~Nice to Know~

I like knowing that what I share here... about me and my life,

and how I live, is appreciated.. Means alot to me.. To hear

that the pictures I put here of my self and my family that others

like to see them and know a bit more about me, means alot to me..

and I enjoy sharing them and thinking back to those good times..

and even sometimes the not so good..but then even those still can

be good-they cant hurt you now..but remind you that HEY..

you made it.. :-) and where you have been...

I was chatting to a dear friend today and telling things on my

self, which I am REALLY good at doing..things Ive done.. I have

to say some were extremely hard to do..but at the time I had NO

choice.. The times were so bad and overwhelming I decided the

best way for me to fix it was to RUN... I put my birth certificate and

my photos I wanted into my purse, got dressed..walked to a truck

stop restaurant ..and walked up to a driver, said "where ya going?"

and asked to hitch a ride.. Thats how I ended up in Houston... I had

no choice.. I had to walk away..or I would have sunk..and done things

that I knew I would eventually live to regret..a lifestyle that I KNEW

was NOT for me. The only recourse was to Re-Start.. That was the

best thing I could have done.. By the time I got to Houston.. I had a

job and a place to stay waiting for me thanks to Bill, the sweet

truck driver that let me ride along with him..But then too , I had on

a short mid thigh white skirt..white boots up almost to my knee and a

white a purple striped top on..blonde hair down to my waist....well..

I dont think Sweet William hesitated at all.. and bless his heart- he

was a perfect gentleman ..that whole trip from Jackson Mississippi

to Houston, he was one "just passing it along" and he really helped

me when I really needed it..

That was such a good movie..such a good plot..about passing on the

good deeds done to you and doing something for someone else.. I

try to do that.. Ive been helped so many times along the way..times

when I had NO where to go..or food. nothing..but seemed if I turned

JUST the RIGHT way.. there was someone that gave me a helping

hand.. I cant give the help to someone else like the different kinds of

generous things done for me.. but I do have a hand..well 2 of them..

and I sure dont mind helping or encouraging or just giving someone

a Good PUSH if they need motivated.. Thats the only way that I can

"just pass it along" and If everyone did that just think of how much

better it would be. So many just take advantage of people, are users

and only to benefit themselves, no one else, and what really gets

me is when they lie, to get what they want, pretend to be something

they arent.. Thats so NOT good.. and I cant do that.. I wont do that..

Its so much easier to HELP than HINDER...

I am finding as time goes by that I am losing my independence..and
I think THAT is the biggest hurdle for me, that there are just some

things I cannot do and I just have to break down and ASK for some

help..and I will HONESTLY admit.. I would rather rip my tongue out

of my head than do this..but I just HAVE no choice, and the more

time that goes by I see this more and more, and It, for me is very

scarey and I know I wont like it when and IF this really happens and

I lose what independence I do have now, Lord, I dread that thought,

but I DO see this ahead....not soon..but its ahead of me, and just

how does a person really prepare for that? I dont think I really can,

because I have NO idea when it will happen or truthfully IF it will ~!

I hope not..but then again, WHO knows..ONLY the shadow..lol...

I loved that old radio show when they said that.. ONLY THE
SHADOW KNOWS.. was some mystery theatre that was on the

radio years ago.when Sargent Preston of the Yukon, or Sky King

were on..or Amos and Andy and Jack Benny that my parents

really liked... We all had our favorites and we each had a turn to

listen and sat together as a family to listen...wonderful times..the

kids today and families dont really realize how great those times

really were...The good old RADIO DAYS.. :-)

Well What is ahead of me right now is a squeaky clean kitchen that

Raelynn cleaned up for me today and I am going to go out there and

fix some dinner.. I am really hungry..and of course lunch was NOT

what I felt like eating after I looked at it, I dont know really WHAT I

want tho, trying to decide what wont take forever to make and what

will not be just wear and tear on my arms, they get SO heavy when I

have to keep holding them up..like to stir or fry something- I am really

hungry for some chicken and rice with to-ma-toes..lol...thats really

good. it takes awhile to fix and I dont think I can wait THAT long lol.

SO ............ I think I will just go and stare into the pantry and freezer

for a while and see what jumps out at me.. BESIDES DUTCH lol.
Hope you have a good dinner, I need a COOK.. :-) Nitey Nite :-)

Y'all have a good one now y'hear? luv ya...and thanks.. :-)

Always, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~What Happened To July?~

I think was just yesterday I posted that about Sunday Dinners didnt I? This is almost the last day of July..I just dont know where these days are going so fast.. Maybe its these wheels? :-) Its something.!. I feel like the time is going by so fast and I just cant seem to get ONE thing done that I say "ok, time to do this or that" and NEVER do it... I have gotten so bad about putting stuff off to another day.. I should NOT do that..cuz when THAT day gets here well I have other stuff to do.. I know I know, I just stay so busy, I have such FULL schedule...well I do lol.. I Have SO many things that I have to keep track of,...lol... :-) ok not that many, and truth told..nothing major lol..only deciding what Raelynn will do the days shes here ..well daily tho I do plan what I want to write here lol.. THATS a BIGGIE lol.. But lots of fun and DOES keep me out of trouble..well not that I get in any anyway,, I try to..but I just cant seem to... :-) *SiGH*. :-D The past 2 days I have ate myself almost stupid.:-) .all these fresh veggies, but sure a treat.. I just hope the delivery of these doesnt stop..lol...I have my mouth all set for some green beans..and to-mah-toes.. lol..squash and corn.. I bet I have written a dozen times here I MISS MY GARDEN lol.. I do, I would gladly go out, well not in this heat..and tend to it.. I bet if i had a nice little wagon and all my tools in it with me I could do a good job..and if the beds were raised would be pretty easy I would think.... There was a warning on TV last nite about the heat index the next few days that it will be over 110 degrees out ..THATS HOT.. I have my Air on...and I see the heat almost rising from the sidewalk out there its so hot.. the air seems to move almost, so I know its hot out.. These poor people that work in these factories and have no air conditioning.. VERY hard to do.. When I worked for a sewing place down there in Indiana, I was offered another better paying job, I went to my present boss and told him I was made an offer I really cant refuse, and I was going to quit.. He reminded me that the pay might have been higher but THEY had Air in the summer when it got so hot.. And a sewing place DID get hot..those machines all cranked up and so many people in a small space, every inch used to capacity..and hardly ANY air.. I remember those places.. I still went to the one with no Air tho..the money was just too good to refuse... I had, well have, good qualifications for running quite a few different kinds of sewing machines.. I think..about 5 right now that I can operate..and quite well, not bragging ..just FACT ;-) Ive always had a sewing machine..I knew no matter what, I could make a few dollars using it as long as I could get my hands on some material and thread.. My sewing machines Ive had in my life..I will admit have saved me many times from going hungry.. With one of those I could always find something to make that I could sell at a shop or to someone.. Ive had my own sewing business ever since I first left home..and all through the years have always had a sewing room.. I used to even make hats..that was fun...I made all kinds..I made them for a lady and the only problem I had was making them and putting someone else's label in them.. But I loved designing them and coming up with ideas.. My ex brother in law LOVED the fact I made hats..he was a welder, and they are SO funny about the caps they wear..I made his special..reversible and only 1 of a kind, no repeat of material..he loved that.. when they got popular where he worked I had to promise that NONE of them would be the same as his lol...And no one had one like anyone else, I had enough material that each person could have had a dozen hats all different.. He liked the reversible idea too. well they all did.. A friend in Indiana made hunting blinds out of camouflage material.. I asked for some of the scraps, so I could make some things for my ex as he was a AVID hunter..and HEAVEN forbid his hunting clothes didnt match . ( they have deer police you know for matching hunting clothes) lol..so i made all his hunting gear from suit to hats to belts to even his seat for his tree stand ..ALL matching.. The guy that had the business of the hunting blinds..just threw all his scrap material away..I took him about 8 or so things I made out of his scrap..he was really amazed lol.. I helped him design some things and they started a whole new part of accessories ..The fanny pack belts were the biggest hits, very popular.. I made quilts when I was in the hellhome.. that kept me sane...lol..well once I got it back anyway ..my sanity..it was really lost for a while in there, but the sewing helped.. I guess having a sewing machine with me was like having a loyal companion that had been with me all my life back in it..reminding me that at one time I COULD do something.. :-) Loyal companion...well I have 2 that are staring at me..wondering what I am going to do.. Ive been eating before I post so I havent been going out into the kitchen afterwards as much lately, so the boys just sit in the door way now waiting to see which way I am headed when they hear this puter shut down.. lol Its fun to keep them guessing..keep them on their toes so to speak...lol :-) I am a tad hungry tonite tho so I may have to go and check on the condition of that lemon pie lol.. so I better find the publish button and say "nitey Nite" :-) Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya..and thanks :-) ALways, Lois**** May God Bless you today, I'm so honored to call you friend, I pray the Lord will keep you safe, Until I write again...

