This is the funniest video - please be patient with the breaks in buffering - it is so worth it. I remember watching this the first time on SNL and laughing myself silly over it. Ahhh, how funny when life imitates "art".
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4122944961711350389
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
China, et al.
I feel kind of bad because when I first mentioned boycotting the Olympics because of Tibet, it really wasn't an issue. Things in Tibet hadn't really begun to escalate and I hadn't heard of any Olympians who were actually thinking of boycotting.
I have a childhood friend (Heather Mitchell McLean) who has met the Dali Lama and is one of his disciples, so I don't take the issue in Tibet lightly. But I also didn't mean for my blog to become a great political debate.
Earlene and I going to the Olympics is sort of a joke/ fantasy - okay, it is a total joke/ fantasy, but I want those who are interested to know that we don't take the situation in Tibet lightly or as a joke..... so I just want to separate the two issues here and now and let everyone know that:
1. We aren't going to the Olympics --- unless President Bush intervenes and asks us to represent our country in the event.
2. Personally, I respect the people in Tibet and Taiwan and wish them the best of luck in gaining and maintaining their independence from mainland China.
Love you all, Charlotte
I have a childhood friend (Heather Mitchell McLean) who has met the Dali Lama and is one of his disciples, so I don't take the issue in Tibet lightly. But I also didn't mean for my blog to become a great political debate.
Earlene and I going to the Olympics is sort of a joke/ fantasy - okay, it is a total joke/ fantasy, but I want those who are interested to know that we don't take the situation in Tibet lightly or as a joke..... so I just want to separate the two issues here and now and let everyone know that:
1. We aren't going to the Olympics --- unless President Bush intervenes and asks us to represent our country in the event.
2. Personally, I respect the people in Tibet and Taiwan and wish them the best of luck in gaining and maintaining their independence from mainland China.
Love you all, Charlotte
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Olympic official: athletes mulling Beijing boycott
Olympic official: athletes mulling Beijing boycott
Sun Mar 16, 4:04 PM ET
BERLIN (AFP) - International Olympic Committee vice-president Thomas Bach said a number of top athletes were considering boycotting the games in China over the bloody crackdown on protesters in Tibet.
Bach told Bild am Sonntag newspaper he understood the athletes' concerns about the situation in Tibet but said he was advising them to participate.
"They will realise when they assess the situation that it is better to make an appearance than to stay away. That is a symbol that will be noticed by the public," he said.
Asked if human rights had been a concern when Beijing was selected to host the August Games, Bach said the IOC believed the intense focus on China would have a positive effect.
"We are of the opinion that the Games will help China open up. But we cannot solve the problems that UN secretaries general have not been able to solve for generations," he said.
"The Olympic Games can foster change and be a catalyst for a solution but they are not a panacea."
Sun Mar 16, 4:04 PM ET
BERLIN (AFP) - International Olympic Committee vice-president Thomas Bach said a number of top athletes were considering boycotting the games in China over the bloody crackdown on protesters in Tibet.
Bach told Bild am Sonntag newspaper he understood the athletes' concerns about the situation in Tibet but said he was advising them to participate.
"They will realise when they assess the situation that it is better to make an appearance than to stay away. That is a symbol that will be noticed by the public," he said.
Asked if human rights had been a concern when Beijing was selected to host the August Games, Bach said the IOC believed the intense focus on China would have a positive effect.
"We are of the opinion that the Games will help China open up. But we cannot solve the problems that UN secretaries general have not been able to solve for generations," he said.
"The Olympic Games can foster change and be a catalyst for a solution but they are not a panacea."
Saturday, March 15, 2008
check out our shop
We set up our shop on etsy today. You can find us at : http:// thewindfarm.etsy.com
Friday, March 14, 2008
Charlotte's New hobby
Now that we have DSL, we spent the money to go wireless with the other computers in the house, so I have been using Alicia's computer in the evenings to entertain myself (Brian works nights, remember).
So I was checking blogs, and our friends in Missouri - Ben & Denae Katzoff - have all these links on their blog and I thought it would be fun to go blog jumping and that was really fun and I thought that would be my new hobby - just randomly reading blogs of people I don't know. Then one blog led me to a really interesting blog that led me to another and then to another and i finally ended up at etsy.com
It is the coolest site - all handmade stuff. It is all the rage right now. They have all different categories and it changes, literally, every minute because people are always putting their stuff on there. It only costs 20 cents per item and 3.5 percent when you make a sale, so it is much more reasonable than most galleries or web sites.
