Sunshine Days after the Storm

A Memory

Our snow is nearly gone, replaced by a cold wind that chatted with our house throughout the night. I love that sound. As I lay in bed, with the lights turned out, the rhythm soothed me into sleep.

When I was a little girl, what is now called the Columbus Day storm, made its presence memorable on October 12th, 1962. I don't remember that night in great detail, but perhaps as more of a "sense" of that night. At four and a half years old I am surprised I remember anything at all.

Indeed, the wind blew. I must have lay awake because I remember the shadows of the trees moving swiftly out past my bedroom window. There was a sheet that hung over my window, but I could see the shadows behind it flickering fast.

I don't think I was scared. My little sister Margie would have been sleeping somewhere in the house, and I may have worried about her. I often did even as we grew older. But all I can say about that night is my memory of the sound and the dancing shadows outside my bedroom window.

And then it was morning. As I stood by the living room front door "someone" opened it, I cannot see in my mind who opened it. Outside was clear, sunny, and very bright! Years later, I was told that our big tree had blown down in our yard, but I don't recall seeing it toppled over, even though I knew that tree; it was the only one we had in our front yard.

What I do remember with a "sense" of childlike recall, was my fascination with the sunshine. I could not understand why it was so bright outside after such a night of moving shadows. I must have expected something much different before that door was opened.

To this day, though vague, that memory is comforting. I lean towards an ingrained belief that bright, sunny days follow stormy nights. Maybe that is why storms have never frightened me (at least I don't remember one which has). Or maybe it is because I am reminded of a time that I was secure within my first home, with my first family...and had no reason to be frightened.

At this moment outside the wind is still rushing, though instead of a city wind storm, now I feel a sense of the ocean's call. It is peaceful just to sit here, this early morning hour, close my eyes, and hear an ocean's sound...the clicking clocks, and the deep rumblings of sleeping dogs...as I remember another secure time...

This place is by the ocean; three figures on a grey morning are digging for clams along its shoreline. A twelve year old girl is desperately fumbling with a clam gun. Two old people are showing the girl how to use it.

But that is another story; this is also one with security and stability that has been held tight for many, many years in my mind.

And it is mornings like these, when the wind is making its own waves around our home, that I slip off into a time of warm remembrances.

May 21, 1992: Montana Memories

Jingle Bells, Ducks, and Stallions

In my diary:

I found an entry in my diary that said Rachel and I went to the Stallion show on May 12th, 1992. This is in part what I wrote on that day.

May 12, 1992: Tonight Rachel and I are going to the Royal Lippazzan Stallion show...Other hilights: Our baby female mallard duck has returned with a mate and she is sure tame....seems to remember us well. Her mate is a bit warier, but is more tame than I would have expected....Joby is over five months already and is so amiable, healthy and strong. He plays with toys now, and is gentle when he touches faces...Last night the kids and I talked about what it would be like to lose each other, and Michael was especially sad. He went and got everyone drinks just to be nice.

May 21, 1992: Today is very rainy. It is so wet it seems funny. Last night Dave planted some seeds, so hope they all don't run away. Much has happened. Rachel and I went to the Royal Lippizzan Stallion Show. That was so special. I think she sometimes spent more time playing with Joby. The kids had their Spring concert at school, and we had a community outside barbeque that was weather perfect. My goose eggs were quite the hit. Rachel was cute as she did square dancing. David got a lot of laughs as he announced his song "Jingle Bells" in May. Michael's birthday party is today at school.

First Snow Day of the Winter

I know the slide show starts off as Happy Holidays, but I chose this anyway because I think it is so cute!

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Elements of a Soldier

Home, Home on the Firing Range

I asked David to write up a blog that detailed what he does when he works with his unit on the firing range. For me, it was fun to read because I did the very same thing when I was in the Army. Each soldier's weapon must be personalized to match the eyesight of its "owner." Periodic fine tuning is also critical.

So Mom and Stepdad came up to visit on Monday and stayed the night. I had to get up around 3 in the morning the following day but it was no biggie, beings it is something I have done time and time again. So why did I have to get up so early?

