The Sock Monkey Destroyer

This adorable, cute, little 3.9 pound puppy dog destroys sock monkeys.  I know, he looks so innocent, but he's not.  This picture shows his first sock monkey ever---which lasted one month.   Rosco has had so many sock monkeys in the year and six months of his life that we lost count.  Hence, his nickname "Monkey." 

Perfect Tree

I have the most perfect tree in my backyard.   It is so tall and straight, the branches are placed in perfect proportion.   It had sap running this morning which left a long, icy sap icicle shining in the sunshine on this 27 degree F. day.  Luckily my dogs' fence ends before the perfect tree, otherwise, they would be peeing all over it all the day long.

Cosmo and Rosco running away from the perfect tree

Now if only I could steal my neighbor's beautiful 60 foot birch tree to put in my front yard.

Birthday Girl! Birthday Girl!

This girl had a birthday!  Lola turns 25. I can't believe it.  Twenty-five years--where did the time go??

Happy Birthday Lola and many, many, many more.  May all your wishes come true!

Lights! Kitchen! Action!

Well here I am on Friday, with my electricity and all kinds of bottled water, canned tuna and canned chicken.  I never did get the chance to bake my peanut butter squares!  This sudden stockpiling is related to my last post on Wednesday about the solar flare.  Guess what?  It came, it is still coming, and we still have our lights, GPS and cell phones working just fine thank you.  So far so good.  They claim it was the most potent solar storm since 2004, they also claim more is coming.                                                                         I think it's time to get started back on the kitchen.  I have had such a headache since Wednesday's solar storm.  Wondering if it causes headaches and light outages?

 Speaking of lights, my favorite thing to do on a rainy day is go to a lighting store.  I love looking at light fixtures.  I always have.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because my dad is an electrician.  I am fascinated with lights.  Maybe it is because I have lived in places where Thomas Edison lived.  Maybe it is because, as Mr. B. has noticed, I have a certain effect on lights.  I tend to make lights go off or back on when I walk near them or drive directly under them.  Not all the time, but many times this happens.  I told Mr. B. this when he first met me.  He didn't believe me until he saw it happen with his own two blue eyes!  We were walking our dog, Cosmo Crispin outside on a high school football field.  We walked directly under a tall, large, brightly lit stadium light--it went out.                 Mr. B. looked at me and said, "That's strange, must have just burned out."
"No, it will come back on when we walk back this way to get to our car."  I can be so smug at times.


I noticed Mr. B. kept looking over his shoulder to see if that light turned back on while we were walking away from it on the field.  It never did.  We walked to the end of the field and told Cosmo it was time to go back now.  Cosmo knows what this sentence means, time to go back now, and will do the cutest 3/4 spin turn around on his hind legs.  He's a standard poodle--a very intelligent poodle boy.
Well, needless to say, we had to walk back under that same light.  It was still out, but I noticed and Mr. B. noticed, that as we approached that same light, it began to flicker.  I walked under the light and....Bing!   Bright light on once again.
"I told you so."   Boy,  I just love being right.                                     Mr. B. shot me a questionable look.  I then emphatically stated it was because of my magnetic personality that I have this effect on lights.  I tried to change the subject quickly before he ran away taking the engagement ring with him.  

Whether it's from my electrical background, magnetic personality, or just because of my affinity to lights, I enjoy looking at all kinds of lights.  I like taking pictures of lights, which is not a bad idea considering the upcoming incandescent bulb ban.

Who's Electric??

Getting back to the kitchen.  Mr. B. and I have been so lucky to have such nice, helpful, caring family members willing to give up their Saturdays to come over and help put our kitchen back together.  Accolades go out to my dad--the master electrician, my brother-the electrician, and my brother-in-law, M.J. who can balance really heavy upper kitchen cabinets on his shoulder while waiting for Mr. B. to fasten it in place. 

Mr. B. and our favorite electricians

My kitchen before cabinets.  Note the finished beadboard ceiling.

Introducing:  The 1st kitchen cabinet.  1 up, 10 more to go!

Look!  We're getting there!

Doomsday Prepper-I'm Not-I Better Get Going!

 

A large solar flare is headed towards earth.  The sun erupted Tuesday evening and the effects will start showing up on earth by 7 a.m. EST Thursday.  Today is Wednesday, it is 61 degrees Fahrenheit and the weather is beautiful.  I was going to go outside and start my landscaping but now that I have heard this, I think I better start to prepare.  

I have listened to Progressive Radio Network and Gary Null has had many interesting guests on his program, namely scientists talking about a huge solar storm in 2012.   This whole doomsday prophecy for 2012--apparently this is the beginning.  One scientist in particular told of a conference he attended with other scientists  discussing how a huge solar storm will affect the planet Earth in the later part of 2012, I guess it's early.

