Darn It

I'm told by the mother-in-law that this is not darning. It's stitching. Darning is a more complicated process of stretching the sock over a lightbulb or some such item, performing an unraveling of the upper portion of the sock to acquire matching thread, then stitching tiny connecting stitches to secure the complex weaving motion of the darning art.

Hey, I think that anytime I am stitching together socks that have a hole and making them wearable, even using the son's heel as the lightbulb, I'm darning. Five pair, all wool, all fail in the same place, all within one week of wearing! What a waste! Too bad I tossed the wrapper or they would be returned. (Which is what the manufacturer is counting on! As I have related before--it's a conspiracy!)

So, I'm darning! At least I'm not damning!

Okay I tried to upload a video here, can't manage to pull it off. So I'll keep trying...

For those who love Santa... I personally find him creepy,

Try this one instead

http://portablenorthpole.sympatico.msn.ca/home





Here's the link, look it up yourself. It's cute and funny and the song will remain in your head for hours.

www.eminiz.com/in/HappyHolidays.aspx

or
youtube

Christmas Ills

Wanna read what happens in a Christmas long past when the mom gets the flu? I just tumbled over this in my Christmas cleansing, and it's pretty funny.

http://thatslife--armsandlegsin.blogspot.com/

More Ice

I'm sitting home doing nothing but breathing and wishing I could finish Christmas, but we're iced in but good here. I'm going just a trifle stir crazy. The children are out out school again for ice day. Cross those fingers, toes and eyes for a full day of class tomorrow. As it is, finals have been moved to the new year and Ian's choir concert is postponed. Jingle Bells sung after New Years is just freaky. Piano, TKD and the cub scout caroling are cancelled and cabin fever is rampant.

The free form Christmas chaos is heightening. I've been reviewing my journal and thought it might be fun to review a past-year's Christmas letter. Here's 1997

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Joyeaux Noel, Frolic Whynotten, Fleas on a Dog, 1997
and all those other wonderful holiday salivations.

Here we are again. Seems like just last year that I was writing this same letter.

Actually, it’s been a fabulous year, a challenging and most interesting ride. I’m still holding on only by the tip of my nails and screaming as I go.

The children seem well (adjusted), in spite of the fact that David says there is no lack of material for their next installment of Mommy Dearest. Diondra is loving second grade and her life in general. Her interest to be an actress waned after she perfected her Howie Mandell “Walk like a Man role and now she wants to be a veterinarian that plays flute concerts at lunchtime, acts, but only in the evenings at the neighborhood theater, and looks forward to becoming a firefighting rock-climber on the weekends.

When I last wrote, the cat that was seeking another home to stray to--has adjusted by developing multiple personalities. As a dog, she growls and bites strangers. In her monkey phase she gets stuck weekly on top of the house, and runs up and over the unsuspecting. But, she pulls her own weight and though declawed still brings birds and mice to the table regularly.

Ian, at five, still finds his best buddies are rocks and thinks kindergarten is just a sideline to a real life. He has discovered that computers have this wonderful world behind the screen that can speed it up and slow it down and he make it say little things that scare Mom and Dad, like general system error.

We’re pretty sure Dave still lives here. I wonder about the cot at work but his clothes are still in the closet, so I can’t get him for desertion! He’s loving his second life in Oklahoma and we are sure his family there must miss him also. But it’s better than the alternative. . . us there too!

Still loving my full-time job as Mommy. For a person that hates repetition, it is replete with challenges. How many different ways can you think of to make vacuuming exciting? I’m up to 10 (and Dave says that is the sum total that I’ve ever used the vacuum!) I am sure the whole house could benefit from a match struck in the moldering laundry room, rife with methane gas.

I’ve been reading up on the new Madge Stewart’s, “Scarcely Living during Holidays”, or something like that. I thought I’d pass on some of her ideas.

I’m sure it will put all of us in the holiday spirit.
On package wrapping, beautiful tapestry materials I don’t have, so I took a couple of cloth diapers (clean and in good condition (of course) and finished the package with a little duct tape on the edges. Voile! Fits in well with the silver and white of this season and it’s beauty on a budget! Ribbon is never a problem, because I save all the bits and pieces from the previous year. I just iron them up a little and tie coordinating colors together for a lovely package finish.

Outside decor dilemma? Blow up reusable ziplocks- and spraypaint, of course.