~2 Days In A Row!~

Well 2 Days in a row I have had some great food.!. I mean, this

is good living here.. I LOVE HOME GROWN VEGGIES.. !!!!
The fried green tomatoes last nite, and that GREAT lemon pie,

well not as good as Im sure Ines's homemade most SURELY

was lol...but I hadnt had any in ages, I can think of one time..

back in the hellhome..They had a treat one day where we could

pick what ever our favorite pie was and they HAD that kind.. Mine,

of course, was Pumpkin..I LOVE that, but Ive had that since, store

bought, but it was good...I AM enjoying these veggies tho.. :-)

Tonight I fixed 2 ears of the corn on the cob, I broke them in

half, easier to handle.. I have these little pokey things that look

like ears of corn with 2 prongs sticking out that you push into

the ends of the corn, so you can hold it ..works good. then your

fingers don't get burnt and its easier to drag them thru the butter

as well, got something to hold on to lol.. :-) , and then I went and

I got 2 zucchini out and cut them in half, then quartered them,

then dipped them in beaten egg, then- in ITALIAN bread crumbs.

and slowly fried each piece until they were just brown, THEN

ATE every single ONE of them.!! .lol I could NOT help it.!. Being cut

into quarters, makes them like dipper sticks..and I got out some

ranch dressing and dipped them in it..and YES....VERY GOOD...

a little salt and pepper too and butter and salt and pepper on the

corn now too.. :-) was excellent..

THEN, I got out that yellow pound cake, put a nice slice into a

dish, more a bowl..then I got those strawberries..and cut them

up into smaller chunks..nice bite size..and added some sugar

and a tad of water, cuz I like them kinda juicy..stirred and then

put that over that cake, let it sit for as long I could stand it..then

I ATE every bit of that as well...now..guess who feels like a big

WHAT? lol.. PIGGIE? no no ..stuffed turkey lol... I KNOW how

they feel.. I was going to wait until after I wrote this to cook and

eat..but I got up at 5:30 or so..and I hadnt eaten all day, I was

hungry, so I decided to cook and eat before I wrote this..which

well NOW needless to say I am really tired..and Ready to post

and crawl up on that bed.. my email is all caught up..and I will

see who gets caught with their pants down on cops.. lol They

spend more time chasing prostitutes clients on there than they

do criminals, but they do show alot of that on Cops anymore..

and to me I think theres other stuff more important or interesting

to see,for me anyway.. I like the animal planet.. or ya..the FOOD

channel,

There are a couple women that are cooks that I dont really like to

watch.. they make all this fancy smancy stuff and they are as

skinny as rails..and the one has kinda long hair and flips it around

and all she keeps saying a dozen times is to use the EVOO..which

is extra virgin olive oil..well she says that 6 times if she says it

once.! They make all this off the wall stuff that, well like Emeril..I
wont ever make the stuff he does.. I like just plain down home food.
theres one lady, has a southern accent and she is nice size too, she

makes the kind of stuff I would make..meat, and potatoes and veggies

and some fast easy good deserts.. There was a southern guy..Wilson

I think was his name..he was so good..And funny..he would taste his

pot of beans and say that he GAR- RON- TEED them to be good ...

and I KNOW they were..nothing better than a good pot of beans..My

2nd hubby was a Southern boy, and talk about some good cookin?

I can fry some chicken..well..ask Donnie or my husbands about it..lol

I think what makes a good cook is that the COOK LOVES FOOD lol

I see a skinny anorexic looking woman cooking? no, then I dont watch.

she aint eatin HER own Food if shes THAT skinny..lol.. :-)


I do miss cooking tho-I enjoyed it.. the time my ex and I spent

cooking a nice meal..we would talk and prepare our dinner..then get

to enjoy the fruits of working hard to make that dinner. We enjoyed
that. He had NO idea how to cook at all.. He really got into cooking and
I bet he still is today.. If you like good tasting food and certain kinds..
well its like anything ..you will do good at it - if you LIKE what you
are doing.


Happily I can say I did NOT make a mess either, no mishaps..but

then Raelynn came today and Dutch was pouty after she left, he

always is.. so was a good time to cook cuz he stayed out of the way.
Hes so nosey and has to see and watch everything.. He follows her

around like hes attached.. She does play with them both..but LB

hes just not real thrilled lol...She didnt come yesterday as she had

a flat tire...so called and came today..Dutch was mad yesterday. he

hates his schedule messed up, but was glad to see her..she laffs at

him the whole time shes here, she has 3 cats of her own so I can just

imagine how spoiled they are.. lol...

Now that I have made everyone hungry.. I am off to just lay all over

that bed and have a soda and watch the tv, I worked REALLY hard

today lol, so its.... "Nitey nite".. Dutch and LB say Meowww.. :-)

Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya..and Thanks :-)

ALways, Lois****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~Friday Nite FishFry~

Ever since I was very young my parents went out for dinner

on friday night for a fish fry. For years.. I think they did, up until

the time they passed away. The very first I remember of having

my famous french fries and gravy was on a friday night..fish fry

night at a great place called McKinneys out on Ice Lake..nice

place. A man and woman I think mother and son, owned it. The

mans name, he was the cook, was Howard..nice man, I can

remember him letting me go into the kitchen and watch him make

my fries and get me a bowl of gravy and dip them in it.. HE got

me started on this...And Ive eaten them ever since...that photo is
of my parents and gramma having a friday fishfry dinner :-)

Every friday night, even now I bet..the local restaurants have their

friday night fish fries up North.. Same people go..and its like a

date almost, they meet and eat,, and talk table to table..taking 20

minutes to be able to leave by the time you say goodbye to every

one..I think its just a way for the locals to get together at a really

unscheduled sort of party. My favorite restaurant up North is The

Happy Italians.. They have more than just Italian food.. ALL their

food is wonderful..and the portions? wow..well if you leave there

hungry? you didnt order anything then.. Their fries and gravy are

some of the best I have ever eaten and I have tried them ALL over

in many many towns and states.. trust me..THEY are the best..

I had been away from home for a long time..10 years I bet and

went home for a holiday and of course came friday night and

we all went for a fishfry.. I had forgotten the size of the portions

of food they serve up there.. They make SURE you have plenty.
Their Italian food is wonderful..they make this great sauce and

they make mostly all homemade pasta..My ex and I decided we

were going to have Italian Gnocci one night.. We ate those tiny

little bally things of pasta and good? wow..just wonderful..What

we didnt know was that when these things hit your stomach

they kind of explode? and make you feel so STUFFED..well

we KNEW how turkeys felt!! lol.. Those Gnocci exploded and

we were both so miserable we even were too lazy and full and

STUFFED to even get up and leave and go home for a while..

Now THATS bad lol..no.. was just good food... If you get up there

go to the Happy Italians..its still there I checked lol.. I still have

family and friends up there..and my friend Gail keeps me updated

on the fries n gravy..she never had them till I told her about them

she LOVES them too ..lol..

I told a friend of mine in the UK about what we did when its so hot

and all I had was a fan, and she tried it..and was amazed that it

did work ! When it got hot in TX. I got some ice from the freezer,

put it in a bowl, put in front of the fan and it blew cool air on me..Not

ALL thru a room but enough to keep me and the area around me

cooler.. saved me many many times from melting.. It really works

I call it AIR cooled lol.. I told a friend of mine in NZ about it ..was so

hot there and sure saved them... It works..and if you can get free

ice from a machine even better..I froze mine In plastic bags..then

when it melted I just put the bags back in the freezer lol...Gets too

hot and all you have is a fan..try it.. It really does work...

