Linda's World

This Challenge is a "Tribute to Mothers"  ALL mothers, one mother....any mother...
Could be your sister, if she's a mother....could be your own mother, could be a portrait of yourself as a mother.
ANYTHING GOES, be creative, use whatever you want....quotes, poems.....things your mother always said.....  Stories of your mother, childhood memories....
Only one category this week, "FUN"
You have now till  THURSDAY, May 8th 7PM EST to post your tribute to your mom. Or any mom......  I will post them on Friday.

My Mom~Edythe Irene Smith March 17, 1915 ~ October 8, 1987

Mom, you were one of a kind.  Sweet, gentle, loving, kind... but you didn't put up with any monkey business.  You didn't like my rock & roll music, you hated red fingernail polish but as I grew up you provided me with other music so I'd learn to love it all and you bought me a bottle of nail polish remover. LOL  You sat me at your knee and taught me about my loving Heavenly Father at an early age. You took me to Sunday School and church even when, as a surly teenager I really didn't want to go.  You took care of me when I was sick. You played with me when I was well. You spent your days recuperating from major surgery, sewing (by hand) clothes for a doll you gave me for Christmas.  You got me my first sewing machine & taught me how to use it. You taught me how to embroidery dish towels. You tried to teach me how to cut up a chicken even when I pointed out to you that "some day chickens will be available already cut up."  You taught me how to weed the garden even when you knew I hated it. And when I had to milk Daisy when dad went fishing...you assured me that she wouldn't kick me. You taught me how to do things around the house, when I wasn't interested.  You didn't get too upset when you said "Linda, clean your room" and all I did was move the stuff from one side to the other (your words). You giggled at the way I could stack the clean dishes in the dish drainer.  You taught me about growing flowers and encouraged me to always have a flower garden no matter what my economic status might be. You said "Flowers even in a small pot are good for the soul." You were patient when I was learning to drive. You were there for me during the most difficult times of my life.  By your example, you taught me how to be a mother...I pray I didn't disappoint you in that area.  You loved me when I was the most unlovable.

Thank you mom for all that you were....I miss you so much. And I thank God for choosing you for my mom.

lsfp1960 at 1:53:59 PM PDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 11 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Today being the first Wednesday of the month, was book club day.  It's a group of female readers that gather once a month at a local Round Table Pizza for lunch and the chance to meet two local authors. 

Today the two authors visiting with us were Elizabeth Boyle and Jane Porter.   Both of these authors live in the Seattle area, so traveled down together to be with us today.

Jane was telling us one of the books she has written, "Flirting with Forty" is being made into a Lifetime Movie and will be on TV this coming fall.  The movie stars Heather Locklear and Jane recently returned from Hawaii where she met with the producer, screen writer & the cast.  This story is based loosely on her own life, depicting her divorce that happened when she was turning 40.  Of course the story and the movie will be slightly different...as the screen writer took the liberty of changing things here and there. Some of Jane's other books are "Odd Mom Out" and "Mrs Perfect."  Jane taught 7th grade History for many years but now concentrates on her writing and her children.

Elizabeth told the story of her first book.  In 1996 she entered a writers contest.  All the entrants had to submit was the first 3 chapters...of course they were expected to have a completed story available in case they were among the finalists.  Well, she submitted the first 3 chapters...did not have the rest completed and went about her duties as a Microsoft employee.   When the letter came that she been picked as a finalist, she was back east trying to get back home to Seattle.  She'd called her husband to tell him the status of her flights arrival and he mentioned the letter.  He read it to her over the phone, it stated that she had to have the remaining chapters of the book into Dell Publishing in 6 weeks.  Needless to say, she freaked out.  She got home and between work, being a mom, a wife and a homemaker...she worked on the rest of the book every available minute.  The deadline was on a Monday ~the book had to be in New York at Dell Publishing by 8 am.  She called several places to see about getting her manuscript delivered "over night" and the closest she could come was getting it to Sea-Tac airport by 5pm on Saturday to fly out on a Fed Ex  plane.  She was so stressed,  she could see that she wasn't going to make it.....when her husband walked into the room where she was working and said "honey, just calm down. You have until 10pm Sunday night to get this together."  That dear man had called and made a reservation on a red-eye flight, leaving Seattle at 11pm Sunday night getting into New York the next morning.  He had a backpack with a few essentials and her completed manuscript, arriving at Dell Publishing right on time.  Four hours later he was back on a flight to Seattle.  They hadn't shared this with any of their extended family...didn't want to get anyone's hopes up.  But about 5 months later she attended the Writer's Conference where the winner would be announced, eating lunch at a big round table with the other finalists. She said she was so nervous but was cordial to all the other women, knowing that if she didn't win it was important to be nice and friendly and not look like a sore looser.  Well, lo and behold when the announcement came ......she was the winner!  She was so thrilled...she knew that she might really get to realize a dream~that of being a writer. That book was titled "Brazen Angel."  Since then she has written 15 published books and no longer works at Microsoft.

