Missouri Books

Holiday Shopping Made Easy!

2010-11-21T03:36:00.000-08:00

Do you know what I like about CSN stores, other than they like my blogs? They have everything from tv tables to luggage, furniture to dog crates, boots, shoes, handbags, the list goes on and on.One thing that is vitally important when ordering online is to buy from a reputable store since you can't actually touch what you are buying till you get it.
For example this is a line from the listing I'm reviewing for you.
Designed in the USA, bags are crafted in Taiwan at a women-owned facility that supports fair labor practices.
CSN stores are upfront, they also have a quality rating on the right side of the product display page that tells you what quality the item you order is! AND they give important details, the straps on this bag adjust from the inside so there are no dangling straps.

Now you probably want to know the details about what I'm talking about, it is a backpack (for those books, this is a book blog you know!), a Dabbawalla Vintage Flyer Backpack. Now isn't that cool? Add a pair of aviator sunglasses and you are automatically stylish! It is $40 and I wouldn't mind having one.
CSN stores are offering special deals that run this week. They are so special you can't use any other promotion codes with them. As always, items that are over $69 and can ship by regular methods ship for FREE!! Check out these deals below.... and get started on your holiday shopping!
CSN Baby
CSN Games
CSN Fitness
CSN Toys and Games

Where Have I Been?

2010-11-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

I've not been posting regularly. I have joined the ranks of the gainfully employed. I write for the internet now part time. That leaves very little time (read none) for blogging. But the folks @ CSN have been very good to me and asked me if I would let my readers in on some special deals they have this holiday season. CSN has over 200 different stores online. They carry everything from handbags, to dog crates, to children's luggage.

Isn't this backpack cute! You may ask what this has to do with books? What better gift to give a child than a backpack with a couple books in it for Christmas? This one is $19.98 with FREE SHIPPING. Pretty neat huh? Tomorrow I'll have a full review of one of their items and let you all in on some special deals CSN stores have going on this week.

Shallow Thoughts Blog

2010-08-11T03:39:00.000-07:00

I found a new blog Shallow Thoughts Blog. She comments on books and TV shows. We don't watch the same TV shows (The Bachelor and related shows leave me cold as do Little House On The Prairie reruns) always but I do appreciate her comments about The Real Housewives Of Washington DC. They are hilarious as are her comments about Little Joe (Pa on the Little House show etc.)
Her book reviews are warm and funny, OK the two or three I read were warm and funny. Anyway check it out.
What REALLY got me is her book review blog is supposedly silly and superfluous? Mine (I thought) was all solemn and like serious....as solemn and serious as I can be anyway.

A Long Way Down By Nick Hornby

2010-08-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

The basic premise of A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby is (and yes I do use stilted sentences in order to get the books title and author in here) four people have rather bad luck of their own making but fate has a part to play in it. So far I've described about 99.99% of the world and stories huh? Not quite sure how I missed this book before. It's good. It's old but it's good. The people are in Britain which I don't always find particularly stimulating or interesting but this time it just added to the plot, I swear it did, if you've read this blog I don't blather on about things I don't think are true, I just blather on about true things. So these four disparate souls end up contemplating suicide and through simple (OK, not so simple but not extraordinary) means the guide each other back to normalcy if not happiness. Naturally they learn quite a bit along the way. Although this book is entertaining I do recommend it for anyone who has ever been "down" or depressed.
I'd give it a 7 or a B, actually if I could have 100 books on a desert island for entertainment this might be one. BTW I got my copy @ a thrift store while I was doing laundry while away from home...Dispatch was in the motel room and I told the lady who ran the laundrymat/thrift store that I had to go back and check on my dog. She told me if he was well behaved and small he could come back to the laundrymat with me. I decided to take a chance on the well behaved and he was a charmer. Loved on people who wanted loved on, looked @ the others like "whatzamatter, never seen a BEECHON before"?

Furniture Review Not A Book Review

2010-06-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

This is not the name of a book. This blog is a furniture review. Actually a review of stores.

See this bedroom vanity? See the Cherry Bedroom Vanity? They are both available from CSN stores.
CSN has 200+ stores. I am like one of the cheapest people I know. I used to not buy paper towels because they were expensive. We won't go into any more money saving tips other than you can pour fabric softener on a wash cloth and toss it in the dryer instead of a fabric softener sheet? BUT I do look for the best deal. I know before I make another purchase I'm going to check out what CSN has to offer. For example I found dog crates for a lower price than my local discount store and they have FREE shipping on many items.
Check it out if you have time or just remember the name!

2010-06-03T04:35:00.000-07:00

This is a book about dogs. Thus it goes on Missouri Books and Animals That Give Pause too (both my blogs, I have one called Tresa's Blog too if you want to be really ~~bored~~ impressed. The Art of Racing In the Rain is by Garth Stein. I'd give it a 9 out of 10 or maybe an 8, not the most intellectually stimulating read I've had but it's a dog talking, gimme a break. I bought this book for like $10 @ Wally world because I had to wait an hour in KC and had NOTHING to read and NOTHING to do which is a fate worse than death if you know me.

You can buy it from Amazon by clicking to your right in that handy dandy amazon box. In fact you can buy anything from amazon, anything, you are getting sleepy...back to the book review.

I love dog books. I love books on training dogs, about dogs, by dogs, (supposedly, most of them are not trained for proper grammar) I love dog books. This one is no exception. I'm not saying it gives particular insight into your fido's secret life but who is to say? So what happens in the book? Basically it follows a dog through his years with a family, through good times and bad though this family seems to have the market on bad times cornered for awhile. If nothing else read this book for the psychologically haunting scene with the zebra........I had a stuffed zebra when I was small, not again, I didn't know they were capable of such things....

The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

2010-02-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

Probably the best book I've read since Cell by Stephen King. Stephen also liked The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by the way. I had to look like three times to get Mr Wroblewski's name right so we will call him Mr. W from now on.

I think the best testament to a book is how much you remember and how it affects your life. I remember bits and pieces of this book constantly. I don't want to give anything away but when Edgar goes on his great adventure I found the book especially memorable (I felt like I was actually Edgar, a young boy with my dogs and not a grandma of young boys). Actually it's been almost a year since I've read this book and I brought it with me in the truck to reread. I could see some parts of the plot coming from miles away such as the sinister character but others were a complete surprise which is also a testament to a great book. If you love dogs as I do and appreciate a mystery or thriller this is a book for you or if you like Oprah's Book Club books. It is the 2008 selection of Oprah's Book Club. Although it's about a boy and dogs readers of Chick Lit or even love stories will like The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle.

Mr. W says that we write the books that we would like to read. He goes on to say:

I wished I could read a novel about a boy and his dog, one that integrated our contemporary knowledge of canine behavior, cognition, and origins with my experience of living with dogs; if possible, something flavored with the uncynical Midwestern sense of heart and purpose so familiar from my childhood.

Mr. W also says that this is a story of a boy and his dog and ethics and character which pretty well sums the whole thing up. The review also said this is a modern day Hamlet which could be true. It's a beautiful beautiful book written so you are in the world which Edgar inhabits and no other.

Stephen King said when he got close to the end he kept finding excuses to put the book down, not because he didn't like it but because he did and wanted to prolong the experience. I know that it's the book I chose to reread although it's only been a year since my first reading. It's a book that will transport you away from the mundane, Mr. W is a superb writer and to think this is his first novel is astounding.

A Member of the Family by Cesar Millan

2009-11-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

You can get this book @ Amazon. Some do not agree with Cesar's dog training methods. Personally I think like children, dogs are different and may require different approaches shall we say. Now don't get all up in arms about me comparing dogs and children, we have to raise and train both so I think it's a pretty good comparison. (this is mainly for my kids who are jealous of the dog and this means all 6 of you, I don't think Christi Lynn is jealous of him, she is the 7th child) A Member of the Family is worthwhile reading to say the least and the methods Cesar promotes to pick out a new puppy work, I can attest to that from personal experience. No we didn't get a puppy but we looked @ chocolate lab puppies. More on this later. The book in general? I'd give it a 7 out of 10 in general, for a dog book probably a 9 out of 10 but I can't think of one I'd give a 10 to so this one must be pretty good.
Some may not agree @ all with Cesar's choice of a pit bull for one of his dogs but I think it proves that nurture can overcome nature. Perhaps that's putting it too simply as it's more a case of the environment promoting decent dog behavior and discouraging anything else. The pit bulls name is Daddy and he is a sweetheart of a pit bull. I've known pit bulls, one of my first grand-dogs was a dalmatian pit bull cross named Polly, sweetest dog you'd ever want to know except she would lead her puppies deep into the woods when they reached about 7 weeks. (and any other puppies she thought should leave her "pack").
There are chapters by Cesar's wife and children which makes this more than a normal "dog" book. The human touch proves invaluable for finishing this book into a totally interesting read. Also the insights into different breeds and aspects of bringing a dog into the household prove invaluable. Like I said before I don't always agree with Cesar 100% but sometimes Cesar doesn't agree with himself 100%. My dog sometimes eats before me and runs ahead of me but he is just so proud he can smell the trail we have came down I hate to burst his little white fuzzy bubble. See Animals That Give Pause for more about my bichon and other animal stories.
Now about the chocolate labs? I can't remember how many there were, I wish I'd gotten some pictures but I was too enamoured with the dogs and puppies to take pictures especially when I found they had some yellow lab younger dogs. See Mugsey's Memorial for why I am so fond of these dogs. I don't know if I can paraphrase what Cesar said about picking a puppy in the book exactly but basically the idea is look for a puppy who isn't pushy or dominant but isn't shy and fearful either. It should be respectful but want attention and should give off a feeling of calm energy. Using those guidelines I picked out a little female with a black and white collar, when the dog owner got home he told me that was the best dog and he didn't even know I'd picked it out! If I'd used my usual puppy picking methods it would have been the noisiest most obnoxious one I'd picked out or the smallest one because I felt sorry for her. Not saying those won't make good dogs with the any kind of proper raising but the one that gave off calm energy is probably going to be easier to live with and train. (Dispatch was picked out for me, the owner brought him to me early because he was hogging all the food) That's what Cesar Millan's book promotes, picking out a puppy by providing specific guidelines that aren't foolproof but could help you avoid much heartache, he also gives ways to introduce a dog to a new baby or how to blend families and their dogs. Even if you are not planning on getting a new puppy or dog this is an invaluable interesting read.
Since I've had authors actually read my book reviews I'd like to say HI CESAR!!!! and Ilusion you are a saint. ;-)

Nothing to do with books but the Apple Festival Kings for two years are brothers!

2009-10-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

And my grandsons! Semi big deal in our county, OK it's the biggest deal besides the occasional unexpected explosion or the tourists coming in April or leaving in September. Oh yeah the fairs, demolition derbys and beer gardens are pretty big deals too.

This is the FIRST and only time that brothers have won Apple Festival King two years in a row. Of course most people don't have kids 15 1/2 months apart either.