I think the building got hit by lightening last nite.. I heard it start to

pour down rain and the lightening was almost constant and wind..

well needless to say I was scared.. I had shut down everything,

puter , tv all of it..even the AC..and was sitting in the living room by

the window watching it..the boys on top the tv by me.. All of a sudden

was this LOUD CRACK~!!!.. the room lit up.. the boys ran.. I ducked..

and waited to see what was going to happen..and nothing did.!. the

electric has been flickering all day tho..These storms are getting

worse.. and I will be honest and admit I am a big CHICKEN.. I hate

storms ..they really scare me..I look out and see stuff flyin thru the

air..and then hear the tornado siren..well THAT was almost enuff to

make a person stroke out..just from being scared lol...THAT was

a awful feeling to hear the warning sirens that a tornado was down

close and no where to hide.. its not a good feeling.. I havent heard

anything about that last nite today, so if it did do anything I am sure

Penny would inform me, she is good about that. We are sposta

have another storm later on..its headed at us again..those storms

build up out there on Lake Michigan and hit land and are just ALL

kinds of bad.. My niece was in that last one..hit really bad up there

by her..she said they spent the night in the basement.

Well the rest of this night I am spending over there on my bed.. I

am gonna get some of those strawberries and pound cake..and

have a friday nite treat..All GORGEOUS weebles are sposta have

Friday nite treats...lol.. well this one anyway...im gonna hit publish,

eat, watch tv and sleep..not necessarily in that order tho.. Depends

on if i lay down before I start to watch tv!!! lol.. I always manage to

hit publish and EAT tho... ohoh I hear thunder!!!! Better log off...

Nitey Nite :-)

Y'all have a good one y'hear...luv ya.. and thanks :-)

Always, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~I Got Goodies~ :-)

I didnt mention yesterday that Raelynn brought me a real goodie..well 2 , one was 3 GREEN tomato's..I sliced and fried them today and boy, what a treat..They were SO good. The last time I had them was..wow.. almost 7 ago years I bet..The last time I remember was when I was with my ex, and fixing them for us, been a VERY long time..and they tasted just as good today as they did back then lol...Im glad Im a good cook.. Raelynn happened to go by a yard sale, and found a set of knives for me! all sizes..in a like wooded box type thing to hold them..And there's even a pair of kitchen scissors..Its really nice.. She is just so thoughtful. She went to the grocery store for me, and got some fresh corn on the cob.If I cook it long enough, I can still eat it-without these lower dentures. I will find out soon when I am eligible to go and get new ones..I am SO ready to eat HARD food!!! This soft diet is NOT fun, not to mention the fact that I look awful with out them... I think I really just need a total mak eover.. HA!~ they get their hands on me and take them 6 months lol.. JK JK..Im GORGEOUS..I just need a touch up here and there... Would you believe RAIN again today? My stumps are just screaming at me these past 2 days.. They get to feeling like they are MONSTER size and just could explode any minute thats how much pressure I feel some times, then my invisible foot decides its gonna do a TOE dance and straightens right out like Im up on my tip toes and the pressure from the bottom and from the top they feel smashed sometimes.. Its so hard to describe, because I've never felt this crap before either..well I have since being an amp but..thats like trying to describe a color to some one that has never seen.How do you describe a color? I dont know how- this is about the same thing.It does not feel good is the MAIN thing lol :-) its so hard to describe something that you have never felt before to some one else that has never experienced it. I get so upset with ones that try to tell me, even when THEY have never experienced it.. like what its like to be in a chair or like that woman from the home care agency-she said "I see NO reason you cannot SCOOT accross into a car seat and go with a care giver to the store, its very easy".well NOW..HOW does SHE know? She has NO idea..and easy? she saw no reason why I couldnt do it? lol..what nerve. I got so mad at her, what may be easy for even another amputee might not be easy for me and she had legs-so HOW would she know? THEN to say that to me? I told her very fast just how easy it is to 'JUST SCOOT ACCROSS", it is NOT, and until SHE loses her legs..she will NEVER know, and whats worse..she saw nothing wrong in saying that to me, I was NOT too pleased with her, and told her so..someone needed to explain to her just how EASY scootin is... Ive been sleeping half the night laying down..then the other half sitting up. And yes I know..because I look at the time..I have a thing about the time. If I didnt have a clock by my bed to be able to see the time I dont think I could sleep.. I have at least 1 or 2 clocks in every room.lol. I do. Just in here I have..hmmm 3..even in the bathroom I have a clock on the wall. I have NO idea why either.. Just a time fetish I guess, and Ive tried to figure out why I am like this but have no idea.lol. ohoh..think im NUTZ? Speaking of time..lol..yup..its that time to get some of those great strawberries out there..or maybe a slice of lemon pie? lol I KNOW I am gonna be a big piggie..But they had lemon pie on sale..I had NO choice.. I havent had it ..wow..A LONG time either.. So I was bad. oh well... Maybe no treat this week end of my fries n gravy.. hehe :-) ya sure..now THAT was a bold face LIE lol... no fries n gravy. :-) have to duct tape my mouth shut :-) THEN i wont eat them .... I think the rain has stopped, I might sleep good tonite..:-) hope you do too...Nitey nite... :-) Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya..and thanks.. :-) Always, Lois**** May God Bless you today, I'm so honored to call you friend, I pray the Lord will keep you safe, Until I write again...

~The Neighborhood Store~

I have a friend that lives in Brooklyn and he calls where he

lives his Nabe, well Neighborhood. Small shops and stores,

of different nationalities. Reminded me of the little neighbor

hood grocery that I dealt with there in Buffalo but also one in

Pennsylvania, when I lived there with my first husband..this

was back in 1965.. The grocery store was owned by 2 men,

a father and son I think. Name was Lucci..and very Italian..

They had a little store that sat on a corner, and it didnt have

a lot, but pretty much stuff you would need and use.. Lots of

the brand names and things in the store were Italian..The

Nabe we lived in was mostly Italian, my ex was Italian...

My ex mother in law dealt with this little store and so we got

in the habit of dealing with them as well..I liked it.. All I had

to do was call on the phone and tell one of them what i wanted

before 10 am and by afternoon it was delivered..THAT was

great..They had fresh meat..Tony was a butcher, reminded me

of that movie "the butchers wife"...except their store had more

than just meat in it.. I liked having my groceries delivered..It

would be great if one did now..All we have here are Speedway

Gas Stations..or 7 - 11's..or Quick Marts..not like that little

store was..these carry everything but not the kind of personal

way that little store did, there are so many people in and out

that they have a hard time remembering I bet who was in there.

Growing up there were 2 one was called Cavadias's..and the

other Sadino's.. just small grocery stores..I could walk to either

of them from home they were so close. Cavadias's..was the

one I bought my first pack of cigarettes from. and when I wanted

a nice big variety of penny candy, they had the best around...My

mom knew which of the neighborhood stores to go to in just our

little town I can remember 4..Pedo's and the other was Baker's

were the other 2.. each in their own little part of town. Long gone

now.in fact even the town is gone..All annexed into one..Once

there were 4 little towns..now there is only 1. and not that first

neighborhood store anymore either..Time changes everything...

Rained ALL day, and my stumps feel like they could explode.. I

am so grateful that pain in my right one has almost gone..And

It very seldom sleeps any more..I think I get more than IT does

NOW!! :-).. Sitting on this cushion helps. I still have some times

at night tho that my lower back will ache and I can feel my stump

start to stab a little and I know its time to shift around.. One of

these days when Donnie isnt so busy I know if I ASK he will

come and flip this mattress for me..I really think its time..I always

lay in that one spot..so its probly INDENTED with my butt print

...well 4 years..I would think it would be embedded in that

mattress lol...I hope this rain doesnt go into a storm..Im almost

afraid to turn on the TV to find out.. Then all I do is sit and worry

and WAIT to see how bad its gonna be..Usually if the boys get

REAL nervous and hover..I can pretty much guess its gonna be

a bad one..amazing how animals know..

