HUMANE SOCIETY WEB PAGE WITH PICTURES
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OOPS
HI THERE BUCKAROOS
We kind of goofed up and published one of our posts from High Country Meadow here on Indiana Territory. We were going to delete it, but what the heck. Come visit us - just follow the spotlight in the sky.
We would like anyone who can help identify this refugee to contact us here at HCC. She has amnesia and we can't quite figure out her accent, although it is definitely Pooish.
This young refugee is waiting to reveal her name until she is sure secret asian men are not chasing her.
HIBERNATOR FORWARDED A SITE
I opened up an email and found
this site highlighted so I would click on it. It is about snakes, lots and lots of snakes . . . Remember, I am the one who was too scared to see Snakes on a Plane.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS . . .
I often heard in my childhood this reprimand: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I imagine in my adulthood, a lot of people have thought it. So I can be nasty and snarky and just a bitch - a mean one - but I never for once thought that any negative reactions would be aimed at anyone other than myself . . . and that they would be remarks, snubs, scornful looks.
I popped open my laptop this morning to see that a Berlin production of a Mozart opera in which the director - whose name I can't remember and I don't feel like backpedalling to the original site to find out - shows the heads (severed) of Mohammed and Jesus among others. The idea is that it is a protest over organized religion. Maybe not something I want to look at.
The article was on the main CNN page not because of the above, but because the production might offend Muslims. Yes, it might offend a lot of people. Muslims, however, have shown a tendency to thwack the bemohammed out of anyone and any organization, including their government's edifices, who make any expressions about the prophet they deemed, well, not nice.
Not demonstrations, editorials and letters to the editor - but destruction and rioting and death threats. Actually this isn't new - the late Ayotollah Khomeini put out a major death curse on the author, Salman Rushdie.
I wrote in the title that I didn't know about this . . . indicating I was taken aback . . . now, I am thinking a little clearer and I don't like this at all.
OH DEAR - MORE BAD PUBLICITY FOR BEARS
It was an accident - really
I took a look at the Offbeat news and found
THIS STORY about a mishap involving a teddy bear, a body of water and a bunch of fish.
UP EARLY ON A TUESDAY MORNING
I woke up about five this morning, feeling pretty rested. And why was that? Probably because I fell asleep during CSI:Miami. The last thing I remember was Caruso's red/orange hair and a fade to commercial. I have a very vague memory of awakening and turning the TV off, but other than that it was a night of dreams, which I can't remember but am aware of having. I don't think there were any snakes in them - which was good.
Now it is 5:53 am and pitch black outside my windows, albeit that darkness may be emphasized by the fact there are lights on in the room. I am waiting for the Journal-Gazette to come, not so much to see the front page, but to see the latest installment in Get Fuzzy and Mother Goose and Grimm - not to mention the Sudoku. It should be a two out of five star puzzle today . . . Where IS that delivery guy? Oh, yeah, I'm up early.
GREAT KATRINA PICTURES
Surfing around on the web, I found
THIS SITE which has lots of pictures on the entire area affected by Katrina.
YO
The sky is a great color of blue today; the air is clear - no humidity to speak of - and there is a breeze. I could have this type of weather every day of the year and not grow tried of.
WHAT HAPPENED??? I no more than typed the above paragraph than "poof" a shadow falls over the room thanks to a clouds appearing in the sky. This is what I simply cannot stand about Northern Indiana . . . can we not have one day that we can trust to be sunny all day long?
Oh, by the way, I was out at Baker's today and they had little sayings on the calendar at the counter. Today's concerned having a good mood because it is contagious. Ironic, huh? Hmmmmph, clouds . . . Are you in a good mood now?
CLINTON TALK
Well, Bill Clinton got a little piqued
on TV today.
In the interview, which was taped on Friday, Clinton also lashed out at Fox's Chris Wallace, accusing him of promising to discuss Clinton's initiative on climate change, then straying from the issue by asking why the former president didn't do more to "put bin Laden and al Qaeda out of business."
"So you did Fox's bidding on this show. You did your nice little conservative hit job on me," he said to Wallace, occasionally tapping on Wallace's notes for emphasis. "I want to know how many people in the Bush administration you asked this question of?
"And you've got that little smirk on your face and you think you're so clever. But I had responsibility for trying to protect this country. I tried and I failed to get bin Laden. I regret it," Clinton said.
