Here's Looking At You Kid

I know that YouTube is all the rage, but I never thought baby videos on YouTube would be all the rage.  We heard about all the great baby videos from my husband's brother.  So of course we proceeded to watch about 20 baby videos in one sitting.  While there are tons, this one's my favorite.  I've watched it three times now and I can't stop laughing!  Maybe we should all be so carefree and take joy in the simplest of things.  Daughter.

What's all the flap about

concerning the new Speedo LZR swimsuits? Some of the US swimmers will be wearing them during the Olympics. The suits are one piece and cover the swimmer from the neck to the ankles. It is made with polyurethane material, lightweight and water-repellent. There are no sewn or glued seams due to the ultrasonic welding which reduces drag. The kicker is that they cost $550.00 and are only good for four or five swims due to the stretching while putting them on. It takes 15 or more minutes to stuff yourself into it and care has to be taken not to tear it while getting into it. Other country coaches are calling them "cheating" and "technological doping." These suits will be available for the US swimmers. The public will be able to purchase them after October. I will be watching the swimming events and see what "ripples" they make. Grandmother

Pedal Power

Living near "Liberal City, USA" where cyclists almost seem to outnumber the cars, it is only natural that my nearby city would make a big deal out of "Ride Your Bike to Work Day". So in an effort to see if I could do it, I didn't drive my car yesterday. I rode my bike to a meeting I had in the morning and cycled 16 miles round trip. Although I impressed my garden club co-members, my husband actually performed the more amazing feat. He typically drives 48 miles round trip to work and yesterday he cycled in to work and back home again. Neither one of us is a spring chicken so this was a pretty incredible feat and the more amazing thing is that neither of us died in the process. An approximation of the CO2 we saved from going into the atmosphere yesterday is somewhere between 65 and 75 pounds. This is an approximation because the calculators available on the web only give you an annual output. We both feel pretty good about our accomplishments but as my husband said, "It won't be anytime soon before I do that again!" Today we will just concentrate on trying to get up from a chair. Mom

Some Bugs Rule

And this is one of them. I was busy conducting war with the aphids which were multiplying by the kazillions when I noticed these metallic, green flies on some of my plants. I grabbed the camera and shot a picture and then plowed through my bug books and the web to find out what they were. I found pictures of them but not the name so I sent an e-mail to my master gardener mentor and she identified them. They are Dolichopodidae or long legged fly and they are a beneficial insect in the garden feeding on mites, thrips and aphids among other arthropods. This is one good reason why not to use chemicals in the garden, they kill the beneficials along with the undesirable bugs. Mom

Aha, I found

something new. It was a BIG wasplike insect which was a lovely blue color. It was in my garden and I captured it to study. After looking at it I began to research what it was. After resorting to the internet with various pictures and explanations I ended up calling our local Extension Office and talked to a Master Gardner. After explaining what I found they said it sounded like a "mud dabber." I also found out they are called mud daubers, mud dobbers and are in the wasp family. They are more beneficial than destructive because they rarely sting and eat spiders. I was told to look for "mud nests" around the house. I found several which I destroyed in hopes they would move to the neighbors. Just another interesting day in the garden. Grandmother

A Walk In The Garden

After having been gone for a few days I returned and perused my garden to find thistle and bindweed having a heyday. Things could be looking better. Although I love my little shrubby roses they aren't living up to their genre of "Carefree". The aphids evidently have found them as delightful as I have. Where are the ladybug larvae when you need them? Not finding any I gave the shrub roses a good hosing with a spray of water to knock off the aphids.


The tea roses are always prima donnas requiring attention and primping. They are showing signs of chlorosis from being neglected. The soil in my yard is clay in its finest and although there is iron present it is not in a form that can be taken up by the plants. A good fertilizing should get these beauties back to pageant form soon.


Deadheading resulted in a pile of lovely blossoms. The roses are one plant that has blooms which look good fanned out on the ground, the carpet, a bed.... Mom

Dear old Dad

My Dad was one of a kind. He was a great teacher, full of love, easy to laugh and a kind person. My Mother always left the disciplining up to him. He would give me a chance to defend myself but if he felt I was not behaving myself he would roll up a magazine and give me a swat. It didn't hurt but I always yelled and cried. Sundays were a day of fun, in the summer time picnics, in the winter trips to Grandparents, big Sunday dinners and games. Scrabble and cribbage were his favorites and I tried hard to beat him. It took years to out play him and there were a couple of times I won but I often he think he let me win. He taught me to ride a horse and to drive a truck. I think his hair got grayer during those times. During the last years of his life he came to live with us. This was an adventure and again a learning time. We were fortunate to have him with us as we really got to know him and enjoy his wisdom and love. I think of him often when I need a hug. Happy Father's Day to all Fathers. Grandmother

