We will celebrate her life...

It is two weeks now since Gloria, my mom, left this earth for Eternity.

Sunday the 21st, we are having a celebration of her life.

I have spent more hours then I can count, making a movie video of her life with her favorite "Big Band" music embedded in it.

And after scanning hundreds of old, and not so old pictures, I have her 'life' embedded in my mind via these pictures. I have viewed them for hours on end, and I am so glad I had the honor of doing this for her.

As someone who has loved to blog, I have not done much blogging in the last 11 and a half months...as all of our lives changed after Christmas 2009.

As much as my life as well as my sisters life changed while we played "tag" to cover stopping by her residence in assisted living , it was Mom's life which changed the most. And such a hard year it was for her. She fought to recover, but her body was just not able to rebound as she wanted so badly.

I wrote a tribute to my mother on Mothers Day, May 7th, 2009. I would like to include it here, as I don't think I can find any other words to describe this strong, classy, independent, and very smart woman that I was fortunate to call "Mom" for the 6 decades God has given me to share with her on this earth...

I am thankful for my Mom. She is the Matriarch in our Family...and I can honestly say, she is an amazing woman.

She lives here in Washington part of the year, and she lives in Henderson, Nevada the other part of the year. We tease her, telling her that she is bored here in Washington, where 4 of her 5 kids live. This is because her life in Nevada is full of active friends, and many soirees.. as well as her friend George (who I must say, treats her like an Angel)!

She is smart, and sharp and savvy, and kind of strong willed! My mother is in her 80's and a mother of 5, and loved by all of us, and our families.

I honestly think she could of done anything she wanted to, as she is a natural business woman. Like most women of her generation..she did not work outside the home when we were young. She did have a small business at one time, she had a darling Consignment Shop in the "little" town of Issaquah Washington and she later got her Real Estate License, which was a great opportunity to find great deals on houses.

She and my father did very well with finding houses, and they would do a little work on, and than add the new purchase to their little string of rentals.

My parents did not believe in using credit, something their generation learned from the real depression, and my generation and my kids generation can still learn a lot from them.

Mom is a blessings to her children, grandchildren, and her great grandchildren. When my first child was born, Mom said she was to young to be a Gramma, and said the grand kids could call her GG (short for .. Gramma Gloria)..poor Mom, she was immediately named "Gramma GG" ... and has been so ever since!

So.. as I always tell her, I love you Mom!

She enjoyed her piano...we enjoyed it when she played.

Me with her, when I was about 16...

Goodbye to my Mom

The last eleven and a half months have been the hardest period of my mom's long life.

I am one of five kids who had the honor of calling Gloria
"Mom".

I can honestly say, she was one very classy lady who lived life with zest, to it's fullest!

She was a mom; a wife, a world traveler, an entrepreneur, a realtor, and she was a great friend to so many.

She honored this earth with her presence for 86 years, 11 months, and 4 days. We were all thankful for being part of her life.

After breaking her hip late Christmas Eve last year, her life changed dramatically. She was not able to be independent, and could not go back to her lovely Condo on the water of Lake Washington.

She never complained.

We are so thankful we were able to get her back to her home, surrounded by her family, friends, and memories... for the last two weeks of her life.

She passed away on Nov 6th, 2010.

"I Love You Mom...."

Have you ever seen a Munchkin cat?

OK, I vowed not to get another cat, and I think I will hold to this for a while.

Maybe when we downsize...

But when I do, this is the cat I want. I have never seen one before, nor even heard of them.
My mom is in a interim care facility, after a stay in the hospital. When she was admitted this cat that lives at the facility, decided her bed was his bed. When I got there he was all cozy, laying on her bed.

When he was ready to leave... well let s just say this is kitty "low-rider" (they have super short front legs)..I had to follow him out the door trying to get a picture of him.. low in the front, high in the back!

They are not bred to be this way, but have a mutant gene...whatever it is, this is my next cat!

Am I the only one who had not heard of a Munchkin cat?

Goodbye to Delilah...

