loumercerwordsofwisdom.blogspot.com

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Icarus and her little habits are driving me nuts!


Here is the Icarus cat.  As you can see she is helping me write my blog.  She knows I do not need these notes.  I am going to write about her and she is right there in all her glory.  I lay back in my recliner to meditate on life and rest my eyes for a brief moment and she comes out of no where and lands on my chest with her paws on my face.  Then she "kneads" my chest.  I wake up in the night with her perched on my shoulder.  That is a very weird sensation!
Right now I am setting her gripped with terror because I do not know where she is.  I do, however, strongly suspect that she is off hunting.  Soon the doggie door will snap and she will bound in with (hopefully) a dead bird.  Such is not always the case.  Sometimes it is a centipede flailing around in her jaws.  Sometimes a live bird which she lets go and then tries to catch again.  Once it was a snake.  I have had a gopher, grasshoppers, mice, something I can only hope was a mole.  Not as good as Boots who was an avid hunter and once brought me a Hawk!  Do not know whose eyes were bigger that day, mine, Boots' or the Hawk!  I do know the cats hunt for my food because they love me and feel they must take care of me.  I, in turn, furnish this feline with a place to live, a continual supply of cat food, fresh water, dogs to play with and a pillow in the office window so she can watch the birds at play.
Icarus thinks she is a dog and that is good.  She goes out with me to do chores and works in the garden.  She wrestles with Elvira and some times Daisy.  She runs across the yard and lands on Elvira to get a free ride into the house.  Ok, enough about the cat.  I am off to do something that I am sure will be in contrary to what she wants me to do, but such is life.

Friday, July 29, 2011

For sale: A vacation home in Longton, Kansas!

Here is something that might interest you.  I know it interests me.  This is Longton, Kansas kind of down in the Southeast corner of Kansas.  Sort of a little Garden of Eden.  The first shots are just that.  A couple show Longton Main Street with a tree growing out of a roof, the general store and a big red barn.  One is of a vacant house grown up in underbrush that is just for the sake of art.
But the rest of them are of a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with a 3 car garage and a workshop located on 5 lots two blocks off Main Street.  My daughter Patty, went to an auction and in true Seeger fashion, lost control and bought a  house.  She lives in Western Kansas.  The house is in Eastern Kansas.  The words logical and prudent never were used much in our family.  So here it sets and is used only when someone needs a place to stay while visiting .....nowhere. 
Patty did say she wanted to sell this.  I am sure it could be had for uner $25,000 and would make a very nice retirement home.  Not a lot of jobs in the Longton area so I would not recommend it for a working family.  But I could see me moving there and having a little shop out in that big garage.  But I love Colorado.  But we will see.  If you are at all interested give me a shout out!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Please meet my third daughter, Dona Marie Seeger.