Makes a sort of luminary. . . sort of. . .
Ideas for evening entertaining...presentation is always a challenge, so I'm borrowing from Erma Bombeck. Use the husband’s shoe, spraypainted-of course -to make a lovely gravy boat. And tree decorations, Ian’s ball collection filled the bill perfectly.. marbles to baseballs and even a basketball. And ya know, a little gold spray paint never hurt nobody.

Best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season. Our motto for this year:

If you just can’t do it all. . . don’t.

Love, The Darcey Family, David, Terina, Dia and Ian

See more beautiful pictures of OK Icestorm at

http://glu-teenfree.blogspot.com/2008/12/ice-beauty.html

A preview?

2008 Christmas Letter

Our family wishes yours...

Happy Holidays & A Happy New Year

Today’s paper revealed the secret to happiness. The article says happy people surround themselves with happy friendships. Our thanks to those of you who happily spread it around and we rejoice in knowing friends who live in this elevated state. Read on!
Our family is evaluating its happiness factor and our ability to exude happiness for our friends.

Let me elucidate! The children are brimming with happiness. Dia loves college, her five roomies, and her classes. She fleetingly considered a career in mediocrity, after expending every brain cell graduating valedictorian, but she is feeling the benefits in year one of college. She and Ian invaded Europe this summer, Ian as the historical tour guide and she as the interpreter and map reader. Her happiness is the frigidity of Utah and ten aunts right up close and personal who succor her and supply her with leftovers. Dia’s hope for happiness in the New Year is finding a major! And her Father’s happy that Dia is finding no steady guy.

Ian is sixteen and an Eagle scout, YAY! He can drive! YAY! He can date! But his current happiness is achieving his 3rd Dan in Taekwondo, world history, particularly the Mongolian era, wars, and weapons. He still exults in trivia (on the Latin Certamin and Academic Bowl teams). In the New Year, his hope for happiness centers specifically on choir, (he's a bass at his best), avoiding the piano, Master Swords and his martial arts weapons class.

Aidan is our happiest family member (as evidenced by the photo inspiring this letter). He turned 10 yesterday and has yet to come down from the birthday high. He lives for the newest edition of How Things Work. He tells me that today he is happy about “Washday boogie”, (piano) which is pure evidence that Aidan lives for now! Being present in today is what makes him happy! “And getting presents,” he clarifies.

Sorry to add felines, but a happy home wouldn’t be complete without the joy and anticipation of WWF (World War Feline). The day after Christmas last year, we rescued a tail-less month-old kitty from the backyard depths of the snow in Utah. The little one spent days warmed and coddled ‘neath sweatshirts only to emerge into the bleak and stark frigidity of the 14-year old mistress of mayhem (Yes, Socks is still alive). The little one (Scrabble) hones defensive and covert battle tactics and her hope for the new year is to discover that tails really are toys.

Dave is still the Cub Scout Bear den leader and loves the challenge of nine year olds. He finds those meetings an interesting juxtaposition with board meetings at Williams. He is still running marathons, (his total is 30 or 40 or something) and his happiness in the new year hinges on a mild winter so he can still bike 30 miles to work three or four times a week. The mild winter would also aid in his other hope for happiness, avoiding another year of cleanup from the chaos and detritus of last year’s ice and hailstorms.

Our happiness together is that we are still too young to retire and live off the dregs of our stock portfolio.

If I could have my happiest heart’s desire, it would be that today I would get all these sent off before it is too late to wish everyone a Happy Holiday instead of just a Happy New Year sometime late in February.

Our true joy is found in the depth of the Saviors grace and His love evidenced in our family’s lives. We are truly blessed and hope for the same for you. Merry Christmas.

Anniversary Ice Storm

The backyard.The front yard.

The neighbor's yard
The neighbor's side yard.

The driveway.

The dead tree.

The waiting child.

Neighbors tree.

The driveway The dinner. Frozen milk and catsup, delicious!

Frozen berries
Frozen trees

From above.

From below.

From the front door.

From the warmth of the bed.

Slime Day

Birthdays at our house are a week long. Not like we drag out the festivities and celebration, but more like we don't usually have time to celebrate in the middle of the week, so we try to put it off until the weekend and talk it up all week.

