Happy New Year

The morning after I hope you are not feeling as bad as he looks.

So, go celebrate, be careful, have a designated driver, or take a taxi.

Thank you to all my readers, family, friends, blogger friends, and all you folk who just stop by to take a look. You are all appreciated.

I wish for you all, an outstanding New Year

Christmas as I remember it.

I would like to share my childhood memories, of our family Christmas in New Zealand, perfectly told in this song.

Link to tune




It's a real New Zealand Christmas - there's no fire, no snow, no sleigh!

Everything has come to a grinding halt and at last it's Christmas Day

We're wearing shorts and jandals, singing songs of Christmas cheer

Mum's organised the family lunch and dad'll be drinking Kiwi beer!


It's just your typical, traditional Kiwi Christmas Day

We're celebrating Christmas in the good old Kiwi way

With fresh-picked peas and new potatoes and mint sauce for the lamb

And Grandma's made the Xmas pud and she's glazed the Xmas ham!

The cards are on the mantlepiece, the tinsel is on the tree,
The rellies have brought all their presents and the Queen's face is on TV
Mum's made her own pavlova with kiwifruit on the top
And there's hokey-pokey icecream, and the Chardon's all set to pop!

It's just your typical, traditional Kiwi Christmas Day
Us kids are driving our parents daft - we've been sent outside to play
Dad's cracking another Steinie and Mum's at the kitchen sink
And Grandad's fallen asleep in his chair cos he's had too much to drink!

The temperature is nearing 30 - everyone is feeling the heat
And after lunch, we all crash out cos we had such a lot to eat!
It's great to celebrate Xmas in our special NZ way
So here's a toast to your family: Have a wonderful Xmas Day!

It's just your typical, traditional Kiwi Xmas Day
You can forget the reindeer, ice and snow, and Santa on his sleigh!
It's fun to sit in the blazing sun, enjoying a Kiwi beer
And here's a toast to you and yours: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!!!

86-year Old Lady's Letter to Bank

I'm not sure if this is true, but it is entertaining.

Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the New York Times.


Dear Sir:

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month.
By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank. My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.
I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof. In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further.
When you call me, press buttons as follows:

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me

#2. To query a missing payment.

#3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.

#4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping

#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.

#6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home

#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.

#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.


#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

#10. This is a second reminder to press* for English.. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement. May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?



Your Humble Client

Email from brother

Hi sis.... it was lovely to have you visit, hope you don't pick up too many bad habits. The weather turned real sour after you left but warming up now. There's a package in transit to you, about a week from now, hopefully intact..

Ohh goody, I love packages from home, although I have a sneaking suspicion I know what could be in this one. When visiting New Zealand a couple of weeks ago, I had shown Graeme and John, my brothers, some lovely native bird garden art I had bought, and also pointed out a rather large Kiwi bird piece, which was too large to put in my suitcase. They both agreed that it would make a fine Christmas gift. I said that it would be way to expensive to send, I get the "no worries' comment from them. I love my brothers.

The very best brothers a girl could wish for.

UPDATE: The Package arrived see HERE

Winter is here

Last evening MrC. and I enjoyed dinner at our friend's home. As we left to return home at
11:30 pm, the rain which had fallen earlier in the evening had frozen on the car. As I had had a few drinks I handed the car keys to Mr C. and said"you drive" he did not have drinks. The drive down the somewhat steep driveway was icy as was the country road out to the main highway. When we reached the main road we discovered the rain had changed to snow, and about a half an inch covered the ground. As I said on Keewee's Garden " I officially hang up my gardening gloves"

My visit to New Zealand

Sam is a three year old Bichon Frise who's job is to visit his Friends at Amaryllis House, a home for sufferers of Huntington's Disease, in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Sam and his Mum belong to a group called Canine Friends Pet therapy.

You are asking how do I know this sweet little dog. I met him as he visited Amaryllis house when I was staying there with my daughter Tina. Yes, my darling daughter is a Huntington's sufferer. The main purpose of my visit to New Zealand was to celebrate Tina's 40th birthday and I was delighted to see the looks on the faces of the residents when Sam gave them a smooch.
Quote from Sam's story in the Canine Friends Pet therapy news letter: These people are mostly pretty sick but love touching my very soft fur and they also like a good kiss. I know officially I shouldn't kiss them, but they sometimes get tears in their eyes when I smooch them, so I think that means it's OK. Some patients cannot speak much but they manage "goodbye Sam' when I go and that is nice for Mum and me.

To read more on Sam's story, click on the link above, then on news letters in the left side bar. Sam's story is Winter 09, page four. You will also see Tina and Sam, and her friend Ally who were featured in the story

I had heard of canine therapy but never seen it in action before. I was so taken by the looks on the faces of the residents as the touched Sam (the people who were able touch him) and the ones who could not, expressed their emotions with their eyes. I can tell you I had tears in my eyes as I observed their reaction to Sam's gentle way.