Let me see if I can keep up with this slide show.  Doubt that I can.  But here is a little tip for you; in the lower left corner of the slide show is a white square.  If you click on that it will turn on the captions and you can read who they are.  That Google is so smart!  The first picture will hopefully be my lovely daughter Dona Marie. I think she is the only one of the original 5 that actually stayed a blonde because she is a blonde.  Dona was born on our anniversary, October 30, 1964.  That was the only anniversary Earl ever took me out for.  I was married on October 30, 1960.  (I think)  The plot thickens.  My brother was killed on October 30, 1965, so I missed her first birthday.  And when she turned one year old, she had a new brother who was one month old.  Busy little girl that year, I was!
Patty and Dona were always very close and not just because they were one year apart, but because they just were.  In typical middle child fashion, she was neither a leader, nor a follower.  She always had the sweetest smile of any of my kids.  Just like a little angel.  Since she had to give Sam the bottle when he was born, she was my little thumb sucker.  She would hold a half slip that was some kind of slick material in one hand as she sucked her other thumb.  And the first word she spoke was "lip".  My sister in law thought her mouth was sore until I explained that it was "slip" and not "lip".
Dona was always a little small since she was born about three weeks early. We were living in Garden City, Kansas at the time.  Dona lived with her dad  more than me after we were divorced. But that was alright.
She went to Center Beauty College here in Pueblo and got her license in Cosmetology.  Her dad had been a very good friend of Frank Shultz who founded the school.  When her dad passed she went back to Lakin, Kansas and opened a Beauty Salon that she named Scissorhands.   At that time she had one son, Jason.  Jason is married to Chelsea and they have two little blondies, Jalin and Jaycee.   That makes Dona a grandmother and me a great grandmother.  Her daughter in law, Chelsea works with her and they seem to have a pretty good clientele.       
She remarried and had a second son, Joey.  That husband passed while Joey was quite young.  Joey is still at home and still single and I am very glad of that since he is barely out of puberty.  Soon enough he will be bringing home a little girl and it will be downhill from there.  Or not. 
Dona is named after Duane's sister, Dona, with one "n".  I have a sister named Donna that is spelled with 2 "n's".  Dona enjoys things in life much as her father did.  Fishing, hunting, gardening, and just about anything to do with the
great out doors.  She loves animals and has a plethora of cats.
She and Patty live on ten acres outside Lakin that they inherited from their father.  They have seperate homes, but remain connected by the land.  Lakin is a small town in Western Kansas.
And this is about all I can write about Dona without giving all the secrets away.  I know she is a very good grandmother and has the two girls for the night at least once a week.  She remains friends with her first husband who is Grandpa to the little girls.  I am very proud of the way she has carved out a niche in life and made herself fit right into it.  Very independent and as you can see by this picture, a very lovely young lady and who would guess she is a grandma!
 

Dona Marie Seeger

Monday, July 25, 2011

Eleanor Burns slide show

The slide show for Eleanor Burns is located at the top left of what ever page you are reading.  Please do not ask me how I did that and I bet I could not do it again, but that is where you will find it.  And I bet when I post a new slide show Eleanor will be history.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Peace Pilgrim link.

http://www.peacepilgrim.com/steps1.htm#4prep

Daughter called a bit ago to tell me I had forgotten to put the Peace Pilgrim up as promised.  So rather then write my opionions of this I will let you read and come to your own conclusions.

Let me know what you think!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Eleanor Burns and the Quilters Retreat here in our fair city!


 I am hoping to get a slide show up and running here, but I am not having much luck right now.  So here is the deal, Bret works for Sprinkles Sewing Center.  And so does his girlfriend, Amanda.  It is just one big happy family over there as near as I can tell.  Now Sprinkles is a very successful business and Jerry and Kathy know how to make it pay.  They put the customer first, which is always a good thing.  They have a beautiful store on Eagleridge on the North side of town.  They recently opened a store in Canon City.  Along with the machines they offer personal service and lots of classes.  I have attended the classes and they are great.  Always knowledgeable staff.
   So now they decided to put on a 3 day extravaganza and call it the "Eleanor Burns Quilt Retreat."  Three full days of Eleanor Burns and quilt classes up the wazoo.  An event like this does not throw itself together without a lot of planning.  First arrangements had to be made for the Convention Center.  And that costs a pretty penny to lease that thing for 4 days.  The Convention Center is one of Pueblo's jewels.  In the slide show you will see several shots of the wall of heroes and the statues out front.  Pueblo is the "Home of Heroes" because it has four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in  its population. http://www.pueblomohfoundation.com/
   Back to the event.  Eleanor Burns has/had a quilting show on PBS for many years and I used to tape her shows back when I had a VCR.  She would pop in every Tuesday afternoon  at 2:00 and teach me how to make a quilt.  She made it look so easy.  And I did actually make a quilt or two from the show.  Wonderful teacher. But I did not sign up for this event because I am just not that into quilting anymore.  I weave now.  But since the kids were on me about just stopping in I thought I might as well.  They have a mini store set up there on the floor and quite a reduction in price on lots of notions, so I thought, why not.