So now my new hobby is just spending hours and hours going thru all the stuff on etsy. It is great. We are going to put a bunch of stuff on there really soon. I'll let you all know when. Justin just finished a really beautiful burl bowl today. It is our first official item ready for sale. Check it out. I find it really inspirational. I've made pages and pages of notes of stuff that the entries on the site have inspired me to try to make. Happy Crafting.... Charlotte
So I was checking blogs, and our friends in Missouri - Ben & Denae Katzoff - have all these links on their blog and I thought it would be fun to go blog jumping and that was really fun and I thought that would be my new hobby - just randomly reading blogs of people I don't know. Then one blog led me to a really interesting blog that led me to another and then to another and i finally ended up at etsy.com
It is the coolest site - all handmade stuff. It is all the rage right now. They have all different categories and it changes, literally, every minute because people are always putting their stuff on there. It only costs 20 cents per item and 3.5 percent when you make a sale, so it is much more reasonable than most galleries or web sites.
So now my new hobby is just spending hours and hours going thru all the stuff on etsy. It is great. We are going to put a bunch of stuff on there really soon. I'll let you all know when. Justin just finished a really beautiful burl bowl today. It is our first official item ready for sale. Check it out. I find it really inspirational. I've made pages and pages of notes of stuff that the entries on the site have inspired me to try to make. Happy Crafting.... Charlotte
Rockin' & Rollin'
We have been having swarms of earthquakes for a couple weeks. I have only felt one tiny jiggle - this house is great for that. The only earthquake we ever really felt was that giant one that ripped the state open in 2002. Anyway, if you are interested in earthquakes the site we use is: http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/Seis/recenteqs/index.html
It changes all the time. As the legend on the map says - white squares are within a day, the yellow 12 - 24 hours, orange 1-12 hours and red within the hour. If you click on a square, it shows you just that earthquake, and a closer map that is labeled so you can tell where it is. Then below the map it tells you the details of the quake and below that it tells how far it was from everything. Enjoy.... Charlotte
It changes all the time. As the legend on the map says - white squares are within a day, the yellow 12 - 24 hours, orange 1-12 hours and red within the hour. If you click on a square, it shows you just that earthquake, and a closer map that is labeled so you can tell where it is. Then below the map it tells you the details of the quake and below that it tells how far it was from everything. Enjoy.... Charlotte
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Top Chef & March Madness questions
So Top Chef first: what exactly is chicken piccatta and does Andrew have worms, Tourette's or is he on crack???
Second for March Madness: why are they making those poor Oregon State Beavers play again? Just call it a season and wait for baseball. HEY - Beavs are National Champs in Baseball - not the first Pac-10 team to EVER go in a winless basketball season. Just switch seasons in Corvalis already.....
Little known fact: the first team to win the National Basketball Championship was the Oregon Ducks - in 1939. Charlotte
Second for March Madness: why are they making those poor Oregon State Beavers play again? Just call it a season and wait for baseball. HEY - Beavs are National Champs in Baseball - not the first Pac-10 team to EVER go in a winless basketball season. Just switch seasons in Corvalis already.....
Little known fact: the first team to win the National Basketball Championship was the Oregon Ducks - in 1939. Charlotte
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Leaked Photo
The press leaked this early photo of the routine, thought I would share it with you all. I think they look great. Love AliciaCall for more data
Okay, PEOPLE, I can not make these important decisions without all the data.... I did not know that Laura had already hand-sequined our swim caps and now they have already been sold on e-bay. and Grandma Marilyn had already arranged housing for us all, thru our cousin, Bill (Marriott,of course). And knowing how close we are to that branch of the family, our accomodations were probably really something "special".
Now I find out that Earlene has been working on our choreography. And I found a source for our suits while watching Project Runway - there is a giant "House of Spandex" in New York. Sandy and Susan are headed east for some meetings, perhaps we could impose on them to stop by and get us a couple yards of spandex for our suits.
If I had thought ahead, we could have volunteered to be clients for project runway and they could have designed us new costumes for our show. Does anybody know Heidi Klum??? could you call her and see if they are filming season 5 now, so we could have the costumes before this fall??
Also, I feel bad because Jed and Paul don't have cable tv. How will they see us perform?? Could someone sponsor some cable coverage for them?? Also, does this interfer with Paul competeing in the Olympic Iron Man Triathalon?? Does he want his outfit to match ours?
Also, we will need to arrange transportation. If we go right now, I might be able to ride Justin's snow machine north and hope that the sea ice is still in tact and I could cross the "land bridge" between here and russia and then just zip down the coast to china? ? ? But spring is definitely on the way - it is 40 here today and 25 in Fairbanks, so that ice window is closing REALLY fast.
