Hey look I got that widget!

Now I realize this widget is not where it belongs, but it is here. By the time I get to the AIDS Walk on October 9, I may actually have it where it is supposed to go.  Or not.  For the moment I can bask in the glory of success! Which brings me to another point, but you could see this one coming couldn't you?

I can remember way back when one of my teachers, Mrs. Howe to be exact, told us about computers. I am torn at this moment because I so want to tell you about Mrs. Howe and our mutual disrespect for each other and how I learned about computers. So here is what I will do, I will mark it down in my little black book to write about Mrs. Howe and I will now tell you of the computer learning experience.

At that time I was but a wee little girl in the 4th grade and Mrs. Howe was our teacher.  Also at that time an adding machine was about as good as you could get for use in your mathematical equations which consisted of plus and minus. They were very heavy and awkward and had a handle on the side which you pulled down each time you made an entry.  So Mrs. Howe started telling us about new things that were being made and they would add, subtract, multiply and divide. She said they were very big and could fill a whole room and put off a lot of heat.  Little did I realize that this was the precursor to this thing I now type on.

I had a nephew, not the stoned one, who told me how often knowledge doubles and it amazed me to see that he was correct in his figures.  Just think back to 50 years ago, which a lot of you can remember very well.  1960 probably the 10 key was in everyday usage.  Typewriter was a big awkward thing that set on top of the desk or electric ones were probably coming into being.  When Sam brought home his first Word Processor, about 1984,  I was dumb founded..  That was way to complicated for me. Fast forward to today.

I can set here on this thing in the comfort of my home and type this blog, hit a button and in 3 seconds or less some guy in Germany has it translated and on his screen reading every word in German and you know I did not do that! Knowledge is indeed doubling, but rather than every five years now it is about the speed of sound..

I remember when I was getting my accounting degree 30-35 years ago we still did the columns with a pencil and added them in our head.  Ok, I had a calculator I used to double check, but we are talking 30 years ago, people. Now we enter it all on the computer which puts it in the proper accounts, issues a profit and loss and figures how much tax you owe.

I was very near the top of my class and the Dean knew me on a first name basis, but when I got tangled up with these computers I figured I was done for. Almost was, but I figured this is how it is, so I better figure it out.  Now  I have 2 kids that look at me with glazed eyes when I start talking html, bytes, and things like that. My oldest son works with them as a vocation. Bret uses them to download music and Debbie is knowledgeable. Other daughter plays games on hers.

So the world moves on and I shudder to think what new things I am going to have to learn before I can poke the toes skyward and fly away.

Love, lust, or indigestion?

http://www.firstgiving.com/loumercer



As some of my loyal readers know,  earlier this year I took my first tremulous steps back in the dating world.  Seven years of widowhood and I thought perhaps it might be nice to have someone to actually talk to, go out to eat with, and do some of the things that "couples" do.

So in typical Lou fashion, I ventured forth into the world of the older single woman.  Now I am here to tell you, that is  nowhere a human should go!  It is very scary. At first it appears very harmless; a coffee date.  Coffee is good.  Then conversation.  Conversation is good. From there it is all down hill.  Got to do it all over again, and again, and again.  Then you got to go on picnics and set there eating cold food thinking of all the things you should be home doing.

Then that whole conversation thing becomes a real bore. How many times can you smile through the tale of "back when I had my own company and I was so successful..."?  Finally you graduate to the hand holding, gazing- in- the- eyes thing and that is when you are close enough to see the nose and ear hair and believe me, that is a real turn off! As if our taste in music, Classical vs. Country; movies, Musicals vs. Cheech and Chong; food, French vs. Red hot scorch your ass Mexican; weren't enough to doom any chance at a relationship!

So guess what?  I am not looking for love, I had that.  The idea of love is wonderful and there are movies full of it and it can move mountains and I think that is just great.  I love the idea of love, and I think it is probably great for a lot of people, but not for me.

Now the lust thing.  That is a whole 'nother kettle of worms by itself.  I hear it is great, just not my thing.  I am too old, too wrinkled and way to arthritic to think I want to try and appear sexy to some old guy who is too old, too wrinkled and too arthritic to appear sexy to me. So let that one just lay there and simmer!