   Well, I must say I was most impressed.  First with Bret and Amanda and the professional manner in which they conducted themselves.  See, I am used to the slobs that live here, not the well mannered, helpful couple I encountered at the event.  There were people everywhere and I took the opportunity to check out the classrooms.  Seems there were three of them.  I did not take time to count the machines, but there must have been 100 machines in those 3 rooms.  And there was some learning going on.  When Amanda asked if I would like to meet Eleanor Burns I jumped all over that!  And I must say, she was as lovely in real life as when I watched her on television.  First thing I told Amanda to take our picture and Eleanor decided to share her pink boa with me.  I just thought that was right neighbourly of her!
   Of course when I told her I was Bret's mom she was most impressed and had to tell me how much she liked him and what a fine boy he was.  And how handsome.  And how much she liked Amanda and "oh, they are a couple!  How nice."
   Well, by then I had pretty well shot my wad so I wandered on outside.  What had started off as a fairly normal day had sure turned into a bright spot for me. Little story I can share with my grand kids.  Like they will have any idea who Eleanor Burns is.  Maybe I will dig out my VCR tapes.  Can I play those on a DVD player?
   Any way, I met a lovely lady today and shared her boa.  Had lunch with my friend, Tim.  Visited briefly with my friend Andy.  Pulled a few weeds.  Watched the geese swim in the new stock tank and made a batch of soap. Touched bases with my friend back East.  And now I am ready for bed.  Kind of makes me think I might have happy dreams tonight.

  

Peter, Paul and Mary

Well, I got up this morning with Peter, Paul and Mary on my mind.  Do you remember them?  Some women might dream about Fabio or some such nonsense, but here is what happened.  I was given a link for Peace Pilgrim and I started reading that.  This is/was a very wise woman who gave up everything to search for inner peace.  I will give you the link at the end of this, so watch for it.  It is well worth a little more then a cursory glance.  I am going to try to follow some of her teachings, but I can not foresee giving up my home and car and all that and walking off across the country hoping some one will feed me and give me a bed for the night. But the basic truths look very promising.
  Back to Peter, Paul and Mary.  These three people came to prominence in a coffee shop in Greenwich Village way back in the early 60's.  Remember the 60's?  Sure you do!  I recall like it was yesterday.  I was newly married and hopelessly in love with life.  Hubby was a tree trimmer and moved around a lot, but there were dreams and hopes.  And pretty soon there were babies.  That slowed the moving around down to a crawl.  We were in Garden City, Kansas when I realized that Viet Nam was more than the government was telling us.  How long had it been going on and what was it?  Did we ever really know the depth of that era?  How much was covered up and for how many years?  I talk to old timers now who still know and refuse to talk about Cambodia and wht went on there.  Peter, Paul and Mary knew.  They sang about it and we marched about it.  Civil Rights?  They were there.  So was I.
  Where were you when Oswald shot Kennedy?  When Ruby shot Oswald?  Did you hear Martin Luther King, Jr's I have a dream speech?  Did you see him fall?  Tommy Cash sings a song that covers that era.  If you can listen to this  and not reflect, you are probably one of my very young readers.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uGc62RWIkc
   But through it all Peter, Paul and Mary were singing the folk songs.  I did not know at the time that they were folk songs, only that they expressed what I was feeling along with a whole nation.  And I think they really believed in what they sang about.  If I  Had a Hammer!  This Land is My Land!  Where Have all the Flowers Gone? Blowin' in the Wind.
  After Mary was gone Peter and Paul still continued to fight for what they had believed in  for so long.  In 2010 they sent a letter to the National Organization for Marriage (who campaigns to stop gay marriage and civil unions) telling them to stop using their song This Land is My Land in their rallies because it was " directly contrary to our advocacy position. "  Principled people, especially in the entertainment industry are sometimes hard to find.
   But what really makes me sad is that there will never be an era like that and there are not words in my vocabulary to describe how we felt.  Music is the one medium that comes closest and Peter, Paul and Mary were the icons of the time.  But Mary is gone and while we get out the old guitar and sing the old songs at the Peace Flotilla and in the coffee shop, it is pure nostalgia.  Sort of the Don Quixote and the whole tilting at windmills thing.  The dragons have all been slain.   We now our government would never lie to us and that the printed word is the one we can believe.  Oh, wait.  Seems I see some Senator hanging his head and saying "Sorry.  I lied."  And I see a crumbling Newspaper Empire because someone hacked the phones and got caught.
   But it is still different.  In this day and age information is instantly at our fingertips.  We do not have to wait for a trio to pick up a guitar and tell us about the wrongs in the world.  And I am going to save Peace Pilgrim for another day.  Today I am going to listen to Peter, Paul and Mary and relive my lost youth.
 