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The first picture is the Apple Festival King for 2008 Zach and his Queen, the second picture is Marcus the Apple Festival King for 2009 and his Queen and the bottom picture is of Zach, Marcus, Jacob, and Sara who looks something like her grandma.

Story is also on my NEW animals that give pause and Tresa's Blog and my old animals blog , in other words Grandma is braggin on every site she has!

This is all the more special because in different ways this year has been tough on the whole family. I wasn't able to be there for Zach and not for Marcus either but for different reasons but they know grandma is proud of them and can probably still beat them arm wrestling or wii boxing. (just had to throw that in if they read this)

Naturally Thin By Bethenny Frankel

2009-09-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

This partial review originally appeared on my new blog TRESA'S BLOG.
The NEW and improved animals blog is HERE.

I'm only half way through but it makes sense to me. If you want to buy Naturally Thin from Amazon, you can click on it there. Bethenny Frankel writes well and despite the differences in our upbringing I didn't find her approach spoiled or unrealistic (she grew up eating in restaurants, she lived in cities, I grew up on the farm where everyone gained weight as they got older). The food bank idea is rather depressing since I'm one of those people who used to be able to eat and eat and stay @ 110 if I kept up my physical activity level. I won't say exercise because I don't exercise, I work, I hate to exercise for exercise shape and I can't see exerting that much energy and not making a physical difference in anything but myself. I suppose that is the immigrant farm person coming out in me? Back to the food bank, it seems that you have a food bank, like a bank account, makes sense, the more you exercise the more food you can take out of the bank, (the way I can think of it) if you take out too much with fudge cake for breakfast you will have fruit and vegetables and an egg white for the rest of the day? Make sense? AND the food bank continues from day to day but you shouldn't just quit taking food out or only take one kind of food out (starvation or fad diets) or the bank will get upset and not let you take so much out? Now that I've explained the whole premise of Naturally Thin (just kidding)Bethenny's recipes are a little ingredient happy and if you don't like portobello mushrooms you are pretty well up a certain cree but they are more intesting than most by far.

On a scale of 1-10 right now I'd give the book an 8 right now. Talk to me in a month if I follow it which of course I'm trying to do right now. Why? I weigh 150 again. I'm 5'4" and I can still wear a size 6 in stretch jeans, it's not so pretty as it was when I weighed about 140 a couple months ago. I'll keep trying to post about how this book does in the diet department. What made me decide to write about it this morning? It's what is going on in my life (besides having to give the dog a bath and defrost the fridge, it's an RV fridge evidently they are not frost free?) My husband quit smoking in June and has gained weight, surprise surprise. I cut down far enough where some days I have none and some days I have 3 or 4 which I consider pretty good for me. I will make no bones about it. I had to quit, I had blood clots and I'm not old or I don't think I am. Therefore I am gaining weight too. My parents were both overweight and I know what it does to you. I've never been obese and spent most of my life thin till I started working @ a computer. My husband and I plan on walking , haven't done so yet, the new tv season started! I did buy him Nike walking shoes though.

Back to the book, it's a GREAT idea and more sensible than most I've read. I started to pick up the one by Jillian Michaels because lets face it that is the body we want. Jillian Michaels book involves exercise, I won't do the exercise (I decided to quit fooling myself), I'm very muscled for my size which is a good thing and WHY I can wear a smaller size and eat more. It's hereditary, so is the fact my relatives are mostly all fat. So I'll let you know in this blog how it goes with the book Naturally Thin and my diet. I'm also trying to drink 8 12 ounce glasses of water or crystal light drink mix ( I HATE WATER) .

The book isn't bad and I ate sensibly yesterday because of Naturally Thin and it's entertaining enough I'm not skimming through. Buy it and judge for yourself. BTW this is only like the 2nd diet book I've bought in my life so that says something.

PS: You do have to exercise a bit but this book involves a little more than common sense, sometimes common sense needs to be presented in a different way to become clear to you and that's what this book does, present what makes sense, it's painful sometimes, ie no one needs more than one scoop of ice cream @ a time, but it's true!

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

2009-04-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos is definitely in the chick lit category. You can buy Belong to Me here on Amazon. Looking for a good chick lit book to read on your early vacation, buy this one. While most of us can relate to parts of this book not eveyone has a college degree or an impossibly handsome husband (OK I think mine is handsome but don't tell him!!) but the actual story could be anyone anywhere. Marisa de los Santos has written a prelude to this book, Love Walked In, and she has a phd and writes poetry, it shows. The book is very well written, at least for me I thought I knew what was going to happen and then no it didn't make sense and then it did. New love and hope springing from tragedies and people remaking their lives are always worthwhile reading.
Overall I give this book a 9 out of 10.

Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell Part II

2009-04-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, to be fair this isn't really part II but just another thought on the book, it's that good, needs more than one post.
Once again the link to buy the book Outliers is here @ amazon.com and the link to Mr. Gladwell's web site is here.

These two thoughts or theories on what childhood influences form successful adults from the book may be just givens for some parents. To others they may be like saying letting your children eat blue lizards will make their lives complete. I wish the book had came out and been required reading sometime before I was born. Forgive the paraphrasing and simplification of the ideas.

1. Support your child's interests and not only allow him time and materials to pursue the interests but actively encourage them. We all know about the soccer mom stereotype etc. but what if little Tommy would rather be rock climbing or be a watercolor artist? Soccer just won't cut it. My parents grade on this? My dad belonged to the archaeological society and I can tell you easy ways to distinguish a male skeleton from a female skeleton. My mother took me to the bookmobile. Other than that I was pretty well on my own, not uncommon in those days but I did feel neglected, what I would have given for a real library trip, good paints or a trip to a bookstore. I did better with my children, taught 4-H, learned cake decorating and taught my kids, they played sports because they wanted to, acted in plays, etc. How is the next generation doing? My daughter encourages every interest the children have and devotes her life to them plain and simple, sports, lessons, trips you name it. Are they spoiled (we are talking my grandchildren here remember?) OF course they are gloriously beautifully spoiled, are they obnoxious? Only when they act like grandma. They know they have it good and appreciate it.

2. Encourage your children to question new ideas or things they don't agree with and encourage them to discuss things with adults. I know every parent has uttered the words "because I SAID SO, that's why" but that isn't a good reason. IF your child has a thought as to why something should not be done a certain way listen to them @ least and give some weight to their thoughts. Encourage them to interact with other SAFE adults and make requests of them. Children who are taught to be seen and not heard all the time grow up to be invisible adults and even if they have brilliant earthshaking thoughts no one may ever know. Our families grades on this? About the same as previously although I'm not so sure the differences are so pronounced down through the generations. I did grow up talking to grown ups, my kids did too, the grandkids have no trouble doing so. The difference is in the children's effects on parental decisions, I had no effect, my children some, their children some. Why is this invaluable? About the age of 16 or 18 or 21 you won't be there to speak up for your children and they will need to and to adults who may not have their best interests @ heart or be merely distracted. In any case your child needs to know how to stand up and be counted with his/her Doctor, with teachers, cops, counsellors, sales people, landlords........ The more positive interactions they have had with adults the more finely honed their communication skills will be. The difference between two of the most intelligent men (IQ wise) in America is... one was brought up to question authority, he's a rocket scientist. The other was brought up to bow and scrape and get by as best as he can, he worked as a bouncer in a bar most of his life, didn't finish college because he didn't have the communication skills and basic life skills to make it all work.

Alas my life skills tell me it's time to go to bed so more on this outstanding book later.

Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

2009-04-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

GOOD GOOD GOOD GREAT!!!!

Does that tell you anything? I may have to write more than one post about this book, it deserves more.

I admit I'm a compulsive reader, I started this book yesterday, read it @ work during lunch and then settled down last night and finished it. I may reread it soon. I've read Blink by Mr Gladwell but not The Tipping Point, if you read Blink, Outliers is much easier to read in my opinion and just a better book although Blink was outstanding in it's premise.

This book should be required reading for parents and teachers to say the least, sociologists will already have read it or should have, grandparents and anyone connected with children or humans (I presume that's all who are reading this?) for that matter should read this book. Some of the reviews say that Mr. Gladwell should have gone into more detail about the methods used for the theories presented, in my opinion that would have made the book duller and more tedious although I love those sort of things not everyone does. Perhaps Mr. Gladwell should do his next book on methods of statistical research which is just a fun fun subject. I'm being facetious here, OK?

The link to buy this book is here and Mr. Gladwells web page is here which is good reading in itself.

I think I will write more later, let me just say the book gave me insight into WHY Asian students surpass American students in math so often. To put the answer simply in a sentence or two asian words for numbers are shorter and more logical, when putting a numerical problem into words in your head the answer is practically a given, also humans can only remember for a certain time frame and if the name is shorter you can squeeze more numbers (names) into your memory? Make sense? NO??? That's why Mr. Gladwell devotes more than a sentence or two to it. Also centuries of labor and brain intensive rice farming in the Asian countries and success in farming being the difference between prospering and starving have helped cultivate a race of successfull natural mathematicians. Read the book, you will see why!

Outliers also gave me insight into why my own German and French heritage perhaps makes me want to nap when it's cold or rainy. It's not terribly cold but it's my day off and it's still early early spring here, snowed a couple days ago ie it's NAP TIME. Seems that the vast majority of Germans and French farmers (serfs and yes we all probably have a peasant or two in our heritage if our forefathers came from Europe) basically hibernated during the long European winters. They were VERY active during the late spring, summer, and fall but it was cheaper to just rest and wait for spring in the winter, they didn't consume so much food etc.

In my next post I'll give you more on the book Outliers and why it's so important a read. On a parting note my husband and I used to go to California quite a bit, he had trucks and drove one, of course we delivered in Los Angeles and life is quite different there than rural Missouri. There are still people here who haven't been out of the state or if they have it's just been to neighboring states, the cultural differences in the 90s were still huge between CA and MO. One observation I made was in Missouri if you get shot you probably knew the person who did it and why they were shooting @ you, in California that wasn't the case. In the chapter about the Southern code of honor and feuds Mr. Gladwell explains why this heritage of honor and revenge is so prevelent in the South compared to the rest of the country. What amazed me is I could recognize the cultural impact on my state even though my family didn't come to America till the late 1800s (and wasn't of English or Irish blood whose cultural heritage allowed the code of honor to fourish in the hills) the culture remained and flavored daily life.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

2009-02-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

I loved it, it's been a month or so since I read it, I'm honest don't put on, but it's a great little read. Like most reviewers I say it's main drawback is it's too short. If you find the holidays somewhat ludicrous anyway this is the book for you. From Mr. Sedaris's stint as an Elf @ Macy's to the story entitled Six To Eight Black Men, this holiday satire is sure to entertain and amuse and that's what we ask of a book isn't it?
176 pages of pure fun, Holidays on Ice is available @ Amazon.com, clicky clicky, ok I need sleep, it's my Friday. I got my copy from my local library which is a great place, despite us having like a very small county population, remember support your local library AND your local bookstore!
BTW I haven't quit reading, just started working more hours, so am reading less and what's more have MUCH less time to write. I'll try to be a little more faithful, you haven't gotten even part of my puny unmeaningful thoughts on books I am simply panting to share with you.
OK, I'll go sleep.

