Staying in Phoenix

I am staying in Chandler, AZ (Phoenix area) for a few days—staying with daughter #1 (Christine) and her husband Paul. We will go thrift store shopping after she gets off work (Walmart) this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to that!

I had planned on driving across the north part of AZ but the weather reports were not good, so I turned south at Albuquerque. It was a good choice. I'm watching the morning news here and it's showing lots of snow & ice in that area. This cold snap is all over the central part of the country: Christine even had to scrape ice on her car window this morning at 6am. And, of course the Nebraska weather is snowy...

California Roadtrip: in Albuquerque tonight

I have "landed" in Albuquerque this evening. I drove through 4 different states today: KS, OK, TX, and now NM. Coming across th Oklahoma and Texas panhandles was uneventful. Both states had lots of flatlands with ranches and farms.

Many ranches had decorations and Christmas greetings by the mailbox near the highway. Some used decorated hay rolls--one place had a giant turkey made from one hay roll. There seems to be a huge prop ane tankerwreck west of here on the Continental Divide that backed up traffic for 10 miles. That's the direction I planned on traveling in the morning. And, they are predicting snow...I"ll see what the morning brings...

Ever wonder where dead cement trucks go? No? Well, I hadn't either; but I drove past a huge field full of cement mixer trucks in various states if disrepair. It was an interesting sight.Other interesting things today: a coyote was dragging a dead deer off the edge of the highway, a farm dog was running along the highway with a pheasant in his mouth, and the clouds this afternoon made a partial rainbow around the sun.

The local news has not said when I-40 will be open, so for now I'll sit tight here....

First Day on the Road

I am in Ulysses, KS for the night, staying with Erin's in-laws. This first day out has been uneventful--very good (I don't need any "events") for me. There were a few pheasant out in KS. Pat (Erin's father-in-law) says pheasant season is already over, but there are still lots in the fields. Kansas seems to have a lot of feed-lots, too. They smelled awful as I was driving by them. tomorrow I'll head towards Albuquerque and west from there.

Preparing to leave tomorrow

Last night we drove into Lincoln (about 100 miles east of here) to celebrate John’s nephew’s graduation from college. Got to see lots of family—John’s mom is here from Phoenix.

We have a birthday party today, too. Grandson Ethan John was one year old yesterday….where has time gone?

Today I am packing the van for my trip to California. I’ve done it in my head many times already, but today will be the real thing. By leaving tomorrow it looks like I’m missing another snowstorm (whew!) that is predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday. They will have a very white Christmas here in Nebraska!

Countdown to California--leaving in 2 days!

Part of my preparations to leave is gathering together what I want off of the computer here in Nebraska. While looking through my files I've found some "fun" pictures. I really like this one about weather forecasting!

Countdown: 4 days left

I didn’t get a chance to write anything yesterday…These last few days home are so busy! Yesterday was my last day at Cabela’s (until April 1 when I return to Nebraska). I had to miss Mariah’s birthday party since I was working last night….but John went so at least one of us got to go wish her Happy Birthday.

Today I am having lunch with an old friend. Today Sharona comes to town, too! She and Breckin will be here for three days, so once again, it looks like life will be busy!

I looked at the California weather for today—it is supposed to get up to 71º there on the coast. Today’s high here in Nebraska is set at 35º but it’s only 26º so far this morning….and for the rest of the week in the mid-20º range. That’s OK, just so long as the snow holds off!

Shannon's Birthday

Today is Shannon’s birthday (Shannon is daughter number 6). We went out to dinner with Shannon & Noah and his parents tonight. Ethan was the center of attention most of the time. He loved tearing the wrapping paper off of Shannon’s gifts.

I spent today getting a few last-minute things done. I slipped over to HyVee to check on their supply of caffine-free coke, and they had some! The price this week was very good (3 12-packs for $10) so I got some for John for while I’m gone. I’m sure he will need more, so I hope it will be on sale somewhere this week, too—the new grocery ads come out tomorrow morning.

Countdown: 5 days to go! Or should I say 4? It depends on if I count Sunday as a “day,” too…

Countdown to California--Leaving in 6 days!

It is 11 am here in Nebraska and only 4º outside (with a wind chill index of -15!). But, the sun is out and it is supposed to get up to 7º! I just looked at the weather on the California coast—it is 48º and of course it’s 2 hours earlier….I think the weather will improve as the week goes on, but I still have to get through today!