Also, if I perform in the Olympics, how will this affect my disability status?? Anyway, no concrete decisions have been made. Earlene is still a kid, so has more years ahead of her in the sport than I do, so I can see how she is not ready to hang up the towel. Let's keep the dialogue open and going. I'm hoping to post some pics of Earlene and i performing in past Olympics - if I can get photoshop to work. Keep checking back. Charlotte
Now I find out that Earlene has been working on our choreography. And I found a source for our suits while watching Project Runway - there is a giant "House of Spandex" in New York. Sandy and Susan are headed east for some meetings, perhaps we could impose on them to stop by and get us a couple yards of spandex for our suits.
If I had thought ahead, we could have volunteered to be clients for project runway and they could have designed us new costumes for our show. Does anybody know Heidi Klum??? could you call her and see if they are filming season 5 now, so we could have the costumes before this fall??
Also, I feel bad because Jed and Paul don't have cable tv. How will they see us perform?? Could someone sponsor some cable coverage for them?? Also, does this interfer with Paul competeing in the Olympic Iron Man Triathalon?? Does he want his outfit to match ours?
Also, we will need to arrange transportation. If we go right now, I might be able to ride Justin's snow machine north and hope that the sea ice is still in tact and I could cross the "land bridge" between here and russia and then just zip down the coast to china? ? ? But spring is definitely on the way - it is 40 here today and 25 in Fairbanks, so that ice window is closing REALLY fast.
Also, if I perform in the Olympics, how will this affect my disability status?? Anyway, no concrete decisions have been made. Earlene is still a kid, so has more years ahead of her in the sport than I do, so I can see how she is not ready to hang up the towel. Let's keep the dialogue open and going. I'm hoping to post some pics of Earlene and i performing in past Olympics - if I can get photoshop to work. Keep checking back. Charlotte
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Retinking the decision
Okay, I am willing to reconsider the retirement issue. I just hope the press doesn't dig up that ugly business about the hydraulics :). hheheh nervous laugh, change of subject. Charlotte
Monday, March 03, 2008
Lies, all lies
Brian forgot to sign his name to the comment on the entry below - he claims that the news came as such a blow to him and his eyes were full of tears .
Passing of the torch
I tried to get a picture of the Olympic torch, but I couldn't get it to post.
anyway, I have been thinking a lot lately and with Earlene's busy schedule and with her family of grandkids growing every day, I have decided that it is only fair that I let go of my dream of winning Olympic gold in Synchronized Swimming in the 2008 Olympics. I just feel that I need to look outside myself and be willing to sacrifice my personal goals for the greater good of our extended family.
I personally am not completely comfortable with the whole China / Taiwan / Mongolia political situation. I know that the Olympics is supposed to transcend the whole political issue, but I'm just not big enough to let by-gones be by-gones, I guess.
But I really don't want my political views to be out there in the international Olympic arena, so if any of us are interviewed about why the best team in Synchronized Swimming is (literally) hanging up their towel, please refer them to the position that Earlene is needed by her new and growing grandchildren.
also, there is no truth in the rumors out there that we were caught with illegal hydralic lifts built into our swim suits in the 2004 Games. I think anyone who caught our performances in those games could see that we were running strictly on our own power and have never had to resort to illegal activities to maintain our place in the great history of the Games.
thank you for your continuing support of our endeavors thru the years and please support our privacy during this difficult time as we pass the torch to a younger generation.
The Whisler Girls --- Earlene and Charlotte
anyway, I have been thinking a lot lately and with Earlene's busy schedule and with her family of grandkids growing every day, I have decided that it is only fair that I let go of my dream of winning Olympic gold in Synchronized Swimming in the 2008 Olympics. I just feel that I need to look outside myself and be willing to sacrifice my personal goals for the greater good of our extended family.
I personally am not completely comfortable with the whole China / Taiwan / Mongolia political situation. I know that the Olympics is supposed to transcend the whole political issue, but I'm just not big enough to let by-gones be by-gones, I guess.
But I really don't want my political views to be out there in the international Olympic arena, so if any of us are interviewed about why the best team in Synchronized Swimming is (literally) hanging up their towel, please refer them to the position that Earlene is needed by her new and growing grandchildren.
also, there is no truth in the rumors out there that we were caught with illegal hydralic lifts built into our swim suits in the 2004 Games. I think anyone who caught our performances in those games could see that we were running strictly on our own power and have never had to resort to illegal activities to maintain our place in the great history of the Games.
thank you for your continuing support of our endeavors thru the years and please support our privacy during this difficult time as we pass the torch to a younger generation.