The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan

2009-01-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's long, 600 pages I think. It's got strange names in it. But it's mesmerizing. It follows an Indian woman for 70 years, first as a young girl briefly, then married and bearing children to a strange Brahmin man, well he disappears with naked men with long hair into the forest and casts horoscopes, other than that he's perfectly normal. They have two children who seem to almost be good and evil, the plump golden daughter whom everyone is drawn to and the scrawny slightly misshapen son who seems to repel most. The husband dies soon after as he had predicted but had hired a servant who is of a lower caste whom you soon have deep sympathy and admiration for despite his peculiarities. The tale soon has you in it's spell from this point forward. I thought oh boy a story about a widow, just what I wanted to read about. Then it turns out she can't touch anyone during the daylight hours because of some caste rule, by this time I was glad she wasn't being burned alongside her husband. She continues on and while upholding archaic harmful caste rules she manages to do good in the world and not only raise her own children but her grandchildren also.
It's a long book, if you don't like to read it's probably not for you, you're not finishing it in one sitting. But I do know so much more about India and it's culture from this book than I did before and I ENJOYED learning it. A great read, it kept me interested up to the end without much sex or intrigue other than basic family happenings albeit they were in India and tied up with caste and exotic foods and musical instruments it's a tale that is set from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s but is timeless in it's entertainment and enlightenment value.
Amazon link here.

Alexandra Penney Among Madoff Victims

2009-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

CNN Link here to story.

She wrote "How to Make Love to a Man", I must confess I haven't read it, not that I wouldn't I just haven't, thought it sort of came natural? Anyway that said she was editor of Self Magazine too, evidently she thought up the pink ribbon for breast cancer with a friend.

Not that I've ever been rich but the woman was slammed in a blog called "The Bag Lady Papers" on the dailybeast.com, ( she wrote how she might have to sell a cottage and had ridden the subway etc, link here) The readers who blasted her called her a privileged princess. The woman did earn her money and lost it. I know the feeling, I've gone from hosting dinners for 12 people @ decent restaurants to having to sell things in a matter of months after that, coming out on top again and being worried about making payments a few months after buying my first designer purse. That is the one and only designer purse I own and I'm still carrying thank you very much. People do seem to be nicer @ least to your face when you are poor, when you get a little sucess people tend to talk badly about you, but if you fall from being sucessful from bad planning or circumstances people tend to jump like a bunch of vultures. I could have told Ms Penny this. I do feel for her though especially since I am now employed @ Wal Mart! The same Wal Mart where I used to go drop $300 @ a time for groceries and truck supplies and whatever else struck my fancy, sometimes more than once a week, chicken feed to some but exhorbitant in the midwest in 2004. Now I don't make that much in a week. Does this bother me, not really, I'm less stressed, or was till I started working the clearance dept which is a new experiment in our Wal Mart. I'm making MUCH less than I was charging for hourly free lance work a few years ago and less than I was charging for writing web pages but if I can make grocery money or my car payment now @ least I'm helping my husband not die early of trying too hard to keep our heads above water. I hope Ms Penny realizes it's all OK and I do admire her for writing about it, wish I had invested in jewels though instead of computers and books or do I? Computers and books are mighty comforting.

P. D. James The Private Patient

2009-01-11T07:01:00.000-08:00

I read this book around new years and it was the best part of my new years, other than my husband was home and we had the day off! Yes I did sleep most of the day, no I didn't have a hangover but we did get in in the wee hours of the morning. My husband doesn't drink and I had to drive my car home, spent it with two of the kids and the oldest granddaughter in a typical Missouri fashion, in the shop, everyone has them that has a farm or a business, big tin building with a wood stove, handy for parties since most of them have plumbing now! Husband played cards with a bunch of guys, I'm not sure he knew when I came to the party? I hate pitch, did I tell you that? Back to the book.
It's a typical English whodunit but with twists, some of them modern, some of them hundreds of years old, a witch burning was one and a girl who had killed her sister but seemed to be completely without remorse. I can't recall if I had read any of P. D. James other books but I probably have. She has made a fan out of me. The freezer part was particularly horrifying to me and I don't have claustrophobia! Actually reading about the private lives of the detectives assigned to the case would have been a story in itself, maybe that's what makes P. D. James books so good, there's a story upon a story upon a story?
I'll tell you a secret, I can read Steven King on a dark stormy night, doesn't bother me. I can WATCH a scary movie alone if I want to see it and I am fine. I read a true crime book or a murder whodunit and I have nightmares? I guess the first two genres go into the file in my brain labeled fairy tale and the other two go into .....maybe this could happen..., I don't know but this didn't give me nightmares but it could have happened. I didn't see the final twist @ the end coming, the REAL motive but it does make me glad I haven't written an expose`. Saying I didn't have nightmares doesn't mean the whole thing wasn't plausible though.
If you like whodunit's or if you like England it's hard to put down and you find all sorts of reasons for continuing to read. The Private Patient is worth the read.
Once again I got mine @ the library, you can too or buy it @ amazon.com here.

The Last Lincolns by Charles Lachman

2009-01-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

OK, I realize I'm weird, but to those of you who just like to read and perhaps have read a small set of encyclopedias for the fun of it or to prevent boredom The Last Lincolns is a treasure trove. I have read a couple books in between this and my last book review and one was an excellent English murder mystery but this is a cool book. Of course like I said you have to be a dedicated reader and somewhat of a history buff or just nosy perhaps but I actually know something of what became of the Lincoln family after the Presidents assassination now. The part about D. B. Cooper perhaps working for the family is totally weird but not why I finished the book, actually my mother had poisoned my view of Mary Todd Lincoln and I found myself more sympathetic towards the woman than I had been previously. I couldn't have told you before of Robert Lincolns involvement with the Pullman Company or that Mary Todd Lincoln exiled herself to Europe or was actually committed to an institution by her son for insanity. Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith was the last Lincoln and he just seemed like a regular Joe in a way, except for the estate of Woodstock Farms and having all the cars and women. He did describe himself as a spoiled brat earlier in life which seemed to have been true but he wasn't pretending to be something he wasn't. The quirks of the generations replicating themselves is fascinating, especially their aversion to publicity or even remembering Abraham Lincolns birthday, and the amount of historical paper which was lost is probably astounding, they burned some, some was used to prevent erosion?
Charles Lachman who wrote this is the producer of Inside Edition which perhaps made his point of view more interesting to this child of television. This book is just a good read, I couldn't sleep last night and got up to read it several times, a bad deal since I had to get up @ 5 am this morning but well worth the time.
I got my copy from the library, you can too or buy it here on Amazon.

Happy NEW YEARS EVE

2008-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

I had planned to update but running out of time, have to go to work till 10 pm so wishing everyone happy holidays and happy reading, I'm still on The Toss of the Lemon. Not much time to read.
I've updated florenceview with the story of our Christmas and what I learned from it, just hope it sticks, and a little on animalsthatgivepause about what we can learn from our pets.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

From Baghdad, With Love by Jay Kopelman

2008-12-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

A story of a dog named Lava and the people he inspired to save him. I got this book for Christmas and I'm not just saying I liked it because it was a gift, it was a great book, not only for the dog story but for the human side of the war.
Like so many others I suspect I followed the war closely @ first, plus my son was over there, but then life got in the way, this book explains what life is really like in Baghdad or was a couple years ago. For this reason this book is just not for dog lovers but everyone who has any stake in the war which means all of us.
Melinda Roth is a co-author with Jay Kopelman, I would like it if they had written a little more verbosely but the short paragraphs lend themselves to the story.
You can buy it @ Amazon here.

Two Days Before Christmas

2008-12-23T04:40:00.000-08:00

I work @ Wal Mart part time. Have for 6 months now. After having a "desk job" (running my husbands business) for the last few years it's been a culture shock. I had to cashier yesterday @ the front of the store but as they say @ Christmas EVERYONE is a cashier. For awhile the store manager was behind me cashiering, they don't lie, everybody does what they can to keep everything running smoothly. Here in the mid-west we are gearing up for another round of ice and snow, that coupled with the Christmas season made for extremely long lines @ the cash registers but everyone was patient and curteous that checked out @ mine. I don't cashier most days so I may have been slower than some but most of the people left laughing, don't know if that's in the job description or not. I have to work marking down Chrismas items in the early am Friday, trust me I will NOT be standing by the doors when the store opens Friday morning.
My husband was @ home asleep in his recliner when I got home with the three kittens curled up on his lap. Anyway the wild kittens were hissing @ everyone when they came in the house after their mother disappered right before Thanksgiving, now they stand up and beg like the dog for attention. Here's a picture of them asleep in my dads old office chair, Ok Crusoe the survivor isn't asleep, he's begging for food or me to pick him up. My husband keeps saying they are really wild cats, they think they may be dogs and I may be their mother but they aren't sure, they really don't like those big cats outside.
I confess this is for 3 blogs, have to leave for work in less than an hour, haven't had much time to read but I'm still working on The Toss of the Lemon which is an excellent book but just too much going on this time of year. Plus Wal Mart fed us yesterday, good ole holiday meal of bar-b-qued pulled beef and pork and ribs, plus salads and beans and desserts, it was excellent.
I hope all are safe in their traveling this season. Hopefully we won't lose electricity with the storm and those still without get it back soon in the northeast.

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

2008-12-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

I love this mans books. My nephew read this and asked me to review it. As I spent all day making lep cakes or lepkuchen (results and pictures on florenceview go see it's one of my other blogs, dog is also on animals that give pause will be more about him maybe tonight) and am currently trying to wade through The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan (say that 3 times fast) I said this is a good day to do it as I haven't read anything new for a couple days. You can own The Hour I First Believed for $13.90 used @ Amazon right now or they can get the new one to you in time to read over Christmas if you choose one day shipping.
I got the book @ the library, I was thrilled and naturally read it till I was done (my OCD coming out again). That was before Thanksgiving and I still had it when my nephew arrived Wednesday for the holiday and to pick up his dog from my daughter. That explains the dog picture here. BTW his name was Runt but now it's Newman. What does this have to do with the book? I'm getting to that, Mikey, my nephew, saw the book and started reading it, I think he read my How Starbucks Saved My Life book too but he got like half through with The Hour I First Believed and he had to leave on Friday. Through all the kids and the turkey and the dog he read this book, we talked to him, he grunted, no actually he would answer politely because he is polite and nice, my husband says I and my daughters and his sister are mean to him but he's Mikey? Granted he's my nephew and you are thinking cute little red headed kid, that was 30 some years ago, he's a daddy to two almost grown kids and a high school literature teacher now, he's like getting close to my age, when he was 11 and I was 21 it was a much bigger gap. He shares my appreciation of Wally Lamb and he did get to finish the book when someone gave it to him for an early Christmas present. There's that personal touch my blog needs or I just threw in there to torture you, now back to the book.
The book is basically about Columbine and it's effects on one couples lives but it's intertwined with the mans ancestors which all culminates into an ending you really don't see coming as do most of Mr. Lambs books. The main male character (who is a teacher also as is/was Mr. Lamb) is the narrator and seemingly unrelated or inexplicable childhood events become clear to him after he is forced by his wife's mental state after Columbine to return to the old family homestead. Mr. Lambs ability to get inside the skull of another person and feel and explain what they are feeling is unparalleled in my estimation. (does in my estimation ALWAYS come after unparalleled? like pnut butter and jelly?)
I own the two other books of Mr. Lambs, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True. I will have to purchase this one so my husband can read it. He's the original macho cowboy type truck driver (read grandpa who wears cowboy boots and a gimme baseball cap) but he's read most of the Oprah book club books and most of my current library too. So if you need one more Christmas gift for the hard to buy for you might consider this book. If they like long involved books that is. It's not light reading and it's not light to lift it.
The Washington Post didn't like this book very much and my nephew said the same thing in a much milder way, he could have left part of that historical BS out. But if Mr. Lamb did would it have been the same book and would we come away with the same feelings? Probably not.