Thank you Sam and your Mum for bringing so my joy to the residents of Amaryllis house, I know my Tina loves to hold you when you visit, as she is an animal lover, having worked at at an animal shelter years ago when she was well.

I don't see these very often

Tuesday 11/23/2009 started with this awesome sunrise.

Monday night I had just returned from New Zealand, so I thought I would sleep in on Tuesday. Not much of a surprise that I didn't, as I rarely sleep past 7am I am so glad I woke up in time, to see this lovely sunrise.

Can you guess

What this building, located in a school yard, was used for?

To get started with posts on my New Zealand visit, I decided to begin with a little bit of interesting information. I know readers from New Zealand, would perhaps recognize the little building, those from other countries , probably not.

Waaay back, when I was a child attending school, there were occasions when a student who had just finished a visit to this little building, would come to our classroom bringing the dreaded news that your presence was expected post haste, in the ....... DENTAL CLINIC!!!!!
Ohhhh how I remember those days. The chill which descended upon me when my name was called to go to the dental clinic. I still remember the drill, which was driven using a foot pedal, not like the electric high speed machines of today, so it seemed to a youngster like myself, that if the dental nurse did not keep the speed constant, the drill would slow down causing all kinds of nasty sensations. Shiver
One positive I do remember from my visits to the 'house of horrors' was the small bribe gift the dental nurse would give us for being brave. It was usually a simplified doll, butterfly or some kind of creative object, made from one of those small log shaped pieces of cotton, used to stuff inside your cheek, or between gum and lips, to keep the area being worked on dry.
The photo of the now boarded up dental clinic, was taken as I strolled past a school during my visit to New Zealand.

Happy Thanksgiving

From our home to your home, have a wonderful day.
Keewee and Mr.C

Sorry

I will not be able to blog about my holiday in New Zealand until I get back home.

Dog for sale

A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale ' He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.

The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.


'You talk?' he asks.
'Yep,' the Lab replies.
After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?'

The Lab looks up and says,
'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.'
'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.' 'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

'Ten dollars,' the guy says.

'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Because he's a liar. He never did any of that stuff!!!

It is here at last

Wednesday morning at 11am I will be boarding the Whidbey Seatac shuttle on the first leg of my journey to New Zealand.

I leave Seattle at 3:51 pm and fly to San Fransisco, 2hr 8 min. 679 miles. From there to Auckland NZ, 13hr 10 min. 6531 miles, then take another flight to Wellington, 1 hr.299 miles.

I know I am going to feel the effects of being on the go for all those hours, but really happy to be visiting my family.





The main purpose of my visit to NZ, is for the 40th birthday celebration of my daughter Tina.
I have kept the secret of my upcoming visit since last April when I booked my ticket.
There were a couple of times I nearly slipped up and told Tina I was going to be there for her birthday, but caught myself just in time.
Yesterday Tina was given the news that she was to meet me at the airport in Wellington, and I hear she is very excited.
I will also be visiting my two younger brothers, and doing a little salt water fishing, if the weather co-operates.
A few weeks ago I received an email from Sandie, who was my bridesmaid, a zillion years ago. We had lost touch over the years, so we are hoping to be able to connect, and catch up on all the happenings of the past 40 years. Yikes! has it been that long.

I am also hoping to visit with Dinzie and Mcdinzie, who have become blogger friends.

When I booked my ticket last April, I thought November was such a long time away, now I am wondering where the time went.

Have You Ever

Had One Of Those Days?

Where you felt compelled, to tell someone what you really think of them.

I recently had the misfortune to be an onlooker in a situation where a person, had quite obviously input some wrong information into their computer, which in turn screwed up all their inventory, and the person insisted it was the program or PC's fault WHAAAAT??????
The PC and program was changed out for a whole new system, but still, this person would not listen to the individual trying to help them, instead the person, insisted that all they did ( whiny voice) was enter in the relevant information for the day, and nothing else. Yeh right! They only way things could have gone wrong was by operator error.
I have condensed the story as there is a whole lot more to the picture, but you get the idea. There are folk out there who would rather walk on hot coals than admit that perhaps they had made an error. Sheesh!
A quote from someone I hold dear "you can't argue with stupidity"
You would have been proud of me as I really, really, wanted to tell the "stupid one" to shut up and listen. Well at least that is the ladylike version. *grin*

Not for me thankyou all the same.

OK I can stop whining about not having anything to blog about, well at least for today.
On my way home from work today, I took a detour to the beach at Double Bluff to see the kite boarders. We can actually see them in the distance, about a couple of miles as the crow flies, from our house, but this time I was lucky to see them up close, and I just happened to have my camera with me.

I think this person was getting ready to launch, or whatever the term is.

At the other end of the line is this quite large kite. The kites come in different shapes and colors, and it is great to see many of the kite boarders out skimming the waves at one time.

