Happy New Year!

Here's hoping the new year brings delight. I hope to post more often this year. I am helping with the newsletter for the HOA where I live, so I will be writing more. I do need to write more. Hopefully we will get to see Cheyanne this year in the spring. He also wants to go to South Carolina to explore the coast. We need to work in the house as well, deck, stairs, put up the lights. I got a camera for Christmas so I can take more pictures and load them on time.

Here is Cheyanne at Christmas in one of her cute outfits. We are going to a neighbor's house for New Year's Eve party, I am making snacks to take, cheese, olive bread, little smokies. I have to work Sunday, so I will have to be careful. I want to do more food storage, I am following a couple of bloggers one in particular, She has a plan for the year to buy a little at a time. I hope to follow this plan this year. I am having trouble with my budget. Hopefully I can get that fixed as well.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was yesterday and it went rather well. I had to work and had a crazy guest and my boss wouldn't let me leave. W and I had our dinner on Wednesday evening. He put the Turkey in the oven when he got up about 10:30 and it was done when I got home from work. Then I made the rest of the items. I had premade some things Tuesday evening so just popped them in the oven to reheat. We went to Nana's on Thursday for family time. The Gibsons and the Taylors were there. We had a good time.

My Grandaughter's first Thanksgiving! She went to her Mother's aunts house for dinner. Happy Winter Holidays! Can't wait for eggnog and chocolate covered cherries.

Grandmother I am

My son and daughter in law had a baby on 11-11-11. A small girl, 3 weeks early, 6 lbs, 3 oz, 19 1/2' long. She is having trouble with her lungs, but being early that is to be expected.

My son is a proud father, the little "glow worm" is his first. I am so proud of them.

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all the soldiers including my W. and my Dad. My brother wanted to join and did ROTC all through high school and into college. However, he hurt his back slipping on the snow and was not able to go into the Air Force. My sister in DC works for the military in a Human Resources capacity. My Sister in Dallas wanted to join as well, but was not able to meet the reqirements, her husband was in the Stateside Reserves for Desert Storm. My Sister's (who lives here in town) ex-husband was in the military and went overseas for awhile but did not see combat. My Grandfather was in the Merchant Marines during the second World War. My partner W. was in the Navy and his ship was in Vietnam, he saw no combat. My father went to Germany as part of his service, but he saw no combat, just learned some of the language.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all. Mom is gone but Nana is still around. We were there last evening to water her yard and help her move some things.
I don't know if I have a picture of my mother or if R. has them all. I will have to look. Although I look a lot like her.

Easter Monday

It is Easter Monday. Not sure what that means. Passover is done on Tuesday. Not really religious anymore. I grew up in the Christian faith and we did the passion plays on Easter Sunday. Dad was a great King. He played the King at Easter and Christmas. He did very well. I miss him.
Today is the anniversary of his passing. 22 years ago, in 1989. He was a great man.
Work is difficult. We lost 2 employees unexpectedly in the last week and everyone has had to step up and do more. My boss readjusted the schedule this week so it is not as bad.
Food (and gas) costs so much, I keep running out of basics. My budget won't stretch as far. I am trying to prep, but I think I keep getting the wrong things. I need to double up on basics first, then get exotics. Someone said, need 1 buy 2, so you can get ahead. Also someone else said, get 5 veges, 5 fruits, 5 grains, 5 meats each week extra. I am going to have to try that. I get the sale flyers from Fry's and they have an online add where you can circle things and make a shopping list. I need to get the basics, veges, fruits, cheese, pasta etc so I have meals and W. doesn't have to go out to eat all the time by himself.
I also need to come home from work on time so I can make dinner for him.
He spends a lot of time alone, he naps too much. He goes outside to water the plants and spends much time talking with the neighbors.

Grandad Again

Grandad passed away Thursday morning, March 24, 2011. He just gave up because he could not take the pain and he was not allowed to go home when he wanted to. The funeral was nice, just a graveside service. Then dinner with the family.

Wayne is mad about the yard again. Someone said something that set him off again. We had another letter about Common Ground Plantings and the lady who fell. He says he is done with them and if he hears one more discouraging word, he will remove all the plantings and rocks.