My Troop had to go and shoot our guns. We call it "Going to the range." Every few months you have to take your rifle out and qualify with it. So how do you qualify? Well you have 40 pop up targets that you have to knock down. 23 out of 40 is passing. But this is no easy task. First of all, every weapon has adjustments on them. These adjustments are there to help each person, as all our eyes focus differently. So you first have to do what we call ZERO your weapon. This is where we take a 25 meter paper target that has squares on them and a tiny silouette of person. You aim with your weapon and fire three rounds as best as you can. Based off your 3 holes in the paper, you adjust your rifle so the next rounds get closer and closer to the so called bullseye.

Once you reach that point your weapon will be ZEROED good for qualification and for combat. You then move over to a different range which is right next to it where the pop up targets are at. You have 16 lanes for people to use and fire down. Each one has a foxhole and sandbags. There is a tower in the middle that us Sergeants use to control and command the range.

We give the soldiers a safety brief and tell them how the qualification is going to go. Once that is complete and all the soldiers have their ammo, we move them forward to the foxholes. They get 2 magazines with 20 rounds in each one. 20 pop ups will appear for the foxhole portion. The firer will shoot and try to hit all 20. Then after everyone shoots 20. They will exit the foxhole and lay down on the ground next to it where they will fire 10 rounds. Then after that they will go up on one knee and fire 10 rounds.

We have roughly 80 soldiers to get through this task. Not as easy as it sounds and there are more technicalities then I wrote. After the firing is finished we all wait till dark and repeat the process but use 80 rounds, 3 magazines. We let each firer shoot as fast as he can to simulate real combat. This is also motivating to the soldiers as they do not get to fire weapons like this as often as they would like.

Once that is complete we pick up all the shells and clean up the range. We then head back to our headquarters, lock up the weapons and make sure everything is accounted for. Then we all head home to pass out from a long days work.

Started day at 3am ended day 9:30 pm.

Words from the Quiet One

Michael’s Mumblings

I am still working at Keith Brown Lumber Supply as an inside sales representative. I watch over all our inventory and warehouse inside the store. I just finished up with the home show for Keith Brown at the Salem Fairgrounds this past week. At the home show I represented a composite decking company called Timber Tech. It has been hard staying in this work because business has been slowing down in the building industry. But I want to stick it out because in the long run it will pay off when business picks back up. I really enjoy my work and want to stay with it as long as I can.

Outside of work, mostly on the weekends, I go up to Mt. Hood Meadows to snowboard. It has been a really good season so far with plenty of sunny days and good snow. On New Years, I stayed with a family up at Government Camp for three days to snowboard.

I have been working at putting up a fence at Davy and Mom’s house. I skate on sunny days when I get a chance, hang out with friends, and my brothers. I like my new house where I moved several months ago. I am living with two other roommates in the Molalla area.

Love, Michael

An Update at the Sours Pad

Jim: Jim starts the Honor band next month and visited all the high schools last week. He already has more kids this year than he did last year. Work is the same for him so no update there. We just celebrated his 31st birthday on Friday and went to the beach over the weekend.

Me: Just got settled in to my new office at work which is really nice after the remodel. New furniture, carpet, paint, etc. I am enjoying OPB's Masterpiece Theater on Sunday nights at 9. They are currently doing movies on Jane Austen's works. Work is going well, no complaints there.

Doggies are good. Tipper is doing well but needs her wings and nails clipped. My little bird has full flight. She doesn't know it though and still plumets to the floor when she gets spooked (primarily Jim's tuba.)

That should do it for an update I think.

Got to rap up work.

Love,
Rachel Sours

Second Tour of Duty

No need to click on any pictures. The slide show will run on its own.

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THE JOBYMEISTER GANG

Read about the gang, then click on each face to enlarge

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The Porcupine Story

The Fear of the Unknown Monster Under the Car!

I thought maybe I would tell you a story about an experience we had in Montana involving a WILD AND POTENTIALLY VICIOUS ANIMAL WHO WE WERE SURE WOULD ATTACK ALL OF US IF GIVEN A CHANCE! Ooh, I am shaking already just remembering how our quality of life could have been permanently damaged.