This kite boarder was trying to get the kite under control as the strong, and I might say, cool wind whipped in towards shore. Whenever we see onshore winds from the house, we look for kite boarders, as these are the winds they like.Think about it, if they had offshore winds, they could be blown waaaaay out into Puget Sound, now they wouldn't want that, would they?

A kite boarder coming back in, after an enjoyable ( I am surmising) time.

Hang in there , don't want to lose it *chuckle*

I love to watch as the guys speed across the choppy water having the grandest time.

You can see the stormy weather conditions we are having today.
As I drove back home it started to rain, and as I neared the halfway point to the house the rain was coming down to the point where it was difficult to see out the windshield.

Ugene, or perhaps it is Eugene ( sorry if I miss-spelled your name ) Was kind enough to pose for a picture. You can see the wet weather gear they wear for protection from the elements, and they sure need those warm suits today.
Kite boarding looks like a fun sport, but as I am not much of a swimmer, I think I will pass *grin*

Not much happening right now

I haven't had much to say or anything to blog about this last week. I have been working a few more hours a week at work (so much for semi-retirement) and also getting ready for a couple of weeks vacation in November. More to come about the vacation soon
I am posting using a very small notebook which I will take on vacation with me. This keyboard is a teeny tiny thing compared to the one I use on my regular PC and I can see where anyone with large fingers would have a frustrating time trying to type, as they would be hitting two keys at the same time. I plan on using this notebook so I get used to it.

My eyes are opened

HANDBAGS
Have you ever noticed girls who set their handbags on public toilet floors, then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table? Happens a lot! It's not always the 'restaurant food' that causes stomach distress. Sometimes 'what you don't know will hurt you'!

Read on.............
Mom got so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their handbags down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always said that handbags are really dirty, because of where they have been.

It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day.

'I drive a school bus, so my handbag has been on the floor of the bus a lot,' says one woman. 'On! The floor of my car, and in toilets.' 'I put my handbag in grocery shopping carts and on the floor of the toilet,' says another woman 'and of course in my home which should be clean.'

We decided to find out if handbags harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake , and then we set out to test the average woman's handbag.

Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared. Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if their handbags were at least a little bit dirty.

It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.

Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.

In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. 'There is fecal contamination on the handbags' says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception.

The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contaminations of all. 'Some type of feces, or possibly vomit' says Amy.

So the moral of this story is that your handbag won't kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat.. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don't put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.

Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. 'If you think about putting a pair of shoes on your countertops, that's the same thing you're doing when you put your handbag on the countertops.' Your handbag has gone where individuals before you have walked, sat, sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, emptied bowels, etc!

Do you really want to bring that home with you?
The microbiologists at Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help. Wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather handbags.

It pays to carry a camera with you

Yes indeed, it does pay to have a camera with you when you travel the roads, as you go about your daily business. I may have missed this stunning shot if I forgotten to place the camera on the front seat of my car, and waited until next week. You never know when a wind storm will come up and whip all that glorious color from the trees.

Clammy but beautiful

Click on the picture for a better view.

As I drove through a rural area this morning on my way to work, I couldn't resist taking this photo from the car. As Usual, my camera was on the passenger seat, as you never know when a photo opportunity may arise.
On this small farm is rolling acreage where the owner raises sheep, and as I drove along the road beside the farm, I could see the sheep happily grazing the rich green grass, while the damp fog drifted in and swirled around the farmhouse and out buildings.

I have been waiting for this day

The first thing I would do after greeting my client each week when I went to her home, was to look at her orchid.
A few weeks ago this lovely flower was just a small bump on the stem, and today I was delighted to see the first of three flowers in bloom.

I am on top of the cleanup chores this year

It has been a cleanup day around the yard today. I took 24 cuttings from some of the plants and shrubs in the garden so I will have some nice new plants next spring. One in particular is a gorgeous dark purple geranium. I took five cuttings of this one and hope they all grow, although that is not always the case. The vegetable garden is pretty much cleaned up, except for spreading some straw on the raised beds to protect them throughout the winter.
The gutters over the front door have been cleaned out, and a messy job it was. Mr C and I are discussing placing some specially made foam inserts in the gutters to keep all the leaves and pine needles out, but it is rather expensive stuff, so we will buy a few lengths at a time.
The pine needles have been raked up from under the tree which grows by the front door, and swept from the front porch, but dang if the wind didn't come up about the time I scooped the last bucket full up, so I will have more needles to sweep up. You know what they say about "no rest for the wicked" I guess I must be really wicked.

This week the weather is supposed to be 60F + degrees so I will endeavor to get some more compost spread on the rest of the garden. It is a race against time, to get everything done before the weather is too cold to work outdoors.

There is a nice large stack of books sitting next to my favorite chair just waiting to be read. I have been collecting books for a few weeks now, usually buying them at yard sales or at the local thrift store. Yesterday, I bought 10 books for a dollar at the local Eagles yard sale, what a great find.
I am almost ready to hibernate in front of a nice cheery fire with my books for the winter, which is not my favorite time of year.