The Whisler Girls --- Earlene and Charlotte
Friday, February 29, 2008
tagged by Denae
Denae kATZOFF tagged me on her blog, so I thought I'd post my replies on my blog and Alicia and my mom each posted their replies on their blogs. Anyone who wants to do this is tagged! :) Charlotte
what is your occupation? retired from being an administrative assistant
*what are you listening to right now? goose is honking , but mostly silence, it is the middle of the night
what is the last thing you ate? ummm, hehehe chocolate chips
*do you wish on stars? DEFINITELY
*if you were a crayon what color would you be? a purple/blue hybrid
*how is the weather right now? cold
*last person you talked to on the phone? voting pollster
*do you like the person who tagged you? absolutely*
how old are you right now? 54 and some days
*your favorite drink? A & W Rootbeer
*favorite sport to watch? college football
*have you ever dyed your hair? Who's asking and WHY? Did somebody say something? It was Brian, wasn't it?
*your favorite job? crafter
*any pets? Scruffy (cat), Mya (dog), Heathcliff (loud screechy goose)
*favorite month? august
*favorite food? probably chocolate
*what was the last movie you watched? Elizabeth, the Golden Age
*favorite day of the year? Dec. 21
*what do you do to vent anger? cry or listen to loud music
*fall or spring? i like them both the same, actually
*hugs or kisses? kisses, I think
*cherry or blueberry? cherry
*living arrangements? living with my husband, and daughter and her husband
*when was the last time you cried? today - at the end of Fiddler on the Roof
*what is on the floor in your closet? WOW - it is a big closet. Boxes of supplies, like garbage sacks and rubber gloves and such, shoes, luggage, water storage, carpet cleaner, other stuff I can't remember
*who is the friend that you have known the longest? My husband, Brian or my sisters
*what did you do last night? started my first altered book and watched movie
*what inspires you? music, sunshine, scenery, old books, old architecture and art, quilts
*what are you afraid of? the unknown and nightmares
*how many cars have you had? 24 at least-1956 Dodge or Plymoth, 1955 chevy, 1960 chevy, 1967 toyota corolla, chevy camaro, F150 ( probably 7 or 8), wood-panel station wagon, tauras, GMC pickups (3), F250, escort (4), durango,
*how many keys are on your key ring? 5
*how many years at your current job? 8 years, 7 and 1/2 months
*favorite day of the week? wednesday
*where have you lived? Lakeview Oregon, Medford Or, Sidney Montana, Billings Montana, Pendleton oregon, Pleasant Grove utah, SLC Utah, Denver colorado, Joseph OR, Homer AK, Tok AK,
*first cd you ever bought? 1st "album" was 1964 - the Beach Boys to get the song Help me Rhonda
*favorite vacation? Oregon Coast
*favorite tv shows? Medium, Gilmore Girls, Top Chef, Project Runway, Desparate Housewives, and Real Housewives of Orange County (I admit it, trashy as it is, I like them), Grey's Anatomy
*5 things on my to do list today: order some groceries, put money in bank to cover mortgage, take a shower, finish reading my martha stewart magazine (I'm trying to reduce the amount of reading I have laying around), write to my sister
*Snacks I enjoy: A lot of people don't know this about me, but I will snack on just about anything
*What I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire: after paying off all my debts and all my family's debts, I would buy a very remote property and build a giant artist colony for my family to all come and live together
*3 of my bad habits: laziness, staying up too late and sleeping in late, and not eating right
*5 jobs I have had: baby sitter, secretary, insurance examiner, census taker, garden designer
*5 things people don't know about me: I wanted to go to fashion school, I try to always be honest, I always thought that people should only live until the age of 55 ( until about 5 years ago, when I decided that I should live until I am 203), I dropped out of high school for a year and then went back to graduate and go on to a year of college
TAG !!! IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TAGGED YET, You are it !!!
what is your occupation? retired from being an administrative assistant
*what are you listening to right now? goose is honking , but mostly silence, it is the middle of the night
what is the last thing you ate? ummm, hehehe chocolate chips
*do you wish on stars? DEFINITELY
*if you were a crayon what color would you be? a purple/blue hybrid
*how is the weather right now? cold
*last person you talked to on the phone? voting pollster
*do you like the person who tagged you? absolutely*
how old are you right now? 54 and some days
*your favorite drink? A & W Rootbeer
*favorite sport to watch? college football
*have you ever dyed your hair? Who's asking and WHY? Did somebody say something? It was Brian, wasn't it?