Lessons Learned From Dad

Always do your best and try your hardest.
Do it right the first time around, it will save you time in the long run.
There is always someone who is worse off than you are.
Help those who are in need; lend them a hand.
Pick up the tools after you are done with them.
Take care of your tools.
Everything has a spot, put it back into its spot and there won't be a mess to clean up.
Learn how to fix things yourself, then you will know that the job was done right.
Think about what you are doing.
Save your back and use your head.
If you are using the shovel make sure there is a full load on it; none of this half-way business.
Lift heavy stuff with your legs, not your back.
Shake hands with a firm grip and look the other person in the eye.
Show respect to others.
Thanks Dad for these positive life lessons that are ingrained into my being! Happy Father's Day!
Love, Mom

One step forward three decades back

Is no one else as incensed as I am after reading Daughter's blog and viewing the links? I am ready to spit nails about the remarks made criticizing Hillary Clinton based on gender. I was a teenager and college student in the 70's and well remember Gloria Steinem and the women's rights movement. What in the world has happened since then. I believed that I would see a President who was a woman in my lifetime, but now I am beginning to wonder.

This country has slid backwards and the slope to gain ground is steep if we allow news commentators to get away with lewd, sexist remarks instead of sticking to issues and facts...where are the facts? I don't care what the opinions of news people are...I want the facts. And I certainly don't want to hear about the hairstyle, the type of clothing or the style of shoes a female political candidate is wearing.

The thing that really gets my goat is that it wasn't just men making the sexist comments but also some women journalists. What's up with that? Women need to put a stop to these kinds of comments...whether it is a blond joke or a comment by a co-worker or a commentary from the media. Take a stand and make a change! If we don't respect ourselves, how will anyone else respect us? Mom

Is Ours Still A Misogynistic Society?

I was deeply troubled by a recent column that I read in the New York Times that discusses some of the inappropriate characterizations of Hillary Clinton that surfaced during her campaign. While I was not a Clinton supporter, I felt I was justified in my decision, as it was rooted in political reasoning and had nothing to do with gender.  

The column lists such atrocities as a Hillary-bashing group called "Citizens United Not Timid," a Hillary Clinton nutcracker with shark-like teeth between her legs, and comments from political pundits and media commentators such as: "When Hillary Clinton speaks, men hear: 'Take out the garbage.'" 

It's so pathetic that our media has derailed to talk about Clinton's gender more than they talked about the issues at hand.  And as a reporter, I believe that the coverage of this election has been a disgrace to my profession.  If the media or anyone for that matter made similar comments about Barack Obama, there would be some serious dialogue happening about the state of our nation.  But because Hillary's a woman I guess it just doesn't matter.  It's sad to think that our nation is far, far away from ever seriously considering a woman as a real political player in the presidential pool.  And to be honest, I think that our country will suffer as a result of it.  

Also, check out the Women's Media Center's You Tube video by the Women's Media Center.  Daughter.

What's next?

Now the IRS wants their cut when you sell stuff on eBay. Just because one person's stuff is trash doesn't mean it won't appeal to someone else. The Internet has become one of the fastest and easiest methods of recycling trash into quick cash. Not only are the IRS watching eBay but also Craigslist and uBid. Of course right now reporting any profit is strictly volunteer and I guess there are not too many honest people out there. Then there is another consideration, what type of business person are you, casual seller, a hobbyist or a business? The tax issues vary for each type. Also the state you live in wants their share so these are things to think about when you list stuff on eBay, Craigslist or uBid. I would like to know how the IRS is going to police this and collect their share. Grandmother

Wow 31 years!!!!

Happy Anniversary to my daughter and son-in-law. It is cloudy and rainy here today but 31 years ago in Montana the sun was shining and warm. A great day to be married. As Mother of the bride I have several memories but the one that stands out is when Father and Daughter came down the aisle. After all the preparations I cried tears of joy and sorrow. Joy because she was starting a new life with a very handsome and reliable man and tears of sorrow because my "little girl" was leaving the nest. May there be many more years to add to your anniversaries. Grandmother

Thoughts

In our church office there is a story posted. It goes something like this: A Navajo Indian chief told his grandson a story. He said, "There are two wolves in me. One wolf is vindictive, jealous, and hateful. The other wolf is compassionate, willing, happy and loving. The wolves are always fighting." The grandson asked, "Which wolf will win?" The grandfather replied, "The one that I feed."

Searching the web I found that the number of an average person's thoughts range from 12,000 to as many as 60,000 and that 80% of those thoughts are negative. Is it any wonder that rage is so prevalent in our society today?

Which wolf are you feeding? Mom

Baseball Fever!!!

For the past week our town has been full of baseball trivia, games and history for the JUCO World Series. The town has hosted 50 years of the Junior College Tournament. Here are a couple of the interesting facts that I have learned. Ever wondered why at most ball games everyone gets up to stretch during the seventh inning. The most popular theory is that in 1910 President Taft attended the ball game of the Washington Senators and this stretch was started. President Taft was a large man, over 300 pounds, and he was tired of sitting so he got up and stretched. When he did so the audience saw him get up and they also stood up and the tradition began. Also during the seventh inning the audience sings "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." This song was written in 1908 by Jack Norworth while riding the subway. He was inspired by a sign urging fans to "take in a ball game."
This years champs were Grayson Junior College. Congratulations to all the teams that participated. Grandmother