Quality, Tools and Values That Are Meant To Last

I've had these shears,clippers, loppers, or brush cutters since 2000 or 2001. I went to our local lumberyard and said OK I've broken every pair of clippers we've had. (my daughter said I stole her upper body strength in a satanic ritual? she stories but I can break handles and keys and clippers easily) anyway I said I want a pair of clippers that won't break.  I was also taking care of my father who had Alzheimers and was perhaps a bit frantic and preoccupied, didn't want to keep running into town after tools.

This is what they sold me. It's been 9 or 10 years. Granted the clippers were like $20 or $30 but it's been YEARS!  They told the truth, I've never sharpened them and I CAN NOT break the handles. The brother of the man who sold them to me is the carpenter that helped my dad build the house we live in now. It's almost 40 years old and we still call it the new house. A bit dated but still SOLID and actually in better shape than many new houses I can think of. Once again Quality and care.

Both of these men are gone, the owner of the lumberyard and his brother but they both represented solid values not always seen today.

I'm friends with the daughter in law of one of these men on facebook, she knows who she is.  As I was using these clippers the other day I remembered how I bought them and thought I would share this story.   I wonder how many other people have similar stories of tools they use?

Beaumont Texas Tornado And My Good Luck

Yesterday there was a tornado in Beaumont Texas. What is so remarkable about this tornado? No warning, no thunderstorm warning or watch. Just all of a sudden a tornado appeared and was on the ground a short period of time thank goodness. It hit Wal Mart and Kohls @ the Parkdale Mall and Barnes and Noble is closed today, I think Petco also, minor injuries but roofs torn off, cars piled up one on top of another in parking lots. Why do I mention this in my blog? I was in Beaumont yesterday 2 hours before the tornado. Why? if you knew me I would say I got a wild hair. My husband insists on wearing Levis 501 jeans and I needed internet. So I went to a coffee shop in Bridge City TX with wi fi and downloaded some software I needed for at&t internet (which I got hooked up all by myself at&t internet people, thank you very much). While I was on the internet I scoped out a J C Penny's that was close by, they have Levis (also Arizona t shirts and bras on sale but we won't talk about that). So I went to J C Penny's, I actually thought I was in Beaumont but was in Port Arthur. I remember the weird rain, off and on and the dark clouds but being from the midwest these storms are usually nothing down here. The clouds were a little droopy. So I decided to go home a different way so I could be a little more oriented. BTW Bridge City is named that for a reason and I'm not fond of high bridges. If you saw a caddy going about 50 yesterday that's because my body was frozen going up over that bridge. I had my laptop in my car, it's old but it's really precious to me, I could imagine how my car and laptop would have survived being tossed around in a parking lot.
So I went home through Beaumont, it was REALLY the long way around, I probably drove 40+ miles when 20 would have gotten me back the other way but I know how to get around a bit and how the highways are situated. In case you don't follow my life with bated breath I've only been down here in TX a couple days, I've never really been in this area before. So we are watching the news last night and there's been a tornado in Beaumont and it tore up jack. The bottom two pictures are of the normal sky today, there are supposed to be storms again later. I'm counting my lucky stars today. I could have easily decided I needed to go to Barnes and Noble or Petco (two of my favorite stores) up there in Parkdale Mall.

As I mentioned before this tornado came with no warning, the weather service would have said a 0% chance of tornadoes @ that time in Beaumont. Evidently there were two storms close together and when one was forming it caught the downdraft of the first one in it's updraft and that made a tornado? It's not funny but you should have seen the TV weather people trying to explain WHY there were no warnings or watches and HOW something like this could have happened in an area that isn't horribly tornado prone. I used to follow hurricane forecasting very closely and have always been interested in weather and tornadoes. I always said about the forecast down here by the coast if they say 30% chance of rain they mean it will rain 30% of the time, 40% ............

Oh and I get down here Saturday, (went to my first rodeo and had a great time otherwise) and then Sunday there are 3 storms in the Atlantic and it's going to rain, I think I draw these things maybe?