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Well, if this is any thing like hell, I am going to straighten myself up and live right.

  Oh, it was 100 degrees yesterday and going to do it again today.  I forgot how many days this has been.  Course there is no rain in sight, just more sun.  Best we can hope for is that the wind will blow and plaster us with dust like happened down south of here.  So I got to thinking about that really hot place I might go to if I do not be a good little girl and I decided I do not under any conditions want to go there.  So I will be very good.  Of course, even I have my breaking point.  So let me see if I actually know what being good entails.
1.  You shall have no other gods before me. Well that is an easy one.  Why would I want to put anyone else first?
2.  You shall not make any idols or graven images.  I am cool on that one. I am not one bit artistic.
3.  You shall not misuse the name of the Lord they God.  Ok, now does that mean cussing with the Lord's name?  If it does, I may be in trouble on this one.  If it means being disrespectful, I don't do that.  I may need a lawyer on this one.
4.  Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy.  Work six days and rest on the seventh.  Pretty clear there and I have no problem with this one.  I am so good with this one that some times I even do it three or four times a week. ;)
5.  Honor your Father and Mother.  I did this one really well.  Yes, I did.
6.  I did not commit murder.
7.  I did not commit adultery.
8.  You shall not steal. This is another of the kind of gray areas.  I seem to recall liberating a case of Pecan Pie from the Red Carpet Resturant which was supposed to be delivered to the Red Carpet Bakery.  Then there was that one incident...but I did all that stuff before I decided I wanted to go to heaven and as I understand a lot of this stuff is closed book.  Man, I sure hope so!
9.  You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.  Now how close does one need to live to be considered a neighbor?  And it was not false, just told a secret out of school a time or two.  Better talk to the big guy again.
10. You shall not covet your neighbors wife, or his manservant, or maidservant, his ox or donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.  Well, he is just pretty clear on this one now isn't he?  I am pretty safe on this one right up to the part that comes after donkey!
  Alright, I may not be perfect.  As a matter of fact, I am far from perfect.  Let's just call a spade a spade here!  I am in deep dodo. See, it is not only the 10 Commandments I need to worry about, it is a lot of other stuff that is sprinkled around here and there in the Bible.  I know about the Golden Rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  Just for many years I remembered it a little bit differently. "Do unto others as they would do unto you, but do it first."  Now there is a technicality that the lawyer is not going to get around.
  And I had a lot of trouble with that turn the other cheek one.   I will never be a pious person.  I know very well, that I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God in many areas of my life.  There are people out there who can be pious and can point my faults out to me, and I can safely say that they are going to have to be pretty quick to spot it before I do.   I am not perfect.  The one thing I have learned in this life is not to beat myself up over past transgressions, because there are plenty of other people that will do that for me.  Lots of people take delight in pointing out my faults and shortcomings.  Do I care?  Hell no!  I think I am a pretty good person when all the good points are added.  So, where were we?
  Oh, yeah.  It is hotter than Hell.  Not really.  Hell is very, very hot and I refuse to go there.  I do like summer, so I am going to enjoy this heat because I know Winter is going to come sooner or later and I will miss the shorts and tee shirts and sandals.  Tomorrow I am going to have a picture of the baby geese in the stock tank if I have to catch them and throw them in it myself.  But right now I have to go talk to God for a bit and explain some of those things that I am not sure he is real clear on my intentions, just in case!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Road Rage!!! You bet!!!

