Set Sprinkler Timers

Reset all of mom's sprinkler timers today so they would come on at the right time, on the right days, and for the right duration. She has three systems - on in the front yard, one in the playhouse, and a third under the gazebo. They are now set to come on at 6:00am, 7:00am and 8:25am, respectively.

Other than setting the sprinkler timers not much was accomplished today.

Tried to go to the Salvation Army and look for a new walker for Glenn, but they were closed. The Goodwill store did not have any walkers.

We stopped at the Grocery Outlet for a snack of oysters, Saltine Crackers and an avocado. We sat in the van and ate them. It was 100 degrees out and who knows how hot in the van.

Pho For Lunch Today

Went to lunch with Janet and Kathleen today. First time trying Pho for Kathleen and me. Yummy!!

Pictures for Picasa

Picture Album on Picasa for my Blog pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/home

I Am Looking At

I am looking at my computer screen that is currently sitting on the blog site of "Old Friend From Far Away". It is the familiar blue header with the white "B" encircled in the orange.

Just interrupted by an Amber Alert on my cell phone. Isn't technology great!

My laptop is sitting on the my mom's dark brown, round dining room table at my mother's house. I have eight DVD's sitting on the table as well as the book, "Old Friend from Far Away."

Mom is sitting across from me working on balancing her check books.

A crystal vase sits behind my laptop with several pink and white fake flowers.

The crystal chandelier shines brightly as it hangs over the dining room table. The bulbs are bright.

A fan sits on a wooden stool on the right side of the table opposite me. A small buffet sits against the wall on the wall opposite me. A clock from Las Vegas with die for each hour sits on top of the buffet. Several wicker baskets and other knickknacks are on the shelf as well.

The kitchen is to my left with the white refrigerator closest to me. The chandelier shines in the window to my left just above the kitchen sink. A pink rug lays on the floor just below the sink.

The linoleum floor has a pattern made of tiny quarter-inch squares layed haphazardly in beige and white tones. A seam in the linoleum runs across the floor from the middle of the refrigerator to the cabinets below the oven. The floor is ageing and the seam continues to show wear as it buckles creating a gap now chipped from wear and tear.

A picture hangs on the wall to my right, behind the dining room table, with a pink frame. The picture has a saying, "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference" by Rheinhold Niebuhr.

A typewriter sits on the floor in its gray case to the right of the buffet.

Two round tapestries hang on the wall behind the buffet. One says "Country" and the other says "Welcome."

To the left of the buffet is a pocket doorway leading to the living room. The living room is dark now. A plush beige carpet runs from the living room up to the linoleum with a gold plate connecting the two rooms. Next to the pocket door on the same wall as the light switch hangs a recipe box and three plaques. I cannot read what the plaques say from where I am.

Why I Write

I often feel the need to write. I have found it is usually when I am depressed or upset. The more life gets me down, the more I have this urge to write.

I can never write when I feel this way, however. When I want to write is when I have the hardest time writing. I have found I write best when I am alone, in a place surrounded by people I don't know. For example, when I travel, especially by air or bus, I can just sit down and the words come pouring out.

One such occasion was when I was alone flying back to Seattle from Phoenix. We were diverted to Portland and had to spend the night there. The next morning the airline elected to bus us up to Seattle rather than fly us. I suppose it was quicker and cheaper - I had no problem with it. Never-the-less, I found myself sitting on the bus for a couple of hours with time to spare. I had nothing but a notebook and a pen.

I always try to carry a small notebook and a pen with me, especially when I travel. On this particular bus ride, I knocked out several poems. I was reflecting on my family and life and the words just came. I thought the poems were of good quality - at least in the sense they reflected my feelings - if to no one but myself. I have yet to really try them out on others to see if they like my writings or can relate to them in some way.

The only other time words come so easy are when I am really pissed off and frustrated - this usually occurs late at night. On such occasions I go down to my office and pound out the frustrations into some pretty good recaps of the issues that have got me frustrated.

This particular night is one of those times.

Everything I Feel

If I wrote everything I felt
I would probably fill a page.
No, in fact, I think I'd fill a book.
Or maybe yet, I'd fill a library
with everything I felt.
I'd like to share these things I've felt
but would you understand?
Could you understand?
Well, if you can't or won't
I'll just have to take that chance
-'cause this is how I felt.
So, just remember,
as you read,
as you come to realize,
you too, have felt the way I do.

~ Me on bus from Portland to Seattle ~

Quotes from a Craft Store

"Unattended children will be given an expresso & a new puppy."

"Good Morning - Let the stress begin"

"Who are these children and why do they call me mom?"

"We don't skinny dip, we chunky dunk!"

"My wife came with instructions....LOTS of instructions!"

"You have the right to remain silent....USE IT !!!"

"I've been on a diet for two weeks & all I've lost is 14 days!"

"My aim is to keep this bathroom clean....your aim will help!"

"If it weren't for caffeine I'd have no personality at all."

"You don't have to be crazy to work here .... we train you."