Revenge And Forgiveness

Fake Tracking Dog Sends Man To Prison Link

So long story short this supposed miracle dog tracks scents after a hurricane goes through, scents that were there before the hurricane. I've seen what a hurricane does, there were no snakes and not many insects for a couple years after, much less scent? Gimme a break! This guy is in prison for 26 years for a crime he didn't commit!

What is so horrible about the whole thing is the dog and his handler were found to be fakes twenty years before this guy got out of prison, he spent 20 years in prison because someone forgot to maybe check up on the cases this "star" witness testified against. I think the state of Florida should be held accountable and establish some sort of program so this can't happen again even though they are in financial straits like the rest of us, perhaps they could fire a few of the prosecutors who used the fake tracking dog and use that money?

I don't know whether this man is suing anyone or not, the article doesn't say. I'm not a sue-happy person @ all but I think he has grounds against someone?

So in cases that aren't as extreme as this in your own lives are you forgivers or grudge holders. Do you burst into flaming rage or simmer till it's like a volcano erupting? I must confess my husband is a forgiver with flaming rage, I'm a grudge holder that erupts. I don't get mad often but when I do it's not pretty and people will know about it. Like my step-son said, "Dad has a temper and you don't want to make him mad, but if you make TC mad, WATCH OUT."

So what do you think?

Triple Murder Suspect Arrested

You can read about the triple murder of the members of the Leutjen family here.
The Suspect is apprehended here.

It seems the murder suspect is Donnie and Sharon's nephew and they are speculating the motive was robbery. Does this make us feel any safer in our homes around here. Maybe a bit. I know if my nephew wanted money all he would have to do is ask, I'd probably tell him I'm broke but it would be close to the truth. I still lock the door when I'm in the other end of the house. Don't know if this botched robbery was because of the economy or just plain greed. I can't see how the nephew thought he was going to fence anything (most of Donnie's collections were quite famous, hard to fence stuff like that) or that Donnie would just keep money laying around the house but maybe there's more to it than that. They are still looking for other suspects or actually they said "We have evidence that links at least one more, if not multiple suspects to this homicide."

I'm lucky in that I have police officers living next door and we all work different shifts that change, like we have anything worth stealing but....... I know my security system works because the kids have came to the house unexpectedly more than once and been VERY surprised, IE I call the house and ask them what they are doing there or someone comes in in the middle of the night demanding to know WHO'S THERE. Also being known as slightly crazy and having a temper doesn't hurt either? :-)

So I've booked way too much into the next two weeks so my blogging will be on hold mostly. Suddenly realized my drivers license was up for renewal, need birth certificate here in MO now, need to get it because I spent two hours looking for it and nada, nothing. Wienie roast, need to clean house, trip to dentist, and there's that work thing that keeps getting in there.
Got the lawn mowed, yey me!!! but it will need it again soon because we have had like 2 real days totally without rain. Oh yeah, my daughter is coming to visit and I'm squeezing a short trip in there? Mountains of laundry, have to go pick up a vehicle....... better get busy. It's good to be able to walk and do again though! Here's the scoop on my bloodclot on that on Animals That Give Pause, this is the most recent post.