Millions will be affected, it was a very scary scenario he claimed.  The scientists were all sworn to secrecy because of  potential mass hysteria considering the vast number of people  affected.  This particular solar flare is going to hit the Midwest, mainly the Central and Northeast sections.  I think that's me.  Yikes!!  I need to run to the store and get water.  Forget frozen entrees, there will be no microwaving or baking.   It will be hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill outside.  Geez, just when I was going to start my diet. Which reminds me, I need charcoal and more matches.  I will also need dog food, I need to stock up now-what will my 3 dogs eat?  I need to fill my car with gas.  Will a full tank make it to Florida??  I doubt it, I don't know where to go.  I don't have a doomsday shelter, I don't have a stockpile of supplies.  Heck, I don't even have a basement anymore, let alone a finished working kitchen.  But I guess I won't be needing a kitchen now.

So today I need to catch up on my laundry, fill the car up with gas--now that I know how to open the fuel door, go to the grocery store, inform everyone in my family today--because telephones or cell phones will not be working, bake ahead lots of peanut butter squares, get a medical kit ready and buy an axe to chop wood.  I need to buy lots and lots of batteries and buy a good pair of walking shoes and a bicycle.  When the gas runs out of my car, that's it, I'm out, unless I have an extra 55 gallons set aside somewhere.    Maybe I should get some bars on my windows and extra locks on my doors.  A good doomsday prepper would be prepared for intruders. 

See----hysteria.  This of course would not be happening if the person running this country had prepared in advance on our behalf.  The scientist had mentioned that the power grids would survive a huge solar storm if the grids had all been updated and protected properly.  Simple procedure apparently, just that it was costly.  Everyone in the white house knows about the solar storm (past and present leaders).  Nothing has been done.  I guess NASA thinks it is sufficient notice to post a 24 hour warning on the internet----geez, that really helps.  The Carrington Effect of 1859 will be considered mild compared to the big solar storms of 2012.   
   By the way, just who is the optimist writing the articles that I read today stating the overall positive from this huge solar flare will be the much improved and noticeable auroras or Northern Lights.    
 Who has time to look at Northern Lights?  I'm too busy stockpiling.
 

Sadie, a.k.a. "The Deck Guard"

Our black rescue poodle, Sadie, which we affectionately refer to as "Sadie, Sadie, Shady Lady" is obsessed with my backyard deck.  We adopted her when she was five years old; her and all her baggage.  If dogs really do come with baggage, this dog would take the cake.  This dog came with problems.  No one was quite sure what her background was, apparently we were the fifth household that she had been placed into within the past two years.  Story is that a family had her as a puppy up to age 3 then turned her over to the humane society.  She escaped, was found months later and ended up in the shelter again.  She was adopted, ran away from her new home, found again and placed in a different shelter, and the same story repeats.  The papers that we received stated that she was approximately five years old and is a Portuguese Water Dog.  I am not sure about that, we thought she was a black standard poodle.  We don't know what she is, she doesn't know what she is either.  Present time, she is acting as my deck guard.  

   Three days ago, I found Sadie circling and sniffing the deck....nonstop deck sniffing.   We're talking about hours and hours of deck sniffing. I had to go outside and make her come inside, it was a freezing 27 degrees out and all she is sporting is her newly shaved poodle look.  I walked outside yesterday and I found her licking the deck.  Yes, Sadie, Sadie, Shady Lady was sniffing and licking my deck.  Now I am wondering, does she love my deck?  This dog is strange, maybe she is just fond of the deck.  Nope.  My daughter informed me today, she has advanced to biting my deck.  I have scratch marks, bite marks, and dog licks all over my deck.  Sadie, or as we now affectionately refer to as "Weirdo" is devoted to my deck.  Hopelessly devoted.  Perhaps she could guest star on TLC's new show, "My Strange Obsession."

Mr. B. says there is an animal hiding under our deck, that's why Sadie is obsessed with it.   I asked Mr. B. "But why is she licking the deck?" 
"Because she wants to eat it."
"She wants to eat my deck?!"
"No, she can smell the animal hiding under the deck and she likes the smell of the wild animal so much that she licks the deck to taste it."  Mr. B. seems to have animal behavior all figured out.  I have no idea how he knows this stuff.

Meanwhile, as you can see, Sadie is a very busy dog these days.  There's no dog napping going on here, no siree.  I gave her a job title, "The Dog Deck Guard."   Compensation--dog treats.

Whatever animal is hiding under my deck, it better leave soon, before Sadie gets wood splinters in her tongue.

Project Beadboard Accomplished!

Here at the yellow brick house, after thinking about it for several months which came after explaining it for several months which came before thinking about it even started--the beadboard ceiling is finally finished in our kitchen.  Ta-dah!!!  No more falling insulation on our clean floor, clean appliances, Christmas presents, sleeping dogs, or just cooked food in the kitchen.  The ceiling is covered, the ceiling is finished. 

Christmas isn't complete without a brand new purse and falling insulation in the background!               

It took two days to put the beadboard ceiling up.  Mr. B. wanted to keep it plain--the plain, unfinished look--

The beginning.

Mr. B. admiring his work.

I wanted white.  
High gloss white.
I won. 
Finished-after two days of painting.
Goodbye falling insulation.  We won't miss you.

Introducing the new high gloss white beadboard ceiling.