I have a separate room with all my boxes and things I want to take to California. I hope it all fits into my van…or what if I have more room than stuff? I don’t think that will be a problem—I can always find more that I want to take.

Since most of my stuff is packed and ready to go, this week I’ll concentrate on getting things ready for John to “survive” on his own here for 3 months. He learned to cook a bit when I was gone last Spring, and Saffron gave him a George Foreman grill for Father’s Day (which he loves) so he will be ok. I’m freezing steaks that he can cook himself—each one in its own zipper bag to keep it easy for him. I think I have about 20. And, I’ll be getting more HotPockets for his lunches. Hope they are on sale this week!

I bought some large bags of dog food. I stopped the daily paper today and changed it to just Sunday delivery….and I’ve made up a big tub of the Café Mocha mix he likes (1-2-3: one cup instant coffee, 2 cups Nesquick, and 3 cups instant milk. Use 3 Tablespoons in a mug of hot water).

Two days of work at Cabela’s left: today and Wednesday. I originally wanted to leave December 1 but my boss talked me into staying through the Christmas rush (meaning Dec 20) and take a leave of absence. That way I can come back April 1. I’ll be coming back to Nebraska anyway in the Spring to work on the house here, so I might as well have a job!

The Road to California

The countdown begins: This time next week I should be on the road to California! I will be traveling south through Kansas and angle west toward Albuquerque. I have maps and route plans from AAA. They make a whole book for me outlining the trip mile by mile.
The van is ready—it was serviced by Matt at Ken’s (Ken plays with John in Worship team at church) and then I bought four new tires for it, so I think it’s all set to go.

One of my favorites...

A Woman Should Have

by Maya Angelou


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…

enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

a youth she’s content to leave behind….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …

a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …..

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .

one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …

a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

that she can’t change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

that her childhood may not have been perfect…but it’s over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..

whom she can trust, whom she can’t, and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

where to go…be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…or a charming inn in the woods…when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…a month…and a year…

Yesterday was my birthday

Yesterday was my birthday… It was a good day, except for the Internet being down most of the day! Some major cable was cut in Kansas, which affected most of the Charter accounts here in central Nebraska. I’ve been quite put out about it, but am trying to remember that there are businesses who are out their internet, too….

We had dinner last night at Texas T-Bone. We had a coupon for a free sirloin steak dinner (and the expiration date was yesterday), so we wanted to use it for my birthday celebration. Many other people had the same thought…the place was crowded and the wait was approximately a half an hour! While we were waiting, an acquaintance from work was there too, so we joined forces with them and got a table for 4 instead of two tables for 2 each. It got us in earlier, too. We had a fun time talking with them, so it turned out to be an enjoyable evening.

After dinner we went to Best Buy to “look” at the Sony Readers. I’d already researched them online and decided I liked the red touch screen one the best. Long story short, we got it. I was able to see how it works a bit, but since the internet was still down we couldn’t try to put any books onto it. It has some pre-loaded books (actually excerpts, but enough to show how the device works) so we could try it out.




So today, now that the internet is back up I learned how to get books onto it. Google has a library of free books, so I’m trying that out first. The library that Sony has is quite extensive so it will take a while to look through that to decide which I want.

Black Friday Ads

If you want a sneak-peek at some of the Black Friday ads, Granny has a link on her blog....

The Buzzard, The Bat, and The Bumblebee

THE BUZZARD: If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is
entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be
an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight
from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is
its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for
life in a small jail with no top.


THE BAT: The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble
creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on
the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no
doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can
throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.


THE BUMBLEBEE: A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at
the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee.
We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing
that all we have to do is look up!
Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!

Hybrid Wind/solar street lamp

I found this while playing on Stumble…It would be a good idea. Wonder if anyone is actually developing it?

FYI: Piggy Banks

Did you know: They are called "piggy banks" because long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a bank that resembled a pig and it caught on.

I get so busy writing my other blog that sometimes I forget to update this one. That seems to be a common problem with bloggers (forgetting to update, not getting busy with other blogs…).

If you have time, and want to peruse other blogs, just click on the link at the top of this page that says Next Blog. It will take you to random pages of people who use Blogspot. They usually run in similar types for a while. Once I got a group of French blogs….there were some interesting pictures, but I couldn’t understand a word of any of them! The best way to get out of that loop is to go back to the original blog and start over.

