IDIOTS

Bikeman and I raised two very wonderful daughters. Girls. Females. Pretty easy, actually. Well, if you don't count the drama and the shrill screams and incessant clothing addictions and the fact that they never took the garbage out or mowed the lawn....

But, basically, we did a Very Fine Job raising these girls. Of course, it does help to have Quality Goods to begin with, and God certainly did send us the cream of His crop. Probably knew our talents and patience were limited, so He sent us the Best.

We never had any sons in our life....until we were presented with the finest two men who were brave enough to share their lives (and their names) with our high maintainence daughters. These men are Saints! And the ONLY qualification needed for that high esteem is that they are willing to love our daughters with total abandon and amazing patience.


I kept asking them, before they committed to the institution of marriage....."Are you SURE you want to Deal with all This for 60+ years?"


And, for Some reason, they looked at Bikeman, grinned real big, and said they figgered if HE could do it, they were certainly able to do it as well (Did I mention that, well....sometimes these girls will remind you of their mother....).

Now, the very Best thing about these boys is the fact that they love our daughters. Unfailingly and with great loyalty and lots of admiration and plenty of humor (you gotta have that in order to stay alive around these Bailey wimmen). They treat them with delicacy and with kindness and yet are willing to stand their ground when the times arise. Strong men.  And brave!

However, beyond these amazing qualities, these guys are just plain wonderful. They are Godly, hardworking, intelligent, lovers of animals and children, and, oh, yeh....Quite Handsome.   

The Time has come, the Walrus Said...To talk of Many Things. Of shoes and ships and ceiling fans, of cabbage slaw and.....possible death....

This is a Random Post.  Yeh...I'm sitting here alone while garage sales are selling all their treasures. It's been raining all week, so the garage salers must be out en masse today in this Sunny Day in Cherokee County. I should be out discovering bargains you cannot get anywhere else... But I am ALONE this morning. Alone in the house.  All  By Myself.  Alone.

Alone is Good for me a lot of the time. I like being alone in a noiseless (no TV) house with no one to talk to. I love the "zone" of quiet and the uncluttering of the mind.  I come and go as I please, and read and answer to no one.
I have always carefully guarded my Alone Time. Even when the children were little, I would steal away to the bathtub for Moments Alone. Some of my children's friends even remember my ritual of closed doors and 30 minutes of Peace....I Like being Alone. Give me an hour or so, and I am back and ready to face the world and solve all of its problems.

Bikeman is gone for the day. He's off to visit his mother, about 2 hours away near the Kansas line, via the Bicycle Store in Tulsa, and probably an ice cream cone at McDonalds. Lately we have discovered that we hate to leave each other.....Our days are so full of one another and familiar with each others faces in our view, that being with each other is the "norm" now, and not the exception. There's not even very much "Hi Hunny! I'm Hoooome" any more because we are Together most of the Time....And it is a Good Thang.....I like his face. I like his friendship. I love his voice and the way he cherishes me. I love the comfortable-ness he brings to me. And the coffee...And how he smiles so sweetly at my "Border Collie" ways.

But it is Good to be apart as well....If nothing else to be able to hear the "Hi Hunny! I'm Hoooome!" once again....

We bought two ceiling fans last summer, kind of on a whim....Well, they were a Very good price, and Bikeman said he would be able (and willing!) to install them quite easily. Summer rolled by, then Autumn...When Winter came, we decided to tackle the project, and it actually went quite well. We put one fan up in our bedroom, and it is wonderful. I love it! I love the convenience of not having to drag in a fan from the storage barn each Spring to stand in the way of the chest of drawers. Our ceiling fan even has a remote control switch, and that comes in very handy.  No divorce lawyers were involved in the installation at all. This is a huge step for us, for after 39 years of blissful marriage, we still do not work well together....Two very independent souls vying for the Alpha Dog status...We worked as a team, and completed the task in harmony.