Wallace said that the question was drawn from viewer e-mails.
SYDNEY APPEARS TO BE ILL
In more comfortable days - a week ago.
Sydney is having pain in his abdomen and, in a return call from Dr. Bernard, he is getting a painkiller and I will take him in tomorrow. There is a lot of chaos here and no doubt the situation is not helping him feel more comfortable.
SATURDAY'S BAG DAY
Last night I was going to read, but thought perhaps I should get to sleep because . . . at 8 am Bag Day started. Bag Days are usually great and I managed to scarf up a lot of knick-knacks to become part of my eclectic collection of potential Christmas tree ornaments. One ornament-to-be is still unidentified; it looks like a tin tea leaf dipper on steroids, which is to say it is a grapefruit-sized hollow tin with holes punched in it and hangs on a small chain with a hook. I think I need to post pictures . . .
RUMMAGE SALE FINDS
Pictures will follow but I can't wait to mention the late 50's, early 60's Mirro Cake Carrier that I found over in the pots and pans corner. The top is coppertone and it fits snugly onto the bottom with clips to hold it in place. Yea for me!!!!!!!!! I also got a big Revere skillet . . . yes, yes, yes. Oh, did I mention the two afghans?
A NICE WEATHER DAY
Yea!!! Mostly sunny with a high of 66. That sounds good. We have had a lot of iron grey sky days this September. Now, let's keep our fingers crossed for Apple Festival.
CALIFORNIA SUES AUTO MAKERS - RIDICULOUS
HERE is an article about a lawsuit filed by California against the auto makers in relation to the exhaust they produce. Now, let me see . . . isn't California the state that fully embraced the automobile, bragged about how they were a society based on the automobile? Didn't they turn the drive-in eatery into an American institution and now, "Oops, the Detroit Devil made us do it." Jeez-Louise.
METHODIST RUMMAGE SALE
Trinity Methodist has scheduled it's semi - annual rummage sale for Friday, with bag day on Saturday. It can be a real treasure hunt and adventure - one year I bought a table and 3 chairs for a little over $25.
WHEN THE KIDS' DAD WAS A SENIOR
Click on the image to enlarge.
CROCODILE HUNTER'S FAVORITE SONG
You can read about the memorial service for the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, at this
SITE where it mentions that at the end of the service Irwin's crocodile gear was loaded up in his car and driven off to the playing of his favorite song, True Blue by John Williamson. The singer's rendition is available at itunes for 99¢. I bought it.
MEMORIAL FOR CROCODILE HUNTER
I am still upset at the loss of Steve Irwin, and apparently a lot of other people are as well. A
memorial service - or celebration of his life - was held at the Australia Zoo in Queensland.
ALMOST COLDER
If it were ten degrees warmer, I would be saying that it is cooler in Kendallville; however, since it is damp and the wind is out of the north and the temperature is right around 60˚, it feels almost cold. Right now we have a creosote eating log burning in the fireplace in preparation for the fires of fall and winter.
Colin came home with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from KMS and much to our surprise it is a pre-packaged thing from
Smucker's.
MY LIST OF THINGS TO BE "ON NOTICE"
You can make one of these by going
HERE.
SOME PICTURES
Here is Summer mowing the lawn .
Summer and Cameron at the fairgrounds. See the grin on Cameron's face? That is because he found two straws and is going to pretend they are snake fangs and zap me. See the look on Summer's face? She can see the straws behind his back and knows something is up.
Cameron digging in back to put in cement blocks in a parking area for a car.
Little Ann happy at the fairgrounds.
Cameron, Summer, Little Ann and Sydney at the fairgrounds - Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006
THE LEG AT KENDALLVILLE WENDY'S
Today was the second non-medical outing and we went to Wendy's. I never noticed this when I was by myself, but the only place where there is an inclined spot in the curb is right by the place where cars line up to use the drive-through line. Also the booths in Wendy's are all set up so that the bench part is to the left as you stand at the end of the table. This means that anyone with a bad left leg cannot slide in with that leg against the back of the seat.
Well, there was one booth, but it was an extra-large one for bigger families/groups.