Gimme a break, you can't afford a BOOK for Christmas?

2008-12-19T15:46:00.001-08:00

This article says book sales are going the way of car sales. Huffington Post Article

Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse not to vacuum or dust since I've been blogging and linking and creating and inserting html all day but this struck me as strange. I'll cut down on whether I buy the $2 tv dinner or the $1.50 can of soup for my lunch, I'll not make any trips to town that aren't absolutely necessary but I have to buy a book once in awhile if it's just a used book. Even with library privledges that just doesn't cut it sometimes. You see I read a book, my husband takes it in the truck and reads it, one of my daughters reads it, my other daughter reads it, sometimes it goes to my step-son or step-daughter, maybe a friend gets it, maybe I consider it to precious and it stops @ me and my husband but my books get READ and I don't think we are a weird family or have that much more time than most. All the kids work full time, I work part time, my husband has a more than full time truck and we find time to read. I don't own anything extravagant other than my purse and my car and the car was a "present" from my husband (a present with payments) The last new furniture I purchased was 11 years ago and it still looks new because no one is allowed to sit on it but that is all beside the point. My mother was an English teacher and you would think that's where I got my love of reading but she never encouraged it, she actually discouraged it but that's another story, she had Portnoys Complaint and that was enough for me even though she thought I couldn't reach that shelf.
I know books as presents are looked down upon by children and kindle has brought a whole new world to books but geeze, it's still a book!! Books provide insight and thoughts that the boob tube just can't give you and as much as I love computers and the internet it's hard to beat a good read for mind stretching. I admit I just skimmed the article but it says Barnes and Nobles stores are almost empty??
It seems the larger publishers have kept to the old and the tried and true which isn't working but it seems to me people think a book is an extravagance? We've purchased SUV's that were too high and gas guzzlers, bought Mc Mansions, $100 jeans are sometimes the norm and we can't afford a book?
I'm better off than I was 9 or 10 months ago by far and @ that time I cut out book buying entirely for almost a year previously but books are just as much a cornerstone of our economy as the automakers are. Maybe they don't employ as many but the intellectual cost of publishers going out of business will be huge. Our entire thought process as a nation could be changed. So if you haven't gotten all your Christmas gifts or need something to keep yourself occupied go to your local book store. For $20 or $30 you can pick up hours and hours of entertainment and share it with others, and if it's good enough you can have the same enjoyment from it when you reread it!!

Just After Sunset by Stephen King

2008-12-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

The electricity went out here last night. I know I'm nuts but I finished a Stephen King book by kerosene lamp and candlelight with freezing rain falling. OK, I didn't finish it till they got the power on but I was questioning my sanity reading a Stephen King book in the semi darkness. (with the kittens trying to see if they could really see in the dark no less)
The stories in this book were typical Stephen King. Do I think he's improving with age, yes. BUT of course I am one who cries long and loud the man can WRITE, it doesn't have to be scary. I liked this book probably because I could finish with one story and put it down and then go on to the next. I didn't feel the need to finish it all @ once like I do with his novels. BTW there is a story about suicide and OCD in there that I found exceptionally interesting (GRIN). The last story is sticking in my mind. Literally, it was gross, Stephen said he managed to gross himself out and I was grossed out to the max. The New York Times At Special Bargain Rates is probably my favorite, The Cat From Hell is a classic. The Things They Left Behind is poignant to say the least.
Overall an engrossing good read. I bought the hardback as my Christmas present to myself, couldn't wait for the paperback.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

2008-12-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

I liked the book, I didn't LOVE the book but it's one I will remember passages out of for awhile. It's based loosely on Laura Bush and I really didn't remember hearing about the accident she had when she was a teenager in which another teenager is killed. That was the turning point of Alice's life in the novel.

I'd heard of it of course and had no desire to read it, thought it would be dull as dishwater, I got it @ the library and started reading it Monday and finished late last night because I took a snow day off of work. It's not dull @ all on a psychological level alone. The accident when the main character is groping for direction and atonement of some sort is fascinating to me. All though I've never been involved in an incident of that proportion I'm not sure what my reaction would be but I'm sure seeking atonement would be in the forefront of my emotional needs. Actually this book explains my family to me in a strange strange way. At a family reunion in 2004 my daughters asked my brother and I where we came from. The rest of the cousins are not completely quiet but there are no surprises in their life or maybe I should say they are not LOUD, they are upstanding, quiet and polite, not saying my brother and I can't be perceived as such but smart Alec might come to mind sooner (or other forms of the expression). There are surprises in my life and my brothers, a little rowdiness, I still feel the need to ride motorcycles if they are available (even with my grandchildren on the grass and they have on a helmet), we don't drink or not anymore but we are more like a hard working Charlie in the book than we are Alice, but the rest of the family seems to operate on Alice psychology. That question asked in 2004 has always stuck with me. Reading this has given me some insight into what the differences may be and why. Does that change me? Probably not except I have a deeper understanding of family dynamics.

Overall a good read, the years between the first 10 years of their marriage and one day in the white house are glossed over and merely referenced, but on the whole I found it a satisfying book, not quite like anything I'd read recently.

Ever seen an elephan paint?

2008-12-15T21:25:00.001-08:00

Go check out this link. 4shared It shows the elephant painting a rather remarkable picture of what else, an elephant with a flower.
Snopes says the animals are trained to do this. I am going to have a talk with my bichon about earning his keep and maybe the kittens now. The least they could learn to do is paint walls?
It's late, I'm reading both Stepehn King and Curtis Sittenfeld @ the present moment, what a combo? Supposed to be freezing rain and snow here tomorrow so might just stay home from work!

Craigslist for service?

2008-12-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

On Change.org there is a metaphorical reference to a "craiglist for service". One of the founders of Craigslist has something to say about it.
Mr. Newman recommends going to Change.org to look @ healthcare and what we can do.
Here's the link to the total post.

On a side note my husband was stuck on I-44 in NE Oklahoma this morning, seems two trucks had jackknifed in front of him. All was OK, one truck drove away. Roads are like white outside so I have to go clean off windshield and ATTEMPT to make it to work 25 mi away, forecast tomorrow is for freezing rain, oh joy.

To Die Alone

2008-12-14T21:43:00.001-08:00

I couldn't find this quote from my one page web search. Well the quote that comes from the end of the story that makes up this post. I was going to write a big long post about my kittens and the 3 sets of orphans I have raised this summer/fall/winter but that will have to wait. I spent a good deal of the day on the phone talking to my husband who is waiting to get unloaded in OK city, he's driving his truck, he's not personally being unloaded. Even if you are just from MO you really don't appreciate Oklahoma aesthetics OK?
Anyway I wake up during the night, on a rare night I sleep through 8 hours, blessed, most nights I wake up @ least once, sometimes up to 4 times, I get up go to the bathroom and perhaps see what the weather is doing, sometimes I get on the computer for 10 minutes, you get the picture.
Well I've had to shut the door from the garage turned family room to the rest of the house because the kittens have discovered where I sleep clear @ the other end of the house. Their catbox is in the family room and also they disturb the dog which disturbs me and they take little side trips to the dining room and I'm finding bits of potpourri strewn about the house and the lace doilies and tablecloths are getting a pulled and rumpled look? So I shut the door @ night and part of the day. I'm in the family room when not asleep or cooking or cleaning anyway.
So I get up last night for like the 2nd time and start to go back to bed, I saw that the kittens food bowl was almost empty and thought everyone says I spoil them horribly because they are never without food and get either milk or canned food once a day. My daughter who is studying to be a vet assistant has even suggested my big cats are overweight?
So I start to go back to bed and even though the heat is on but turned down in the family room (we are talking animals with fur on them remember) and they have a comforter to snuzzle into on the couch and the plant light is on by the plants (also known as cat box #2 and #3 to them) they look @ me as I'm going to shut the door and it hits me they are thinking:
She has left us here in the cold and dark to die.......................alone.
So I give them the last 1/3 of a can of cat food and filled up the dried cat bowl and go back to bed. Dunno if it was the Stephen King short story collection or actual cat telepathy but the thought stuck with me. To die in the dark and cold, alone.
Of course it's possible they are just drama queens too?

What is Middle Aged

2008-12-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia definition of Middle Aged:

According to Collins Dictionary, this is "... usually considered to occur approximately between the ages of 40 and 60".

The OED gives a similar definition but with a later start point "... the period between youth and old age, about 45 to 60".

The US Census lists middle age as including both the age categories 35 to 44 and 45 to 54, while Erik Erikson sees it ending a little later and defines middle adulthood as between 40 and 65.

We won't go into what brought on this discussion but I'm still pretty safe except by the census bureaus young definition.

Mid Missouri and Midwest in for a massive temperature drop!

2008-12-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: The temperature did drop from 63 @ 2 pm to 38 @ 3 pm. Stuff falling from the sky looks sort of white too. Time to do things that require electricity, I did go get kerosene.

This from the National Weather service.

FINALLY...A DRASTIC DROP IN TEMPERATURES
WILL OCCUR ONCE THE
FRONT PASSES THROUGH ANY PARTICULAR
LOCATION TONIGHT. AS A
MATTER OF FACT...
A ONE HOUR TEMPERATURE DROPS OF
25 TO 35 DEGREES
CAN NOT BE RULED OUT.
LINK

I don't think the forecasters are smoking anything wacky so it should be an interesting evening. It's 65 degrees here now, the wind is gusting up to 45 mph and it's just cloudy, by this evening we are supposed to have freezing rain changing to sleet and snow, 1/4 inch of ice possible with up to 1 inch of snow and sleet on top of it. Of course last winters ice storm took care of most of the weak branches on trees but I know the temp drop can cause problems of it's own.

So it's a holly jolly pre Christmas season. Think I will sweep the floor (the kittens have discovered what fun it is to drag stuff out of trash cans), take out the trash, and head to town after some kerosene for the heater after I make sure it's in the basement. Oh what fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight!!!!!! Oh and husband is unloading in Oklahoma City tonight and then going to try to make it home, if it's too bad he's just heading up I-44 and trying to go pick up the next load in IL. I remember MS, nothing to worry about but weak tornadoes and hurricanes with bigger tornadoes. OK flooding but that wasn't like ICE.