Our little farm lay out in the prairies of Montana nestled between two 50K+ acre ranches. In other words, we were I S O L A T E D with no one to help us if we were to have an emergency. In fact, the nearest pit stop was six miles away and would close down at dusk along with the last crow of the rooster, and with the first howls of VERY WILD COYOTE critters. It was a dark and late 11:00 pm that unnerving night when we drove along our deserted, dark, and windy road to “Our Little House on the Prairie.” As we turned onto our long driveway, an ominous feeling stirred within my motherly-intuition-reserved-stomach section that something was terribly wrong…

We pulled up to our front deck and stopped the car. The front of the house had a deck that stretched the entire length of the house and had about ten steps leading up to it from the driveway. Inside the car slept our four children who were exhausted after a day spent shopping in the big city. My husband had forgot to leave the porch light on which meant he had to find his way in the darkness up to our front door. I would wait in the car until he got inside the house to flip on the deck light. Suddenly a scream spewed forth from his terrified SOUL!

“Linda, stay in the car! Something is sleeping on the front porch mat. I think it is a coyote or wolf or something.” Startled, I stayed inside the car as he stumbled down the steps and around the back of the house to enter in that way. As he was going in the back way, I just HAD to get out and look up over the deck. Sure enough there it was BIG, HAIRY, and SCARY. It had to be something rabid and fierce to be up on our deck like it was. Suddenly the front porch light flipped on. And there it was. I saw it in all its horror…

It was a bristly porcupine who apparently made it up our steps and couldn't find its way back down. Well, now I was really scared. PORCUPINES THROW QUILLS…OH MY STARS…NOW WHAT DO I DO? By this time my husband had gone out the back and around the far side of the house from this creature, and was peeking ever so inconspicuously through the deck boards at the monster his wife was now approaching!

“Dave, it is a porcupine,” I hollered to his barely visible peeking head to save his own life person. I grabbed a pair of boots sitting on the front deck and threw them at this dazed, potentially rabid, quill throwing monster who dared to sleep on MY deck where MY children may have been QUILLED to death! “Get off OUR deck,” I screamed as I clumsily tossed the boots at it. Up it lumbered and tried to run to the opposite side of the deck gaining speed until it finally crashed into the deck boards. Daddy the protector screamed and ducked. Not missing a beat it ran back towards me and I threw both boots at it again. “Git OUTTA here,” and then to the kids who were starting to remove their safe bodies out and into danger, “Get back in that car.” It is a porcupine and it will throw its quills at you. GET IN NOW!!” Screaming and now crying (from being awakened), they stuff themselves back in the car and slam the door shut.

This monstrous animal proceeded to smash into the front door end of the deck boards and then bounced backward onto the top of the stairs. He kept rolling until he was down the stairs…and then…UNDER THE CAR WHERE HE STAYED!

“Oh Lord, HELP ME, he is under the car and won’t come out”. I was trying to figure out how to get that dangerous animal out from under the car, when it just up and lumbered out, down the driveway, and on out to the fields. Quickly we RESCUED all four children from the car, ran up the stairs and into the house. We were all alive. Thank You God!

The next morning as we went out the front door to take the kids to the bus stop, a very amusing sight lay before our eyes. On the deck boards and all down the steps were many quills that had stuck in the boards as the poor animal tried in obvious terror to get away.

We soon found out that porcupines do not throw quills; you have to get stuck by them. And if we had kept our cool, we could have herded him calmly down the stairs thus saving him the trouble of having a very bad headache and a messy do for the coming day.

Update on Snoopy's Striped face

Michael has just informed me that he was not the one to put a stripe down Snoopy's face with a permanent marker.

He absolutely stated with complete genuineness that it was David who facially violated our poor puppy with his graffiti.

Now why in the world did I believe David when he told me Michael did it.

I think I did not listen to my gut level feeling about the whole ordeal.

David, you little imp you!

A Note to Dogs and Humans

Subject: Pet information

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - pet nose height.

Dear Dogs: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years –canine attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dogs butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door: To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.