*your favorite job? crafter
*any pets? Scruffy (cat), Mya (dog), Heathcliff (loud screechy goose)
*favorite month? august
*favorite food? probably chocolate
*what was the last movie you watched? Elizabeth, the Golden Age
*favorite day of the year? Dec. 21
*what do you do to vent anger? cry or listen to loud music
*fall or spring? i like them both the same, actually
*hugs or kisses? kisses, I think
*cherry or blueberry? cherry
*living arrangements? living with my husband, and daughter and her husband
*when was the last time you cried? today - at the end of Fiddler on the Roof
*what is on the floor in your closet? WOW - it is a big closet. Boxes of supplies, like garbage sacks and rubber gloves and such, shoes, luggage, water storage, carpet cleaner, other stuff I can't remember
*who is the friend that you have known the longest? My husband, Brian or my sisters
*what did you do last night? started my first altered book and watched movie
*what inspires you? music, sunshine, scenery, old books, old architecture and art, quilts
*what are you afraid of? the unknown and nightmares
*how many cars have you had? 24 at least-1956 Dodge or Plymoth, 1955 chevy, 1960 chevy, 1967 toyota corolla, chevy camaro, F150 ( probably 7 or 8), wood-panel station wagon, tauras, GMC pickups (3), F250, escort (4), durango,
*how many keys are on your key ring? 5
*how many years at your current job? 8 years, 7 and 1/2 months
*favorite day of the week? wednesday
*where have you lived? Lakeview Oregon, Medford Or, Sidney Montana, Billings Montana, Pendleton oregon, Pleasant Grove utah, SLC Utah, Denver colorado, Joseph OR, Homer AK, Tok AK,
*first cd you ever bought? 1st "album" was 1964 - the Beach Boys to get the song Help me Rhonda
*favorite vacation? Oregon Coast
*favorite tv shows? Medium, Gilmore Girls, Top Chef, Project Runway, Desparate Housewives, and Real Housewives of Orange County (I admit it, trashy as it is, I like them), Grey's Anatomy
*5 things on my to do list today: order some groceries, put money in bank to cover mortgage, take a shower, finish reading my martha stewart magazine (I'm trying to reduce the amount of reading I have laying around), write to my sister
*Snacks I enjoy: A lot of people don't know this about me, but I will snack on just about anything
*What I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire: after paying off all my debts and all my family's debts, I would buy a very remote property and build a giant artist colony for my family to all come and live together
*3 of my bad habits: laziness, staying up too late and sleeping in late, and not eating right
*5 jobs I have had: baby sitter, secretary, insurance examiner, census taker, garden designer
*5 things people don't know about me: I wanted to go to fashion school, I try to always be honest, I always thought that people should only live until the age of 55 ( until about 5 years ago, when I decided that I should live until I am 203), I dropped out of high school for a year and then went back to graduate and go on to a year of college
TAG !!! IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TAGGED YET, You are it !!!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Mya, the service dog
Our dog, Mya, is so smart and loves to help out, so we decided to try to teach her to be a bigger help around the house... Sandra and Susan will remember I have wanted to train a service dog ever since they were here and we saw a TV show about them.
So I want to train Mya to carry the laundry downstairs and to get her mouth stronger, we have been having her carry an empty ice cream bucket. She is getting really good at learning it is work, not a game. Usually, she just carries mail or dirty socks, but yesterday, we had her carry some stuff up stairs that we needed up there and she just put her head up and walked around like she was carrying the crown jewels of Europe.
But coming back down the stairs, she grasped the bucket by the edge instead of the handle and then she tried to trot down the stairs.... I think she only landed on like 3 of the stairs... Apparently, you can't see if you have an ice cream bucket attached to your face. So now we know, she has to carry it by the handle. She wasn't hurt, but it was scary to watch.
We'll try to get some pictures of it one day soon. I really need to learn how to post pictures (well, I've learned to post pictures, but I haven't learned how to get them off the camera into the computer, yet).
Charlotte
So I want to train Mya to carry the laundry downstairs and to get her mouth stronger, we have been having her carry an empty ice cream bucket. She is getting really good at learning it is work, not a game. Usually, she just carries mail or dirty socks, but yesterday, we had her carry some stuff up stairs that we needed up there and she just put her head up and walked around like she was carrying the crown jewels of Europe.
But coming back down the stairs, she grasped the bucket by the edge instead of the handle and then she tried to trot down the stairs.... I think she only landed on like 3 of the stairs... Apparently, you can't see if you have an ice cream bucket attached to your face. So now we know, she has to carry it by the handle. She wasn't hurt, but it was scary to watch.
We'll try to get some pictures of it one day soon. I really need to learn how to post pictures (well, I've learned to post pictures, but I haven't learned how to get them off the camera into the computer, yet).