In truth, it seems like we have a halfhearted birthday (one that mimics the real parties when I was a child) on the actual day. We pull out a cake, light candles, open a present and sing.

Early on, Aidan figured out that when we said, "We'll celebrate and have a party for real on the weekend," that truly meant, "We'll probably be too busy then too, and we'll just hope that you'll forget." He was five when he began planning his own parties. Two years ago, we told him we weren't hosting a party with kids, so next thing we know, we are at the pizza parlor, celebrating Aidan's 8th birthday with three high school seniors that he invited from Dia's study group. They brought presents too!

This year, the day landed on Wednesday. We invited a friend to go "rock hunting" on his birthday (I needed rocks for a church prayer rock project.) Back at home we started each boy on a sugar rock crystal experiment and we served G/F cake and icecream after! A lovely party I thought.

But, the weekend rolls around and at precisely two o'clock, Aidan looks out and announces that his friend is here for his birthday party. Nicholas came and with his little brother JT, we had a slime party. We made two kinds of slime, and explored the chemistry of polymers and then we made slime pudding to eat and I sent them home with party packages of slime (a flarp can, bloonies, and modeling clay.) To see Slime Recipes see post that follows.

It turned out wonderful, there was minimal planning and fuss. The perfect party!

Slime Recipes

Septic Space Slime


Measure 7 Tbs. water and stir in 1/4 tsp of Guar gum, stir well. Set aside for 3-5 minutes
Measure 1 Tbs. water into another bowl and stir in 1/4 tsp. of borax. Stir 2-3 minutes.
Slowly add 1/2 tsp of the borax solution to the guar gum solution, stirring as you pour. Let stand several minutes until it thickens. (We accidently added all of both containers together and it worked fine.)



Schlop Slime

Cornstarch and water. Measure 1/2 cup into a bowl, slowly add water and stir until I reaches an interesting consistency. Stir fast, stir slow, try to pick it up or handle it. Fun.

Uncle Gary Gift

Thanks Uncle Gary in Kwait for Aidan's Present

USA Today Article

American's still have a bias against Mitt Romney. Persons who profess to know "Mormons" yet fail the short test of LDS attributes are the group who will vote against Mitt. Those who really know a Mormon have less bias. (Wish you could see the graph.)

USA Today says "the country would be better off if there were no "stained glass ceiling" in politics for members of any religion or no religion at all."

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/11/column-tolerance-we-have-a-ways-to-go-.html

The article ends with the idea that it would break barriers for all of us to really know all the other kinds of "saints" among us.

Santa Skeptic

No, No, No,

I will not, will not,
Sam I am,
Not in a train,
not on a truck
Believe in Santa?
You're out of luck!

Well, okay once,
I'll stop the pout.
If he brings a wwii
I'll again not doubt!

This madcap, insane
retail scramble,
Is Santa's work!
His fault, I'll gamble.

If I weren't crazily
running 'round
spending wildly,
credit bound,

I'd have some time
to try to find
the spirit sought
for peace of mind.

But, without a reason
to buy a gift,
could I, would I
even think of it?

Or would each day
continue past
just like my own
self centered last.

I need more than a
fat old elf
to remind me daily
to give of self.

It's deeper then,
I'll become more mild.
I give more charitably
by remembering the child.

Christmas Quiz

Because I know that you aren't frantically busy running about procuring all the parts of Christmas...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
2. Real tree or Artificial?
3. When do you put up the tree?
4. When do you take the tree down?
5. Do you like eggnog?
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
7. Hardest person to buy for?
8. Easiest person to buy for?
9. Do you have a nativity scene?
10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
12. Favorite Christmas Movie(s)?
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
16. Lights on the tree?
17. Favorite Christmas song?
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
22. Favorite ornament theme or color?
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
24. What do you want for Christmas this year?

If your husband has any brains at all he will find the years worth of trolling your site worthwhile for just this last response.

I have thought carefully about all these answers and in the spirt of ease and flexibility that I constantly live under, I have answered them all with one response.

Whatever.

Vituperative Phase

Okay, take some time off!

Stop reading my blog for a couple months while I work through this nasty phase. I'm mad at the garbage man (who won't collect my leaves). I'm angry at the roofer, (who took the final payment, but didn't finish the roof). I'm frustrated with the doctor who can find nothing whatsoever wrong...each and every time I take the ailing child to him. Most of all, I'm peeved at the muffins that I make each morning which seem to be contributing to my muffin waistline silhouette.