2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it "fur"niture.

3. To you, they are an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Remember: Dogs are better than kids because they:

1. Eat less

2. Don't ask for money all the time

3 Are easier to train

4. Normally come when called

5. Never ask to drive the car

6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends

7. Don't smoke or drink

8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions

9. Don't want to wear your clothes

10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and...

11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children

David

My son has gone back to Fort Lewis

Poor Snoopy: The Evidence of the face stripe

The house seems very quiet this morning as I contemplate the reason for its calm state. David has gone back to Fort Lewis. The room is empty where he slept, there are no clothes of his to wash, and I KNOW that he is gone and will not come back to visit for a while.

Of course, during his long vacation, he has been gone from the house visiting friends, but I always knew he was coming back to park himself. And upon this return, the house tempo would increase (especially when Michael was over), as his blonde headed presence filled wherever he was.

And I always knew there would be trouble. There is a particular "evil" laugh that is characteristic of David when he is up to something....

And there began that laugh upstairs with one little dog amid three brothers. Poor, poor Snoopy! Michael misbehaved one evening because David was home to encourage it. The boys kept telling me to call Snoopy downstairs. I thought the pup was bothering them, so I finally called him to me. Michael and his work of art quickly unfolded before my horrified eyes...

And what to my wondering eyes did appear?, but an innocent pup with a streak down his face. The boys thought it would be funny to take a permanent marker and draw a line down the middle of Snoopy's white face.

Now, anyone who knows David, knows this would never, EVER have occurred if HE was not somewhere in the vicinity of another human being...and especially his brothers. Oh, and should I also mention the presence of an innocent pup?

***************************************************

Here I am back to the quiet house. How I love that silly kid! He is still so full of mischieviousness that I marvel he is not a comic strip. He would be a good "Dennis the Menace," or "Garfield" the cat...yes, that is who he is...GARFIELD THE CAT. Only David would think of streaking a face of a poor helpless pup (and getting his brother to do the dirty work). I can see that now on Odie...

Yep, that's David. And now the house is strangely quiet. I know he will not be back from visiting friends, or running errands. For now that great big boy of mine has gone back to work. He has gone back to the life he loves. He is in his element as a military man, committed, hardworking, and a great protector of our country.

How can two such different men live inside one body! Even David wonders at it.

Love, a proud mom of a military man

Rachel's Memories of Montana

Rachelrose said...
Here is a blog I put up in MySpace. It has to do with Montana as well

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 2:54 PM - Montana Current mood: grateful

Category: Travel and Places Just think about this for a second: If everyone who says that they love nature and camping really did go out wouldn't the woods be packed with people? Creepy.

I wish that everyone could take the time to appreciate the world that God has created. Growing up in Montana, I got to see what I would call virgin land. They call it the Big Sky state and it is. The sunsets there are literally breath taking. I remember going over a hill and there it was....orange, purple, grey, yellow, pink, blue, green etc. I couldn't decribe all the colors because there are not names for them. That view is what I saw a lot heading back home from town. You would have rolling brown hills to the right with such little vegitation that they appeared smooth. To the left were the rockies..........hugs, beautiful, blue, gray, black, green and white. They always had snow. They glowed blue and purple at night. I could see the ski lights on them at night making it look like sparkles. Well, that is how I saw it then. That part of the Rockies was called The Beartooths because they had huge sharp tops splitting out in crazy directions.

The springs up in the mountains are so fresh you could drink from them. You didn't see chopped down forest. The trees were huge and thick and just the way God planned them to grow. Well, there was some tree cutting since we would drive up the mountain and cut our Christmas tree there every year. The snow there is perfect. It isn't too sloshy or too dry. I never had a birthday there without snow.

My brothers, Dad and I made an igloo one year. What kid wouldn't want that. There is something so pure about that land out there. There are communities there that have laws against certain businesses and structures so that the town keeps the historical feel. I am not talking resorts town but regular towns. I remember being excited if we saw certain geese return to our pond during the summers after they migrated. We had frequent visitors like coyotes, deer and elk. Our home was built on one of the original wagon trails and on our property was an old homestead and wagon with it four wheels still.

