I've been in Eatonville for three days house- and critter-sitting for a couple of friends. My sister is holding down the fort at home -- the cats, dogs, goats and fish (one betta, ten goldfish) are in her capable hands until I get back this morning.
The critters I'm sitting -- two horses (a quarter horse and Arabian) -- three little dogs and two big dogs -- are terrific. The dogs are all geriatric and need extra help. One needs help maneuvering the stairs after she goes potty outside, another (small dog) is blind and deaf, one of the big dogs is deaf (or almost) and the other one is crotchety with a lot of people, but not with me. All are healthy, just seriously old, having lived well beyond their life expectancies. It's a joy to care for them. It really is.
I've been reading most of the weekend. I've finished TO KILL A MOCKINGBORD -- started that last month and put it down. I wasn't able to work from this couple's PC because it MAY have some kind of virus, so I didn't want to open any attachments or send anything out to anyone... so I have a little bit of catching up to do when I get home for one Elance client. I've pretty much stopped working weekends for the most part, but since I had to skip Friday, I'm going to work a little today just to be sure the one client is tucked away and happy on Monday morning...
It has been cool and overcast for two days, but not rainy. I like it.
At home I've been filling in a ditch along our property line with drainage rocks to create a second "french drain" behind the goat pen because otherwise the goat pen will get seriously soggy in winter, and goats are susceptible to hoof rot if they have to live in muddy areas. It has been quite a workout! I've transported almost five yards of rocks in a wheelbarrow about 50-75 feet back from where the rocks were dumped. True, I'm taking "granny loads" (15-20 shovels per load) so I don't crap out prematurely, but it has still been quite a task, especially on days when it's been hot. I worked at least two hours every day last week (early morning before 9 a.m.). I'm almost done now. Should be wrapped up in another couple of hours, max. I guess I'm down to perhaps one square yard of rock; maybe a little more.
That's just about all the news that's fit to print for this time. Have a blessed Sunday!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The Political Lies are Ramping Up Again... It Must Be Silly (Campaign) Season Again
I just got a baseless rumor that President Obama "canceled" the National Day of Prayer this year and was found praying with Muslims.
OMG!!!
And the rumor came in an email from a lady I love and respect, so it floored me. I pointed her to snopes.com and truthorrumor.com to show her the reports are not true.
What scares me is that this crap is getting into mainstream reporting -- even though it has been thoroughly debunked -- and perfectly reasonable folks are beginning to fear it's true. If you repeat anything long enough, some people will begin to believe it.
Please remain vigilant, people. If something sounds too good, or too scary, to be true, check it out at snopes.com or at factcheck.org before you forward it on. By spreading misinformation and disinformation far and wide, you're doing a disservice to our nation and world.
Look for the truth. It exists. If an ad makes a claim against a politician running for office, visit the candidate's website, the Congressional Record, snopes.com, and/or factcheck.org and see what they have to say before you believe what their opponent has to say. There are two sides to every story, and when you blindly accept just one side, you're prejudging and discriminating.
I listen to Fox TV and to MSNBC at least once a week. They have express agendas and viewpoints (opposite ones). If anything seems too far out to believe, I always check it out. Fox wins, hands down, when it comes to misinformation and disinformation. MSNBC and CNN get higher marks, even though MSNBC is as "shrill" as Fox.
The facts matter. When we demonize each other, we demoralize and destroy the fabric of our nation. We're all in the same boat; let's try to remain humane, sane, and unprofane when it comes to "the loyal opposition."
'nuf said.
OMG!!!
And the rumor came in an email from a lady I love and respect, so it floored me. I pointed her to snopes.com and truthorrumor.com to show her the reports are not true.
What scares me is that this crap is getting into mainstream reporting -- even though it has been thoroughly debunked -- and perfectly reasonable folks are beginning to fear it's true. If you repeat anything long enough, some people will begin to believe it.
Please remain vigilant, people. If something sounds too good, or too scary, to be true, check it out at snopes.com or at factcheck.org before you forward it on. By spreading misinformation and disinformation far and wide, you're doing a disservice to our nation and world.
Look for the truth. It exists. If an ad makes a claim against a politician running for office, visit the candidate's website, the Congressional Record, snopes.com, and/or factcheck.org and see what they have to say before you believe what their opponent has to say. There are two sides to every story, and when you blindly accept just one side, you're prejudging and discriminating.