I think that I can trace it all back to the day that I discovered a pencil that wasn't really what it appeared to be--and life (and my posts) haven't been the same.

So, take a break, drop my link and sometime early in the next year, sign on again and maybe, just maybe I'll be nicer, life will again be funny and I will again be polite company.

Maybe.

Up Over the Hill

Oh, the old days, when Grandpa would send us up the hill to move the antennae while he yelled directions from the living room. We would sit under blankets draped over the screen so we could watch Saturday cartoons.

Now we’re promised that digital conversion is easy, and virtually free. $40.00 coupon for a $49.99 gizmo that will improve the TV experience. So I did it, I signed up and bought into the converter—now I get a vagarious mix of nothing at all on most channels, most of the time. As they promised, digital is all or nothing.

Now I’m stuck with the rest of America, paying for all the extra things to make this “easy transition” work, antennaes, boosters, or basic cable, ($30,000 over the course of my remaining days.)

I’m mourning the convenience of analog, but I do look forward to reverting back to sending the grandkids up the hill.

Piqued over a Pencil

This is not intended as an April Fools joke; it is not a magicians trick. Some innovative pea brain has exceeded simple and basic design and in their inventiveness, have created what military personnel in their most polite moments call a (foul word meaning upgraded until it exceeds practicality).

That means someone took something that worked perfectly well and improved it beyond practicality and useability. That person should be treated as if, indeed they were in the military and summarily shot.

For the record, the pencil cannot be improved upon for any cocamamie nor assinine purpose.

Don't.

Just don't, as there are some of us who treat pencils that appear to be pencils as if they were indeed, pencils and we sharpen them!

Now that I've sharpened it and rendered it useless, and ruined a perfectly good pencil sharpener, I take the time to get out my magnifier and discover the truth about this tool. It looks like a pencil, it feels like a pencil, and obviously someone else discovered that it tastes like a pencil.

But it is not a pencil.

And in hearty response to my son who says, "Well, Mom, it does say right on it..." I respond... " I AM NOT IN THE HABIT OF READING MY PENCILS! ! !" Perhaps on the side it should state: THIS IS NOT A PENCIL!

Note that it's even encased in wood so that it would have the same nibbleability.

Perhaps it's purpose is camouflage for the military... for when they need a writing tool, but really can't run the risk of being caught with a pen on them. That's it! It's an invention for top secret use! It's in disguise.

That also explains its total and complete lack of viable useability.

Happy Face

It's 6 a.m., and as the timer dings, Aidan pops open the microwave and says, "Hi!"

I look through my blur and reply, "What?"

He said, "I like seeing a happy face smiling out at me first thing in the morning."

That would be the mug, not me.

Mad about Gas!

I'm so mad! My tank is empty and I have to get gas.

And in spite of the (almost) two dollar a gallon price decrease, I am stuck in the same predicament that I was one month ago, gasless and dreading the fill-up.

Gas prices have me conflicted again. In spite of the high price, I was torn between the good that a high price would have on the environment, making people aware and working toward better, more efficient modes of transport, but now that they are so low, again I am twisted.

My problem should be the lack of consumer concern when prices are good. But it isn't.

I dread getting gas because just as soon as I do, the price will drop another nickel and there I'll be with a full tank, frustrated again, knowing that always and forever--no matter the price,

I will always have paid too much for gas.

Cake Wrecks

Okay, check this one out! I laughed and laughed.

http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

thanks, jenna's friend (I'm stalking again...)

If It Made a Difference

I love election day! I anticipate it with bated breath. I love to pretend with the rest of the world that there is some drama playing out. I tell myself that this is as exciting as a great sports matchup and can’t wait to see just how the brawl will turn out.

I’m picturing the day after, and the candidates moms waiting like good parents until the battle is over so they can pluck the two apart and smack their heads together and send them on their way to write the apologies for the poor sportsmanship they have shown one another. I pretend there is some comeuppance to be had. It makes me feel better.

It’s partially my fault, as I must encourage it. Somehow, the battle is fiercest because I am such a prize. I am the beautiful prom queen to be won by the player who manages to knock the other out of the running and convince me to select them.

