces were tangled and the washer was jammed.  It was the hot rubber/electrical smell is what made me go and check out what the squealing sound was.

Next was putting us both to bed with three books to be read and Garrett was off to dreamland, side ways in the bed, over and over.

For three hours this morning, it was . . . I 'm not sure what, but we did get our run to Home Depot and Costco to fill in our time until pre-school started.  Then off to Sam's Club for me.  I got back just in time to pick Garrett up and take him to Lowe's and the credit union.  Lunch was a shared piece of pizza and then home with him.

I took a couple of hours to take a nap and run the dish washer and then picked up Gabriel. Gourmet was the key word for dinner.  The ants were red ones and the burger was on thin bread.  That made it "gourmet".




While dinner was cooking in the kitchen, Battle Strategies were brewing in the family room with Uncle Rob's help via texting.

Currently we are watching The Absent Minded Professor, the 1961 version. 

If I am lucky, I will be able to "get a little done" in the garden in the morning.  If I am even luckier, I will just make more of the simple little memories with my sweet grand kids to hold and cherish in my heart.  How did I get so lucky to have such great kids to "waste" time with?

Good Morning World!!

My adoring public (chirping birds) are calling me and I have finished my  delicious breakfast of left-over sweet & sour . . . . . Later!!

Good Morning Just Gets Better!

I went by and picked up my favorite little five year old helper this morning.  He helped me pick out the best peat moss for my gardens and a few other essentials then we headed home.  Perhaps I am more excited to see my "wheels of fire" flowers finally blooming, but come on, let's face it . . . they sure are a gorgeous contrast to the petunias.  I wanted to take Garrett's picture with them, he assured me that his birthday party invitation would go beautifully as part of the arrangement, so we added it.  That funny little guy can come up with more funny little faces.

Next we went out to the garden to add the moss and mix it in.  What would we do without water on demand?  I gave him the cooler drain hose and let him water everything.  Made my work much easier  ;- }




He was pretty disappointed when I had him help remove suckers from the citrus trees by hand and not with the saw, but went along with it anyway.  Since he was such a good sport, he got to "climb" the lemon tree.  Hey gotta take what you can for boy stuff!

After we had our hot dog lunch, it was nap time and he was so good about it.  such a little snuggler, he makes it hard to get through his three books without dozing off!

The wonder box cooking class at Relief Society went well.  they had a great pot luck dinner first so I have TONS of food left over after the "tasting".  Guess I best get o packing and freezing it in one meal portions . .  Nanny's not going to cook this week!!!  No surprise that I made foods that I like, is it?

Now I can relax and enjoy a little more leisurely pace.  It will be nice.  Just hope I can get back to sleeping better at night.

Good Morning World!!

It's a good morning when:

You have a good ole sneeze fest to clear all the cob webs.

You hurt less than you did the morning before.

You wake up and know why your tires are not draining (gardens).

You figure out how to rob Peter to pay Paul so you can fix your tires . . . shhh, don't tell Jon ;-D .

You have a fresh hot bowl of beans from your Wonder Box for breakfast . . . .

AND YOU LOST ANOTHER POUND!!!!!!! Only 7 more to get back to my pre-Lynneah weight!!!  Who knew grandkids would put weight on you?  Soon I can get back to work on that last 30, ten at a time to reach my long time goal. I'm going to finishing loosing the lard if it kills me!!!  I need to post my goals and why, somewhere to remind myself.

When Living in the Desert . . . Dig!!!

I headed straight over to the church on Saturday and forgot to water my tire gardens.  OOPS!  Yesterday morning I discovered several plants who had met their maker.  When I dug down to plant one that was still in the pot, I saw that I had not been watering deep enough.

I am surprised that any are still alive.  So I am digging off the patio, putting stuff away in the new, old shed and gardening bench. . . . . I love to say that .  I have wanted one for years!  It is in the shade (the "yurt" that Jon put the tin roof on).  Being on the far end, it will be out of the way of the BBQ, my outdoor kitchen (unless I keep it on the patio to be closer to the indoor kitchen) and table and chairs.  

I am so excited to be back to my business, lots to do and lots to enjoy (by finishing).  Lots to get ready to can, such an optimist, lots to finish, finish, finish.