As usual the book table was full of books for exchange and I brought more home ~ yup I did. Before next month, I really need to go thru my books and bag up some to take and put on the table.

lsfp1960 at 3:21:12 PM PDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 10 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

It all started about a month ago.  I got some literature in the mail from AARP.  In the packet was a self addressed postage paid card where you could check for your choice of a free gift.  I checked next to a home fire extinguisher and sent it in.  It said at the bottom of the card "FREE~NO OBLIGATION."

Well, this morning at 8:45am (a little early as far as I'm concerned) the phone rang and a man introduced himself and told me he wanted to drop by and bring me the fire extinguisher.  I said, "I hope there's no strings attached & if there is...I don't want it."  He said that he wouldn't be associated with any company that would do that & he understood where I was coming from.   Ok...so he said he'd be here about 12 noon.  Well, just before 11 am my door bell rang and there he was.  He came in.....sat on the sofa, started petting Gabi and asking me how long I'd lived here, etc.   Then he got up and was looking at the family pictures on the wall asking me questions about them....then after about 20 minutes he asked if he could use the bathroom...so I showed him where it was.   Then when he came out of the bathroom, he's in the hallway looking at all the pictures hanging in there...ok that's fine I don't mind but now he's here almost 30 minutes.  Finally he sits down and hands me the extinguisher, along with a little piece of paper that had a list of fire hazards on it. He asked me to take a little fire quiz, while he went out to his car.  He came back in with all these notebooks and a big case.  Then he started his spiel.  About 15 minutes into it...he asked for a glass of water, so I got up and got him a bottle of water.  He continued on & on, showing me all these newspaper articles about people burning up in their homes. By now it's noon~he's been there for an hour and I've missed the "Ellen" show. 

 About 10 minutes after 12 noon I asked him, "how long is this going to take because I have to be out of here in 30 minutes."  Actually I didn't...I lied to him....but I figured, hey this guy has lied to me and what I just said to him was justified.   As it turned out he was selling and in fact is the Regional Field Manager for a home security system.  This system sounds great but it's like $6,000 to install and anywhere from $30 to $50 a month service fee. He finally left here at 12:45pm saying he could either come back or would be calling me in the next few days to get my decision.  So standing on my front porch I told him, "No that's ok, I will call you if I'm interested!"    I did leave the house, went and bought some more bedding plants and to the grocery store.  But I am still angry at this knucklehead, I feel he was dishonest.  And he hogged up 1 hour and 45 minutes of my day.  Take my poll and let me know how you feel about this experience.....

 

lsfp1960 at 4:29:31 PM PDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 10 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Well, it's a bright sunny day here in western Washington today. Maybe today's the day the ice will melt in the bird bath.  LOL

Yesterday, was nice also and we went to see Bob's oldest daughter. She's been up to her elbow's in alligators trying to clean out the home of her mother & step dad.  Her mom passed away last August and her step dad works out of town on a tug boat...so she's been left to get the house ready to sell.  We had said we would come help her yesterday but when we got to the house she said she just couldn't get into it so.... we just sat and visited with her for a few hours.  It was a nice day, visiting with her. 

 When we got back I planted one of my hanging baskets but I still need lobelia and I can't find any in any of the garden centers yet.  I'm going back to Lowe's this afternoon and see if their's has come in. 

Today, I'm off to deliver some Avon, check out Lowe's and then back home.  I've been thinking about tuna-noodle casserole for a long time.  I think that's what I'm making for dinner tonight.

Today is Cinco de Mayo~Mexican Independence Day.  If you're out this evening...please remember to "celebrate" responsibly.  Your life (and maybe some others) depends on it.  