I listen to Fox TV and to MSNBC at least once a week. They have express agendas and viewpoints (opposite ones). If anything seems too far out to believe, I always check it out. Fox wins, hands down, when it comes to misinformation and disinformation. MSNBC and CNN get higher marks, even though MSNBC is as "shrill" as Fox.
The facts matter. When we demonize each other, we demoralize and destroy the fabric of our nation. We're all in the same boat; let's try to remain humane, sane, and unprofane when it comes to "the loyal opposition."
'nuf said.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Political Thought for the Day...
If you're not 100% happy with our President or your other current DEM representatives...just spend one sleepless night thinking about the alternative!!! Be sure to vote in November!!!
Friday, August 20, 2010
So Well Said!!!
"The only time you ever have in which to learn anything or see anything or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal, is this moment, because this is the only moment any of us ever gets. You’re only here now; you’re only alive in this moment." -- Jon Kabat-Zinn
Ponder that and don't squander your next moment. Live life the way it's meant to be lived -- FULLY!
Ponder that and don't squander your next moment. Live life the way it's meant to be lived -- FULLY!
Monday, August 16, 2010
I Just Love My Goats!
I've never had goats before, except that I trained one for part of a summer in Colton, CA in 1977 or 1978. I knew I'd like having goats but had no real idea I'd love them like I do. They make me happy to an almost silly degree.
This weekend I brought them out onto the lawn both days, unleashed (because they follow me around like puppy dogs -- actually, far better than puppy dogs) while Jackie was hosting (on Saturday) an outdoor barbecue for her bank branches and (on Sunday) the regular Sunday family gathering. Sunday I brought out both cable spools and placed a 2 x 6 to span the 10' space between them. I didn't even have to suggest to the goats what that meant -- they immediately jumped onto the spools and started walking the plank. Whenever I turned a spool onto its "side" (so it rolled easily from place to place), Laverne launched herself onto it like a little circus pony and helped me "roll" it to another location.
Goats entertain themselves endlessly when they're off leash. Laverne vaults around the back yard as though possessed, engaging in mock panic attacks at top speed, then stops on a dime and looks around to see if anyone has noticed, then runs off again...
Yes, yes, I'll take video soon of all of this and put it on here and on my Facebook page so you can see it for yourself. In fact, I may post the result on YouTube. (That will be a first for me.)
Buffy continues to think she's Lassie or Bullet. She gets at Laverne's heels and chases her into her pen. Shirley, though, has Buffy's number and lowers her head to let her know she isn't impressed by two pounds of puffball and bluster, so Buffy leaves her alone pretty much... but Laverne thinks it's such fun to run, I guess, that everything is a lark to her. If she can get a wee pup to chase her, so much the better!
Because of our goats, our grape arbor has seen better days. Grape leaves are Laverne's and Shirley's favorite treat (after COB -- corn, oats and barley, which they can't have much of on a daily basis) so Casey, Lizzie, Isabella and Jamie pull them down and use them as training aids to get the goats to stand on their hind legs with their front legs on the girls' hips or chests while they feed them a leaf or two... or ten. It's a good thing we don't make use of the grapes, because I doubt we'll get many this year. The vines and leaves used to engulf the entire grape arbor trellis from ground to top, but now there is just the canopy left. And the canopy will remain mostly because no one can reach it. We'll see what happens to the dozens of teensy weensy grape clusters now that so many leaves have disappeared. I have a feeling it probably won't be good. But who knows. Maybe a little pruning (a little?!!) is actually good for grape arbors. We're going to find out this year!
This weekend I brought them out onto the lawn both days, unleashed (because they follow me around like puppy dogs -- actually, far better than puppy dogs) while Jackie was hosting (on Saturday) an outdoor barbecue for her bank branches and (on Sunday) the regular Sunday family gathering. Sunday I brought out both cable spools and placed a 2 x 6 to span the 10' space between them. I didn't even have to suggest to the goats what that meant -- they immediately jumped onto the spools and started walking the plank. Whenever I turned a spool onto its "side" (so it rolled easily from place to place), Laverne launched herself onto it like a little circus pony and helped me "roll" it to another location.