Charlotte
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A chicken in every pot
We got these chickens at a warehouse store in town owned by our friends... they come frozen in a block for restaurant use and they are already seasoned and ready to cook. We had a bit of a time getting them separated and wrapped, but now we have like 20 whole chickens in our freezers. They are the chickens that all the grocery store delis broil up and sell for $7.00 a piece.
so the last couple Sundays, I have taken one out frozen and put it into a pot to cook all morning. they are so handy and taste so good. Last week we made chicken and dumplings and then Chicken dumpling soup ( the left-over dumplings stay in the water and we add veggies and noodles and flavors and it makes a good soup - the dumplings thicken the soup and flavor it.) Today we are going to have chicken and dumplings and tomorrow, chicken pot pie. We make a really excellent chicken pot pie - Thank you Pier, for the recipe, all those years ago.
Anyway, the lengthy posts I have been posting on our blog and other people's blogs seem to be the result of this new medicine I am taking. I woke up one day last week and was ready to write my great American Novel... but I always think faster than I can write, so I usually only write a page or two and then get distracted. So this medicine is to be titrated up - which means that gradually I take more and more and then we lessen other drugs (in this case, the one that calms me down). So by this week, I was up til 4 or 5 every morning and then getting up at 9 or 10 AM, ready to rock and roll.
Finally Friday afternoon, I went in to lay down and all of a sudden I pushed my emergency button and Alicia came running in and I said, do you think we could fix the broken couch and put the TV where the stove used to be and my chair where your couch is now and cut the broken half off of Dad's couch with a cutting torch? She just looked at me and then went to tell the Life-Line people that she was with me and I was okay.
By the time she came back in, I was so tired and wanted to just lay there and die and then while she was standing there I said, "HEY, I had Dad buy some frozen strawberries, do you want to learn how to make strawberry smoothies, or should we make some strawberry jam today..... no, never mind, I'm too tired.....WHEW, I know I'm acting funny, but I can't stop ! ! !"
she excused herself from the room and went and called my case manager at the mental health center and it just happened that Dr. Burgess' office is next door to Margarets, and they both had a few minutes to spare, so he called Alicia right back and told her how to fix me. What I was doing was called rapid cycling and it happens to some one like me when we take upper drugs and don't get enough sleep. So he stopped the new drug for that day and had me take some of the calming drug and everything calmed right down.
the reason I am telling you all this, is because of our lesson in Family Home Evening this week, which was to listen to Pres. Eyring's talk on Remembering to keep track of the Hand of the Lord in our lives.
It takes at least six weeks to get in to see Dr. Burgess. He is NEVER available for phone call help because he has SOOOOOOOO many patients. He is leaving on a month long vacation next week, so if this had happened next week, he wouldn't have been there. Most of Margaret's job is out in the field, so we never catch her in the office. The chance that she would be in her office in the middle of an afternoon and Dr. Burgess not having a patient at that time and Also, the chance that Alicia would actually call someone for help ----- it is all a miracle. A genuine, old fashioned, New Testament, Hand of God, Miracle. So that was the Hand of God in our life for this week. No denying it. What a blessing to have the Holy Ghost tell Alicia exactly what to do and when to do it and the help was right there.
Also, both of them talked to Alicia a little bit and gave her kudos for calling them and also gave her support to get thru the situation. We are so blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives for help and support. And I'm so blessed to have Alicia here to take care of me.
Happy Sabbath, Charlotte
so the last couple Sundays, I have taken one out frozen and put it into a pot to cook all morning. they are so handy and taste so good. Last week we made chicken and dumplings and then Chicken dumpling soup ( the left-over dumplings stay in the water and we add veggies and noodles and flavors and it makes a good soup - the dumplings thicken the soup and flavor it.) Today we are going to have chicken and dumplings and tomorrow, chicken pot pie. We make a really excellent chicken pot pie - Thank you Pier, for the recipe, all those years ago.
Anyway, the lengthy posts I have been posting on our blog and other people's blogs seem to be the result of this new medicine I am taking. I woke up one day last week and was ready to write my great American Novel... but I always think faster than I can write, so I usually only write a page or two and then get distracted. So this medicine is to be titrated up - which means that gradually I take more and more and then we lessen other drugs (in this case, the one that calms me down). So by this week, I was up til 4 or 5 every morning and then getting up at 9 or 10 AM, ready to rock and roll.
Finally Friday afternoon, I went in to lay down and all of a sudden I pushed my emergency button and Alicia came running in and I said, do you think we could fix the broken couch and put the TV where the stove used to be and my chair where your couch is now and cut the broken half off of Dad's couch with a cutting torch? She just looked at me and then went to tell the Life-Line people that she was with me and I was okay.