Oh, I just get the biggest knot in my stomach when I have to go on Pueblo Boulevard to catch 50 West.  The crews have been working on that since the Pony Express passed through this area.  They are putting a very pretty median in which just amazes me, since I thought we were broke.  But therein lies my misconception of the situation.  It is the Federal Government and they have an unlimited money supply because they own the mint and all the printers therein.  Silly me.
But back to this road rage I must encounter.  Do not tell me to ignore it because it is going on right there in my car with the driver.  Oh, that would be ME!  Now I remember why I quit carrying my gun.  See, being a silly, addle brained woman, I forget things.  I think just because I am on a road, in the proper lane, driving the speed limit, on my way to a given destination that I have an actual right to be there.  I paid my fees on the car, and they gouged me for this road, but I do not belong there.  This road is for that idiot passing on the shoulder and honking at me and 289 of my closest friends.  Or the  SUV in the other lane that is cutting me off before she hits the lane merge barricade, the same one I saw 4 miles back and was repeated every 7 feet, yet managed to catch that chickadee by surprise.  I know she is unhappy because I can see her on her cell phone with her lips flapping like a rabid dog!
I have driven in Denver and Dallas both at the height of the rush hour and had less stress on my poor brain than what I encounter any time I venture forth in this fair city.  I have driven blind drunk in Hutchinson, Kansas and Colorado Springs is a piece of cake, but Pueblo is a whole new ball game.  Yesterday I traversed the Pueblo Boulevard area and today I am making a new set of rules.  Well, not really.  I have always had these in the back of my mind; I am just  going to put them in black and white so I can look at them.
1.  Never at any time, ever, do I have the right of way.  No exceptions to this rule.
2.  I paid as much for the tags on my new Ford as the Chevy with the flapping fenders who is trying to run me in the ditch and therefore I must let him in front of me and hope I do not get gassed by his smokey exhaust.
3.  I have insurance up the wahzoo and I am sure I will pay for his car when I swerve to miss him and he still manage to slam on his breaks in front of me. 
4.  I am suffering whiplash just looking at his driving.
5.  My time is as valuable as your time.  I maybe old but I  am not expendable.
6.  I am the world's most defensive driver and I can out maneuver you  so back off.
7.  I am putting the gun back under the seat until the work on Pueblo Boulevard is finished.
8.  I am pretty sure that any cell phone calls ringing on my phone can wait until I am parked and so can yours.  Unless, of course you are God, and he has better ways of communicating than with a cell phone.

So, if you are hassling me just because I am doing what I am old and driving prudently and cautiously and you see my head go below the dash for a brief moment, you better get right back there behind me and follow my lead, because I am about to suffer one of those head aches that come on suddenly and will lead to a stroke if I do not relieve the pressure.  And if shooting you is what it takes I can only say "It sucks to be you!"

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

July 12, update for Scot and the Cuban Caravan.

From: kriskross****@****.com
Subj: Caravan, July 12th

Scot called from Clinton, Iowa yesterday.  It had been a good day with 6 Caravanistas now riding the bus.  On Sunday they were in Chicago and attended 2 church services.  Events have been uplifting.  Scot's remarks at one of them were very well received, ( and we all thought he was the quiet type ).  Today they are making the long drive to St. Louis, MO.  Godspeed and good weather!
Kris

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Do online acquaintences count like real ones?