Now to the Indigestion part of this equation!  I can do that and I can do it very well.  I love the Green Chile, Jalapeno and the Habanero.  Now if you think I can not get a good dose of indigestion out of that, you are sadly mistaken!  And you all know when indigestion strikes, love and lust are both left laying alongside the road!  Things of the past, so to speak.

So yesterday I bopped up Union looking for the antique spinning wheel that matches mine.  Got invited to have coffee with some young guy (Which did wonders for the ego!), thanks but no thanks, and then came home. 

This warning to all men out there:

Still got it; ain't gonna' use it!  Eat your heart out!

Off to church in my new tee shirt.

http://www.firstgiving.com/loumercer

Got to put that in first thing everyday so you be sure and get the message.  I am almost ready to go to church and I am going to wear this new tee shirt the kiddies brought me from Washington.  It is black and it says "I am right 98% of the time.  Who gives a crap about the other 3%!"

Isn't it amazing how quickly our children adjust to our personalities?  I think this boy spent a few years thinking I was a bit flaky, but even at that , he snapped out of it a lot sooner than his sisters did.  My oldest daughter was 24 years old before she came to me and said, " You know I used to think you were not very bright and not at all wise to the ways of the world.  I am truly amazed how smart you have gotten in just the last few months!"  Way to go Debbie.  She now has a son who is figuring out that she is a little smarter then he thought. 

Motherhood is an amazing journey and I fear it is one I shall never fully understand nor completely appreciate.  Don't get me wrong, I would in no way ever hope that I had not undertaken this journey, but if I had even one inkling of what lay ahead I think I would have paid more attention to my own dear mother.  Hell, I would have fallen at her knee and never taken my ears off of her!  But now the best part of all.  I have learned to accept my failings as a mother because of something a therapist told me "You did the best you could with the knowledge you had at the time."

There!  Now you know I have been to therapy or have I?  Got some high class friends you know and I might have just gotten a bit of free advice.  You do know I was not the perfect mother, but I tried. At least this tee shirt shows this particular kid figured momma out way early in the game!

Have a good one and try to remember "You can not sprinkle showers of happiness on other people without getting a few drops on yourself".

AIDS Walk in the Garden is coming up and I need money!!

Ok, here is the deal!  I done signed up for the Walk in the Garden which is sponsored by a whole bunch of businesses, but here is what you need to know, the link will get you where you need to go to add to my fund.  I have my very own team,  well if 2 people are a team.  Eric and I are going to go for it.  Our team is named Loosey Goosey and I am depending on you people to help me out here!

We are going to walk in the beautiful Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 9, 2010.  Oh, I sure hope the weather is nice and the snakes are all asleep.  I do not know how far we have to go, but however far it is you know I am going to finish.  Never left a job half done yet!

I have been trying to get a widget on here for 2 days and as you see I did fail miserably at that little task, but here is a link.  Click on it and you will hopefully go to my page that raises money.  All our team donations goes to Pueblo Clients. 

Ok, gotta dash, but I will be back begging again!  Might as well donate and get it over with so we can talk about something else!

I am waiting!

http://www.firstgiving.com/loumercer

The Llama's will trick you if you do not watch out for them.

 

There you see the Llama next door.  Ah, the picture of innocence. Just gazing over the fence at me while below is the New Mexico Sunflower in full bloom.  It is exceptionally colorful this fall as the nights are very cool and the days very hot, which combined, makes brilliant colors!

 

Here is another shot of the dear Llama.  I see it is a little closer now and continuing to make eye contact.  I feel so special to be able to bond with plants and animals this way.  People in the cities do not have this opportunity.  I will just stand here a while and gaze at the picture before me.

Do you see that!  The Llama is eating my flowers!  Caught in the act, no less.  Caught by me as I stand gazing in admiration.  This is the same Llama that ate my asparagus last Spring.  The same one who has topped out my Lilacs and Red bud tree.  Seems he snacked on a Clematis Vine also.  So much for serenity in the country!