Fruitcake for the Masses

2008-12-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

I used to make a fruitcake recipe that almost everyone would eat. I haven't made it for years, we have been living in a motor home in MS for a couple years and I forgot last year and am working and blogging this year but thought I would share in case anyone wanted to try it. Boiling or cooking the fruit in the microwave really helps, this will probably be an all day project but you will leave the fruit to cool so you can do other things.
No recipe, find one oneline that has fruit and flour in it, I prefer one that looks like it will come out about 1/3 cake and 2/3 fruit. You'll need raisins, (if you want them, I made with and without) @ least a big can of cherries, a big can of pineapple maybe 2 if you like pineapple, 2 oranges or more and a couple grapefruit, I used to make LARGE quantities of these but this is for one or two large cakes. Peel the oranges and grapefruit, remove as much of the white stuff inside peels as possible and cut peel into slivers, juice the fruit and add whiskey and lots of sugar and boil SEPARATELY or cook till tender and candied. I used to do this on the stove, the microwave is GREAT for doing this, just watch so the mess doesn't boil over in it. How much whiskey? You'll probably have to add more liquid (whiskey) to get the fruit candied so I'd say 1/2 C or 1/4 to start with for the peel, more for the fruit. Do the same for a can of cherries and a can of pineapple, probably adding like 1/2 as much sugar as you have fruit or live a little and dump the sugar on! After you boil your first peel or fruit you will get the hang of it. My husband likes things SWEET so I used lots of sugar. If you are using raisins soak them in whiskey and add about as much sugar as you have raisins and cook down, I don't think I actually "candied" them. Let your fruits and peels cool and make the cake, your candied fruit will be more moist than storebought to say the least so adjust the amount of liquid you use acordingly, reduce by 1/4 if you drain your fruit to 3/4 if you don't drain you fruit, if you want drain the fruit and use that liquid for pouring over cake later thinned down with a bit of whiskey or use it in the cake if it calls for it. Make sure it's done but not like crispy, let cool, maybe dab on a bit of brandy or whiskey while cooling, a little more after it's cooled, store in a cool room and keep dumping on the whiskey, maybe adding sugar to it. I usually make one smaller cake and eat the first piece after it's cooled!!

Good NEWS for once from Nigeria!

2008-12-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

Three young people were awarded scholarships for their acts of bravery and determination in Nigeria. With all the talk of our economy, the ice storm in the NE and the coming one in the midwest, and Palin's church burning here's a bit of cheer and hope for the world.

Original article here: Punching.com interesting articles below this one on the page also. Obama like hope for Nigeria is the title of one.

Outtakes from the article:
According to the Chief executive officer, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Deepak Singhal, the winners were given the awards for their outstanding acts of bravery and courage in the face of disability and illness.
According to him, the first prize winner, Bala, saved his baby sister from a raging inferno that gutted their house in Kano. Ayodele’s heroic act was similar to Bala’s, as she rescued her brother that would have been crushed to untimely death by a vehicle. According to the story, a car had lost control and almost ran over the baby boy before Ayodele’s risky intervention (she ran into the road and snatched him up).
Omalade the third youth rescued himself from the grip of being stigmatized and poverty. Denied education by his parents, Omolade had to take his future in his hands by taking to shoe-making. Nobody taught him. He just fell on his talent and flair for shoe making. He started by mending shoes for neighbours and family members. In spite of all the odds, the crippled entrepreneur now has four apprentices working for him.
Endquote:

Massive inequality, we have learned, isn't the best way to run an economy after all.

2008-12-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

I've been poor, eating beans and biscuits poor, can't work because I don't have a second car poor and the kids daddy wasn't a reliable babysitter poor. I have a friend (she did the right thing, college, married an up and coming guy) that couldn't have kids, tried every treatment known to man and of course all I could ever talk about were my kids. They were like most of my life and I felt bad for my friend. She did adopt a little girl who is cute and adorable eventually.

So I can understand this woman's plight, that said, flying in yoga instructors etc. to a remote location in ID? That seems silly and just beyond the point of being rich.

Read the article here to see what I'm spouting about this morning before I go to work. (Don't wanna go, can you tell?)

Father in Hiding because of Illinois Governors Scandal

2008-12-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Of course the father is Rahm Emanuel, democraticunderground story here and the story from The Chicago Sun Times here. ABC has been applauded as being fair by the right and the left and their story is here. Ok I heard abc was fair on a right wing radio show which I listen to so I can be upset but also so I won't start leaning WAY far left.

It does say he did manage to sneak out of his home. I sell on ebay or have and really don't want people to know exactly where I live although they could figure it out if they tried hard enough, that's why the police officer lives next door, LOL. Whoever let Mr. Emanuels address out should be ashamed. Death threats?? Have we all gone nuts?

Bichon Pictures and Grooming

2008-12-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

I got Dispatch as a Poodle, long story short, he's a bichon, Vet said so, probably a cross between a poodle and bichon. He has a little hound in him too, he's like RELAXED compared to most little dogs sometimes. Also there is the matter of those black straight hairs on his back by his tail.

He does not like to be groomed. When he was a puppy I tried to cut his hair a little the first time and it was a laughing battle in a lawn chair. It soon turned out to be a battle every time. Forget clipping his nails. I'd have the vet clip his nails and pull the hair out of his ears. I started getting him groomed but he didn't get invited back to some of the groomers and the last one didn't do as good a job as I did as far as I was concerned. I found Big Birds Groom Blog which is also one of my links over to your right. I figured out how to do a modified Bichon cut with the aid of cheese sticks, for the dog not for me. As you can see the results were great! The first two pictures are of him trimmed like a poodle and the grown out bad haircut I got from the last groomer. The last 3 were taken the fall of 2007 and 2008. I've also found training him to be helpful, he does sit, lay down, roll over, beg, and shake on command plus of course he walks on two legs like 10 ft across the floor for cheese or steak. We also know quite a few tricks he has taught us such as the bounce bounce move which means I'm gonna bug you till you play, bounce bounce followed by a whine or a bark which means PAY ATTENTION TO ME, the jumping from a high object to your arms move which means human had better catch dog, and the waiting to be picked up which he will assist you with by jumping or crawling into your arms. And as my son said we try to teach another dog a trick and Dis is like what do you want me to do, 3 flips and then walk across the room like a person, JUST GIMME THE TREAAT!! He also does whatever we are trying to get the other dog to do which is cute.

Granted the pictures are of an ungroomed dog and a freshly brushed dog but you will see what a difference the proper haircut and brushing can do for your bichon. Also the tail hair length was shorter on some of the earlier good grooming pictures because we had a labrador puppy that thought the bichons tail was a handle to grab him by and RUN. That's been a year ago and the tail has grown back out.
Oh yes the heavy collar I leave off unless he is going with me somewhere. The reason he has a big dog leather collar is because he destroyed his first cute little puppy collar in 10 minutes, chewed through it. I bought a heavier cloth collar, he knew what he was doing the second time, took 2 minutes for him to get rid of it. Thus the big dog collar.

News and musings, December 12, 2008

2008-12-12T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well the automakers aren't going to get bailed out by Congress, United Autoworkers Union wouldn't take any pay cuts. Not a good deal. I know I was opposed to the bailout but if congress wanted to do it with stipulations maybe just maybe I thought it would force Chrysler and GM to evolve into workable auto manufacturing entities again. No dice it seems?
Auto bailout goes down in flames.

It seems Patricia Blagojevich isn't without blame in the whole mess with the Illinois Governor.
Illiniois first lady scrutinized before husbands arrest.

Bernard Madoff founder and president of a New York firm that invested funds for wealthy individuals, hedge funds and other institutions, was charged with operating what he told employees was a long-running $50 billion Ponzi scheme in what may be one of the largest frauds in history.
Madoff charged in $50B Ponzi scheme.

What do all three of these above news articles have in common? Greed plain and simple. I know it's oversimplification but when I was growing up greed was putting as much jelly on your bread as was humanly possible. Capitalism in this country has turned into greed. I am totally for a honest wage for honest work, a honest wage doesn't entail $78 an hour with benefits for gluing carpet in a car. The American consumers have been paying these prices for years riding on our bubble which I'm afraid was one huge Ponzi scheme or pyramid type scheme. Which I believe is not Biblical but that is neither here nor there. Consumers will pay the price now but hopefully we will realize what is fair compensation and it will be lauded more than being able to buy a McMansion in the future.

I know not everyone HAS to work @ Starbucks and it's not a viable option anymore with all the store closing but the book How Starbucks Saved My Life should be required reading in high schools colleges and unemployment lines. It's by Michael Gill and is available here on Amazon. I loaned my copy out but everyone should read it, it just might make you a better worker whether you have a low end or high end job or own your own business. Basically it's how one man realized that there is worth in work beyond monetary compensation but it's also about how he had treated his employees and what type of boss he was which has become typical of so many business'es around the country I'm afraid.

(Blathering drivel below)
I really must clean house and my dreaded desk which has been accumulating things to be filed for like a month now, I wasn't going to blog but the temptation was too great, you know nothing will change if you do everything the same which is true only the house gets dirtier if I spend all day @ the computer. I got up in one of my early morning ramblings and found snow on the ground?!! It's mostly gone now, supposed to be 50 today but snow and ice for 3 days next week, the 3 days I have to work in the week. Hopefully they are wrong. A lady @ work had her husband bring her into work the day it got bad last week and as my husband was away from home I told him that wasn't fair I had to drive in it, he's never taken me anywhere like work and only to the dr if I was REALLY sick and couldn't drive. Then I was thinking about some of the rides I've taken with my husband int he snow and decided maybe it was best I drive! He's a professional driver but sometimes that seems a little scary on the snow! LOL

Comments Please??

2008-12-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

I got a blog background from http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/ , changed my colors etc. Any comments are welcome, does it load too slowly etc?

I swore I would stay with plain ole black and white but this just caught my eye.

The September Society by Charles Finch

2008-12-11T13:04:00.001-08:00

Ok, I work @ Wally World. Long long story, not my ideal job but the first one that called for an interview and I hadn't worked in town in so long I wasn't sure how much I could do physically or mentally (especially after lyme disease). It's been a pain @ times but a blast, my kids want me to keep working because it keeps me busy (translation: mama is occupied with something other than ebay and painting) and husband likes the grocery money I bring in.
Why do I bring this up? Because I started The September Society at work on my breaks and lunch hours this week. I didn't get far (maybe because of all the talk in the breakroom) and wasn't really into it or impressed @ first but last night I started reading about 11 or so and finished it @ 2 am. Charles Finch is no Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but he's good. The comparison to Sherlock Holmes is inevitable as Lenox the dectective in The September Society is in London and doing his dectective work in the 1800s. Finch does manage to interject a little of the Jane Austen novel into his Holmes like work which makes it more enjoyable I think if not true to the detective genre. Boy I'm coming up with the big words aren't I? tee hee hee..... Seriously a good light read for a cold winters evening or two. The clues seem a little more far fetched than Holmes do but I read most of the Sherlock Holmes stories as a child so I may look on them with more nostalgia than anything I read now.
Here's a link to amazon where you can buy the book for one of those winter nights.