My Manx cat Delilah, crossed the "rainbow bridge" today.
She was our only cat, and lived in the garage. She was a great mouser, and also got a few scoldings for bringing bird sacrifices as well. She loved her paradise and kitty jungle, which was my flower garden, near the bird feeders of course!

She drove the poor birds crazy, stalking them under the bird feeders. Sometimes when outside, you would see her jump straight up in the air. She would be trying to catch a bird in flight or about to feed.

She was also notorious for trying to race under the garage door, when it was being shut, like a game of Russian roulette. Yes, that is where we are going with this...

Late this morning, I had left the house and shut the garage door, as always. Usually I would stop the door about 5 inches from the ground, so she had a way in and out.

I forgot this morning...

My husband found her when he went out later. All I can say is that I feel horrible, just horrible.

I buried her under her bird feeders, in her own "private kitty jungle" which she loved so much.

We will miss you dear Delilah..

Real Cowboys..(I promise.. I will stop after this one!)..

Please humor me...I love the Budwesier Donkey!

What can I say.. this makes me want to go get myself a donkey!

Have you seen this yet? The amazing dancing Dog...

You may have seen this pooch.

Wow.. she does the whole dance..what an amazing dog... I hate to say it but it makes my pooch's seem kind of ..well.. lame in the talent department.

Any country folk out there...with limited internet access like me?

Just a little rant...

We just made the change to Wild Blue Satellite Internet (I like the sound of that.. Wild Blue).

Anyway, we finally found that Clearwire was just not working for us. I am hoping we did not make a mistake with Wild Blue, as the speeds seem slowwwwww.

We do not have Comcast, or any kind of FIOs.. darn. I suppose most of you do, and am thinking that is high on the 'must have' list when we move someday.

I just hate that we are surrounded by homes that would pay for good internet if we could just get it,....urrrrr!

I do have a Palm Pre Smart-phone which has 5G of free "Hotspot" to use each month. Get this, it actually is the fastest of all! I just feel limited with 5 Gigs..

It is very frustrating to know how dependent I am on the internet...

So, any feedback from you all, did I make a mistake?

Thanks for letting me vent for a moment.. !

Going to the Gym...?

Do you go to the gym?

I don't know if it is just me, or if there really is some truth to what I am noticing. More people are going to the gym.

I joined a gym about 4-5 years ago. I had worked with someone who was going to 24 Hour Fitness. She started looking different. She dropped weight, and was toning up.

For myself, the fight against weight was ongoing. As I get older, it was getting harder and harder to loose weight. I was doing Weight Watchers (sort of), yet fighting with yo-yo weight gain/loss.

Now I have an even better solution, so I do not have to drive to the gym and stop on the way home...

My company opened an on campus gym about a year ago, for only $15.00 per month membership.For this $15.00 charge we get high end treadmill's, elliptical, spinning bikes, gym machines, weights of all sorts, TV to watch while working out, classes as well as personal trainers. All of this for $15.00 per month!

Now we also have this incentive that if you do not take sick days, you get paid for them the following year. The company has added another bonus, if you go to the gym 12 days a month, and do not have sick time from June through December, you will get an additional $120.00 at the end of the year.

What is very cool is how may people use the gym, and many in my age group!

Because I usually need to plan to stop on my way home by the Assisted Living place where Mom is, I have had a hard time going to the gym for an hour after work. Knowing I had to fight worse traffic as the afternoon/evening progresses makes for one long day.

So fast forward to now.

So, with a new shift bid I did something I have not done in a long time, took a shift with an hour lunch. Because my shift starts at 6:30AM, my lunch is at 10:30 AM. I grab my gym bag, and walk over to the gym for a quick change, and at least 45 minutes of work out (OK, yes I look a bit different after working out, for the last half of my day..to bad!)

I plan on 30 minutes cardio at least 3 days a week, then remaining with free weights or machines...and this last week was my first week doing this. I went 5 days, and each day got back just in time to eat a bit of my lunch too! The kind of work I do also allows me to eat bites of my lunch when I am back to work, which helps.

I must say, this seems to be the best solution for my challenge to go to the gym. I have already seen some weight loss... as I have found that if I do nothing, the weight does something, goes up!