As you may have guessed, I have several  "online friends".  Most of them I call friends because I do not want to be bothered spelling out the word acquaintance.   Since AOL automatically adds any one who emails me to  my address book, I have a very full address book.  I also have a category that is marked "If I croak" and Bret has instructions that if I do suddenly cease to exist, he is to notify these 2 people.  Only two.  The first one will no doubt tell anyone who will listen and she knows which chat rooms I go to so that aspect will be covered.  The other one will get his "flushing finger" warmed up since I want to be buried at sea and that is the shortest, most direct route I know.  Just having a little trouble getting him to wait until after I am "gone."  And this, my friends, brings me to the crux of my missive today.
As you know, I sell on eBay.  eBay has chat rooms and a year or so I went to visit for the simple reason that on every post I make there is a link to my listings.  Good business sense, I thought.  Of course after a period of time I got to know people.  Some more than others.  One little gal in Florida and I were working on our html skills and the room we were in got very upset with us so we moved to another more liberal room.  The point here is we started emailing outside the chat room and are very good friends to this day.  I send her cookies and she eats them.  She in turn sends me little tokens.  I am as close to her as if she lived next door.  But I have never met her. 
A couple of months back I noticed that one of the regulars was not popping in at all.  So I mentioned it.  No response.  I mentioned it several more times and then let it go.  Then someone else mentioned it.  Two months!  Then came the announcement.  Seems the guy had "passed".  How sad that no one noticed he was gone for two months!  Had this group been here in my circle of friends, his absence would have no doubt been noticed right away, but the Internet is a very big, fickle place.  Friendships are made easily and just as quickly dissipate.  Yesterday's news, so to speak.  Had he been in my "real" world I would no doubt have at  the very least sent a card. 
There are many in my online address book that I hear from or contact on rare occasions.  Only these two hold special meaning for me. Now, I can not help but feel these friendships are as meaningful as if they were right here beside me.  Am I wrong?  Do we need flesh and blood contact to connect with people?  This Internet is a wonderful place if we use it correctly.  Am I doing that?  I have several friends who think I spend too much time on the computer, but it is what I do. 
I think that I am as close to Amy as any of my kids.  I would like to bring her to Colorado and take care of her.  Teach her things she needs to know to get by in this life, like proper nutrition.  ;) And my other friend and confidante knows me as well as anyone and way better than most.  He can see past my facade to the real me and point out my faulty thinking.  How he does that I will never know, but he is the first man I have ever "not met" that can do that.
I guess what I am really asking here is why we call it "passed" or "gone" when it is really "died"?  And if someone dies that I have never really known, do I still "know" them?  I realize that I was never close to Dan, but I still feel a twinge of sadness.  And I know if anything happened to my Amy or Oscar  I would be inconsolable.  Does that make me abnormal?  I think not.  Life is full of relationships on every level and in every degree.  My online friends are just as important to me as my real world friends.  So, maybe I am abnormal and maybe I am not.  Time will tell.
In the meantime I will hold on to the online connections and trust that they will be holding on to me.  And some day, I am sure, I will see them.  And when that day comes I can toss the computer, but for the moment it is my connection and it is here to stay, as real and vibrant as the friends in town.  So to one I sign off "Mountain Momma"  and the other, "Bella".  I love you both.  Just never get to say it often enough.
And all you others out there reading this,  I love you, too.  Love is a well that never runs dry and the more you give away the more you get.  So start spreading it around!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Is this a bucket list item or just an I want?

The Good Lord and I sort of have an agreement.   It works this way, when I want or need something I just tell him and then he sort of shows me a way to get what I need.  It has worked for a whole lot of years, even when he gave me something different than what I was hoping to receive.  Many times he just sends me down the right street or manuvers me in front of the answer.  So the last couple of days there is one young girl in particular that I have been thinking about.  I want to know where she ever went and how she and her sisters are today.  I can not tell you her name, but I will outline the story and she or some one who knows may contact me.  Sure hope so.
I worked at the Red Carpet Resturant in Hutchinson, Kansas for a couple named Bob and Thelma Bailey.  It was shortly after I divorced my first husband so it must have been about 1969-1972.  Maybe later.  Lot of foggy parts there in that period.  There was a lady that worked as my helper.  She had 3 lovely daughters.  She lived North of town with her husband.  He was a very handsome man and to all intents and purposes they seemed to have a wonderful marriage, but I do not think that was actually the case.  I am not one to judge and that is not why I am here.  She came to work several times with injuries she explained as "falling off a tractor",  "slipping in the bathtub" and I am not sure just how she broke her arm that time, but I do know it was "all her own fault."
The day finally came when she fell off the porch (as I recall) and wound up a parapalegic and had to be cared for at home.  Her husband hired a woman to take care of her and when she died he married her.  These are enough facts that if you know who I am looking for you can contact me.  I am especially interested in the oldest daughter.  She lived with me for a brief period after her mom died.  I have said lots of prayers for these girls and would dearly love to see them.  The oldest is the one that may remember me.
So there it is, out there for the Universe and God to deal with.  Please know that any information I receive will be held in the strictest confidence and nothing will appear on this blog about what happens after today.  OK,  Big Guy, do your thing!

Report on the Cuban Caravan and Scot's whereabouts.

In a message dated 7/8/2011 10:28:59 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, kriskross******.com writes:


Scot is in Milwaukee tonight. Sounds like the bus is behaving with a little help from Scot and assorted others. It is getting filled up with aid and a few caravanistas. Scot also participated in a radio interview about the caravan.