I know that there is a lot of this in Oregon but I can't share with you the real beauty of Montana. It is as I mentioned...breath taking. I believe that anyone after visiting there would never forget it. It leaves a mark on you, it really does. If any of my brothers read this you know exactly what I am talking about.

Cheers to The Big Sky State!
January 10, 2008 11:16 AM

Bathroom Adventures

The Idiots Guide to Bathroom Remodeling:

Is there such a book?

It is hard to believe, but the second bathroom is completed (except for a recessed TP holder). I don't think I have ever worked so hard, and so long, on the remodeling of a room. The vanity, medicine cabinet, ceiling and wall light fixture, and toilet seat all had to be replaced. There were large holes to patch, an entire room to paint, wall border to paste on, and floor boards to cut, paint, and put up. Part of the room I sponged with three colors; that was my first experience ever with sponging. Caulking had to be stripped off, and redone, and grout around the ceramic floor tiles needed mending. Let's see...then there was the fun part...the decorations.

For the first time ever, I designed curtains out of lace in a swag style. Two antique ceramic birds that Davy bought me, grace the window. The wall paper border is quite lovely and works well in that room. I also struggled with my first attempt to put up the wall boards. Thanks to Davy's Christmas gift to me of a chop saw, the job was much easier than it could have been without one.

But good grief, could it have taken any longer to complete? Towards the end, I was edgy, frustrated and READY to be done. A couple times I had to tell Davy and Joby to leave me alone because I was in a bad mood trying to get it completed. They left me alone while snickering behind my back! But on the bright side, Davy was endless in his patience to help me when I needed it. But Joby (and Michael on one day), still snickered.

I was splattered with paint, clear and white caulking clung to my fingertips and knuckles, dirty knees from kneeling to scrape off messy grout from the floor, and my neck hurt from reaching up to do the border, paint ceiling etc. But it is done, completed, ended, and FINISHED, with a capooie and a capoot! YAHOO.

When summer time arrives, Davy will remove the bathroom window and replace it with a door which will open up onto the patio that will be built in a recess that on the back of the house. The end result should be really nice, but once again the bathroom will be in an uproar.

I will enjoy its loveliness until then.

Love, Mrs. Fixer-upper

A Nostalgic Day... One Year Ago

Following is a blog I wrote a year ago and posted it on MySpace. It was shortly after this time that we finally received a good hard snow. This day however, couldn't make up its mind which way to present itself. The pictures are of Michael and Joby playing in the snow.
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Thursday, January 04, 2007

A SEASON TO REMEMBER MY CHILDREN Current mood: nostalgic

TODAY IS A STRANGE DAY. IT RAINED, THEN HAILED, THEN SNOWED, THEN ??'D, THEN MELTED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS WEATHER AT ALL.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Memories of Montana...

MAKES ME THINK BACK ON ALL THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW THAT FELL IN MONTANA. FOUR CUTE KIDS RAN AROUND THE INSIDE OF OUR HOUSE BUNDLED IN WARM CLOTHES PLAYING AS IF THEY WERE PUPS OUTSIDE ON A WARM SUMMER DAY. IT WAS THE SEASON OF INSIDE PRETENDING; BUILDING LINCOLN LOGS HOUSES, LEGO BUILDINGS, PLAYING THE "GUESS WHO GAME", AND MAKING PLAYDO CUTOUTS. LIBRARY TRIPS WERE COMMON OUTINGS WHICH AWARDED THESE INQUISITIVE CHILDREN WITH MANY FUN BOOKS TO READ ON THESE COLD, WINTRY DAYS.
"BILLY AND BLAZE" WAS A FAVORITE BOOK SERIES WITH DAVID. RACHEL LOVED THE "BOX CAR CHILDREN." SOMEDAY, I WILL GET THE SERIES FOR BOTH SETS JUST BECAUSE IT WILL REMIND ME OF THOSE YEARS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

RACHEL LOVED TO SING AND DANCE AND SWEEP AREAS OF THE HOUSE. DAVID RAN UP AND DOWN THE HALL WAY MAKING ANIMAL CALLS, AND BUILDING THINGS SUCH AS BLANKET FORTS, HOT WHEEL TRACKS (AND FITTING IN A SIBLING TEASE WHEN HE COULD). JOBY WAS CRAWLING INTO, UNDER AND ON TOP OF EVERYTHING! MICHAEL, AS ALWAYS WAS THE QUIET ONE...READING BOOKS, SMILING SWEETLY, WHILE ENTERTAINING HIMSELF HAPPILY.