Caylee's remains found?

2008-12-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

I had hoped against hope that the little girl was alive, I'd read somewhere that they found remains in a canal, now this article says that a childs remains were found not far from Caylee's grandparents.

I just read more and this page from channel 6 has loads of links to all of the videos etc. if you can stomach it. Personally I just read the article.

Voter fraud, snow in New Orleans?, $4 Starbucks vs. Mc Donalds

2008-12-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

Two articles about voting machine problems and open source software. Seems that Diebold who makes atms which function flawlessly make the voting machines with a glitch that makes them not count some votes. Basically from what I've read you have to purge the first count, count 0 and then it will work (overly simplified explanation). BUT this information wasn't included in the manual in time or wasn't followed.

CA Diebold Voter Failure

Brad Blog

In other unrelated news snow fell in New Orleans, my husband is in McAllen TX and he had the heater running last night so it's no stretch of the imagination to see how it could snow in New Orleans.

Rare Snow Blankets South Louisiana

and Houston

Rare Snow Warms Houston Hearts

Hey all you hurricane relief people down there!!! Thought you left the snow up NORTH didn't you?? LOL

Mc Donalds is putting up billboards in Seattle close to Starbucks headquarters that say Four Bucks is Dumb for expresso. Being a coffee gourmet sort of I haven't tried either one lately, I like my 4 T of Maxwell House French Roast and my 1T of Sams Club French Roast to a pot. Not nearly as pricey as some of the other small bag coffees you get in the store but still much better than custom roast or any generic brand.

Mc Donals versus Starbucks

26 things that are good about the BAD economy

2008-12-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

Snow here and tired tired.
Ran across this article
as an example here are two of the things that might not be so bad:
26 not so bad things about the bad economy

17. Can stop worrying about what bling is.

18. You just might possibly finally lose weight.

Read the rest, will give you a laugh instead of listening to the Illinois Governors potty mouth.

How to Understand Kashmir and Survive the Jihadis: An Interview with Sir Salman Rushdie

2008-12-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Link to a VERY interesting story here.

If you know what a fatwa is or a Jihadi and know who Salman Rushdie is you need to read this article. If you don't know any of these things you REALLY need to read this article. If you can wade through it that is, VERY interesting. Doesn't tell you how to save money @ the grocery store but I do admire a man who goes about with an escort on crutches when his life has been threatened repeatedly by a rather large group of fanatics and the hotel clerk is afraid to mention his name aloud.

Puppies save three-year-old boy lost in freezing Virginia woods

2008-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

It seems this 3 year old boy wandered away from home and spent a 17 degree night outside in the cold protected by two furry friends.

quote:
A toddler lost in the Virginia woods was back home safe Sunday thanks to two puppies who kept him warm through a harrowing night of freezing temperatures........another member of the search party that found the boy, said the puppies refused to leave his side.

As the child was placed in an ambulance to be taken to a local hospital for examination, "The puppies were watching where he went.

unquote:

Read the complete story HERE

I know dogs sense helplessness, I had a dog when I was a child that wouldn't let me get close to water and would start tugging @ me if I started climbing when I was a toddler, I can barely remember it but he was my built in babysitter, Shep, he was an english sheperd, big furry black dog. Lets remember our animal guardians today no matter how large or small.

whazz happenin

2008-12-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

The English bulldog of my nephews has found a name, Newman, off of Seinfeld, I thought it was appropriate but Mikey (the nephew, he's over 6' and over 40 but he's still Mikey) wanted a literary name since he is like a high school English teacher or literature or whatever they're calling it. He likes to read like me. Anyway I reminded him that Newman wasn't a very literary name, haven't gotten a response back yet.

I let the kittens out for about half an hour (kittens are inside until they are like 1/3 grown and can survive outside hopfully, haven't been outside for like a month or two) while I was cleaning off the patio/apron/driveway/playground large chunk of concrete outside the back door. I put our 10 year old bar-b-que up, some sort of record for a grill, swept all the acorns (no acorn famine here) and sticks from the ancient oak tree at the corner. Our storage shed went flying in a tornado a couple years ago and hasn't gotten replaced so it all goes in sort of a hidden spot by the back door where the cats have a shelf to eat on and I keep my everyday gardening utensils and the grill etc. I put the kittens there and the other half grown kittens from the other two bunches of kittens I rescued were out there. My other outside dog was out there and maybe my cousins dog and my other two dogs. Guess what happened?? The young kittens rubbed against the dogs and followed them around and hissed @ the other half grown cats, they knew the dogs were familiar and friendly because they had been in the house some but the cats don't come in or aren't supposed to??? Makes me a little leery of letting the kittens out but the rule is dogs in the house that are housetrained but not cats and we have a building full of straw for them to stay warm in so soon the kittens have to go out. BUT what will happen to them if they love the dogs and expect no harm from them and are afraid of cats? I'm sure they will learn they are cats @ some point but it's rather amusing.

Also made me think about prejudice and how what we are used to is what we aren't afraid of. Not necessarily because it's better but because it's familiar.

We've all done our fair share of career changes and lifestyle changes lately. I hope we haven't made any flawed choices because of fear of the unfamiliar. I know our country is in uncharted territory right now and it is scary to have less money than you used to, trust me it's either been feast or famine most of my life, BUT that doesn't mean all things that happen will be bad. Board games and home cooking are making comebacks. I think people have came to the realization that they can think and what doesn't make sense really does not make sense, it's not because they are stupid that all the excuses for the economy doesn't make sense, it's because they are excuses for greed plain and simple. What does this have to do with prejudice? Sometimes prejudice is just fear of the unknown, we don't know what will happen to us or our country, personally I think it will get worse before it gets better. I hope it's never the same, I hope we are more sensible as a people and realize we can't have new ALL the time and we can still laugh and love and enjoy each other because that's where the true wealth and happiness are at.

Adopt a Boxer

2008-12-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

You can find pets for adoption on moads4u or on the Stover Animal Control Website.
This is Miller, he is a boxer/lab mix with that special look that made me take my yellow puppy home when the last thing I thought I needed was a baby lab. Miller is beyond part of his puppy days but he still has that I wanna play look about him. Check him out or the other animals @ the websites.

More about Miller:
Nov. 5, Miller was an owner surrender. He does well on leash and gets along with everyone. He is partly house broken but needs work. The girl at the vet office said he never once made a mess in his run for the 24 hours he was there. He could not wait to get outdoors to go when I picked him up. His eyes have such a great expression. Adoption $75.00

David Carr The Night of the Gun

2008-12-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

I've been reading David Carr's book The Night of the Gun where he relives his 20s in detail and then his later life and goes back to revisit the people who lived it with him to see what they remember about the past. The gist of the tale is the night the book title is taken from the ownership or if there was a gun or what happened with it differ hugely as with all the recollections in the book. Depending on the person’s personality, ability to recall, or differing interpretations among other quirks plus what actually happened all culminate into what each person ultimately remembers as truth. It's a good book, one that kept me up till 2am when I finished it!!

Personally I've found this to be true in all groups especially families or extended families. We had an ah-ha moment in our family recently where decades of seemingly mean, cruel, or rude remarks suddenly all made sense. (Also my mother’s dedication to being strict with her kids was explained partially, it backfired in a big way, she raised two black sheep!) Decades of secrecy were suddenly shot down and it turns out EVERYONE knew, just not anyone under the age of say 75 in 2006. This led me to question relatives on another facet of family history which turned out to have two VERY different interpretations. We won't go into detail because some of those who care are still alive but it was either a case of abandonment and rescue of an unmarried mother or parental interference in a love affair that turned out badly and then the parental influence repeating itself in the subsequent generation. That's why my cousin and I are only 1/2 cousins. Seems our family has more than it's share of these accounts and differing interpretations but not enough to cause rifts, just puzzlement. Such as the great great-grandfather that abandoned his family and had another family but came back to visit the first family and wife, to give money or see his first wife hasn't been decided, they would meet in the woods across the highway from where I now sleep.

We question our children’s memories and those of our grandchildren, how could they possibly possess the rich and varied fabric our memories bring us? I let my kids go wander the farm but not the countryside like my parents did with me. My grandchildren had their Rhino type vehicle over here on Thanksgiving and rode it around the farm, they were never out of hearing and seldom out of sight though, that’s just the way the world has changed since the days when I was a child and couldn’t be found for hours and hours. They and their mother and aunt tried to find where the original log house stood before MY great grandparents moved it to it's present location and couldn't. I think I can find where it stood but we are talking almost 130 years ago. Family legend has it that it was the doctor’s house and when our town was burned during the civil war it stood on the south end of town and was spared. My great-grandparents moved from Germany with their 5 children and bought the farm and moved the house piece by piece, log by log, to the almost exact center of the farm. It's been covered in tin for as long as I can remember so it's remarkably well preserved. It's also hideously spooky with tattered wallpaper, broken boards and it's share of creatures (and lipstick writing on a door from my cousin and I one day!!). BUT it's a memory for my grandchildren and hopefully their children. So is riding the Rhino through the fields with their mother and their aunt whooping and jumping terraces, terrace jumping is a big sport and probably not what my dad had in mind when he built them but oh well. My great-grandparents never thought an automobile would be involved in a nostalgic memory, much less something called a Rhino, I never thought guitar hero or wii boxing would be a family memory but they are intertwined now too. All of these memories whether pleasant or unpleasant are part of our wealth as a person, as people, as a country, and as citizens of the world and should be cherished.

Memories and Ramblings

2008-12-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

I came home from work Thanksgiving eve to find the turkey breast done in the slow cooker thanks to my daughter, my nephew and youngest stepson were also here. We aren't talking teenagers here, stepson was the youngest and he is 25. We had a really good talk about family etc., my stepson echoed most of our thoughts in that his childhood wasn't idyllic when he was living it, his stepmother was known for sneak attacks for one thing, catching him doing something wrong and punishing immediately, imagine the horror!! LOL But after being around others who came from TRULY dysfunctional homes or abusive situations we all realized how very lucky our lives had been. We all sat around recalling memories and analyzing the latest member of the family we thought needed analyzing.

This isn't a sales pitch but it involves a website for ads something like craigslist. It's the brainchild of my cousin with embellishments by me. MOADS4U came about because we were tired of being pushed around by Ebay and wanted something for locals and beyond. Right now it's a little rough but it does work. Collectively we have 20 years of computer and web experience. My cousin is the web person, I'm more of an OS hobby person, I think networking is fun? We've been on ebay for 6 years, been power sellers, I want my feedback on my tombstone, that's how good it is.