Well thanks to Raelynn going to the store for me.. I guess I am still

getting my groceries delivered, and I sure appreciate that she goes

for me..I have fresh strawberries in my fridge, and I have some fresh

pound cake she picked up today--3 guesses what this gorgeous

weeble is gonna do now? I think I just might need a taste of that stuff.

and if this chair shrinks cuz of it..well WHO CARES .. :-) its ALL good

hitting publish.and ready ,,,,,set......go!!! ha! Dutch is gone...me too!!

Nitey nite...

Y'all have a good one Y'hear? luv ya and thanks.. :-)

ALways, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~The 2 Dollar Bill~

I was talking to a friend today about the difference of money here
and in other countries.. and what the exchange rate and really who's
dollar so to speak is worth more.. I get really confused on that
stuff... I lived in Canada for awhile, about 4 months or so...Niagara
Falls, talk about a GREAT place..very touristy but wasnt expensive
to rent an apartment there but we were not allowed to get jobs there.
Could rent an apt, get a phone even but not jobs, we would have had

to give up our citizenship to the states... The money exchange back
then was great.. I had all money from the states and when I changed
it to Canadian I almost doubled what I had..THAT was terriffic!!!
Worked real good for us... but then we had to leave as we had to work
thats when we moved down the river sorta to Buffalo, NY. Now..
THAT was TOWN...wow..I think EVERY restaurant in that city
delivered. THAT was so great...Nothin like delivery ...wish more than
just the Pizza places here did..

I told my friend..that I have some 2 dollar bills..he had never

heard of them...English money is so different than ours..

all their stuff is ODD lol no ..just different..like weights..they

weigh in STONES...well hmmm. how can a person weigh as

much as a ROCK? lol.. I scanned my 2 dollar bill..well I have

5 of them... The one up top has a first day of issue stamp on

it.. as it is the first day of issue for the 2 dollar bill and the stamp

in 1976... its postmarked...My ex boss gave them to all his

employees.. said one day they would be valuable because of

the stamp and post mark and both were newly issued on that day.

Boy, now wouldnt THAT be great? hmmm ebay here I come lol...

These 5 , 2dollar bills I have..they could tell you a story too.. Poor

things..There was a little neighborhood store..just a few doors

down..and we always went there to get odds and ends of what

we needed. The man that ran it was SO nice.. We lived on Hertel

Avenue.. We would get so broke before payday..and take those

5 bills down to that store..and ask that man.."would you hold

these and PLEASE not turn them in..and we will be back on

payday to get them?" This DEAR man..did just that.. He held

onto those 5 bills and gave us Ten dollars worth of food..bread

and peanut butter n jelly , food to last us till payday.. we had to

do this quite a few times ..but he sure helped us out...that was

such a kind and generous thing to do.. He didnt have to hold

those bills for us.. and we had NO choice but to spend them.

Things were short for a while there..but he did, how nice hey?

Every payday, the VERY first thing we did was RUSH to that

little store and he would cash our checks and give us back

our 5 two dollar bills... We did this many many times..till we

each got raises and did a little better... But that was so nice

of him to do..he kept them safely in a box for us so they didnt

get damaged even... And did not even let anyone know he

was doing this.. Needless to say we were VERY grateful...

Before we moved from Buffalo we did go back to that store

and tell him again how much he really helped us.. NOt too

many would have done that for complete strangers... He was

such a nice man.. He will have MANY stars in his crown I think.

It wasnt such a big deal to him, he would just smile and put

them in a box he had there and said if he wasnt there thats

where they were and he left orders that they were ONLY to be

given back to us.. how wonderful...he had NO IDEA what it meant

to us, and It meant whether we went hungry for a few days or

not.. And he saw, we spent it on food..not cigarettes , food.. I

think he knew we sure needed a little helping hand. I still have

these 5 two dollar bills... I lived in Buffalo hmmm in 1988...

been awhile....and I got that 2 dollar bill when I lived in Texas ..

lol.. the other 2, I honestly dont remember.. I know 2 my dad

saved and gave me 2 once, when I went home on holiday..He

saved them for me...the dates on the others are 1964....

Just the smallest of things..just brings back memories.. Ive been

contemplating my life lately and what do I really want to do with

it..and I see these things from my past, and think of where I have

been and what I have done..and HOW did I EVER get to this

time of life.? .when only yesterday it seems I was younger and

thinner OF COURSE, but still GORGEOUS-- but.. look how

things have changed and what am I going to do till this course

does come to an end? AND.....I have NO idea... :-)

The ONLY course I know right NOW..lol..you know it..is the

course OUT to the kitchen lol... The boy is already out there .. I

gave him a piece of his tape a while ago and hes just a happy

camper.. havin a good time..I run out of that that tape Im in BIG

trouble...I would NEVER hear the end of it...I wont EVEN talk

about lunch.. just well.. its one of the "name it and you can

have it" variety... I have some fresh frozen shrimp in the freezer

and I think I hear them calling me lol...so of COURSE...Its

that time to say Nitey Nite... ;-)

Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya.. and thanks hey? :-)

Always, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~Not A Whole Lot~

there really isnt a whole lot that goes on in my day thats really

interesting, I dont do a whole lot..there just isnt alot to do here...

Ive been doing what I call soul searching, trying to decide just

what to do and how to go about it and do I really want to change

things since I am really in a secure environment, kinda sorta, I

can keep my bills paid..and its kinda safe here.... I just dont like

the area.We all have to make sacrifices and settle I guess and

accept things how they are and just dont stir the pot so to speak...

sometimes that's the BEST thing to do...Then I get goofy notions

and Ideas. and then I think of all the work involved in doing stuff

and before I even DO anything Im pooped out ..

I live daily in the fear that something could happen, if things change

at all I could be in dire straights since I have NO back up.. I dont get

enough to keep a savings so that if something happened and I did

need anything extra..thats one of the fears of leaving here.. Would I be

able to survive..since I only just BARELY do it now...Thats a really

scarey thing - for me any way. When I only have myself to depend on

no husband or significant other..well I have to be very careful... and I

dont mind it..just at times ..... well it gets to me. Maybe cause I get

my blinkin bank statement the same time as my phone and electric

bills lol...and how they manage to do that I have NO idea.. but it sure

seems they always come on the same day..like "heres your bills,,,

NOW try to pay them" lol..

I know im not the only one goes through this..even Raelynn does.. She

got in that accident the other day..not alot of damage..but enuff that

she didnt have the money for the parts..this is what I mean and SHES

able bodied..and just making it.. There is just no work here for her and
I feel sorry for her..and SHE feels sorry for me!!! aint we a PAIR???

It is scarey tho.. and I think of moving somewhere else? I dunno..but

I guess I should be satisfied with what I have..but then If I am I dont

want to lose that "TRY, to improve" thing.. We all need to have that I

think... I do.. I think thats what keeps me going.. I just have to stop

looking THAT far ahead..only do a day at a time.. I cant change nuthin

thats laying ahead for me.. so.. well. Guess I just have to stare it down

and say "ok..come on..lets see what kinda CRAP today is gonna be .

and fix it and get this day on the road... I dont know how else to do it..

So lets hope it works hey?

We are all squeaky..Raelynn came today I wasnt expecting her till

tomorrow..she had to go to a funeral saturday and wasnt sure she

would be back on time..well about 10 minutes to 11, I saw the boys

go and sit and stare at the door..I knew she was on her way..sure

nuff ..5 minutes and there she was.. They know.. Just like now..They

know im almost done writing this..and they are both down there in

the door way watching me..Dutch is waiting to hear the sign off tune..

thats what triggers him. LB just watches me, if I head away from this

desk hes right in front of me leading the way.. we look like we are

having our own little parade here lol... well the parade is starting..