I have almost gotten my 3 month list done, and have started buying items. I got a couple of storage containers for flour and sugar, but they are too small. I will have to store something else in them and get a bigger one for flour, sugar, powder and brown sugars.

Grandad

Grandad fell on Wednesday 3/9 and broke his hip. He had surgery to replace the ball on Friday. He was up and sitting in a chair today, Sunday. They tend to make you move much faster than they used to. I guess they have found healing takes place better if you move. Nana is not going to be able to care for him for a while. He will go to a rehab place for a couple of weeks, maybe longer, depending on how well he does.

My sister, R. is also in town for a week. We are planning to get together on Wednesday evening which is also the day of the HOA meeting. Oh well, I am not on the board and I can miss one meeting.

All the plants are coming out with our 80 degree weather. Hopefully we did not lose the Acacia tree we planted last spring. It lost all the leaves and the branches look stiff. We have replaced most of the aloes with other cactus and are replanting baby ones that survived.

Happy President's Day

It is president's day on Monday. Washington and Lincoln. This week we also have 4 Gibson birthdays. Kim, Tracy, Gene and Jonathan.
I am working on my master lists so I can make sure I have everything listed for emergencies. The car kit is first and then the BOB/72 hour kits.
I need some more ideas for menus. I should look at my cookbook collection and practice making dishes from them and see what we like.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope everyone had a great day!
I gave my sister a 72 hour kit for her and A. I have ours almost ready. I have W. a complete car kit but am still working on mine. We also have a good start on a BOB. W. has a camping Coleman stove, I need to get it out and see what needs to be done to it to make it ready to use. Probably cleaning and new fuel. I want to organize the downstairs closet to make it easier to store things and find them again.

February already?

The Months seem to go by so fast at the beginning of the year. It is already the end of January.
One of the bloggers put out a list of 50 top survival blogs and I have been reading them and signing up to receive email when they post. There is a lot of information out there.
Wayne bought a new sculpture today at the Gem show. A wooden octopus with fish. It is very large. I will have to get a picture of it. We have about finished the front porch as well. We will have to change the flowers with the seasons, of course. He got his blue rock and his petrified wood. He wants a red rock, we have some, I am not sure what shade he means.

Weather

We seem to get nicer weather here than most parts of the country. It has been warm with upper 60's to lower 70's most days. It cools at night to the 30's. It has been very sunny.
I got a new solar light, a spot light, it seems they have upgraded the technology tremendously. It was still on this morning when I went out to work. The other lights are usually dim or out by the time we go to bed. I will plan to get Nana some to make sure she is safe at night.
I am participating in the Wellness challenge at work, we have to drink water, exercise, floss, eat vegetables, etc for points. We have teams and are competing within the property and among the other properties as well.
I have a 20th anniversary at work this month. Not sure what they do anymore. They used to give gifts as well as a party with your co-workers.
I like to read other's writing and it makes me wish I could write like they do. Brigid of Home on the Range has a very wonderful way with words. You can see the world she describes, her cadence is just right, the words just sing.
I have started preparing. W. has a car kit and I have part of one. I want to get a 72hour kit ready. I made a list of everything I buy and will buy extras as I have the funds for it. I printed a list that does $5.00 a week for a year to buy supplies, salt one week, then flour, sugar, soup, tuna etc. I will divide my list up so I don't have all flour and no toothpaste. I have started saving water too. They say to use bleach bottles and vinegar bottles for non-drinkable water. Walmart has 5 gallon jugs like they use for water coolers for sale. I may get one or two to keep in the closet. I need to get W. another jacket as well. Work had a clothing freecycle before the holidays and I made him get rid of all his nonfitting jackets.

A new beginning.

A new year, a new beginning, the circle continues. I need more sleep, Prevention says that having less than 5 hours of sleep is a good way to have a heart attack.
I want to live to be 132 years old. I need to take better care of myself.

Yesterday, I was reading a blog and they mentioned the UN Agenda 21. Anne McCaffrey has a world like they want it. People in large housing units and a world government.