Adventures With Bluetooth

I've learned more about cell phones and bluetooth than I ever wanted to know in the past day. My husbands company gave him a bluetooth for his phone because they aren't supposed to be distracted @ all during the day which is a great safety policy! So now he can answer the phone and talk without using his hands. Problem is he has me do all the phone and computer things and he is 700 miles away and he had to connect the bluetooth. I'm pretty good on computers but haven't messed with them much lately, phones I can punch the numbers in and send pictures etc. connect with the web but that's about it. I'm always afraid something is going to cost money after our first bag phone cost like $11 a minute when roaming in Utah once. Does anyone even remember bag phones?
So he gets the bluetooth and tries to connect it to his phone, trouble is I was @ a family gathering till late and he was out to dinner so he didn't try to get this all working till almost 11pm last night, I was in bed TRYING to go to sleep. We had both been up since 5 am. He says he's not firing up his computer so we will see if he reads this, LOL. Anyway after a couple conversations, the last one consisting of I thought we were going to get this going in the MORNING!, we said goodnight, or rather he said love you bye right after that. So I couldn't sleep then and got up and googled how to connect a motorola to a samsung. Turns out I had the wrong samsung and the menu options were different. Neither one of us had the owners manual for his phone since it's my old one that I got from my grandson who got it from my daughter when she got a state of the art phone from my other daughter, got that? I bought husband a new phone but he didn't like it so I have that one and he got my old one which isn't old, it's a slider and actually pretty neat. I have one with a keyboard which is what I was after all along but I need a memory card now and a bigger texting plan, I can see this!
Somehow my husband who is not dumb @ all and in some ways is probably smarter than I am (read he's a genius but I don't like to admit it) is convinced computers and anything related to them such as cell phones and bluetooth are evil beings set upon this earth to torment him. He can figure out what's wrong with an engine by listening to it or looking @ the exhaust quite often. I swear he's not as computer illiterate as he says because somehow when we first got internet back in the 90s he figured out how to go to history to see what web pages I'd been on? This was like the FIRST time he was on the internet so I think he's playing dumb quite often so I will do things for him?
So after 3 phone calls this morning and a few web pages, downloading the proper owners manual we finally figured it out.
The steps are:

1. Enable bluetooth on your phone usually under settings. (OK, for those who are truly phone illiterate you get to settings under menu usually)
   
2. Turn your bluetooth headset on, this might require holding the button for several seconds.
3. Go to Tools or Connectivity (the connectivity one is the one that had us stumped) look for bluetooth and click on add new device or something like that. It should find the headset, you might have to enter a pin code off of the bluetooth device or the phone or both.
   
4. The phone should pick up the headset and you can click on connect and voila! it should all work just fine.
   

So that's a short and dirty guide for all of you who may have been putting off getting a bluetooth headset. If you have problems call BR 549.
Now I think there is a way to get my cell phone pictures off of the sim card and onto my computer but I'm not sure how, going to find out!
Postscript, duhhhh, figured it out, email them. Didn't know I could do that, told you I was phone challenged.

The New Less Is More

This is my spa. Someone yelled @ me as I left work and said it's 89 degrees out there, I said I'm laying in the sun then!! So I decided to do just that, I have a nice lawn it's a shame to always be working in it, I need to enjoy it. An old chaise lounge lawn chair, a glass of wine (I don't drink enough to be considered a drinker, just seemed to be appropriate, it even had a cork!) suntan lotion, my phone, a towel to wipe the suntan lotion off of everything and flip flops, (we don't call them thongs anymore, no no no!). I called everyone I could think of, drank wine, suntanned flipped over. Then I napped a bit, bichon crawled on top of me and the other dogs (I'm watching the bulldog Opal for my daughter while she's on a trip) couldn't be left out, I finally convinced them the shade was better for them, napped some more and watched the things you aren't supposed to have floating around behind your eyelids when you close your eyes. I listened to the birds call and watched the cumulus clouds build and dissipate. Flipped over again, listened to the kittens in the bushes, called another person. Wondered if the Mockingbird that wakes me up @ 3 am (I just know it's him, not that many different birds take turns calling @ 3 am) was within shooting range.

Then I noticed how many bees were flying around, nope they were flies, but they weren't bothering me? I thought maybe I should move the cat food from by the back door. Then I looked over, saw the bird feathers scattered about, kitty has been being kitty again, then I saw a snake wrapped around a folded up lawn chair by the cat food, it was dead. It was more than dead, it looked like it died in the throes of agony. The only thing I could figure is the cats tortured it to death and it was striking @ them (garter snake, harmless) and it had a heat stroke in the sun because they had it cornered. So I got rid of it in the gravel road and the flies left and the dog crawled up on top of me again, the cats got under the chaise lounge and we just had a grand old time. There was another glass of wine in there too I believe?