Nitey Nite... :-)

y'all have a good one y'hear luv ya...and thanks... :-)

Always, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~Sunday Dinners~

Sunday Dinners were really great ... Specially when some of

the family were invited.. Mom always cooked one of her specialty's

which ALL were good... She used her wonderful china, the Desert

Rose, which is so lovely and my sister now has... You can see the

water pitcher, Its quite lovely.. At the head of the table of course is

my Dad, and at his right hand of course, is my mother, I always sat

on his left, if Gayle had been there she would have been sitting next

to my mother. At this dinner next to my mother, is my Dad's brothers

wife, my Aunt Dorothy, next to her is my Dad's sister, Helen, one of the

very few photos of her that I have. Next to me is my Grandmother,

Dads Mother, and next to her is a dear lady named Jesse Fansher,

she was my grandmothers helper and companion and took wonderful

care of her... Its sad when I think back as to how close we all were

as I grew up..how we all seemed to stay in touch..and knew where all the

family members were and never missed a chance like the photo above

to enjoy a good meal together and laugh and have a good time...

My moms side of the family, they all lived in the same town just about..

only miles apart..and we never seemed to miss a chance..summer or

winter, that at least once a month I bet we all got together for a picnic

didnt matter..in the snow or in the sun..we still had a great time.. see

those Binoculars my Dad's holding? I have those still, and I used them

every day for that year I first spent here watching that field outside...

We would get into the cars and like gypsy's, travel in a line following

each other. Many times was just a nice spot on the side of the highway

to put up a table- have a nice lunch, everyone brought food and soda..

it was great... and food outside..well..even better tasting.. this outing
was great, my Uncle Gordon and Aunt Gladys and their

5 children came along on this trip and my Uncle Ernie and his 3

sons.. My Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Phil...2 of their kids..wonderful time

was had by all...:-) you see the food all over the table...

In the summer we would go up to Lake Superior and look for agates on

the shore.. This is my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Ernie teasing her, she was

looking for agates which are VERY small stones.. Look at what he is

handing to her (his sister) Its huge!!! see the smile on their faces... :-)

Uncle Ernie said "here Phyl..this is one"....*smirk* ;-)

In the winter.. it did not matter , we just pulled up next to the

highway and had a good time...snow and all.. I was NOT a good

skiier.. and I did fall alot and a few times I will admit I did run in

to a tree .. I did.. see the snow on me? We all just enjoyed the time

together and the outdoors and the great food...when ever we all

got in the car it seemed my mothers picnic basket would be put

into the trunk.. I still have that basket..up in my closet..and would

you believe its still packed ready to go..just needs food put in it...

Touring the highways up North there are picnic tables all along the

roads, main ones and the back ones..and usually at great spots.

Sundays were good days, and those Sunday outings.. I wish ALL

the family's now days could have just even 1 of the many that I

had, just so they would know what its like...

To face the changes that my life has gone thru, I look thru all these

old photos... and I can remember some of the conversation, the

cold or the wind..or even the smell of the water off of that Great

Lake Superior..and most definitely even taste some of that food

that always seemed to be there... And I am so glad I have these,

when I look back at them I'm not thinking of NOW, Ive transported

my self back to those days, and thinking of how great those days

were and how lucky I was to have them so I can look at these

pictures and enjoy them all over again.. Sundays were great...and

I guess really they still are, it means Im starting another week,

which isnt a bad thing either when I stop to think about it.. :-)

Now-- I am going to start heading out to the kitchen, I put on a big

pot of beans..and they smell so good I cant wait to get out there

and try some of them. Food is such a big part of our lives, and now

its Time to hit Publish and race Dutch to the kitchen..Nitey Nite.. :-)

Y'all have a good one now y'hear? luv ya..and thanks.. :-)

ALways, Lois****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~A SAT DAY~

Today was a do nuthin saturday, I didnt do anything but

get online and watch tv..Yahoo was down most of the day and

I still cant log on there..I checked the other places AIM and MSN
no one on, but saturday, well everyone usually has something

to do and its gotten a tad cooler so I imagine most every

one is trying to get their stuff done outdoors.. I havent heard

from anyone today, I plan to phone my sis later and see how

her house renovations are coming along..what shes gotten

done.. She lives about 2 blocks from where I did in Indiana..

she lives on the access road that goes to the lake that was

at the end of my road I lived on..her road is where the boat

launch is and a small picnic area..its not a HUGE lake but

its nice..only bad thing is its so build up around it..the houses

are mostly year round and are side by side by side..Up

north..you have a little space between the cottages and alot

were only just summer ones..not year round...

Stanley just wants a new house..already built..my sis doesnt

want mortgage payments..and I can understand that..so they

are just going to renovate and redo the bedrooms and bath

etc, work their way thru the house.. I can understand not wanting

higher mortgage payments but a new house? well that would

be kinda hard to refuse..for me anyway..sometimes the redo's

can run into mega bucks..specially if you have any kinds of

problems with the house at all..they havent as Stan does keep

up on things..well except when it comes to building RAMPS..

So theyre just going to redo and revamp the place so to speak

although they sure could use a bigger place when all her kids

and grandkids are there the bigger they get the smaller her

house gets lol.

This cushion seems to be helping my right stump..I can tell

when I sit too long one way or lay too long on my back.. I have

no choice but to move or I can feel that short stump bone

start to ache..and I have to squirm around to shift my weight.. I

think sitting on this cushion is helping.. I hadnt used one for quite

awhile..and when I lay I have to make sure I am laying kinda flat

and not up too high or it will pull on my hip.. I really think I need

to flip my mattress or turn it or something that may help as well..

The spot on my left scar is not looking real good.. I knew better

than to even touch it..much less put that stupid creme on .. Then

to try to get that dryness off..well no wonder its irritated.. I have

been keeping a very close eye on it..If I went back to what it was

3 years ago..no..I dont think I could handle that again.. I really dont.
To even consider going thru that again..that was the worst pain I

think I have ever endured in my life..it can compare to no other I

have ever had.. And to think I could even POSSIBLY be headed

back there? no.. no...not acceptable..I will stop that NOW.. I keep

it very clean and washed and I do NOT touch it with my hands,

well fingers at all...It is red and there are a couple little dark spots..

but I have the"eagle eye" on it lol...

Even the boys are lazy today, all they are doing is moving from one

spot to another snoozin..watch then about 3 am Dutch will start with

his face tappin of "hey..hey, you up?" then once I finally sit up..he

goes wandering OFF.. If I lay back down..he comes back..and will

start to tap my face with his little foot and if that doesnt work ..well

then he will very lightly stick out a claw and kinda lightly scratch..

what REALLY does it..and he KNOWS NOT to do it..is to lick my

eye lids.. LORD..does THAT wake me up.. A cats tongue is SO

scratchy that its like sandpaper going across my eyelid.. and THAT

does NOT feel good..He knows what works.. I bug him sometimes

when hes sleepin ill rub on him and make him move and I can just

see the look on HIS face ..wonder if he recognizes that its the same

as what is on both of ours when we wake each other up.. LB? well

that baby just snoozes and meows and whines for his girlfriend ..

thats about his extent..well he does drag her up on the bed tho and

I have to contend with 3 cats..1 stuffed one..Im glad Dutch doesnt

have a girl friend or my bed would be really crowded..and with 6

pillows..3 quilts.. well I maybe need a king size bed lol.