Goats entertain themselves endlessly when they're off leash. Laverne vaults around the back yard as though possessed, engaging in mock panic attacks at top speed, then stops on a dime and looks around to see if anyone has noticed, then runs off again...
Yes, yes, I'll take video soon of all of this and put it on here and on my Facebook page so you can see it for yourself. In fact, I may post the result on YouTube. (That will be a first for me.)
Buffy continues to think she's Lassie or Bullet. She gets at Laverne's heels and chases her into her pen. Shirley, though, has Buffy's number and lowers her head to let her know she isn't impressed by two pounds of puffball and bluster, so Buffy leaves her alone pretty much... but Laverne thinks it's such fun to run, I guess, that everything is a lark to her. If she can get a wee pup to chase her, so much the better!
Because of our goats, our grape arbor has seen better days. Grape leaves are Laverne's and Shirley's favorite treat (after COB -- corn, oats and barley, which they can't have much of on a daily basis) so Casey, Lizzie, Isabella and Jamie pull them down and use them as training aids to get the goats to stand on their hind legs with their front legs on the girls' hips or chests while they feed them a leaf or two... or ten. It's a good thing we don't make use of the grapes, because I doubt we'll get many this year. The vines and leaves used to engulf the entire grape arbor trellis from ground to top, but now there is just the canopy left. And the canopy will remain mostly because no one can reach it. We'll see what happens to the dozens of teensy weensy grape clusters now that so many leaves have disappeared. I have a feeling it probably won't be good. But who knows. Maybe a little pruning (a little?!!) is actually good for grape arbors. We're going to find out this year!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Newest Photos -- Enjoy!
In Order of Appearance:
Liz and Casey with Nice Neigh-bor
Casey and Liz walking Laverne and Shirley
Jamie and Isabella making sure "I Can't Hear You..."
Trampoline Fun (Video)
If you watch the trampoline video, the horse Punkin will make a brief appearance. (She nuzzled my arm while I was filming so I figured she wanted her piece of the action...)
And yes, I take them off whenever someone isn't walking them! Don't worry!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
WOO HOO!!!! Same-Sex Marriages Declared Legal in CA Again!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38560562/ns/us_news-life?GT1=43001
And yes, I'm a Christian... but no... I don't think allowing same-sex couples to wed will "destroy" traditional marriage. Traditional marriage will always remain popular with the 90% of the human population that is heterosexual. Marriage should not remain the province only of "one man and one woman" in America.
"Against love there is no law." - The Holy Bible.
The word "abomination" (when targeting homosexuality in the Bible) means "eyesore," properly translated from the original texts. I agree that sexuality (of any stripe) may be considered an "eyesore" if engaged in in public... but there is no commandment against same sex couplings where actual love is involved.
The homosexuality "spotlighted" in the Bible, in every instance, was about lust and fornication without benefit of love or marriage. It was about dominating another, or about uncommitted couplings.
I believe it's hypocritical for Christians to disallow marriage; when we do, we make homosexuals "fornicators" rather than committed couples. By allowing gays and lesbians to marry, we remove the stigma associated with same-sex commitment. And I'm all for that.
Let's legislate against hate if we feel we have to legislate against emotions, feelings and passionate commitments. See how that works out...
And yes, I'm a Christian... but no... I don't think allowing same-sex couples to wed will "destroy" traditional marriage. Traditional marriage will always remain popular with the 90% of the human population that is heterosexual. Marriage should not remain the province only of "one man and one woman" in America.
"Against love there is no law." - The Holy Bible.
The word "abomination" (when targeting homosexuality in the Bible) means "eyesore," properly translated from the original texts. I agree that sexuality (of any stripe) may be considered an "eyesore" if engaged in in public... but there is no commandment against same sex couplings where actual love is involved.
The homosexuality "spotlighted" in the Bible, in every instance, was about lust and fornication without benefit of love or marriage. It was about dominating another, or about uncommitted couplings.
I believe it's hypocritical for Christians to disallow marriage; when we do, we make homosexuals "fornicators" rather than committed couples. By allowing gays and lesbians to marry, we remove the stigma associated with same-sex commitment. And I'm all for that.
Let's legislate against hate if we feel we have to legislate against emotions, feelings and passionate commitments. See how that works out...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)