I WILL ALWAYS MISS THOSE COLD WINTER DAYS IN MONTANA WHEN THE CHILDREN WERE YOUNG. I WILL ALWAYS MISS BEING A MOTHER WITH YOUNG CHILDREN; HEARING THOSE CHILDHOOD VOICES, ESPECIALLY THE GIGGLES, WERE ESPECIALLY ENDEARING; AND NOW ARE ONLY ECHOES OF MEMORIES IN MY MIND. I FEEL LIKE CRYING BECAUSE I CAN SEE MY YOUNG CHILDREN SO CLEARLY IN MY MIND AS I SHUT MY EYES......

I SIT HERE RIGHT NOW LISTENING TO THE DRYER GOING, JOBY IS ON OUR BED BEHIND ME HUGGIN' ON ARBY, THATCHER IS BEGGING OUTSIDE THE CLOSED DOOR TO COME INTO THE BEDROOM WITH JOBY, THE COMPUTER NEXT TO ME IS MAKING WHITE COMPUTER NOISE, I CAN HEAR DAVY NOW TALKING TO THATCHER....

THESE ARE JUST SIMPLE EVERYDAY NOISES; THEY ARE NOTHING IN THEMSELVES EXCEPTIONAL. HOWEVER, PUTTING THEM ALL TOGETHER INTO ONE THOUGHT WHILE HEARING THEM, I KNOW THEY ARE THE NOISES OF MY HOME THAT IS FILLED WITH A SPECIAL FAMILY WHO ARE STILL CREATINGHAPPY MEMORIES.

I LOVE YOU MY SILLY CHILDREN.

MOM

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Rachel's journal entry November 25th, 1995

Rachel Journal Entry 11/25/95 11-25-1995

Thanksgiving was great, but I ate too much. Since I've moved it has been pretty tough finding good friends. So far I haven't found any. I really miss my old friends back in MT. Michael got some glasses and might have seaser activity in his brain. I'm 12. I have light brown hair, hazel eyes and I'm 5.3. I also collect masks and clowns. I love to ride horses. I'm being home schooled and it is OK. I haven't written in here for a long time so I changed quite a bit. My favorite school subject is History and Bible. I'm a Christian. I love to draw and read. I don't have a boyfriend yet, but I do have a boy that is a friend. I love the color purple. I love pizza. My favorite song is Waterfalls by TLC. Stars I have crushes on is Johnathon Brandis, Devon Sawa, Johnathan Taylor Tomas (JTT). I want to become an artist. I have 3 bros, none sis. Their names are Joby (3) Michael (10) and David (14) I like taz, tweety and Mickey of cartoons. I live in a two story house on

ADD 592 S. 5th St.
Lebanon, OR 97355

David is a pain in the BUTT (I capitalized this in my journal)

Michael is OK

Joby is great.

Rachel posted the above journal entry and her explanation below on February 13th, 2007 on MySpace. Mom's comments in RED

David was quite the pain sometimes but what brother isn't.For the most part, David was a delightful boy. But he did enjoy taunting his little sister! I got such a kick out of reading my journal entries, I just had to type them up and send them to the family. Oh, and Joey Lawrence.........that is some eye candy right there. Rachel Rose!! I had a poster of Johnathan Brandis on my wall and I didn't get dressed in my room for over a week because I felt like it was staring at me.That is just so funny. I never knew that! Even today, Rachel is a very proper modest young woman unlike many other women her age.I had a lot of barbie dolls too and one time Michael told on me for doing something naughty and I had them taken away for a while. What made it so funny was that Michael loved playing with them with me and he came crying to me saying he was sorry because he didn't know mom and dad would take them away.Ok, how funny can this be? Michael was a sensitive, creative young boy who played well with EVERYONE. I had forgotton he loved playing with Barbie dolls. We were really young at that time of course.