I have not eaten today ive been lazy...I dont know what I want..I may

make a steak and swiss cheese sandwich..we have these little thin

sizzler steaks...and with sauteed onion and swiss cheese? ya..that

sounds preeeeety good lol... I may just have to go out and see to

making myself one of those..and maybe a root beer float for a

saturday night treat..GAWD..I will end up weighing 900 pounds..then

take a fork lift to lift me around LOL Time to race Dutch into the

kitchen ...he cheats and gets a head start soon as he hears this

computer do its little shut down song lol..hes off and runnin..cheater..

lol.. Nitey Nite :-)

Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya and thanks.. :-)

Always, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~The Binder~

When I was just a SAK, they asked me if I wanted to get a prosthesis.. I said yes, and they started to prepare my stump for one..That photo is of what I called the Binder, what they came and fitted me for, that I had to wear all my awake hours.. I didnt when I slept I had to have some relief from it, It was not a comfortable time at all.. It was summer and hot, was very thick and rigid material..the only soft part was up in the center there that was more or less at the top inside of my stump..that was a very elastic area... It was all one piece, belt and all.. It was pulled up as high as I could get it onto my stump, then the belt put around my waist and I had to wear this all day long.. You can see how kinda thick the material is..very hot to wear.. and being a SAK back then I wore pants alot..I could stand to pull them up.not long, but long enuff that I wore them quite often.. I quit wearing them when I became a DAK..was , is, just to hard, for me anyway to wear pants or those spandex things.. I dont like THOSE at all... skirts work for me just fine lol... :-) The belt that goes around your waist was most uncomfortable.. it closed with velcro, and the cone shape that my stump was in, would try to slide off then pull on that belt where it would hit my hips..now remember,, I was VERY skinny at this time, perhaps 110 pounds... when that would try to scooch off my stump then pull that rough belt down. it was MOST uncomfortable.. then with the heat.. And.. the cone shaped part came all the way up to my groin, where that whiter elastic spot is what is next to the inside of the stump, so when I did move.. I felt it all the time..and HOT? It was awful, I didnt last long with this..not when I found out that my left leg was bad...then I decided I didnt need this EXTRA torture...I used it for quite a while. tho . I cant be sure exactly how long as I dont remember alot of my time in there as far as when it was the only time I do know is when I went IN there and when I got OUT. 1 year and 4 months.approximately I was in there. As you can see, this rotten child of mine HAD to get in on this one as well.. hes SO BAD!!! He was havin fun..!! lol. I still havent gotten my files from there.. I think it would be most interesting..specially to read the BAD BOOK lol.. where they would write down the BAD things we did , like if we swore at a nurse, or refused to eat or do a therapy,, I confided in one of the activity people ..feelings I had, only to find out she reported them into that book for all the staff to read.. We could request to read our charts or anything they had written on us at any time.. Very few were able to do that.. Well I was the youngest one there, and I found that out by accident by eaves dropping on a nurses conversation when she saw I heard her she turned green..They didnt want me to KNOW!!! When I read mine..and found out that woman wrote down what I had confided in her I was SO MAD I told her off.. and I will admit too.. that page DISAPPEARED out of that book ...and I dont care..I trusted her.. Middle of the night when I KNEW all the nurses would be in the lunch room I did a quick run around the desk a couple times.. checked the halls..made one mad dash, opened that folder, grabbed that page and ripped it out.. FLEW back to my room and took out the hidden scissors I had, we were NOT allowed scissors in our rooms, and I cut that baby into some of the smallest pieces and flushed it down the toilet.. Thats where that belonged !!! I dont care... Let them sue me for destroying it, now that I admit ripping that page out lol...Dont matter now any ways, 5 years later...lol.. But I really did that.. My heart was just pounding as I sat and cut that up..I was afraid a nurse would catch me, and if it was the wrong nurse, well I could be in real dodo..Most of the nurses really liked me..but there were a couple that I mean really avoided me cuz they KNEW I hated them, they were BAD nurses and they KNEW I knew it.. and I was just looking for things to report on them.. I did..the way they treated some of those dearies..well.. They are VERY lucky I didnt go after them and just reported it to the familys when they got there. 95% of the time the familys did remove their dearie..Some I was so scared for.. One I watched die..One I watched as she bled all over from falling face out of her chair because they didnt take the time to put a tray in front of her, One I listened to cry for help for an hour to finally go and check myself to find her laying on the floor, she had fallen out of bed and the ONE inch thick piece of foam didnt protect her face, blood everywhere... They came into our rooms one day, and zip tied all the side rails down so they could NOT be pulled up on our beds...they said it was considered restraints and they were NOT allowed to do that. Well.. I needed my one side rail or I couldnt turn over onto my side. So..yup.. I got my trusty scissors, cut that ziptie off and pulled my side rail right back up. I got in trubble for that too.. We had NO rights in there, they said we did...but were they observed? HELL no.. thats why they hated when I wasnt all drugged up... I SAW what was going on.. and I TOLD... I didnt care..wasnt right.. and I bet to this day, they are getting away with all kinds of horrible stuff.. Im not saying they are all bad..no..but its all "just for the money".. and If you dont have it..well then you get NUTHIN. Im just glad Im out of there, and I just have to keep hoping that the good nurses there will always out number the bad, to take care of the dearies I know are over there. Well that anyway is a binder the real name of it ? I have NO idea, thats the name I gave it.. I dug it out of the drawer, I thought I had kept it but I wasnt sure, Im glad now I did, It is interesting to see, many dont realize that you dont just get a leg amputated and they just fit you instantly with a leg, no, it takes quite a bit of work to get a stump ready for a prosthesis.. I never did check past this step of the procedure tho, as I really didnt care..I didnt want them.. This is me now.. I dont need them to make me feel whole again .. I still feel WHOLE..just SHORTER! ! lol... :-) I can deal with that... Time to go and see what the Deal is out in the kitchen lol..oh you knew I was gonna say that lol.. Lunch on fridays, well..its one of those guessit ones lol.. im kinda hungry and I dont know if I will wait and splurge tomorrow or make my favorite...Fries N Gravy.. Maybe tomorrow my Saturday Nite Special lol. :-) Maybe just a friday nite treat tonite :-) Nitey nite... :-) Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya..and thanks.. :-) Always, Lois **** May God Bless you today, I'm so honored to call you friend, I pray the Lord will keep you safe, Until I write again...

~A Great State~

Ive been writing about places that are my favorites and some that are
just so beautiful... that you just cant forget how great they were. When
I was living in California in that HOT place..:-) one of the crew's wives
wanted to drive back to Louisiana to go to her oldest sister, last one of
5 girls to get married, and attend the wedding..she had a 4 year old

son she wanted to take..but was afraid of that long drive all by herself,
so she invited me to go with her.. Well..fooey, a chance to get away from
that HEAT? yeah buddy I packed my stuff so fast, I was READY to go,
plus I had never been way down in Louisiana...

The 3 of us had a great time..We left in the middle of the night

to avoid the heat and the drive there was great..we joked and

laughed and even her son was a good traveller which was

surprising as you know how kids are sometimes.. I kept asking

about the people there and the area..Laura tried to describe the

place where we were going..which was a VERY small town way

down into Louisiana. The exact name of it, I honestly dont know,

but I know it was close to the gulf. The way she described it, it

sounded so nice, she had grown up there, but when I saw it?

she in NO way did it justice..The town was just excellent and

really just beautiful...

It was a small town, but the beauty of the area was just awesome

the trees with moss, and houseboats in these rivers where they

lived, It was just great ! One thing I did notice was the accent. I

have to admit I did say a few times "what did you say?" Very

strong accent, to me anyway. But was so nice to hear.The people

were so friendly and of course everyone knew everyone and it

seemed the whole town went to that wedding and reception..I had

a great time, danced and danced, when the reception finally ended

Laura and I and a friend of hers and her 2 cousins all decided to

check out some of the local hot spots... We went to a few really

nice places...

While we were going from one place to the other, Laura's cousin

that was in the back seat (2 door car) kept saying "ope pee de doe"

I did NOT understand a thing he said..I thought he was singing...

Laura did too, she kept on driving.. Finally we get to another night

club and before I could do anything he screams again "OPE PEE
DEE DOE" I had NO idea what hes saying.. Finally he grabs my

shoulder says VERY slowly "OPEN THE DOOR" I turned looked

at him and hes almost GREEN...lol.. I grabbed that door handle

and I mean I got OUT of the WAY!!! lol...We laughed so hard about

that..lol. I really had a hard time understanding and I had to listen

VERY carefully to what was being said to me... :-)

Her cousins lived in a houseboat that was in a river tied to the shore.
We got on it and looked around and I have to say I was so amazed

at how huge it was and just gorgeous...Fixed up so nice and easily

accessible for a chair even, now that I think about it.. What a way to

live..in a houseboat and travel all the rivers and byways..All her

cousins did was untie it and go somewhere else when ever they

wanted to .. It was really great...Lots of people lived in them I saw

them all over, some small, some huge, when they tied up most were

at a friends or family I guess and would connect to power etc..What

a way to live..that would almost be as good as having one of those

big huge busses that Donnie told me about that Monaco Coach

makes.. I sure would love to have one of those, just travel around

the rest of my days.. a different city or town every day...be great..

think of all the places a person could go..*sigh*

We spent 4 days down there in the bayou's and one thing I didnt

mention was the music..LORDY ,.. I LOVE cajun music..talk about

some songs that can even get MY invisible feet to tappin.. I love

it, there is just no way you cant get happy when you listen to a great

cajun song... Was beautiful down there, one of the most gorgeous

places I have to say I have been, those old plantation houses so

massive and white against that wonderful green of the bayous.. A

beautiful place...Now I would NOT want to be there in hurricane time

but those houseboats would really be the way to go..get one of those

and well just up anchor and move to a safe spot.house and all.THATS

the way to do it, then for sure all your stuff is safe.. When I hear of

the hurricanes hitting down there I think of that little town. the great

people there, and I sure hope theyre ok.