What does this have to do with family (I can sense the stifled yawns right now)? My cousin and I have been friends for all of our lives, best friends. We never had to think about it, we always had a best friend. She had a sister who was quite a bit younger and we both had older brothers but we were always best friends. We aren't even first cousins, her mother and my father were first half cousins (and were always there for each other, all of the old diaries from the 30s and 40s have the two families getting together around the wood stove playing board games and then playing in the snow or that's how it seems). On the site MOADS4U the top pictures are her grandpa, a old bus or car, a bank building which was the office where we both worked for awhile (it was the office for my husbands trucking company then), her mother as a girl (my surrogate mother when I needed one), and a creek which was known as Uncle Sam's (not the guy on the poster, Uncle Sam White who used to own it). The creek was a magical place with a rope to swing off of, a log to sit in the water on or dive off of till the next flood washed it away, a gravel bar for fires and wiener roasts. Back in the 70s before pollution or keeping babies away from life was thought of I took my oldest daughter swimming there when she was only 5 months old, she LOVED it and was surrounded by all the town kids who had come down to the swimming hole to cool off. The water ran through miles of woods and fields, it wasn't chlorinated but if it had rained that summer it was fairly clean. We've taken her children there, they think it's great but REALLY like the pool. LOL

We started the website together after doing websites for many people around the country. We share that and a view (my cousin lives next door, down the road if you will) dogs (my dog races their car when they come home and their dog is always here when I come home) and sometimes vehicles. Our lives have paralleled with first marriages that were "forever" to guys who were friends and had some drug problems shall we say. We both grew tired of the lying and just general craziness being married to those two brought. We both ended up getting divorced although hers was more drawn out and mine was faster, she had 3 kids, I had two, we acquired 2 and 5 stepchildren with our second marriages. We were remarried within 2 weeks of each other to a cop and a truck driver although they are so much more than that. Her cop is a gunsmith @ heart and my truck driver is a farmer @ heart (BTW they aren't perfect but we don't wonder what they are up to most of the time). Our children whether natural or step have done us proud which is probably a mid western term but that's how it is.

All of this talk of family the other night (we stayed up till 2 am, STUPID when we had to get up @ 7 am and start cooking and go to the train station) reminded me of our childhoods and while not totally idyllic by today's standards they were almost so. We rode horses and rode horses, sometimes with saddles, more often not, one Indian Pony we could ride without a bridle and jump on him from behind. We broke a pony for the neighbor and it ended up rolling over on me, luckily it didn't weigh hardly anything. We took my pony in an old abandoned log cabin and then discovered there was a cellar that wasn't too sturdy under the pony, all was well and good but that was probably the stupidest thing we did. We swam with the horses and on occasion my pony would chase us, she wasn't known for her pleasant temperament (biting, chasing, and rearing were more here style than nuzzling) (we probably should have been killed @ some point from being thrown off a horse but we figured out how to roll in a ball and relax and could be tossed with the best).

We climbed every roof on the farm except where our parents could see us climbed to the peak, slid down, and then jumped off, luckily it was only like 10 ft to soft grass but it still wasn't smart (all the falling or being bucked off of horses came in handy probably). We explored another abandoned house in the woods (was actually my great aunts but I didn't know it @ the time), my cousin had a broken arm and we took the nails out of the window panes and put the panes of glass in when we climbed out then they promptly fell out and broke. The house was full of awakening black snakes and others in the spring which gave us both a horrible lifelong fear of snakes, the walls had been insulated with mud and straw and I guess it was a good place for them to hibernate. We ran to a door which turned out to be a cellar with steps going to nowhere but a pool of water and bones from animals that had fell in the cellar window and not been able to get out. SPOOKY!! LOL especially for 11 or 12 years old! Where were our parents? Our mothers were doing something in the house with their bouffant hairdos and flowery dresses or Capri's, as long as we didn't have to go to the doctor when we got back and our clothes weren't in tatters we were OK as long as we were GONE and we would just show up for meals. Our fathers were in my dads mechanics shop in overalls (our dads were both big men, not tall but both dark and burly, spoiled us but we did what they said when they said it) working on something or another or exchanging stories with Sunday loafers around a wood stove with bottles of pop in glass bottles, sometimes we played in the shop, whirled each other around with an automotive belt while the other one was on a mechanics stool with wheels and then LET GO! We grew up with tales of how the moon would spill it's magic out if a quarter moon was tipped or how the Spaniards had abandoned some treasure long long ago. The first one nobody really believed the second one no one ever found the treasure and I think it's long gone if it ever was there, a form of that story exists almost everywhere. We had annual beginning of summer and end of summer cookouts @ the creek with swimming parties where our parents actually would get wet and quit fussing about all the work they had to do. When my husband and I were cleaning out 50 year old hay etc. out of the barn last winter we found the trivet device my dad had made for those cookouts (actually he made it for cooking while hunting I think but my mom put a stop to the 26 foxhounds he had @ one time). Our cookouts were kool-aid, fried potatoes always and hamburgers or fried eggs and they always tasted GREAT. We went exploring @ my cousins farm also to old abandoned mines filled with water that we threw rocks in and speculated on their depth and whether their were bodies in there, exotic names like the Ouchita, signs of mans work in the woods abandoned and grown over. We got older and rode in her brothers old cars and wondered which of his friends might be boyfriend material. Then marriages and children came, working and hoping and surviving, now we are both grandmothers.

I'm hopefully able to look back with fondness and ahead with zest although the zest is hard to conjure up some mornings,we are not OLD yet though. My cousin would abhor the thought as she is only a year younger, OK a year and 43 days, but we do have a treasure trove of memories and history. Actually our parents were both older than normal for the 50s and 60s so we are of an age when we remember our parents best. I don't think we are totally unique in our relationship but life has given us each someone to lean on and remember with (what brought this on was trying to remember if we cleaned Aunt Betty's house for her one day and WHY we cleaned Aunt Betty's house, which used to be Uncle Oscars and had a huge screened in porch, was once a log cabin and was by a creek, I thought I can ask Peggi if she remembers!). I look on our website as a modern day quilt made by two cousins, friends, sisters, however you want to qualify our relationship. A few stitches here, a blog there, a scrap of fabric here, a new ad there..... and life goes on.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

What it's all about:

Couple has 32 people are headed to their Littleton townhouse

We had a wonderful turkey day,a bulldog puppy, 2 turkeys and a ham, ONLY 9 people which made it a small holiday around here, more food than we could eat in a week. Nice weather and a very small nap made it complete except husband was in Laredo TX which was a bad deal but money is money.

Hope everyone had something comparable.

We pray for the safety of all in Mumbai which I confess I didn't even know where it was till Wednesday night. Let's count our blessings once again.

BTW if someone can think of a good 2 syllable name for the boy bulldog throw it this way in the next couple hours.

Pet Surrender Numbers up in Austin

2008-11-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

One more sign of the economy. I know pet food is expensive, some trips to the store I'll buy $20 worth and it's all dog food, cat food, kitty litter, etc. Plus the vet bills.... the list goes on and on. But the same $20 will buy a trip to the movies for one, a CHEAP pair of jeans, a new dvd, think how much more enjoyment the pet gives you!!
Besides they will and can eat some table scraps, I know I'll get flamed for it but I know people who never buy dog food, in fact a few leftovers haven't seemed to hurt any of our dogs. Just don't give a dog turkey bones or ham bones for a small dog, I do know a lab who would consider his life sadly lacking without cooked till they are mushy turkey bones, of course he ate the pump out of my yard pond too so he isn't very discriminating.
Economy down pet surrenders up

I rescued a human today......

2008-11-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

QUOTE:

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.
I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.
UNQUOTE:

Rest of the story here and comments.

Think about it. My nephew is coming to get a puppy from my daughter in two days, my dog has pulled me out of the doldrums more often than I care to admit.....

My daily take on Politics

2008-11-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

I used to be a Republican. I have a stepson who served @ the first of the Iraq war in the gulf and luckily was stateside till he got out last year. I have several cousins who are or have been over there. I support them fully. Having said that I don't think this article is too far off of it's mark.
Why America Feels Like it's Been Ruled by a Foreign Occupier.
This excerpt is a bit extreme in it's outlook but it's not too far off the mark.
QUOTE:
Propaganda Tuned Up

Bush took the stance of a foreign occupier in his governance- rational argument would never win the minds and hearts of the masses so crude propaganda such as Fox News was trotted out to scare and paralyze America into obedience. The same quest for obedience through misinformation and crude scare tactics are the same you see in the totalitarian governments from South America to Asia that have brought nothing but misery to their own people and the world at large.
UNQUOTE:

I hope everyone with an IQ over 100 knows to question ALL the newscasts and gather facts. I have become a news junkie along with millions of other Americans, I have CNN, Drudge Report (Republican), Huffingtonpost (leaning Democrat), and democraticunderground (obvious) on my browser tabs most of the time, and then I DO go to Fox News to see what their take on it all is. Others I'm sure just go to one source if they pay any attention @ all

I was looking at the news the other day and thinking how it would have upset my father if he had been alive now. USA in recession possibly depression, Iceland? in Revolt, not to mention how he would have felt about 911. If you had forecast these headlines 10 years ago no one would have believed them, much less perhaps trillions in bailout monies and stimulus packages. At that time we were more worried about the definition of what Clinton did with Monica?

I admit I've been reading President Elect Obama's book the Audacity of Hope. In it he says in 1980 CEO's on the average made 42 times what their average employee made, in 2004 it was 262 TIMES what their average employee made. I think I've got the quote right. That and unbridled speculation and unregulated banking and the trickle down effect (yeah right, it trickled down but it wasn't money), have done serious damage to our economy. You say what do I care what a CEO makes? They should be rewarded for doing a good job not a mediocre job or a so so job, if it's a publicly traded company it affects the stock market etc. which in turn affects pension plans and investments which affect how much money people have to spend on the things we make or sell to earn our food.

Where am I going with all this? Don't listen to one news source only. Don't just go to your preferred parties website. Don't listen to just a select group of people. Diversify your knowledge, it's our mess and it's up to everyone of us to become well informed thinking individuals. Yes we elected them all but the platform MOST of them put out was that they would LISTEN to the people. Have something worth saying to them.

Wanna Beautiful Cocker Spaniel?

2008-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

His name is Quigley. He is a gorgeous dog, looks like he was someones pet and they just couldn't take care of him.
Here's what else they have to say about Quigley:
Nov. 17, came home and Quigley had been dropped off in a pen. He seems to get along with all the rest of the cats and dogs here. Has been doing well with going out to potty. Works well on leash. Had lots of tangles and matts that had to be cut out. He is really a very gentle guy. Adoption fee is $75.00

You can find out more about the address, email etc. for more information about Quigley @Stover Animal Control which is located in Stover Missouri, north of the Lake of the Ozarks.

BTW since this is Missouri Books I've been rereading my dog eared (pun intended) copy of How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren. Excellent book and I usually get bored rereading books but there is just so much interesting information in it. Like dogs and cats don't get along sometimes because they don't understand each others body language. IE when a dog wags his tail it usually means he is happy or questioning. When a cat wags it's tail it means it's going to pounce. When a dog lays on it's back it means it is submissive and probably wants a chest rub. When a cat lays on it's back it sometimes means it's going to grab you with it's front feet and try to attack with it's back feet. Of course in my kittens it means they want to play which is play attacking but I can see how dogs and cats misinterpret each others signals.