GOVERNOR DANIEL'S "THAT BOY" COMING TO KENDALLVILLE
I guess "that boy" - so dubbed by my mother, Sarah Grismore, after he managed to get a state so far west of the Atlantic Ocean on Eastern Daylight Savings Time that it is ridiculous - will be in Kendallville tomorrow at about 1pm at the 6 and 3 intersection to set off the road-widening project.
I am tempted to hold a placard proclaiming "To Hell with GD Time."
KENDALLVILLE'S NORTH SIDE TRAFFIC JAM
A long, long trail awinding . . .
AN OUTING
One day past four calendar weeks since he broke his leg/ankle, Robert got to go to Burger King - his first non-medical automotive outing.
NOW HE'S IN 8TH GRADE
KENDALLVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL
KMS has been conducting a fundraiser based on selling products from Club's Choice Fundraising. The website for this company is
HERE. An article from 2004 about Club's Choice is
HERE and contains this very interesting bit:
They always try to make sure that you understand that you can make money on this, but in reality they're making a lot more money than we are," Bowen says. "We may get $2 for something that we sell for $8, and $6 of that is going back to that company. so it would be a whole lot easier for me to say, 'Give me $5 as a parent, and you don't have to buy anything.'"
Gary Bowen, fundraising coordinator for Hermantown schools
ANOTHER TWO HOUR DELAY
Ack! East Noble is once again on a two hour fog delay . . . Will it go to three? Oh, the humanity.
VISIT TO AFTER HOURS CLINIC - MEETING DR. ENGLE
Summer stepped on a nail outside tonight and I took her over to the After Hours Clinic by Parkview. When I was a kid - a long time ago - a tetanus shot was only good for about a year. Now the interval is much longer, but since we weren't certain we took her in to be checked. FYI: today's tetanus shot's are good for 10 years.
Summer who was seen by Dr. Engle came home with an antibiotic.
When I was a kid growing up, my dad was always cautioning me to be careful around rusty nails, especially ones in barnyards. It turns out his ancestor cut his foot with an axe in Southern Indiana back in 1822 and died of lockjaw and the story had been passed down through the generations. Lockjaw was a terrible death and apparently it made quite an impression on the family.
John Roebling, who designed The Brooklyn Bridge, caught his foot between a pier and an incoming barge and contracted lockjaw, dying in agony in New York City. Roebling believed in what was called the "water cure" and eschewed any other medical advice. His body was racked with convulsions triggered by sound and the street beneath his window was covered with straw to muffle the sounds of horses' hooves. His son, Washington Roebling, went on to build the bridge.
As I remarked on the horrors of tetanus in the past, Dr. Engle interrupted to say, "Well, if you want a tetanus shot . . . " I guess he thought I was spooked by historical references . . . and didn't realize I am just an inveterate conversationalist.
On the other hand, when I got home I looked in the mirror to see if I looked as stupid as he seemed to think I was.
COOLER IN KENDALLVILLE
After a lot of heat in June and July and part of August that could - and sometimes almost did - suck the air right out of your lungs when you stuck your head out the door, today's high was around 60 degrees. It was also rained on and off, and, in fact, is raining right now.
The cool - some call it chilly when the breeze comes up - weather feels good.
But it feels also as if we were robbed of summer - at least a Northern Indiana one. I can remember melting day after day in Cincinnati, the heat and humidity of the Ohio River Valley holding people hostage in air conditioning. Usually in Indiana shade will provide some relief - with the exception of a couple of weeks in August. Not this year.
Weather is a transient thing, and irksome at most, so it cannot be the root of one of my oft-experienced thought: Why did my ancestors stop in Indiana instead of going on west to some neat place . . . such as Oregon, California, Wyoming, Montana? But noooooo! They had to stay on the banks of the Wabash and along the Indiana/Michigan border.
But, then again, I am still here . . . so never mind.
LIZARD DEATH
A little while ago the lizard, Lincoln, died. I would have said "croaked" but remember, he was a lizard and not a toad or a frog. He was named after President Lincoln which was intended to be an honor for the late leader, but it is hard to think of a lizard as noble.
This morning we removed the memento mori - that is to say, the reminders of his death . . . such as the huge tank. Alison scooped out the chips that had originally smelled of cedar, but now had another aroma, and together we took the tank downstairs and outdoors. Going backwards down the stairs was an adventure . . . then we both ran for the bath. oooooooh. Lizard dirt.