                                  

 

lsfp1960 at 11:22:03 AM PDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 10 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

It's wet out there....not really raining, just a heavy mist.  It got up to whopping 53 degrees.  When will we ever get nice weather?   Yesterday wasn't to bad but I was out in the car~I think the first time all week.  I went across town to Trader Joe's, filled up the car with gas (7.406 gallons =$27.25), came home and put the cold stuff T.J's away and then over to Lowes (using my birthday gift card) to get a few bedding plants.  They still don't have a lot of stuff in stock...particularly there's no Lobelia.  And I use a lot of that in hanging baskets.  My plan for today was to be outside planting what I did get but it's too icky out there. So I moved all the plants out into an open area so they wouldn't dry up and I've been in the house all day......running the vacuum, paying some bills, cleaning out my refrigerator's freezer.  Is meat from 2005 too old to eat?  Well, it's in the garbage can right now.  Bob has a saying that freezers are nothing the midway point between the store and the garbage can.   Oh, am I glad he wasn't around earlier today when I was doing some freezer cleaning.  

Many of you will remember me writing about the kidnapping and subsequent murder of little Zina Linnik back in July of 2007.  She was only 12 years old when Terapon Adhahn snatched her from the alley behind her family's home the evening of July 4, 2007.   Yesterday he was sentenced life without the possibility of parole for this horrible crime.  He was also sentenced to 67 years to life in prison for his crimes against two other girls, including multiple counts of rape and kidnapping. Those sentences will run consecutively to his life term, so if his conviction for Zinna's death is ever overturned he'd still be looking at decades in prison.  Zinna's parents are still so overcome with grief that her mother and father were unable to come to the courtroom for the sentencing.  I can't even imagine.......

 12 year old Zinna Linnik~ rest in peace little angel

Terapon Adhahn~life in prison without parole

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Well..... the schedule for the disbursement of these checks is in today's local newspaper.  It says "more than 130 million households will get these checks."  It's interesting how the amount of these checks is worded.  "Individuals will receive up to $600 and married couples will receive up to $1200.  And of course parents will receive extra payments based on the number of children younger than 17 that they have.  So the way I interpret that is, an individual could recieve $5.....it says "up to $600."   The last two digits of one's Social Security number dictate when taxpayers will recieve their checks.

Using the last 2 numbers of you SS # and if you have used direct deposit payments will be transmitted no later than;

00 through 20~today     21 through 75~May 9th    76 through 99~May 16th

Paper checks will also be distributed based on SS #.  Payments will be mailed no later than;

00 through 09~May 16th    10 through 18~May 23rd      19 through 25~May 30th 26 through 38~June 6th      39 through 51~June 13th      52 through 63~June 20th 64 through 75~June 27th   76 through 87~July 4th          88 through 99~July 11th

I'm not sure about the direct deposit & the mailing part of this deal.  Up until this last year, I've always had my IRS Refund Check mailed to me.  But since we were going to be "on the road" this year....I did the direct deposit thing so I'd have it to "enhance" my vacation experience.  And believe me...I spent it. 

My SS # ends in 86 so I won't know until at least May 16th and I won't be out pre-spending this money.  I want to see exactly what the amount is before I go crazy.  And besides what ever it is, it will be put aside for an adventure that's being planned for the middle of October. 

lsfp1960 at 12:14:11 PM PDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 15 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Mt St Helen's is particularly pretty today.  The skies are somewhat clear and there's lots of snow and yes the mountain is throwing off steam.  Will it blow again someday? 

 

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/views/static-highdef-medium.php

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Please call around to Guido...he has lost a close family member today and has suspended his journal at this time.  He's not sure he'll resume his journal, we can only hope and pray that he does come back to us in the future. 

Guido...we all care for you and want you to know that you and you're family are in our thoughts and prayers at this sad time.

lsfp1960 at 9:29:11 AM PDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 9 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

....to live in a community & knowing that we have police officer's with tender hearts.   This happened on Highway 512 just a few miles from my house. 

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c1c_1209428470&p=1

a mother duck and her 10 ducklings across a busy highway safely. Note: This was captured by a "traffic cam" over the highway.

lsfp1960 at 8:28:07 AM PDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 10 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

I wandered out to my mailbox to mail a letter this morning.  (Brrrrr it was so cold out there.)  But as I came down off the porch and walked towards the driveway, I stopped to admire my big pink rhododendron.  It's covered in blooms now and since I didn't prune it last Spring it's much taller than me. My other rhody is not even close to blooming and my white azalea will probably be blooming in another week or so.  After depositing the letter and putting up the little red flag, I came back in and got my camera.   Enjoy the pictures.......Linda

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