By the time she came back in, I was so tired and wanted to just lay there and die and then while she was standing there I said, "HEY, I had Dad buy some frozen strawberries, do you want to learn how to make strawberry smoothies, or should we make some strawberry jam today..... no, never mind, I'm too tired.....WHEW, I know I'm acting funny, but I can't stop ! ! !"
she excused herself from the room and went and called my case manager at the mental health center and it just happened that Dr. Burgess' office is next door to Margarets, and they both had a few minutes to spare, so he called Alicia right back and told her how to fix me. What I was doing was called rapid cycling and it happens to some one like me when we take upper drugs and don't get enough sleep. So he stopped the new drug for that day and had me take some of the calming drug and everything calmed right down.
the reason I am telling you all this, is because of our lesson in Family Home Evening this week, which was to listen to Pres. Eyring's talk on Remembering to keep track of the Hand of the Lord in our lives.
It takes at least six weeks to get in to see Dr. Burgess. He is NEVER available for phone call help because he has SOOOOOOOO many patients. He is leaving on a month long vacation next week, so if this had happened next week, he wouldn't have been there. Most of Margaret's job is out in the field, so we never catch her in the office. The chance that she would be in her office in the middle of an afternoon and Dr. Burgess not having a patient at that time and Also, the chance that Alicia would actually call someone for help ----- it is all a miracle. A genuine, old fashioned, New Testament, Hand of God, Miracle. So that was the Hand of God in our life for this week. No denying it. What a blessing to have the Holy Ghost tell Alicia exactly what to do and when to do it and the help was right there.
Also, both of them talked to Alicia a little bit and gave her kudos for calling them and also gave her support to get thru the situation. We are so blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives for help and support. And I'm so blessed to have Alicia here to take care of me.
Happy Sabbath, Charlotte
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
At least the flu is good for one thing
So, Joanna, forgive me - I don't have 2 sick babies to take care of while I had the flu and Brian was pretty much well while I was sick.... I am always buying classic books when I find them cheap at Barnes & Nobles when we make our big trips to Anchorage. For some reason when I am standing there surrounded by wonderful books for $6.95 each, I suddenly develop a burning desire to read the great classics of the literary world, to recreate the great gardens of the world in your own yard, yoga-tai chi-aran knitting-all about the world of leprechauns or all about the world of fairies {very similar worlds I found}, how to draw or to learn to cook _________ ( insert : pastry, greek, 783 italian dinners with only 3 ingredients, ancient Chinese {which actually started with a live chicken and 3 chapters of what you could do with all the parts that came off the live chicken - way too graphic for me to actually try}, french, every day breads for all occasions, etc., etc., )
Then I get them home from the big city and think , "WHAT was I thinking?? Reading makes my head hurt." and then they get put on my shelf to look pretty with all the other books I bought the last 12 times I went to the city.
So, to make a short story way too long, at church, people are always quoting C.S.Lewis. For some reason, I have always thought that C. S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll are the same person and so I thought that the guy who wrote Alice in Wonderland was the famous religious author. and then last year, we watched a Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe and we really liked it and i thought, well maybe there is more to this alice in Wonderland guy after all (I had tried to read alice when I was a child and as most do, found it to be terrifying, so had no desire to go there again). I had heard that they were making another one of the Narnia books into a movie and since we liked the first one, I was interested in learning about the second one.
Now those of you you are fans of the Narnia chronicles from your childhood will think it weird that I have never read them at all, but I just was never exposed to them. Anyway, last fall, Barnes & nobles had the complete Narnia chronicles on sale in one volume for $9.95 and I figured, HEY, a classic like that is a bargain at twice the price, so I brought it home.
The first thing I realized when I looked at it was that C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll are not the same person, so that made me feel better, but still, it is a really big, heavy book and holding big heavy books hurts my upper torso and lots of times, reading makes my head hurt. so it sat by my chair gathering dust until last week when I had the flu.
and I'm thinking, HEY, my head hurts anyway, and is going to hurt anyway, I might as well do some reading. So I picked up the Narnia book and didn't put it down again, basically, until I was done. I did go to sleep at night, which I usually dont do when I am into a really good book, but since I did actually have the flu, I did have to rest. Plus I found myself wanting to think about each book and the symbolisms in it, so I read it more slowly that I usually do.
So the point of my post is: if you haven't read the Narnia chronicles from start to finish, I heartily recommend them. They probably would have been too intense for me as a child - I could never stand when animals got hurt or died and so I probably would have been a mess if I had read them at that time. But I'm older now and I didn't cry once. I was very proud of myself. Please read them if you get a chance. Love, the newly literate -- Charlotte
Then I get them home from the big city and think , "WHAT was I thinking?? Reading makes my head hurt." and then they get put on my shelf to look pretty with all the other books I bought the last 12 times I went to the city.