Part of this was brought about by listening to a broadcast on PBS about a lady who had been watching prairie dogs and thought she would go mad the first three days. The fourth day she couldn't write down what the prairie dogs were doing fast enough, because she had learned how to slow down and really observe them and be in the place. The more we know about a place and observe what is going on the more we are really in tune with the place and learn about it. So I was one with my lawn, and my glass of wine, and my bichon, and my borrowed English Bulldog, and the birds, and my lab, and my phone and sun tan lotion too I suppose. Of course the terrier, lab, schnauzer,and cats figured in too. For those who are interested a guy has spent his life studying prairie dog language and they have "words" for man with red shirt, man with blue shirt, man with gun, man without gun, lady with yellow shirt, and so on; it's totally amazing to me. And when left undisturbed the prairie dogs get up out of their little burrows in the morning and face the rising sun with their little paws folded across their chests for half an hour like a religious meditation. Then in the evening they do the same thing toward the setting sun before heading to their burrows. I found it fascinating and that was before any wine!

It was a simple couple hours but thoroughly different and refreshing. I'm sure most of us have learned to make more out of less even if we don't have to. I think we should celebrate it instead of bemoaning the new way of life. Of course I would like a wooden chaise lounge with cushions but then I would have to be more careful with it, this old $9 one from the discount store does just fine as long as it still supports me. I can't stand expensive wine, there's no way to get a sun tan and be cool except a tanning booth I suppose but I've never been in one. Aren't we all supposed to have a lack of vitamin D? I have my supply for a couple days. The bird song and the clouds moving will be in my head for a long time as will the prairie dog stories and the sounds of dogs snuffling (the bulldog) by my ear. Just a generally satisfying spring afternoon.

Life Changes

Just when you think life will go on like it is it changes. I've been waxing rather philosophical lately and there is a reason. My life or my future has changed drastically in the last month or so. I hesitate to write about it because I don't want to jinx it but as Monaliza has pointed out in her blog Hypnotic Visualization I have to own my life and dreams and visualize positive things. Also it's funny but my friend SquirrelQueen posted about a river today and how it ebbs and flows like our own lives on The Road To Here today. When Monaliza commented on my beautiful garden home it was all the more poignant because I knew I would be leaving it.

What's the big change, it's all good, the answer to our prayers actually. Husband has a new job. The problem, it's 700 miles away right now and possibly further later on. The benefits? Retirement, excellent pay, being able to pay our BILLS (notice capitalization!) and save, we will get to see each other every day, husband won't have to fight for truck loads and drive all night on icy roads as I stress. The drawbacks, it's so far away from friends family and home although I'll get to come home often. We had just decided to bite the bullet and we both work after being in business for ourselves for years then this job comes along and it's just too good to pass up. We have family here (police officers next door!) that will take care of the house and probably one of the kids will move into it. If so we will build a new one that is smaller and more sensible (we will probably build a shop or storage building and move out of this house so the kids can really use it) but we were just getting this one whipped into shape after being gone 2 years cleaning up after hurricanes. I won't have to work but will do something because I've always helped my husband in his business. We have a really nice 5th wheel to live in while we are away from home that we bought while cleaning up after hurricanes.

So life changes. I never thought I'd be thinking about building a new house, that part isn't set in stone yet but it's a possibility (the first time I've even considered it). I'll be @ home most of the summer, we are doing this all gradually, planning the smart way for once. As my daughter told my husband (her stepfather) "it's too good a job, no complaining and no quitting and could you take my husband too?" His daughter told him he could always step in a pile of poop and come up with a rose. Old saying in case you aren't familiar with it. Hopefully all 7 kids will come visit us often. I'll still be blogging, the younger dogs will come with us, the cats and older dog will have to stay here (6 cats in a camper don't work no matter how big it is) but there will be people here they are all used to so it will be fine. Life changes and stays the same. What stays constant is the people who truly matter.

I've Been Awarded Neno's Award!!

The award is:

1) a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
2) to seek the reasons why we all love blogging.
And I received the award from....... Monaliza M. Amid she said it was for my beautiful garden home that inspires her to get one one day, my husbands and my combined hobby is our yard so that sentiment is very precious.