A New Year has Begun

I spent the day yesterday upstairs in my office. Every year, I go through every single file as I store away the old, and set up files for the new year. My office is well on its way to completion though I feel I still have so much to do. Now with our shed up outside, we can move out the extra furniture upstairs and out into permanent storage. Eventually when the garage is finished into a family room, those items will be used there.

The kitchen and dining room are completed! Whew! The second bathroom is still under construction, but I hope to have it finished by this weekend. Davy bought me a magnificent chop saw for Christmas which will allow me to accurately cut all the molding that is needed to go around the bathroom. It is a beautiful piece of equipment that sits on an interesting table that is designed to lean up against the wall to get it out of the way when not in use. He also gave me a nice set of hand tools to go in my two tool boxes. Because I ordinarily do most the inside house repairs (and occasionally a few outside projects), a good tool assortment will come in handy. I am also considering crown molding in the living/dining room area, but worry it may look too busy.

I like all my tools, but the chop saw is my "baby."

Dave will be coming up this weekend to spend the weekend with the boys. I am glad he is taking time out to visit because it won't be long and David will be gone for a year. I think they plan on snowmobiling and going to see the Blazers game on Saturday. David bought tickets for all of them for Christmas.

School starts Monday and I will take just three classes. This term I will take Prehistory Africa, North American Geography, and Writing 323. I really miss my science classes, but there is nothing I can do about that. I have considered finishing up several science series at Clackamas Comm., but they would only add to my knowledge, not my degree requirements for graduation. At this time, I need to focus on my goal working towards graduation.

Monday, Arby went into surgery to remove a large toy that he had swallowed. It is my fault because I gave him the toy in the first place. I had thought it was a safe toy, but I obviously forgot I had a pitbull on my hands! We brought him home on Monday night and continued with his IV solution, gave him another pain medication shot, and babied him all through the next day. I not only learned how to conduct proper IV use, but to also remove the catheter when he completed his bag. I learned a lot about medical procedures through this experience. It is always fascinating to have my hands on anything that is of a medical nature. That has been a good thing because I have experienced many crises throughout the years between animals and children. One of my more fascinating adventures was when I removed a maggot embedded deeply into the upper eye of a baby blue jay. Unfortunately, the baby still died, but the experience was amazing for me.

I wish Debbie was not as sick as she is. Unfortunately, the removal of her spleen has not permanently stopped the destruction of her platelets. As I understand it, her body could become immune to the platelet transfusions which would give her just two weeks to live because she would internally bleed to death. Even a small tap to her body would cause uncontrolled internal bleeding. Another consequence is that she would not be able to have kidney dialysis because she would bleed to death that way. She attributes her healthy look to her good attitude, her artwork, and working on her gallery. Those are some of the reasons she remains optimistic and in good spirits in spite of her sensitive health status. She also desires to have a place at home where she can invite people in to share her work with them, and display other artists work as well. Before she was smitten by Lupus, her work as a Washington County sheriff kept her out with people. She loved her work. and she loves people. But now with dialysis every other day, she finds herself more tied to the house; and without her work to keep her busy, she accidentally discovered her passion for art! If you want to visit her website go to followyourartgallery.com.

She is still accepting donations to help her complete her gallery. If you feel moved to make a donation, access her gallery site and look for the donations section, then click on it. Deb lives on disability and her monies are limited. It would be a great gift to her to be able to get her gallery completed as soon as possible. For me, I worry something will happen to her before that point. I don't like to focus on the negative, but then that is a reality for that dear girl. Every little bit is appreciated.

Time to get back to the house. Today is work on my office upstairs, and on the second bathroom. I have four more days to complete scads of unpacking and construction. A little at a time our home is shaping up, but oh, what a slow process it has been!

Love, Linda Rose (Mom, Maajsha, Mumsie, and Mom Forney).