I have some other things that keep me motivated. I have a great application on my HTC Incredible cell phone called "FatSecret" Calorie Counter. It lets me track all calories and exercise on my phone. I can even scan the bar-code's on what I eat (Lean Cuisine anyone?).

There are many of these very helpful applications, I happen to like this one. I can also access the same information I put on my phone, on my computer.

I also keep motivated by watching shows like Biggest Loser, and also Jillian's new show Losing it with Jillian.

How about you?

Anyone out there finding a creative solution for your need to exercise? I would love to hear, as it will keep me inspired!

Memorial Day... lets honor those who have paid a high price for our Freedom!

Do you have your flags (yes multiple) flying? We do...

I am so proud of our Nation, and the people who have volunteered to protect us, and have given their own lives for us at home.

It is very sad to me, to ask someone if they have their flag out, and they say.."I don't have a flag"..like oh well.

We should all have the flag to fly.

I don't care which side of the American fence you stand on, we all should still honor those who have served and died for our freedom. What a small price for us to pay back to them...to honor them.

We get to have our picnics, take our vacations, go camping, shop the sales, or enjoy a day off as a Holiday....

They served, and gave their lives for this seemingly normal benefit. So if you don't have a flag, get one.

If you are liberal or conservative, or somewhere in the middle... fly your flag!!!

And thank you to all our Military people out there!!!

Did someone say.. virtual party?

My... I seem to have fallen off the side of the earth!

But, I climbed, and pushed, and grabbed every piece of rock I could find to get back UP!

So.. where else would I start, then with a Virtual Night Out with my friends!

My candy bar name...Sugar Sweet Chunk Honey!

Happy Weekend :)

Brea's new puppy... Zuka

Dogue de Bordeaux

Have you seen Turner and Hooch with Tom Hanks? Well this is my daughters new dog. What a cool dog, she is a Hooch dog.. really a Dogue de Bordeaux, also known as a French mastiff.
She is so MELLOW. My kind of dog!

I just had to share some of her cute pictures, from last weekend. Brea is taking her to puppy class, and they said she has to get out and meet ..like 50 people. So she came to our house, and knocked about 7 off the list!

To busy to post?

Because of all that is going on, the opportunity to sit down and put together a post is becoming more difficult.

Also I am feeling like I am in a slump... maybe due to the ongoing list that is time consuming, and energy consuming. I think that big birthday I had last year has made me feel old...and tired!

Lets see.... a 40 hour work week, plus my lunch period. With an added commuting time of 1 hour and 45 minutes a day to do said job.

Because I have to be at work at 6:30 am, I do not get enough sleep which adds to the stress because I am so tired most of the time.

My mom is on the way home from work, and if I don't have time to stop I feel guilty. I stop as often as I can. I am already feeling guilty that my poor sister is handling most of the overseeing of Mom, since she is currently on a work furlough from the airlines.

OK, then we have 7 animals at home. One is my horse Betsy, who has an abscess that is requiring soaking daily with Epsom Salts. This takes time and effort.

I also feel guilty if I take to long to get home, as that is a long time for the dogs to not have their people.

At this time we are preparing for a trip to California for 6 days. I hate getting ready for trips! I never know what I should bring, and always bring the wrong stuff, and too much.

In most peoples eyes, maybe it would not seem like my "list" should cause a slump. But we all have our own level...where we know we have hit the stress bar. Mine may be lower than others.

We will be heading to California the middle of next week, for 6 days. It will be hectic, as we have functions 3-4 days of that time. All in different locations; Orange, Yucaipa and Palm Desert..so it will be go go go!

On this trip we will stop in Orange to catch up with some of his old office friends, as that Friday they are closing the corporate office in Orange.

My husband lived in Orange for a couple years, while I stayed home here in Washington. This was over 5 years ago, but oh do I still remember that period of my life.

I did not know that I was depressed during that time, I just slid into it and did my routine. It was only later that it was clear to me that I had been depressed during this period.