Now the fun part I have to tell you.  If you click on any of my pictures they will get big and you can actually see the detail, like Llama Lips curling around the sunflower!  I just love this Google Blog of mine!

Words of wisdom for this day
Good fences make good neighbors!

So just what is this thing called retirement and how is it different than working myself to death?

As I was digging in the little area behind the house, with sweat pouring off the little pointed head and my back in spasms, it dawned on me that I am now officially retired and am enjoying my leisure time? Question mark is the proper mark there, because, I am not sure this is how it is supposed to be.

Seems like retirement should involve some sort of sitting around and having naps and things like that. As I recall, I worked very hard the first 50 years to raise kids, pay into my Social Security, establish myself as a respected member of society and gloried in planning all the things I would do when I retired.

Ok, so here I am all retired and while it is mostly pretty good, there are a few drawbacks I did not forsee. The homestead is paid for, but there are the taxes, insurance, utilities, upkeep and things like that which amount to as much as I would pay for a place in town. So, while the Social Security and small pension do cover the necessities, there is always the expensive of wanting to have an actual life!

This entails having a small income on the side which is derived by doing something to make a few extra bucks. Earning of the few extra bucks means missing the nap. Then there is the matter of the grunt work around the place. So I can either do it myself or earn more extra bucks to pay someone else to do it for me. There went that other nap!

Assisted Living Facility has already told me that if I check in there, they have a no duck or goose policy. Imagine that! So guess I am going to remain here on the farm and enjoy this thing called retirement until I work myself into an early grave, but guess what! I am not alone on this and the only ones who seem to be doing the nap things are the ones who planned way better than I did!

But, you know what? I would not have it any other way. While the sitting on the decks waving off the bees and the taking of the nap looks really good sometimes, mostly I like the active life and earning and spending of the almighty dollar! So while I may not see you on the golf course, I will see you when I am jogging down the lane and you pass by in your big fine car. I am the one who smiles and waves! I am the nutty one!

It is a beautiful day today, but I may get frost bit this morning.

Well, I see this thing is not going to work with me today! Don't you just hate it when you belly up to the computer and it just looks at you with it's blank screen? I started typing and nothing was there. Finally I did the html thing and told it I wanted black as my color. It told me my html was incorrect, but here I am! It is not good dealing with anything smarter than I am that thinks it wants whatever I do not. So now to the subject at hand.

Here we are in the middle of September. The fair is over, the peaches are canned, the pickles are made and I am on strike. I have not made saurkraut, canned tomatoes, nor made hot salsa that is so popular around this neck of the woods. I have priced Pueblo Chiles, but I have not gotten any further in the process, nor do I think I will.

I live alone except for the boy and the girl who are never home and when they are they do not eat the same fare that I consume. They are carnivores and while I do on occasion partake of the flesh, it is mostly the vegetable and fruit stuff that finds it's way through my system. At some point in time I decided I would like to live forever. I have since rethought that also.

Back to the subject at hand for I do most definitely digress. I love Spring. Hope springs eternal at that time of year. I dearly love summer and I don't mind sweating. Do not like it running in my eyes, but other than that, I am good to go. But Fall! I know when fall is here and it is here. I go out early in the morning and the air smells different. The air feels different. There is a feeling in a fall morning that only experiencing it can discribe. It is crisp. I do not have words in my small vocabulary to properly convey to you a fall morning.

So you need to do this; Arise early tomorrow morning. It is 6:22 here now and the sky is just beginning to lighten. It is not quite time for the sun to start streaking the horizon, but I am sure it is close. There is a breeze stirring the cottonwood outside my window and fall is in the air! Very soon Jack Frost will start sprinkling my car window with his little white covering and it will be official. I am predicting the first official frost about the time of my birthday, so watch for it.

But in the meantime I am going to leave the air conditioner uncovered, leave the plants outside, and think about maybe doing some more canning. Who knows. This is Colorado and it is nothing to see a 50 degree fluctuation on any given day. It is a wonder we have not all cracked!

And what is it like where you are hanging your hat today? Amy, in Florida is probably working up a sweat already,huh? Slow down, girl, it will be there tomorrow! Get my bed ready cause I am thinking on doing some traveling south this Winter!