Today was and still is rainy.. we go from one extreme to the other..I

sure could tell it was going to rain.. My scar on my left stump has been

acting up and I have been watching it very closely lately. I accidentally

used a cream for dryness that I had forgotten aggravates that scar.

It was so dry, I put it on, and now it is really letting me know that was

NOT the right kind to use.. Its really agitated so I will have to keep a

close watch..If it went back to the kind of infection I had before? I

honestly dont know if I could handle that again. I honestly dont. it was

some of the most horrendous pain I have ever felt..I cannot go back

there.. So I am watching it..every time I go to the bathroom I check it

and make sure its covered and I have thrown that cream away just

so I dont use it again...

Time to check out my kitchen and make sure its all snug and secure

for the night lol..well ? that sounds like a good reason to go out

there I think..well thats my story anyway and I'm stickin to it...I may

have to check out the inside of my fridge and make sure its secure

too..oh and of course the pantry :-) Let the nightly lockdown begin lol

Nitey nite :-)

Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya...and thanks...
Always, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~Ba-Ta-Wa-Ga-Ma~

During the summer there was a youth camp that kids from all over could go to for 2 weeks. I eagerly went.All kinds of things to do, stay in cabins with other kids...The name of the lake was Indian Lake and the name of the Youth Camp was Ba-Ta-Wa-Ga-Ma.. It was fun.Just like some are portrayed in Movies.. I learned to swim in this lake and at that camp. The sign above is to point to a public boat launch and a picnic area. Most of the Lake signs were like this up there. The near by lake of Chicaugon had a Indian burial ground, and was a great place to picnic..it still is-called Pentoga Park. 1100 acre lake and over 100 feet deep. Lots of Northern and Muskies in that lake.its just to the west of Indian Lake. There is a song by the Cowsills, called Indian Lake and that is one of my favorites and just really goes with this little spot of heaven I think. I was young when I started going there, The note below I wrote while I was at Summer Camp... The date is 1954.. This letter was among the papers that my mother kept..Amazing that she did, I had no idea they were tucked away all these years and so carefully preserved, fun to read now, years later. The road down to the lake was just dirt, and it wasnt far off the main one, which you can see behind the sign. At the end of it was a small area to picnic and put in a boat if you wanted or even to swim..The bottom of the lake was sandy and there were alot of fish. The Youth Camp was over across the lake from this picnic area...There were, perhaps changed now, but not alot of people really lived around this lake as it wasnt very big as you can see just about most of it except a little on each side of that photo. I dont know WHO was in the boat...lol... But its a great little lake and why its my favorite of all the dozens up there I really dont know except perhaps its because of the Youth Camp and all the fun I had there then and even later as an adult... I've put this photo here before but this is Indian Lake too, you see there are not alot of cottages around the lake.. right here where im standing is a bit rocky but this is the boat launch is why :-) Where the bottom of my shorts come to is about where my legs have been amputated..well the right one is a bit shorter than the left though. This is NOT my greatest photo ..but...I was havin fun.. I fell in shortly after this was taken.. I stepped on something and I always was a tender foot, I sat my butt right down in that water lol. Im glad my ex didn't take a picture of THAT!! no one else was really around and we just splashed and had a great time, the water was warm and so clear...felt good on a hot day... :-) I didnt really realize I had the summer and winter pictures of Indian Lake..Im glad I do..now you can see the difference but the same.. lol.. They keep this little roadway cleared in the winter because as you see out there on the Ice, this lake does freeze, and thats a car and people, looks like a 3 wheeler out there as well.. Ice fishing...Many, many people prefer Ice fishing because alot dont have boats and in the winter well you see.. they can go anywhere out there on that lake and fish. Use those gas powered augers and they're set.. My ex LOVED to ice fish. Me? no way, I was NOT going out there on that ice..I dont care if the whole lake down to the bottom was froze I am NOT going out there..be my luck the second I did the whole lake would melt.. nope..I DONT like ice fishing..All the lakes up there would freeze. and ice fishing is a biggie,, they almost put up whole ice towns on some of the lakes..with all the ice shacks. As hot as its been here its kinda nice to see that snow..lol.. I dont mind the heat as long as I can be in air conditioning lol..I hate these storms though..the past few weeks , well I have NOT been the happiest of campers with as close as some of these have been getting.. Scares me. I watch the weather sometimes and see how its not just us up here that the weather is changing so drastically, up north never used to be such scorching heat like now..even here. these awful storms.. Seems like they are hitting Lake Michigan over there and I mean just build up such power by the time they get to land the are really bad bad storms. But no matter where you live anymore if its not fires, or floods or drought, or hurricanes..tornados.. theres NO place that doesnt have some kind of CRAP weather... I Splurged and Raelynn got us lunch from Kentucky Fried Chicken, one of those bowls..they are SO good.has every thing there, mashed potatoes, corn, chicken and GRAVY .. Its really good.. I get the extra gravy though..it does need it.. First time Raelynn had one, was today and she really liked it.. If you can find that song, Indian Lake..you will enjoy it..its an oldie but a goodie and it really is one of my very best favorites. You want it I could even send it to you... just drop me a email and I will send it.. I did get extra biscuits so I am going to have one of those and some iced tea.. watch tv for a while,, haha ya..say it, Soon as I lay this head down, these eyes will slam shut...lol.. Hope you liked seeing my very best favorite lake... nitey nite ;-) Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya..and thanks.. :-) Always, Lois **** May God Bless you today, I'm so honored to call you friend, I pray the Lord will keep you safe, Until I write again...

~One Of My Favorite Lakes~

This is a favorite lake, called Ice Lake. its not very big as you can see,

but its very deep. It has all kinds of fish, depends which part of the lake

you go to, across on that far side its very shallow-over to the very left

is the beach, great swimming...I rode my bike out to this lake so many

times during the hot summers. But it wasnt really that far. I dont know

miles..but to ride my bike took me 45 minutes to get there, depending

how fast I peddled and if it was hot? well. I just peddled my patootie

off lol.I got there as fast as I could. The lake was not far from the town

where I lived and the one at the bottom of the hill-kinda in between.
Way down on the far left side..theres a motel..a few cabins..and you
can rent a room and get a boat- just fall out the room into the boat and
just fish all day long. lol. well night too if you want to- many fished at
night. But isnt that a gorgeous photo? was taken just as the sun was
going down we were probly gonna fish until after dark.Beautiful place.

We hauled that 14 foot boat in the back of our pickup truck.fit great.My

ex just kept it in there all summer long..didnt stick out very far in a
long bed pickup..we would back up and just pull the boat out, drop it
down and drag it into the water, you can see the kinda sandy shore
there. Thats my ex making sure he has his "TACO BOX" in the boat
lol... I wish I had a dollar for every time I tugged and help to lift that
boat in and out of that truck..I would be VERY rich now lol. I did that
many many times.. That boat only cost $50.oo we got a great deal on it
and it sure provided many many hours of fun for me and my ex and all
our friends that enjoyed fishing in it or just going for a ride.
Was really great...

To prove I did NOT fib, I found a photo of the Northern Pike I caught
out of this lake. Its up on the wall behind me..It was 32 inches long , I
dont know the weight other than to say by the time I hauled that
puppy to the boat after almost an hour I WAS pooped lol... That thing
fought me like I was gonna mount it on my wall and he knew it lol..and
see who won?? :-).. By the time I fought that fish I was ready to go
home.If you have never fought a Northern Pike.they're very agressive
fish, and will fight up to the very end. We were both proud of this fish,
wanted it mounted, cost $150.oo to put that fish on that piece of drift
wood. I dont have that fish now, Im hoping its still hanging on my ex's
wall..I know hes telling EVERYONE I caught it too lol... I did..really..