More later!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

I will make dessert, no problemo!

 

Bret had a little friend pop over last night that we had not seen in years.  So I wondered just what I could throw together for dessert and I quickly took stock and knew Cream Puffs were the answer.  Butter, water, flour, and eggs.  Milk, eggs and sugar for the filling.  No chocolate for the decoration but that was because chocolate is endangered around here with Amanda on the loose!  Oh, and I am currently waiting for the next batch of Vanilla to finish whatever it is it does in there with that Vodka!  Now I am completely out of Vanilla.
If there is one thing I like to do, it is cook.  Kind of wish I had a cooks helper to clean up after me.  That was the fun part of owning my own restaurant.  I could just make the biggest messes and Carolyn or Esther or someone would clean them up for me.  Only one rule every dishwasher has is "Never put a knife in the sink!"  Lady named Edith taught me that one and instilled in me a deep rooted fear of knives in the sink and big tall women named Edith!
You know, I look around at this mess that eBay selling makes of my house and I really miss the restaurant business.  The Red Carpet was the most fun because it was really big and classy.  Someone actually called me a "Chef" when I worked there.  The best part was the big bakery in the back.  I baked when I finished my morning shift.  Not the rolls and stuff because we had a baker for that, but fancy stuff.  I have a whole album full of beautiful wedding cakes.  That was really fun.  I loved making Roses.  It is a real joy to take a plain old cake and slather on the frosting, the flowers, garlands and leaves and end up with a four feet tall masterpiece.  My biggest challenge was a family who had brought their own cake across country , only to drop the second layer.  I managed to match the colors, design and all that so closely that no one knew!
When I had my little "Lou's Kitchen" down town it was all home cooking and the only baking was the Cinnamon rolls and Dinner rolls.  Oh, and the pies.  The lady who had the State Sales Tax job and came to see me on a regular basis loved the Cherry Pie.  Course she also loved the Pecan Pie, Chocolate and  anything that would hold still on the plate.  The biggest problem I had with her is she wore these half glasses that set on the end of her nose and she looked out over them and just made my blood run cold!  See I have this guilt complex and that woman could make me squirm like no one else.  Something about being closely scrutinized through spectacles on the end of someones nose that make me want to confess every wrong thing I had ever done and inflate my sales so I could pay more tax!
But she was a lovely lady and I enjoyed visiting with her, just that she had the power and  I knew that.  My customers were the best.  See, this little restaurant only held about 50 people and set right across the street from McDonald's.  There was a bakery on the street behind and I got all those guys three times a day since it had 3 shifts.  I really miss that place!  
But back to reality.  I got to go do the chore thing and get ready for the day.  Just know those were really good Cream Puffs and if you pop by unexpectedly, I just might make you some! 



Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Update on Scot for July 4, 2011

As promised.

From: kriskross******.com




Dear All,

On Sunday, Scot got to go to church at his "born into" church, Plymouth Congregational in Minneapolis. Today he worked with artists who painted the bus. I hope to get pictures to share. If you happen to be on Facebook, look for IFCO, Pastors for Peace for more info.

Kris

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Lucky you! I will keep you abreast of Scot and his travels!

Well, it is Cuban Caravan time again and today I got this from Kris.  None of the Pueblo Churches were involved this year for some odd reason.  Could it be that Max, Maureen and Faye are no longer prodding them? But my friends, Scot and Kris remain true to the cause. 

Today's missive:  In a message dated 7/2/2011 12:54:13 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, kriskross*********com writes:


Dear All,


Scot took off yesterday to, once again, drive a bus for the Cuba Caravan. I can't remember if this is the 20th year, or what, that the caravan has brought donated humanitarian aid to Cuba. Anyway, Scot flew to Branson, Missouri where he picked up the bus and got started on the route. A really nice lady named "Akeejee" ( can't spell her name correctly ) gave him some snacks and goodies for the road. There are no riders on the bus with him yet, except for a hitch-hiker.



Today Scot got through DesMoines where he refuled himself and his laptop batteries at the Catholic Workers House. He is headed north and will send updates frequently.