So, to make a short story way too long, at church, people are always quoting C.S.Lewis. For some reason, I have always thought that C. S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll are the same person and so I thought that the guy who wrote Alice in Wonderland was the famous religious author. and then last year, we watched a Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe and we really liked it and i thought, well maybe there is more to this alice in Wonderland guy after all (I had tried to read alice when I was a child and as most do, found it to be terrifying, so had no desire to go there again). I had heard that they were making another one of the Narnia books into a movie and since we liked the first one, I was interested in learning about the second one.
Now those of you you are fans of the Narnia chronicles from your childhood will think it weird that I have never read them at all, but I just was never exposed to them. Anyway, last fall, Barnes & nobles had the complete Narnia chronicles on sale in one volume for $9.95 and I figured, HEY, a classic like that is a bargain at twice the price, so I brought it home.
The first thing I realized when I looked at it was that C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll are not the same person, so that made me feel better, but still, it is a really big, heavy book and holding big heavy books hurts my upper torso and lots of times, reading makes my head hurt. so it sat by my chair gathering dust until last week when I had the flu.
and I'm thinking, HEY, my head hurts anyway, and is going to hurt anyway, I might as well do some reading. So I picked up the Narnia book and didn't put it down again, basically, until I was done. I did go to sleep at night, which I usually dont do when I am into a really good book, but since I did actually have the flu, I did have to rest. Plus I found myself wanting to think about each book and the symbolisms in it, so I read it more slowly that I usually do.
So the point of my post is: if you haven't read the Narnia chronicles from start to finish, I heartily recommend them. They probably would have been too intense for me as a child - I could never stand when animals got hurt or died and so I probably would have been a mess if I had read them at that time. But I'm older now and I didn't cry once. I was very proud of myself. Please read them if you get a chance. Love, the newly literate -- Charlotte
Saturday, February 16, 2008
blizzard video
Turn up your sound and listen to the wind howl - and think - this is on the protected side of the house. BRRRRR !!!!!
fun this week
These are still pictures of the blizzard - then we realized we could take a video so you could actually see the wind and listen to it.
I went up to the scrap room by myself one evening and made a bunch of cards - I send homemade cards to my visiting teaching ladies every month and they are adding more people for me to write to - so I thought I better prepare more cards. I am really bad at matching colors, so usually I completely rely on Alicia to mix and match for me. I did these by myself so I'm very proud of how they turned out. Brian gave me a gift certificate for the scrapbook store for Christmas and I used it to buy some of these papers and flowers and unlike what I usually do, I went right home and used them.
Love you all, Char
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Only in Alaska
We had a freaky thing happen at the high school yesterday. A mama moose and her yearling bull calf were hanging out over the weekend at the high school. They had charged the late night custodians so that they couldn't shovel the snow off the front walk of the school. Our high school has a large courtyard/ veranda and this time of year, moose seek out places without snow and they found the area to their liking.
Of course, we can't have moose charging kids and workers as they get really agitated around schools and have been known to kick people to death is school yards.
s0 anyway, yesterday morning the police and the custodians chased the mother away, but it just made the bull angrier. They ended up trying to shew him with rubber bullets and pepper spray and finally they decided they would use their tazers on him. INSTANT RAGE - he charged right at the officers and at about 3 feet away, they had to pull their weapons and shoot him. Right on the steps and deck of the school - in front of the windows of the classrooms. I'm surprised it hasn't been on the national news.
Some kids were shaken and dismayed and felt he didn't need to be killed, but he really did - you just can't have charging moose around schools. The police hauled him behind the school and had a charity come harvest the meat. I'm glad Brian wasn't at work when it happened so he wasn't in on the decision making and so the kids can't get mad at him for it.
I don't have a picture of it, but I imagine the story will be in the Homer News or the Homer Tribune next week. We always have to have a big controversy this time of year to help us all get thru the winter.
Of course, we can't have moose charging kids and workers as they get really agitated around schools and have been known to kick people to death is school yards.
s0 anyway, yesterday morning the police and the custodians chased the mother away, but it just made the bull angrier. They ended up trying to shew him with rubber bullets and pepper spray and finally they decided they would use their tazers on him. INSTANT RAGE - he charged right at the officers and at about 3 feet away, they had to pull their weapons and shoot him. Right on the steps and deck of the school - in front of the windows of the classrooms. I'm surprised it hasn't been on the national news.
Some kids were shaken and dismayed and felt he didn't need to be killed, but he really did - you just can't have charging moose around schools. The police hauled him behind the school and had a charity come harvest the meat. I'm glad Brian wasn't at work when it happened so he wasn't in on the decision making and so the kids can't get mad at him for it.
I don't have a picture of it, but I imagine the story will be in the Homer News or the Homer Tribune next week. We always have to have a big controversy this time of year to help us all get thru the winter.
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