The aims of this award:

1. As a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
2. To seek the reasons why we all love blogging.
3. Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it.
4. Don't forget to mention the person who gives you the award.
5. Answer the award's question by writing the reason why you love blogging.
6. Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.
7. Don't forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

THE NENO'S AWARD IS NOW PASSED ON TO:

aMusings Blog because she makes me think.

Suze my cousin who doesn't blog but should, hint hint.

My cousin Peggi who is a guest writer sometimes! She designs web sites, me blogging was her idea.

CJ @ ShoppingKharma because she give me courage.

AND the reasons I love blogging?

1. Exposure to new ideas through others comments and blogs and "meeting" so many interesting people. I've even had an author of a book comment on my Missouri Books when I wrote about his book, scary.
   
2. Ability to vent @ times or share what I'm thinking, I think my relatives and friends are rather relieved they don't have so many lengthy emails to wade through, my daughter admits she scans them.
3. I can take pretty pictures and share.
4. I can share experiences.
5. I found I can write which I never thought I could do, sure if it was an ebay ad or I was venting I could write but I can actually write about any given subject, who knew? Mom would be proud, then she would correct my grammar. Maybe not in that order.
6. I can talk about my 3 favorite subjects, animals, books, and my views/stories, what more could you ask for?

TC

I've Been Tagged Or More About ME!

have been MEME tagged by SquirrelQueen.

Rules of the meme. Respond and rework. Answer questions on your own blog. Replace one question. Add one question. Tag 6 people, more or less. And here we go . . .

What are your current obsessions? Blogging, reading on facebook, FML if you're on there, trying to get my house as organized as they seem to think I am @ work.
Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often? 3 smocky t shirts from 2 summers ago.
Last dream you had? I was driving a semi (I can BTW) up the hill by the barn, my daughter was with me and she was going to drive when we got on highway (like I'm going to let that happen in real life?) I misjudged and hit my father in laws pickup which was sitting in front of the house we used to live in and knocked it forward, then I woke up.
Last thing you bought? Dog Collar and Leash for my Lab.
What are you listening to? Dogs barking @ imaginary intruders, probably cat like intruders.
Favorite holiday spots? Home with family, beach, mountains. I motel quite well with good movies and room service also.
Reading right now? I started the Tending Instinct.
Four words to describe yourself. OK, I'll say what others have said, bubbly, outgoing, pollyanna, obsessive @ times.
Guilty pleasure? Computer in general, fudge brownies too.
Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak? My husband, sometimes he's trying to be funny.
Best spring thing to do? Getting the lawn looking like humans live here.
Favorite drink? Coffee with cream and Margaritas for fun.
What I'm afraid of? Snakes, bad bad storms, abandonment, clowns.
Favorite ever film? Two For The Road, Albert Finney, Audrey Hepburn
Care to share some wisdom? Don't think your life is boring, things will change and it might not be!
Song you can't get out of your head? Any teenybopper one from the 70s.
Something you are looking forward to? Going to Louisiana soon.
What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten? Fried bananas and cheese, my own creation.

And I am tagging ... Drum roll please!!!

Monaliza @ hypnoticvisualization

K2comfort @ Ksquared Comfort

Carolyn @ dogs in my bed

MizLilly @ becoming an author....my journey

Crystal Jigsaw @ Crystal Jigsaw

rickbischoff @ rickbischoff rustic


I know some folk aren't into this sort of game (probably the ones that don't answer the 20 question emails!) so it's up to you to pass it on or not, I was tagged so now you are if you so choose!

My Guilty Life

The above picture is of my parents the winter before they got married I believe, they were in their mid twenties. I actually do look like both of them but more like my father. Of course I never knew them like this or even remotely, when I came into the world they were 18 years older and MUCH heavier. They had one child, my brother and thought they were through because my mother couldn't eat while pregnant and almost died. I was a mistake, an afterthought, a whoops if you will.