The second ceiling fan lay dormant in the garage all these months, almost a year. It goes in the Guest Room, and when installed, there will be no rooms in the house (with the exception of the bathroom--hey! There's an idea!) that does not have ceiling fans. I thought this project would be similar to the last ceiling fan project. BaddaBing, BaddaBoom, and we have coolness, Houston!

No home improvement project ever goes like the ones on TV. On TV there is no cursing, no divorce lawyers, no yelling at the cats, no spilled boxes of glass thangs (it was an accident!), no fan blades put on upside down and backwards, no swearing that the instructions are all "written by people whose primary language is not English."  So, when I mentioned the Guest Room Project to Bikeman, he stalled for only a few days before declaring that this electrical job was way too complicated for him to deal with. Something about this particular room being a "hub" of all things wired in this house....

In his defense, I will tell you that this past spring we had an electrical problem that stumped not only me, Bikeman, and three electricians before they brought in the owner (Kelly Grant--if you live in this area, I highly recommend him) who quickly discovered the problem (well,yeh! after dozens of folks had eliminated other possible causes), and...BaddaBing, BaddaBoom....no more "weird" circuits going on and off in this house. The problem was, in fact, traced to said Guest Room.  So you can understand a little bit about Bikeman's hesitancy to risk becoming a Crispy Critter in attempting to wire a ceiling fan in that room. It wasn't your usual "put her off until she forgets about it"......And so, we called th' man.

The very FIRST thing they discovered was that the bracing in the attic would not support the fan. So, they had to shore that part of the ceiling before they even began any installation.

If any of you are wives who have "reluctant" husbands, you can certainly understand the next statement I am about to write.....


Had Bikeman been performing the installation, and had he come to me with that "discovery," I would have only thought that here was yet another excuse for him to delay the project. 

But, sigh....when the professionals encounter such delays, we trust their judgment and their decision to "go get a board" and lay it across the rafters.  Sorry, Dear Bikeman, for being so quick to judge you all these years.....

While the electricians were up in the attic, they discovered that the vent pipe that leads from the furnace to the vent on the roof was disconnected! They fixed that problem for us......and that is why I listed "possible death" in the blog title.....So, now, whatever they charge us will not be enough....I am eternally grateful that Bikeman saw to it to drag his feet on the problem and call in the pros.....We needed that fixed and didn't even know it...

Here's Kelly, putting the finishing touches on the project.

Don't you just KNOW they are so relieved to be finished with this whole project! What very nice men they are!  Just need to add the light cover, and they can head for the shop....

And, so, when  older daughter comes to visit (all by herself! while her children are at camp) tomorrow, she will slumber in the cool oasis of her former room, now the Guest Room for oh, these 18 years. Hope it doesn't fall, Em!! If it does, you'll be the first to know!

And then, onto Cabbages.  Here's a wonderful recipe for ya. I get a daily email from a really great low calorie/healthy eating company called Hungry Girl. The other day, she sent this wonderful recipe for German Potato Salad,. I made it, and Bikeman and I literally fought over it!  You can go to the link, or read "my" tweaked version here. Points value for only 3/4 cup is ONE. 

German Potato Salad

1 head cauliflower, chopped

10 oz red potatoes, chopped

3 cups dry coleslaw mix

1 cup chopped onion

Microwave cauliflower and potatoes for 6 minutes (I did not add the water that HG's recipe suggests). 

Put coleslaw and onion in a Pam-d (that Pam spray stuff) skillet, and cook, about 8 min.  Add cauliflower and potatoes. Toss with dressing. Top with chopped green onions.

   Dressing:

   1/4 cup rice vinegar (Oh! My! this is good vinegar!)

   3 bacon strips, cooked

   2 T. low fat Mayo

   one pkg Stevia (or sweetener of your choice)

   2 T. water

Microwave this dressing for one minute

Serve it on a table as pretty as this, with some sliced tomatoes, and you will feel like a Queen.  Thus ending most of the quote from the above title.....You'll have to fill in the part about ships and shoes....