But, in reality, I’m the ugly stepsister, who they are not worried about winning over at all. My 10 year old learned yesterday that he has spent the entire school year consumed with making the right choice. He has researched every issue, every part and parcel of the entire rule book front to back, and yesterday he found that voting is a fluke, that his game was thrown long before he ever gets to play.

Maybe a good conk on the head is what all of us need. It seems to work for them. They turn about and manage to play together again tomorrow as if nothing ever happened.

My 18 year old daughter repeats the internet quote, “Pshaw, Mom!” If our votes made any difference, would they let us do it?”

So go vote! Vote!

or don't.

In the big picture, it's all the same.

For Mature Audiences Only

The phrase "M" for mature themes" means gratutous sex, violence and abuse. This designation assures the world at large that only mature audiences will tune in. The ratings board has evaluated exhaustive advertising studies to assure that.

They must have also discovered some sort of coping mechanism that turns on automatically when we mature so we can stomach filth. Is it that same thingy that makes us incontinent at that same phase?

I'm coming up on the grandma age and still the M stands for morally repugnant to me. I can be immersed in the middle of a PG movie, book or television show and gratutous stuff (used to get an R rating) comes on and I still have to fling it away or turn it off.

Perhaps the thingy that kicks in to render us "mature" is desensitization. We've been there and we've done that, and we think that kicking up a fuss really wouldn't work anyway.

So I just go on holding it all in and that means I can start looking forward to the next phase of maturity, the constipation age.

(Hey, the title warned you didn't it?)

Blog Stalking

I'm trying not to spend too much time daily hooked up to this IV line, but today, I blogstalked.

I perused a site without purpose. This person was a total stranger, with no affinity to me, no club in common, no kid in common, no agenda or cause in common. Just a complete stranger who happened to surf to the top on a google search for a product.

From this glimpse of her life, I found myself enjoying her writing, her joy in life with her baby and freakily, I found commonality... I also recognized someone in one of her photos as my first cousin once removed and now, now, I remember, I know her. From my past, from one of my distant moves, I remember. The rush of memories will give me happy thoughts all day.

That's what's nice about blogstalk.

THE PINNACLE

Okay, I've outdone myself this time. This year, I've accomplished the epitome, the absolute best of the best that I have every achieved.

Every year I made a goal that I will not overdo the halloween thing, but every year there I go again... if I had a scanner, I'd show you. I am addicted to the drama and craze of creating Halloween costumes. It's always been a three month long plan and revision until we have the best costumes ever!!!!

Handmade!! Personally designed and created!

Aidan was once a gargoyle... no kidding, with wings. I wish I had a scanner--you would see.

And again this year, I am again, struggling with the natural me to rise above the best myself that I have been striving for over and over.

I think I've done it!

THE 2008 halloween costume for Aidan In... get it?

Come Thou Fount

I can't tell you hou much I love "Come thou Fount" I have heard it in so many versions and I never tire of it.

I'm living now in bluegrass country and love the new version I heard done by HA ! THE DOWNING FAMILY>>>>>>>>>>> I'll have to call my brain and ask her (I keep an off site version that I call to reference when my brain leaves me.) I REMEMBERED WITHOUT THE BRAIN.

thedowningfamily.net/products.htm (I also recommend Jesus is coming soon).


___________________
Anyway, this is the best is the best I've seen on youtube thus far. (Thanks Lisa)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oteno81QzzQ

Halloween 2008

"Thank the Lord that yours are not Normal"

That's the sign that I have pasted by post-in on the mirror in my bathroom. I was reminded the other night when I was bemoaning my life and the burden of childrearing to my daughter. She emphasized this truth.

"Mom, what would a typical 16 year old be doing right now? If he were a "good" and relatively easy specimen, he would be roaring by in his car, and talking on the telephone to what's-her-name and planning the next big social shindig this weekend, and heaven help you if he were a "normal one!"

"Your son is in his room frantically working on his Eagle project so you will make him his Legend of Zelda costume by Halloween." "You go right now and just praise the Lord that none of your children thus far have been anywhere near normal."

And she's right, normal would be a lot harder.

And as a side note, when one prays, mini-miracles do happen. No pattern, no fitting, no muss, no fuss, one hour and voila, we have Link, from his boots to his hood. I'm blessed all the way around.

2008 Tulsa Run

The family spent this weekend enjoying the cool weather and making the tulsa run. The boys ran the fun run, got the t'shirt and pretended that there were actual health benefits in candy (eating far more than their share of the End-of-race offerings.)