I couldn't go to sleep easily last night, no particular reason but this thought came to me then. My mother watched my kids when I was working and going to college for about 2 years off and on, not every day because sometimes my husband did and I only had night classes the last 3 months of college. She would watch them sometimes after that but I stayed @ home mostly until they went to school and then I started working outside the home again. I always felt guilty about that and nothing really against my mother (I've come to terms with all of it I think) but she encouraged the guilt. Reminded me of all she had done etc. etc. Not only watching my daughters but other things she thought I should feel badly about.

I had a rather unique 20s and 30s, I thought I sort of paid my parents back even though I had a house partly rent free and the loan of a vehicle when I needed one, as long as the trip was OK with them. LOL. I cleaned their house every Friday, washed and set my mothers hair every Friday afternoon, they were getting older and I took them to doctors appointments (I didn't work for awhile because of too many doctors appointments), went over paperwork, helped them grow the gardens they were so intent on growing, cleaned the basement when it flooded which was sometimes weekly (it still gets damp and we live on top of a hill?)and chauffeured my mother around a great deal of the time, and mowed the lawn and cooked quite a few BIG family dinners @ their house, I'm not complaining, we had a good life. We also cut 21 cords of wood per winter for two houses and a shop. My dad, my ex husband, the kids when they were older and I did the wood, mom went to the woods once and lost the pin to the tractor hitch and never went back, probably because we reminded her of it and she didn't like the outdoors. My dad became crippled because of a botched knee operation, he figured out the cartilage in his knee was gone when he JUMPED down off of a big tractor @ the age of 72. All that is neither here nor there. I think I paid my ex husband back for all the work too when I let him stay on my parents farm after the divorce and I left!! So he moves his girlfriend in and she throws away 1000's of $ worth of antiques (old spice, medicine and oil containers are worth something?) but.........

So I'm thinking about the guilt I felt in specific for my mother watching the kids, they weren't bad kids but they would get into mischief. Shall we say adventuresome? That's a good word. Then I realized my husband is only a few years younger now than my mother was when she watched the kids. He could watch a handful of them with one hand tied behind his back and watch football and take a nap to boot, he'd probably have them cooking and getting his tea too but that's not the point. He wouldn't make anyone feel guilty about it. We practically raised my second oldest step grandson for the first two years of his life, he started calling about 5 people mama. But he had a single mama (divorced) and needed us and Tate was soooo cut and he was ours no questions asked. BTW one of the last memories of my mother I have is her holding Tate, she was in a wheelchair in the nursing home and he was so quiet and good on her lap. I watched my grandkids when they came along, I never really thought about it till last night but since there are 4 of them and the oldest is 14 I'm sure I've put in much much more time than my mother did. I didn't work or I worked out of a home office or took them with me when I worked for my husband, no problems, and I wasn't going to be the continual babysitter grandma. I don't want my daughter to feel any guilt and she shouldn't, I did what I could and should have done more probably but she had a sister to help too. Now I feel guilt if I can't do things for them because I'm working. I must say when the grandkids are here you can hardly call it watching, other than feeding them and diapers when they needed them and a lap to cuddle in they didn't require much entertainment, they were GOOD kids, and that isn't just grandma talking.

So why all my guilt? I'm 51 years old and have to look @ everything from a new perspective now, a little guilt is good, I put clothes in the washer this morning and stripped the sheets from the bed because I felt I must do something even though I have a glorious 2 days off. I have to go now, need to make time because I just realized my grandchildren don't have most of their mothers children's books or mine, I have to go hunt them down in the old house if I can so I can take them over when I go to Easter dinner over there. I'm not contributing to the dinner, guilt again. So the problem wasn't my mother wanting me to feel sorry for her, it's my conditioned guilt. I know this isn't a great psychological light bulb but most cognitive theories don't seem to apply to your life until it just hits you one day, there is no need for these bad feelings, they are not good for you or the people around you.

I hope everyone has a HAPPY EASTER and maybe a little time for self examination. What are you carrying around that is a needless burden? Comments anyone?