   

Tour de Payne...or The Weekend About Nothing

Do you ever watch Seinfeld, the sitcom set in NYC. It is described as the "show about Nothing." We watch it every chance we get. We quote it often, and sometimes all it takes to get a laugh out of each other is just a few words from any of the episodes. 


(I was in th POOL!....I mentioned the Bisque..... yadayadayada...... It..OUT...Man hands....Festivus!.....Maybe the dingos ate your baby....)


This week DH Bikeman and I decided to get away for a few days. Looking for a destination, we came upon the annual bicycle ride in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Payne County, Oklahoma. The ride is sponsored by the Red Dirt Pedalers which is a group of bicyclers in and around Stillwater.


The Plan was....Bikeman bikes, and I shop. Works for me.


We reserved a room for 2 nights at the LaQuinta. They welcome dogs to their motel, and it is totally smoke-free. Plus, they have a wonderful free breakfast for guests in the morning, complete with waffles and fresh fruit. A little more pricey than Motel6, but, well, this is Vacation, and we won't have to pay a dog sitter.

Nice digs, and we had a room on the ground floor. No lugging crates up the elevators.

Stillwater has a very "famous" beer joint called Eskimo Joe's. Supposedly the coldest beer in the state...Their tee shirts are coveted all over the world. THE most "popular" tee shirt after Hard Rock. Our first night in Stillwater, we opted for Eskimo Joe's "brother" restaurant,  MEXICO Joe's, and filled up on wonderful salsa and nachos and tamales. Pretty good tamales. 

Now, here's the reason we suggested that this weekend would be "about nothing." The rain was moving in to Payne County, and, well, Bikeman said he didn't wanna ride in a downpour. I convinced him that "you gotta live somewhere, so it might as well be Stillwater for the next 2 days." So, the weekend getaway would not be in "vain," -----just "about nothing." 

And I could still go shopping in the rain......

Our tummies full to bursting, we returned to the motel, fed the dawgs, and then walked them in the rain. Nice thing about Collies...they don't even notice that it is raining. They just consider it "hydrating" their coats.....

We slept until 5 am, and woke to......Clear skies!!! Grabbed a quick breakfast at the lobby, and took off to the ride site. 

Here's Bikeman coming out of the bathroom. It's always a Good Thang to get all that taken care of before you sit on the bicycle for 62 miles...

Loading up his water bottles....

And strapping on his raincoat to the back of his bicycle seat....THIS will assure us that it will not rain anymore today.....

Have you ever SEEN a happier face?! This guy actually LIKES doing this....

That little square thang on the right side of the picture is actually a rear-view mirror.....Lets him know when anything is approaching from the back. How many fingers am I holding up, Dear?

 

I think he must be about 12 years old......

Here's a Cute Old Couple.  Taken at arm's length....

All gear on, saddled up, raincoat strapped on....Let the rolling begin!

And they're OFF!!! That's his cell phone in his back pocket, along with a TON of Lara Bars....

All except one.....But don't worry....he caught up quickly enough....

While the Bikeman rode, I went back to the motel and took a nap. Later, I hit a few stores and found a few treasures....INcluding a really cool thang that drills holes in rocks! All the thrift stores were closed today, so we'll have to hit them tomorrow on the way home.

After only about 4 1/2 hours and 62 miles (100 kilometers), Bikeman made it to the Finishing Line. 

He was fairly coherent and able to carry on reasonable conversations.....

Like what IS Farm Diesel???

And, yes, I do believe I would like to eat at another Eskimo Joe's "brother" resturant.... Joseppi's....

Tomorrow we head back East. To Home, the Best Place to Be.....

Camp....Last Two Days

Wednesday at Camp is Purple Day. Everyone wears purple and plans for the festivities after lunch that involve contests and parades and general silliness out on the soccer field.