We're becoming Tulsans, beer and candybars instead of yogurt, fruit and gatoraid are no longer weirdness at the end of a long race.

I wish they had gotten a photo of me, huddled in the sunlight, layered and freezing, fighting a bug that stuck and sucked all the life from me. BUT I WAS THERE!

Further concerns on Religious Freedom

The group of new Atheists are disrespectful and insulting to believers, purposefully, says the author of author of God is not great. He goes on to call religion ridiculous, sinister and dangerous. He believes religion must be stopped and to attract the young to the movement, the more outrageous the behavior, the better.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113889251

Here are highlights from Dallin Oaks recent article that Dia put on her blog (and got slammed.) You Go GRILL!

His hints for those of us who will soon be lambasted by the adversary against religion.

://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/apostle-says-religious-freedom-is-being-threatened

• Speak with love and show patience, understanding and compassion to those with differing viewpoints.
• Do not be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation from opponents, insist that churches and their members be able to speak out on issues without retaliation.
• Insist on the freedom to preach the doctrines of faith.
• Be wise in political participation, remaining respectful of those who do not share their religious beliefs and contributing to reasonable discussion.
• Be careful to never support or act on the idea that a person must subscribe to a specific set of religious beliefs in order to qualify for public office

New Biblical definition for meat? Vegetables?

today I discovered a whole new justification for my newest fancy. I was just reading the Word of Wisdom and reviewing it and I found an interesting point that Heavenly Father seems to be directing me to today:

W of W says in D&C 89

10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome ^aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

Today the word herb stood out to me. So clicked on herb's cross reference (I know, I'm speed studying the scriptures online) (Hey, it counts!)

Gen. 1: 29.

29 ¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for ^ameat.

Again speed cross referencing for meat:

Moses 2: 29 (29-30)

29 And I, God, said unto man: Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which shall be the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for ^ameat.

Abr. 4: 29 (29-30)

29 And the Gods said: Behold, we will give them every herb bearing seed that shall come upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which shall have fruit upon it; yea, the fruit of the tree yielding seed to them we will give it; it shall be for their ^ameat

Three interesting new definitions for Meat in the scriptures,

What da ya think?

______________

Now then, my mind goes to the argument that is typically used to refute the eating of beast or fowl?

D&C 49:

18 And whoso ^aforbiddeth to ^babstain from ^cmeats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;

MEAT?

and it takes on a whole other meaning for me now.

Again, D&C

16 All grain is good for the ^afood of man; as also the ^bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—

And I want to run to the fridge again, fling open the door, embrace my healthfulness and take another slurp of my green smoothie!

YUM!

Roofies

Men working on the house is very tranqualizing. I'm happily serene that it's not me 50 feet up on a 45 degree slope, and grateful as they climb the ladder with heavy loads that my quads aren't directly involved.

But sometimes I wonder if it's more calming to do the work, rather than think about it. Irony is having the roof shingled with 50 year rated asphalts, when you know Oklahoma weather will toast them in 10. If they aren't busted up by hail or torn off by a tornado, then I'm sure the heat or varmits will do them in. From what I hear, I should feel lucky that my thirty-year shakes lasted ten.

I guess I should be figuring this into the insurance bill. Let's see twenty grand divided by...Yuck! Math--more thinking!

I'm not pitying the insurance company, they upped the car insurance $800 because my teen had a (not her fault) wreck that totaled the car. Silly me, thought I was paying insurance for such an event! They do have a responsiblity to their stockholders...after all.

As a mere customer, we should just plan for those eventualities--good planning means good insurance, I'm reminded.

And it's okay that the roofers smashed a solartube, because they assure me that it's covered by insurance.

Wonder how much that's gonna cost?

And this is what results when the yearning wins and Dave watches the men on the roof too long. Our own ladder, our own death-defying stunts. Spare me!

Happy Birthdays

This is the portrait of one happy birthday boy. I have gone out and flung money right and left in an attempt to provide a happy day to him and all he wanted was a burger on the grill.
In lieu of the college daughters skilled wrapping, there was this. Hey, it worked.
Just what he wanted! The means by which he can finish another of my projects long begun. I sense some chagrin in the happy expression. Thanks so much for nothing, honey.