This is me my grandpa and grandma and my cousin Willard. I

had just caught that fish, its not very big, but look at my gramma's

face, shes just smilin.. I do remember this.. I was showing my

grandpa that I COULD catch fish just like he did..you see the

pole in his hand.. This was a great photo of him..this is how he

always looked..his cigarette, and a fishing pole- his favorite hat

and that sweater..Gramma, well that was her, she never fished

though..just was a watcher. The fish is that dark spot down close

to the ground lol.. almost didnt see it did ya? lol..well was a fish,

THAT was the main thing, but look at MY face, im sayin.."This

ISNT very BIG Grandpa" ...I kinda look a little disappointed, but

I caught it and I needed him to take it off my hook!!! THAT part

STILL is the same, Im not good at touchin fish, or worms n stuff,

but I still love to fish, I just cant go by myself lol.. well I can if I use

lures and gloves !! :-D lol....

To live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan you HAVE to be an

outdoors person or go nuts.. Where I lived was in the middle of

a National Forest...well the whole UP is nothing but forest and

lakes.. Now, even the winter is great fun, ice fishing and snow

mobile races on the frozen lakes, skiing is a biggie-cross country

or at the Brule Mountain Ski Hill, great place, and some of the

cutest cabins to stay in.. When we moved away we went back up

there for weekends alot and would stay at the different places..

Ski Brule was very popular, in the winter.My dad helped build

that place and I think I still have a couple cousins that work there,

one is on the skipatrol I believe.. I sat in the lodge, I was NOT

good on skis..And Ice fishing? no..I didnt do that either, but I

LOVE it up there. God's Country..

Last nite was awful again for the storms.. Thank God we only got

the tail end..but was bad enough to knock out half the power in

town here. We were spared.. Raelynn came by at 8 am to see

if I was ok, said she saw so many trees down was scarey.. My

niece lives farther up on Lake Michigan and I was really worried

about her.. that's where that storm came on land from the lake..

She saw a massive water spout dance around out there on the

lake.. Damage was heavy up in that area. We have been so

lucky I shouldn't say anything..I know these storms are getting

worse.. 70 mile an hour winds last nite..awful..Im an adult and

this CRAP scares the HELL otta me. Don't I sound like a big

baby.. it is scary if you have NO where to hide..to protect your

self THATS what really bothers me.. But we made it through

another one..so that's all that matters.. we are safe and sound.

Sounds like my kitchen is calling :-) I cant help it..lunch? well

it was its usual "GUESS" Im not real hungry but something

light would be good.. I dug out my old cushion and this sure

seems to be helping.. I am SO GLAD!!! :-) I think Dutch

heard the kitchen calling too.. hes off and headed out there,

they BOTH know the routine.. when they hear this keyboard

stop this time of day..I think THATS how they know.. Cats

cant read lol. :-) although sometimes I do have doubts lol..

Nitey Nite...:-)

Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya.. and Thanks...

ALways, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...

~The Boys~

I am always writing something about my boys. This is the

most recent photo I took of them... I retouched the back

ground and put their names.. I did a really good job I think...

Not bragging of course lol... They are as different as night

and day. They are almost identical in color, but it ends there.

They do get along..well.. like all kids, they do have their time

when they do fight and then I find clumps of cat hair where

one has pulled it out of the other lol... And I have HEARD them

fight.. LB will growl and hiss at Dutch...and just slap the tar

out of him when hes had enough. Hes the big Kahuna here

and does NOT let Dutch forget that.. Dutch as bull headed as

he is, I think will challenge him till he dies lol...He is just

SO STUBBORN..refuses to give up.. I watched him try to dig

a bag of powdered milk out of a box for 3 hours.. stop for a

minute or so..stare at the box , like figuring a new plan of

attack..then go right back to it..Refuses to take NO for an

answer lol...

I had gotten my 3 in 1 in a big box and around it were those

white peanut thingies for packing material that they use.. I
had closed the top of the box, as Dutch has a horrible fetish

about boxes and bags.. He thinks they are HIS..and he HAS

to get in them.. I was, of course, on the puter, and the box was

in the dining room on my cedar chest so I could get inside it.

I heard the box hit the floor..and thought ..well why would that

fall? Like I didnt KNOW :-) I went in and looked... well as I got

in there out of the box jumped Dutch, scared to death at having

hit the floor INSIDE that box..and you can see what my dining

room floor looked like.

When the box hit the floor it scared him and he jumped out, ran

through the dining room, kitchen, then here to my bedroom.. I

grabbed the webcam and took these 2 PROOF of the Puddin'

you might say of what this boy can do... LOL....look at him sitting

there all innocent.. :-) you DO see the mess? well guess who had

to pick up all those little white thingies? ya...MOM did :-) talk

about a JOB!!! THEN he runs in here to the bedroom and LOOK!

They even stuck to this CAT!!! :-)

LittleBoy is just looking around as if to say, "nope, no, no,

was NOT ME" lol...look at the piece stuck on his HEAD!!

when he ran all these white foamy thingies went everywhere...

and he thought it was FUN!! the more he ran they kinda just

would float..there is no weight in those white things..just small

pieces of packing foam...Then comes and shows me lol.. boy,

kids hey? :-) So there is proof of this kid and ONE of his

messes lol... His very best toy is a piece of packing tape or a

string..

I always say how he is on my keyboard..here is PROOF of that

as well!!! see? I should teach this cat how to type lol.. I have dug

so much cat hair out of my keyboard I bet I have a whole other cat.

lol. LB is just as bad, but hes smart..when he sees that cam light come

on he doesnt stick around.. Dutch..well hes a big ham..he sees that

light go on..hes gonna get in the picture..you have seen him in most

of the ones ive taken lol..

LB does his share of layin on my desk as you can see.. but hes

more of a Garfield type cat.. a HO HUM attitude..easy going but

wont take crap either.. Surprisingly as lovey as they are you do

NOT hold these 2..they HATE that.. they will lay on me, by me,but

if I put my hands on them as if to hold them down? well INSTANT

MAD..and they will run.. I have No idea why..When they were small

i had to hold them all the time..Thats why LB has his girlfriend..I

had to put him by her to shut him up or he would constantly meow

when I wasnt holding him..lol... kids... Spoiled rotten ..but worth it..

I have the best time with these 2..Raelynn loves them..In fact they

whine when she leaves she plays with them so much when shes

here..its like a extra play time for them..lol...well they get tired of

only being around me.. Hell I get tired of only being around me..

why wouldnt they?? LOL... ;-)

I think this stump problem is a pinched nerve. Ive tried some things

like using a cushion again and laying more off that right side.. That

stump being shorter makes me sit loppy, and I have a BAD bad

tendency to rest my arm on that stump when I type..so maybe now

with this slim monitor and being able to type with my keyboard up

here on top my desk will make a difference.. Im going to try it.. But I

did try a pillow under my right side last nite and I did sleep better ..

and for a longer amount of time too. If this doesnt stop, this pain, then

I will break down and go to the Doctor.. I am NOT one for going to one

for every little thing..I never have been ...But the way it feels today I

can truthfully say this right stump was awake for MOST of this day!!!

so YIPPEEEE :-) im glad...seems to be working.. I do have to shift

positions every once in awhile but well who doesnt? even legged

people cant sit in one position for hours and hours..

Raelynn and I were discussing restaurants and I was shocked at

how many are in this town and only Pizza Hut delivers ..well one

other pizza place does too.. Howies..its good pizza but I wish one

just Restaurant would..that has FOOD food lol.. Lunch was one of

those guess it ones..and she and I discussing food well needless

to say, when I post this you KNOW where I am headed, to my own

personal restaurant .. I have NO idea what I want though but seek

and ye shall find :-) so Im gonna look.. its that time :-) nitey nite ..

the boys say Nitey nite too :-) MEOWWWW ... :-)

Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya and thanks :-)

ALways, Lois ****

May God Bless you today,

I'm so honored to call you friend,

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again...