Depression just comes in like the gray Seattle weather and it is just there, day after day. You just think this is normal. I am so glad that period of my life is over, it was awful.

Ken had been transferred to corporate headquarters in Orange, for a major hearth product company whom he had worked for in Washington. We did not plan on it being that long.

I was home with the horses and chores, which meant all of the care included for them. Daily feeding before and after work, cleaning stalls, watering, all care with no help... on top of my job and commuting.

One of those winter's we had a terrible ice storm in January. I was without power here and cold, very cold. I had to hand carry water to the horses and could not get off the property due to fallen trees on our road. I also could not get the generator to start.

Can you imagine how I felt, while I was freezing, and so burned out... and when I called him he tells me that ...he was in his shorts golfing....(ahhhhhh!!!) That was not what I had wanted to hear.

Also on this trip, we are going to Amy's wedding Sunday on Valentines day in Yucaipa. She is Ken's daughter, and we are all excited that she and Jeremy are combining their family's for a new chapter in her and Miracle's ( our granddaugher) life!

Also we will be out at my husbands sisters place in the desert some of the time as well...hmmm.. golfing?

While we are gone this week, I feel terrible that the animal care will fall on my daughter, who already has a full load on her plate.

Because the old pony has a special diet, she will need to make multiple trips to soak beets, come back and feed beets, and the regular feedings as well. Oh yes, then we have the dogs. They go out and are fed in the morning, then back in. Out in the afternoon, and hopefully some kid play time with the grand kids. And finally, fed and in and out again at night.

I also feel guilty doing this to our dogs. It would be ideal if we had a pet sitter, but that is not in this tight budget.

And, of course I won't be able to see Mom, so even more responsibility falls on my sis, who truly already has earned the angel of all angel's on earth award! She is amazing, and I feel bad I cannot help her more.

So.. I will do my best to put everything in perspective..and try to think and work smart. One thing I know, it always turns out OK in the end.

I have a little calligraphy sign that I have had for years that says:

"What doesn't kill me will make me strong"

So.. to look at it another way....

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength!
Phil 4:13

OK, I can do this!

Happy new week to all!

Tether....

I have a backup solution for my Internet woes.

Because I use my Netbook sometimes, I reactivated my Mobile Broadband as my backup due to the recent instability of my Clear Internet connections. I really did not want to pay for the occasional Internet use, with a monthly charge, on top of my regular data for my Smartphone.

While helping someone else resolve an issue along the same line as mine, I found an application called "Tether" that is offered through Blackberry App World, which works with my Blackberry phone. This application allows me to tether my phone for unlimited Internet access, for a one time charge under $50.00! How come I didn't know this?!!

I use the 3G wireless internet network, with my phone as my modem...have I mentioned how much more I love my Blackberry now?!

Can you envision Snoopy from Charlie Brown, doing that happy little dance he does? Just put my face on him...that is me right now!! And I got it hooked up, all by myself!

I am happy to say..(unless I run into a glitch)... I am back online!

So, now the test is on, to see if this may even allow us to drop Clear? Maybe this problem can end up being a blessing?

So, I am going to see if I can leave comments, and all that stuff..yeah!!

Have a great Sunday everyone ;)

Clarification:

To explain how this application works:
I purchased a "third party" application that is available on most "Smartphone's" (which is a phones that has a required data package, such as Blackberry's and Palms, etc). I download the purchased third party application into my phone, and also on to my computer.

When I connect my phone with either Bluetooth, or a USB plug to my computer, the data access is via the cell phone. My phone has become my Internet connection.

There are thousands of 3rd party applications out there, that do all sorts of things, and plenty more to come!!!

Still hanging in there with on and off Internet!

I came home sick today.. man, I have not had a cold like this for a long time.

Because I already had a Dr appointment, my Dr recommended some med's to help with the cold. Boy, that Sudefed stuff works great!

Oh, and the reason for the Dr visit, is my Mom has developed shingles.... and I was not sure if I had Chicken Pox at any time...

So I got Inoculated for Chicken Pox today... because they are connected...oh my!