Well, Lincoln. Rest in peace.
YES! HE DID IT . . . AND SO DID ALISON
Cameron actually did go to see Snakes on a Plane; frankly, I thought he would bail. He actually thought it was sort of funny and laughed out loud a couple of times. Alison said, "There were lots of snakes . . . lots of snakes . . . lots of snakes."
LOOKS LIKE RAIN
We took some clothes the kids had outgrown to the Salvation Army truck at the Rural King parking lot area today and the two men working at the truck helped us unload our TWO loads. To load the clothes, we opened a window upstairs and threw out garbage bags filled with them. Then we transferred the pile on the driveway to the trunk and backseat. Getting the bags out the window was a little harder than anticipated because the windows crank out . . . and the ones in the room we used pivot at the center. We only had a few inches to ease the bags out, but we suffered no bag casualties.
Summer came in while Alison and I were bombing the driveway and promptly took over that job. After I went down to start putting stuff in the car - and Summer was left upstairs - I became a target of opportunity and was hit by a pair of shorts. Ah, life as a grandmother.
KENDALLVILLE - SNAKES ON A PLANE
Well, Snakes on a Plane is at the Strand. So far, Alison and Cameron are planning to go tonight, but I am betting that Cameron will bail. I am tempted to go and try watching it, but then I realize that would not be good . . . yet, it calls me. Here the call? Joooooddddddyyy, Jooooodddddyy! Come slither with us.
Summer just looked at a box from Wal-mart and thought "latex" was "laxative" - I don't really know what she thought; I don't think I want to know. We could put her on "dog patrol" - no need to waste the gloves.
TOTAL MESS AT NORTH SIDE
Here are a couple of pictures resulting from the new pick-up policy at North Side. We were there to get #115; it was a long wait in line and then a rush to get in the car.
This is out on Harding Street in a line to pull up to the school.
Okay, we are inched into the drive and are still way, way back . . . waiting. See the huge throng waiting moblike at the door?
GETTING THE BOOT
Today we went to Orthopaedics NorthEast and Robert exchanged his red cast for a boot. It is black and big and I'll put a picture up. He had to sign a paper acknowledging that he would pay for the boot if the insurance wouldn't cover it. Four or five times a day, he has to take the boot off and flex his foot for about five minutes at a time.
He is still pretty much immobile . . . and the bell rings on.
THE YARD
I can not call the grass that grows around my house a lawn; it just has too many weeds in it for that. I think I need a lawn service, however; and I definitely need some anti-gopher strategy.
I did mow today, though, and it was a lot more pleasant doing so than it was back in those broiling days of July. I did not have my mowing partner with me this time, because Sydney was staying inside with Hibernator and Robert of the broken leg. Usually, he follows right behind me as I go back and forth across the front yard. I sometimes wonder what the people driving by or waiting for a train to pass think as they see him trailing after me.
Sydney is a good mower of lawns; I am fair to middling.
OH, BY THE WAY
I had a birthday the last week in August - actually one week ago today - and Summer (with the guidance of her mother, Alison) made a cake for me.
THE FIRST NON-MEDICAL OUTING
Before it got cloudy and started to spit rain, we were out back to grill some hamburgers and hot dogs, this time with (grumpy-looking) Grandpa and Summer doing the job. Here is the usual chef with his new wheelchair driver. Does she look a little too mischievous?
X-RAY OF SCREWED UP LEG
Aha, here is the x-ray of Robert's leg following surgery. He broke it three weeks ago this coming Tuesday, had it in a splint cast for over two weeks and just got a regular cast on Thursday morning. We think this cast has helped to reduce the amount of pain he is feeling - and he is now playing dominoes with Summer. I will try to get a picture, but she is a cutthroat domino player and may be afraid a photo would reveal her technique.
I MADE A MISTAKE
In the Kendallville Mall, I misspelled John Cazier's name as Casier. I don't know how I did this. I have apologized to him and he was very nice about it.
HIBERNATOR FINDS LOTS OF RAIN IN GEORGIA
It took Hibernator about twice as long to reach Atlanta from Warner-Robins AFB because of heavy rain and slow-going on I-75. A lot of flights had been delayed or cancelled because of Ernesto churing along the coastline. He arrived at about 10 on a very dark night - but it wasn't stormy here.