All for today (I think?) Please check out the Stover Animal Control site or your local pet shelter on petfinder.

Warm bundles of fur!

2008-11-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, it really is a pet charity, we are going to try to put the animals from Stover Animal Control in Stover MO. on the blog and also on the site moads4u.com. Speaking as someone who has two rescued dogs outside and three rescued kittens inside and 3 outside (they have a warm place to sleep don't worry) there is a great need for good homes for these animals. Please think about adopting during the holiday season, what better way to bring joy than with a warm bundle of fur? Or instead of getting gifts that you really don't need ask for donations to the animal shelter be made in your name. All the information you need is on the link below.

Stover Animal Control

Nov. 17, Bear came from a high kill pound. He is about 2 years according to vet. Apparently he had a harness that was too tight and has some areas where he has lost hair. Gets along with everyone. Adoption fee is $75.00

Imagine what Bear will look like with his hair all brushed and groomed. What says happy more than a cocker spaniel bouncing toward you with his tongue lolling out and his flag of a tail wagging?

Dog Drives Into Coffeehouse

2008-11-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

Now I know I'm not totally obsessive when I put the emergency on when I leave the car running and the dog in it.
Video
here.

Suffolk County Police Department Press Release:

Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct police officers responded to an incident where a dog drove a car into a St. James coffee house tonight.
Bryan Maher, 60, of 103 Huron St., Port Jefferson, left his 1992 Chevrolet van running when he went into Cool Beanz at 7:10 p.m. Maher's dog, Bentley, put the vehicle in drive and the van rolled into the building.
No one was injured. The crash damaged the glass window at the front of the store and some patio furniture.

So what else is going on, husband coming home, getting ready for our second turkey day, had one @ his relatives already so we will have a relaxed turkey day next Thursday.

In other news the American way might not be the worlds destiny as predicted in this article.

WASHINGTON — Global warming could be a boon to Russia, a European country could be overrun by organized crime and the U.S. and its dollar could further decline in importance during the next two decades, says a U.S. intelligence report with predictions for the world in 2025. From the Huffington Post.
And read further @Sun sets on US power: report predicts end of dominance.

They've predicted doom and gloom before. More thoughts on headlines later, a glass of tea for husband and some quality time with my laundry calling.

Al Gore and Collapse of Civilization?

2008-11-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd be quoting an article with Al Gore in it, there is no love lost between us, I won't go into global warming, I do believe it's an imperative that we cut back on emissions and oil use.
Mr. Gore quotes Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse which I've read and found VERY interesting.
Article is HERE.

Duma Key by Stephen King

2008-11-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

Promised I'd say something about Duma Key. AND since the title of the blog is Missouri Books I thought I'd better say something about books once in awhile. Plus that's one of the few subjects I know much about.

I liked the book, someone left it on the break-room table @ work and I got started reading it. Bought my own copy and finished. I'll echo what the New York Times said, this book wasn't written for the horror angle of it, that's an added part but other than the hero having some supernatural powers and a few upside down herons and sea shells speaking to him it's a guy trying to come to grips with the hand life has dealt him. Granted he has a better life than many of us, he's a millionaire with considerable undiscovered artistic abilities living on a practically deserted island off of Florida which doesn't sound too bad to me. BUT he's lost an arm and had brain damage from an accident which indirectly cost him his marriage and forced him to take stock which we all know can be painful no matter what your circumstances.

Other unbiased opinions, youngest stepson started reading it (I told him if he borrowed it I'd never see it again, horrible stepmother, horrible) and he started laughing hysterically which is not what most people do when reading a Stephen King book but the first part is funny in a black humor sort of way.

New York Times review is here.

Or go to amazon to buy @ Amazon.com.

Or do what I did and go to your friendly Wal Mart and pick it up!!

For other things for sale check out moads4u.com, bookmark it we'll have more on soon!!

Dog found a mile from land?

2008-11-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

Fishing guide Dean Lamont and his charter found this Labrador retriever swimming more than a mile from land. Go to link to read the rest of the story.News Observer

It was a yellow lab, I have a soft spot for yellow labs, even though Mugsey has destroyed, my yard pond, my landscape lighting, and my irrigation system. He hates baths though but loves water, had NO idea they could swim that far!!

If you want Christmas puppies here are some Australian Shepard/Border Collie/Queensland Heeler mix Puppies .

GM Bailout and Dow down 444.99 points

2008-11-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Should we bail out GM and the other two of the so called big 3? I feel for all of the employees and retirees, I feel for myself because I have a feeling a wheel mfg. plant here in town will go down thus affecting the local economy (plus flooding the job seekers whom would like MY "other" job such as it is). It would create a huge economic downturn to add to the already poor economy see above, dow keeps going down, down, down. My husband who has his own truck and delivers food all over the US might even be affected because people just won't be able to afford as much fresh produce and meat which is what he hauls. I also have a distant cousin that works for Chrysler as an engineer and is still keeping his job although there have been cuts.

On the other hand I don't make much more than minimum wage, partly because I was VERY sick a couple years ago and didn't know how well I could work and the job market was already going bad in June, two years ago I could charge double what I'm making now and that was just for freelancing!! I hear about these union workers who glue carpet on the floor of a car and get $78 an hour and I want to save them? Then I hear about the ceo's of the automakers flying in 3 separate private jets to BEG for money from Washington? That shows me and the rest of the country that they will just use the money to continue in the same manner. When my husband got back into trucking and diesel went up up up the government didn't step in and save all the small trucking companies or any of them if I recall. It was called capitalism and free market, even though the big trucking companies had bought diesel reserves @ much lower prices when they saw what was happening and kept the rates low to cut the competition out. Plus with the reports on how other car makers such as Nissan have lost between 25% and 33% of their sales when they have the fuel efficient models it makes me wonder HOW the Cadillac Escalade (as much as I love em) and other big 3 products are going to sell enough to pull the big 3 out WITH bailout money?

So what's my opinion, not that it matters? It may be painful, VERY painful but let them fail. After the AIG (bail out insurance??, the people who's business is to make sure your life is miserable? I don't think SO) fiasco and no to little accountability for the banks that have received the bailout money it's time to stop the drain. This means I have a caddy and a ford that I may not be able to get parts for and I'm not sure what happens to my extended warranty but it also means maybe the big 3 automakers can come up with another option that may involve bankruptcy or just going under.

On a side note some are saying shut down Wall Street till January 2, 2009, might not be a bad idea? Shut it down! Now!.

Other news sources:
CNN
Drudge Report
Democratic Underground

Found this later: No need for bailout, say diners near thriving car plant, so I'm not all wet?
Ok, I'll quit editing this but here's a link to the CEO's and their jets: Big 3 and their jets, slideshow!

Moads4u Christmas puppies and kittens!!!

2008-11-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here are two of our ads from the webiste, if you are in the Missouri area and want to make your little one's heart sing @ Christmas what better way than a puppy or kitten?

The puppies are in Salisbury MO.
Australian Shepard/Border Collie/Queensland Heeler mix Puppies Will be ready for good homes just in time for CHRISTMAS! The mother is a Australian Shepard/Border collie and the sneaky father is a Queensland Heeler. These puppies are 3 weeks old now and will be 8 weeks old just in time for Christmas gifts! Salisbury, Missouri, go to moads4u.com to see them.

We don't have a picture of the kittens but I know the lady who has these. You can be sure they would make excellent pets!! Versailles MO area Christmas gifts or just in time for the holidays. With all the talk of going green etc. kittens are much more eco friendly for mouse and pest control than anything else. Plus they are warm and fuzzy and purr!!
FREE KITTENS!
7 kittens - Black, tabby, brindle, males & females. Very tame and playful, need a good home!
Go to moads4u.com to see the complete listing!!!

The Beginning

2008-11-20T11:02:00.001-08:00

Hello, I've blogged before but am now REALLY going to do it. Check back for my favorite links and thoughts. Right now I have to get ready for Thanksgiving on my days off from work which I'm sure most of you can relate to. Presently I know 2 kids are coming and my nephew, don't think husband will be home because our little economic downturn hit a year before the main recession did and he has to work maybe. I know one of my step-kids aren't coming even if he is here due to the "other" relatives, but don't know about the rest. We have the model step family, I have no idea how it happened, we still have our spats and bad days but we have great large family gatherings and with 7 kids and various spouses and 11 grandkids it is a LARGE family gathering.
Since I don't have time to do much else I'll just stick a link in here to our new advertising website (our as in my cousin/best friend and I) moads4u. It has links to the website service in case anyone needs a GOOD decently priced website. I do part of the research and writing for the sites, just work otherwise part time, and.............well everyone knows how it is in these economic times.
It's cold here, must cover the air conditioners plus just generally clean house, I work @ Wal Mart and my housekeeping is basically what I HAVE to do, my daughter did offer to take a day off from her job of school nurse to help which I thought was really nice. She sent me an email this morning with several interesting thoughts in it, the first three are:

1. There are at least two people in this world
that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world
love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you
is because they want to be just like you.

Something to think about?

AND since the title of this is Missouri Books, I'm reading "No Country For Old Men" currently. It's different than the movie everyone says, I haven't seen the movie but the book is more of a mans book I think (which means I haven't stayed up way too late reading it when I should be sleeping)? The other one by Cormac Mc Carthey I read is "The Road" I guess it could be considered a mans book too but I REALLY liked it, reminded me of a short version of "The Stand" by Stephen King. I tend to get obsessed with Stephen Kings books though. "Duma Key" was my downfall last week. We'll talk about it more, I could really relate to it after living in Florida and on the coast for awhile and I'm an artist or used to be, like the main character turns out to be, I don't think that's giving too much away. "No Country For Old Men" jumps around with no preamble or history, I guess "The Road" does the same thing but you only have a few characters in it, in No Country it seems like there are more characters but as often happens I'm about half way through it and I'm really getting into the book. He's an excellent author though, book is worth the money and it's on the buy one get one 1/2 off @ Borders or @ least the one @ Independence Center Mall. A thought for the guy on your Chrismas list? And no they didn't pay me to say that.
Well my kittens are calling, I have to move the cat box, somehow we had no cats for years because the dogs wouldn't allow it, this summer and fall somehow I've raised 3 sets of orphan or semi orphan kittens? The one from the first set that is still alive is almost a cat now. Don't worry the dogs didn't get the other kittens, they SLEEP on the outside dog. The newest ones are @ the top. Devil, Paris and Crusoe. Devil is the black one obviously, Paris is the fluffy red one, and Crusoe is a survivor, he/she/it was almost dead when I found them one cold Sunday afternoon, had to force it's mouth open to put the kitten bottle in and wrapped it up in a towel in front of the heater and it survived!! Don't know what happened to mama, I'd saved them all once and brought them to our log cabin and then mama disappears!!! Could have been coyotes etc. Mama was officially a feral cat, these kittens have decided they like the tame warm life and canned cat food JUST fine after hissing @ me for the first 4 days in the house. Came home from work and found husband asleep with kittens sleeping ON him one night and 2 days before that we could barely touch them!! LOL