Prayers for safe travel and dependable vehicle much appreciated!

Kris

Friday, July 1, 2011

Koury Truck Stop really is a thing of the past.

I went to Colorado Springs last week to spend the day with Pastor Faye which is always a rare treat for me.  Since I had another engagement in the morning, I was later leaving so it was after lunch when I got there.  We visited a while and I was surprised to learn that they have had less rain then us which is very unusual as they are higher altitude and the mountains usually get more moisture.  But that is a bit of useless information that I just threw in for you.
Then we decided we should venture down the street to the Country Buffet because that is what we always do.  Women are such creatures of habit!  By this time it was getting to be mid afternoon and I decided I should perhaps head back down the highway to home, so I departed.
Soon after I got on the Interstate I found myself behind an 18 wheeler which is nothing new in itself.  I drive with the cruise control set on 72 MPH so I notice if traffic is erratic, and this guy was  just that.  I passed him, but watched in my rear view mirror as he sped up and around me.  I decided to just stay back where I was and watched as he sped away, then slowed, then sped and I knew immediately that the fellow was having trouble staying awake.  So for about 10 miles I kept him on the road with prayers and positive thoughts.  Then I remembered that the Rest Area was coming up so I decided that I would get in front of him and wave him into the Rest Area  and I actually started to put that plan into action.  Then I played that scenario out in my head!  Here we have an old lady trying to flag a trucker over into a Rest Area.  Now, I have never done that, and in my younger days I might have pulled a few shenanigans in my time, but flagging down truckers was never one of them. 
I knew that the next stopping place was Koury's Truck Stop, but I also knew it was closed after being there like forever.  I had intended to tell him that, but I watched as the rest area exit shot by.  Then I watched as he slowed for the exit to the truck stop and watched as he slowly drove down the ramp into the parking lot to join 5 other rigs that were there.  No doubt there were 5 guys catching some much needed sleep in that parking lot as I drove past.
The sight made me very sad as Koury had been there for so many years.  When we first started our excavation business it was one of our first jobs.  A truck had driven into the parking lot and straight into the fuel storage tank.  The fire could be seen clear into town and when it was done there was nothing.  Our job was to clear the area and excavate for the new truck stop.  And when the new truck stop opened it was a mecca for the lonely truckers on I 25.  A southwest adobe design with a restaurant, gift shop, shower area for travellers, a small motel, a tire shop and fuel area and a very high berm around the fuel storage area.  Fred Koury held sway and what a wonderful place it was. 
But, as with all things, time marches on and things change.  Fred Koury's kids grew to adulthood and Fred got tired of working, kind of like you and I.  I think a couple of the kids took over the Truck Stop, but it was not a passion like it had been with Fred and I remember seeing that it had closed and I was a little sad,  but seeing the emptiness when I drove past last week sure brought it home to me.  For so many years it had been a regular stop for the big rigs that travel our highways and now it stands as a grim reminder that time and tide wait for no man.
That night I was very sad as I recalled Frank letting a coyote out of a trap when we were working there.  I remembered Kenny almost stepping on a Rattle Snake when getting out of the truck.  We had gone there for lunch a couple times and it was a real family restaurant  that just happened to be a truck stop.  No greasy spoon there!  Then I remembered something that made me smile.  If you were southbound on I25 you were alright.  Northbound was a different story.  Northbound traffic exited and had to make a left turn under I25.  The opening under the highway to the parking lot was exactly the height to allow a tractor/trailer through  and not one inch higher.  There were several scratch marks on the top from trailers with over inflated tires!  Now if you think I am exaggerating, you do not know me very well, do you?  I will go take a picture the next time I am in that area and post it on here.  Of course to get back on the North bound one had to reverse the procedure.
  So there you have it.  Another milestone in my rear view mirror.  But I figure there are going to be a lot more  of those then there are the images  in front of me.  So, as long as the old gray matter keeps perking along we will have lots to talk about.  See you next time something strikes my fancy!

Another year down the tubes!

Counting today, there are only 5 days left in this year.    Momma nailed it when she said "When you are over the hill you pick up speed...