Let me tell you, watching my Mom deal with the pain of Shingles is awful! She is a trooper, and it is a painful hard thing to deal with as it effects the nerve endings, and open sores.

Due to a slow recovery from the Shingles as well as dealing with the long recovery from her fall and hip surgery, she feels like she is getting hit from all sides.

Life changes overnight after these moments, in an elderly persons life. It sucks to see it happen.

To see a strong fairly independent person, have their choices change in a moment of time, due to a fall... the change effects everyone in the family, and especially Mom.

She is dealing with it all with a positive attitude, or at lease as positive as she can be while going through the slow recovery and rehab process.

So.. my doc als0 said for me and you: make sure you are getting enough calcium and do weight bearing exercise!

With the limited time to access the Internet, as well as the issues we are having with our on again/off again Internet, I really am sorry I have not been able to come by to say hello...but as time passes..I will come by and say hello!

(OK..lets see if this will post!)

Thanks to all of you, my friends in the land of blog...for coming on by to check in on me, and...

Happy Friday.. and have a great weekend!!



Jan : )

Major internet issues with Clear!

We are being effected by a change in our ability to use our Internet, since Clear "updated" their modems.

As you may have noticed...this has effected my ability to blog, and especially to comment. The little icon just spins and spins!

Does anyone out in the land of blog use either Hughes Satellite Internet or Wildblue? If so, please provide us with your feedback!

Clear sent out their tech person, who said we will not see improvements, and that those of us on the "fringe area" of their coverage are seeing a negative effect to the changes they have made. Gee, really? We do not have any other options such as Comcast, or Verizon FiOs. Living in the "country" has some challenges for sure!

This is so frustrating, try paying your online bills, with no online to pay them from! So... I miss my blogging friends for now, and will be back as soon as we have something that will work! Jan :)

Betsy in Camouflage

For project 2010 365 #5...I have a strange shot of Betsy through the skinny branches of my Butterfly bush.. kind of camouflaged!

2010 Project 364 #4..Zoe

A gloomy day for sure, but I had to let the horses out to stretch their legs yesterday.. Zoe stopped eating long enough to smile for me.. she could of swallowed first!

I am bouncing my entries for Project 365 back and forth between my 2 blogs, so hopefully I won't confuse you as you come on by!

If you want to see the other shots, they will be on Mt Forest Pictures.

Yeah... and Happy New ...what a night!

The 'kids" came to our house with their kiddlings, after an afternoon of bowling and pizza.
I was able to sneak a visit to Mom's earlier as well, boy has she improved! She is off the heavy duty drugs, and says she will work hard with her PT to get better fast!

At home, the other half had a large burn pile he was saving for a bonfire, so this was the night...

And fireworks as well, which Cory (our son in law) brought.

The horses were bothered, at least Betsy and Buddy were. Zoe is deaf, so she doesn't understand why Betsy gets herself in a tizzy. All the neighbors were setting bombs off, or at least it sounded like it, there were some pretty big bangs going on! I had to go to the barn to assure Betsy her world had not come to an end.

The kids played games, we talked, laughed and ate popcorn and cheesecake.

We also put on Harry and the Henderson's. My 5 year old granddaughter Avery thought for sure there were monsters in the movie, despite our encouragement on how Harry is not a monster! She loved Harry in the end with all of us. I was delighted the kids had not seen it before, so it was new to all of them.

Get this, I sat on hold earlier in the day with Linksys for 3 hours...( I am not kidding.. 3 hours!) waiting for technical help to get my new wireless router working with my Mac. I had it on speakerphone, while I searched for assistance online on our wired computer. I took a shower, dried my hair, got ready to go bowling with the family..all on hold. I finally hung up!

When the kids came in the evening, my daughter Brea did her magic, and got my new wireless router working on my Mac.

Thumbs up for Brea, thumbs down for Linksys.

I took this shot of the moon, and had to tweak it a bit.. but, it really did not look like a blue moon to me...the tweaking added a nice blue blaze though!


Taken shortly after midnight on 1-1-2010.. from our house to yours...on a wet 1st day of January...my first shots for the year!



I hope this really is a great year for all.