If you have ever thought of doing an online blog, this Blogger site (also known as Blogspot) is a great place to get started.

The Best Christmas Lights Ever

The Mom Song

This is one of my all-time favorite videos on the Internet:

What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs....

A Lecture About English

I've read this before, but thought it was worth reprinting here.....



A linguistics professor was lecturing to his English class one day.

"In English," he said, "A double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."



A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

Winnie & Walter

The following story, entitled Walter and Winnie, was published sometime in the 19th century by an unknown author. It’s roughly 450 words long, and after you read it once, try reading it again three times fast.

Winnie and Walter

“Warm weather, Walter! Welcome warm weather! We were wishing winter would wane, weren’t we?” “We were well wearied with waiting,” whispered Waiter wearily. Wan, white, woe-begone was Walter; wayward, wilful, worn with weakness, wasted, waxing weaker whenever winter’s wild, withering winds were wailing. Wholly without waywardness was Winifred, Walter’s wise, womanly watcher, who, with winsome, wooing way, was well-beloved.

“We won’t wait, Walter; while weather’s warm we’ll wander where woodlands wave, won’t we?”

Walter’s wanton wretchedness wholly waned. “Why, Winnie, we’ll walk where we went when we were with Willie; we’ll weave wildflower wreaths, watch woodmen working; woodlice, worms wriggling; windmills whirling; watermills wheeling; we will win wild whortleberries, witness wheat winnowed.”

Wisbeach woods were wild with wildflowers; warm, westerly winds whispered where willows were waving; wood-pigeons, wrens, woodpeckers were warbling wild woodnotes. Where Wisbeach water-mill’s waters, which were wholly waveless, widened, were waterlilies, waxen white. Winifred wove wreaths with woodbine, whitehorn, wallflowers; whilst Walter whittled wooden wedges with willow wands.

Wholly without warning, wild wet winds woke within Wisbeach woods, whistling where Winifred wandered with Walter; weeping willows were wailing weirdly; waging war with wind-tossed waters. Winifred’s wary watchfulness waked.

“Walter, we won’t wait.”

“Which way, Winnie?”

Winifred wavered. “Why, where were we wandering? Wisbeach woods widen whichever way we walk. Where’s Wisbeach white wicket, where’s Winston’s water-mill?”

WistfuIly, Walter witnessed Winifred’s wonder. “Winnie, Winnie, we were wrong, wholly wrong; wandering within wild ways. Wayfaring weather-beaten waifs, well-nigh worn-out.”



Winifred waited where, within wattled woodwork walls, waggons, wheelbarrows, wains were waiting, weighty with withered wood. Walter, warmly wrapped with Winifred’s well-worn wadded waterproof, was wailing woefully, wholly wearied. Winnie, who, worn with watching, well-nigh weeping, was wistfully, wakefully waiting Willie’s well-known whistle, wholly wished Walter’s well-being warranted.

With well-timed wisdom, Walter was wound with wide, worsted wrappers, which wonderfully well withstood winter’s withering, whistling winds. Wholly without warm wrappers was Winifred, who, with womanly wisdom, was watching Walter’s welfare, warding Walter’s weakness.

“When will Willie wend where we wait?” wearily wondered Walter.

“Whist, Walter,” whispered Winnie, “who was whooping?”

“Whereabouts?”

Welcome whistling was waking Wisbeach woods when winter’s windy warfare waxed weaker.

“Winnie! Walter!”

Winifred’s wakefulness was well-grounded. “We’re well, Willie; we’re where Winston’s waggons wait.”

Without waiting, Willie was within Winston’s woodwork walls.

“Welcome, welcome, Willie.” Winnie was weeping with weariness with watching Walter, weak with wayfaring.

“Why Winnie! Wise, watchful, warm-hearted Winnie,” Willie whispered wheedlingly. “We won’t weep; Walter’s well. What were Walter without Winnie?”

Wholly wonderful was Winifred’s well-timed womanly wisdom, which well warranted weakly Walter’s welfare. Whenever wandering within Wisbeach woods with Winnie, Walter would whisper, “What were Walter without Winnie? Wise, watchful, warm-hearted Winnie!”

Ancient Chinese Etiquette

Getting drunk at a dinner party and embarrassing yourself is certainly nothing new. As far back as the 9th Century, the 'Dunhuang Bureau of Etiquette' insisted that local officials use the following letter template (dated 856) when sending apologies to offended dinner hosts. The guilty party would copy the template text, enter the dinner host's name, sign the letter and then deliver with head bowed. The letter was discovered, alongside thousands of other documents, in a sealed cave library in western China.
For more information on the Chinese archaeology project check The International Dunhuang Project.

Translation:

Yesterday, having drunk too much, I was intoxicated as to pass all bounds; but none of the rude and coarse language I used was uttered in a conscious state. The next morning, after hearing others speak on the subject, I realised what had happened, whereupon I was overwhelmed with confusion and ready to sink into the earth with shame.

Surfing around the Web: James Rizzi Pop Artist

Surfing around the web, I found this picture of a pink house in Germany. Looking further into it, I found it was designed by an American artist James Rizzi. Rizzi is known for his 3-D pop art around the world. He designed this house in Braunschweig, Germany—it is known as the Happy Rizzi House.

This second picture is of Rizzi next to a VW bug covered with his artwork.

Logical Oxymorons....

An oxymoron is a figure of speech by which has an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in cruel kindness or to make haste slowly. Sometimes I even use them in descriptions of my surroundings: controlled chaos, and organized mess. I have found computer terms often fall into this class, too (ie: the old joke Microsoft Works) Here is a fun list of some interesting “logical” oxymorons:

• act naturally
• advanced BASIC
• almost exactly
• alone together
• authentically reproduced
• canned fresh
• center around
• clearly misunderstood
• click the Start button to shut down
• computer jock
• constant change
• constant variable
• crash landing
• deafening silence
• decreased growth
• definite maybe
• diet ice cream
• disposable products with a lifetime guarantee
• even odds
• exact estimate
• extinct life
• first annual
• first string secondary
• former native
• forward back
• found missing/turned up missing
• free trade
• freezer burn
• genuine imitation/genuine simulated
• go ahead, back up
• good grief
• government organization
• Great Depression
• Hell’s Angels
• holy war
• hot chili
• jumbo shrimp
• larger half
• last initial
• legally drunk
• liquid natural gas
• little giant
• living dead
• long shorts
• near miss
• new classic
• now, then...
• old news
• one of the only...
• original copies
• passive aggressive
• peace force
• peacekeeper missile
• plastic glasses
• political science
• pretty ugly
• rehearsed improvisation
• resident alien
• rolling stop
• same difference
• sanitary landfill
• second initial
• seriously funny
• silent alarm
• sleep vigorously
• small crowd
• soft rock
• solo ensemble
• specialize in everything
• student teacher
• sweet sorrow
• sweet tart
• synthetic natural gas
• taped live
• temporary tax increase
• terribly pleased
• tight slacks
• to infinity and beyond
• tragic comedy
• twelve-ounce pound cake
• unbiased opinion
• virtual reality
• whole half
• working vacation

The Full Jar

When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar......and the beer. 


A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then
asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full. They agreed it was.

The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "Yes."

The Professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the
things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There
will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand."

When he had finished, there was a profound silence. Then one of the students raised her hand and with a puzzled expression, inquired what the beer represented.

The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

Going to Bed

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, “I’m tired, and it’s getting late. I think I’ll go to bed.” She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day’s lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes into the dryer, put a load of clothes into the wash, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the newspapers strewn on the floor, picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.


She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and added cereal to her grocery store list. She put both near her purse. Mom then creamed her face, put on moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and trimmed her nails.

Hubby called, “I thought you were going to bed.” “I’m on my way,” she said. She put some water into the dog’s dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks in the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one still up doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her list of things to do for tomorrow.

About that time, the hubby turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular “I’m going to bed,” and he did.

My Danish is Showing....

Denmark eats more candy per person than any other country, at 35.2 pounds per year, followed by Sweden, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. On average, Americans consume approximately 25.2 pounds per year.

First Post!

Finally! I've been wanting to get this set up for a long time, but my inclination towards perfectionism has slowed down any real progress. I had to use my gmail address to set up on Blogger, but you can still reach me at my usual email: rae_osenbaugh@hotmail.com My blog for Granny Green will soon be on Blogger, too. That URL is http://granny-green.blogspot.com/