It all starts with awards to dogs who are rescued, to the senior dogs, to owners who have rescued. Then there's the Costume Parade, with some of the craziest dog get-ups you have seen. I didn't participate in the Hot Dog Retrieve Contest this year. Even tho we did try to practice for it earlier in the spring.....My boyz ALWAYS promise that they will go get the hotdog and bring it Right Back, but they always lie. Always. And the Whole Hog Contest...where dogs are offered many different kinds of food---James will eat ANYthing that I hand to him. If I want it, then HE will want it. Kissing Contest...My guys don't do PDA, so I don't enter That contest, either. But it is always fun to watch others participate! Especially those who have never done it before! By Wednesday, everyone has gotten rid of any hang-ups or apprehensions they might have had if their dogs do not behave "perfectly," and join in with complete abandon.

 For some FUN Camp pictures you can go to Facebook page of 

Leah Porfido Caracino

She is an AMAZING photographer, and seems to get right to the Heart of what is in each subject. Her stuff makes me cry, it is so poignant.

Evenings brought some wonderful activities as well.  Great lectures on The Origin of the Dog and Comparative Anatomy, Saying Goodbye to our Animal Friends, Dog Park Etiquette, Dog Body Language, to name just a few. There are also games to play, guided walks in the evening, dog dance group practice, and Drill Team and Lure Coursing, and, of course, a little bit of wine and cheese in the individual dorms.....

Drum Night is Thursday at Happy Valley (the dorm that has all the Crazies in it), and we bang on anything from empty Coke bottles to expensive bongos to plastic buckets we use for Canine Freestyle.

So, passes the week, and we come to Thursday. Prosper and I had a Freestyle lesson in the morning with Linda Blanchard. Linda just seems to take whatever it is that I present to her and make it into Gold. Currently, I am looking for a Royal Blue cowboy hat to complete our ensemble...so if you happen to see one...toss it my way!


Lunch on Thursday was taken al fresco, because it was Vendor Day, and Baden and I were selling leashes outside the Dining Hall. 

I sold a lot of my handmade leashes and the dog toys that I made earlier this spring. Sold completely out of the toys, and quite a bit of the leashes. It almost paid for my gasoline for the trip! Thanks to Roger Woodward who helped me make the dog toys in his incredible workshop.

That Baden exudes Proprietorship, don't ya think?

Brenda (in the pink shirt) brought things to sell for the Collie Health Foundation. Here she is with Amee and Amee's beautiful white Collie, Loki. 

Friday is the last "full" day of Camp. And even tho the schedule is full of the same activities we've had all week, I find myself winding down and drawing in.....Someone told me it is the Slowest and the Fastest week in the year.....

And so we walk.  All four of us. We take a walk in the Vermont Woods one more time before we have to leave.

We walk and we breathe in the cool air, and we forget that tomorrow....tomorrow we leave this Heaven on Earth for a few months.....until next Spring brings us running back.

The Song of a Mother Robin Whose Nest Was Emptied Too Soon

I lost my children today. Two were on the ground right under our nest. One already dead...he was the only son we had this year. They are not as hardy as the egg-layer children, I believe. The other babe, an egg-layer,  was found by the child of the twoleggedcreaturesthatdonotfly who live in the big nest beside our tree. It is a nice tree. Green all year long and dense with foliage. The cats across the street do not even know we are here. 


There was a thunderous storm the night before. One with rain and powerful winds. The children were plucked from the nest, and there was nothing I could do. They were not ready to leave this nest. Their bodies were still naked and bare. Only a few wing feathers had emerged, and their tails were but a whisper of the beauty that was to come.


They had been hungry that evening, but I stayed close because of the impending storm. No opportunity to dig for food when the weather was coming up dangerous. I regret not feeding them so they could die with full tummies. Instead, they died wet and cold, scared and... hungry.


This child of the twolegswhodonotfly picked up my babe and caressed her gently in her wings. I think she is an egglayer child, tho I have never seen any of their eggs, only their children who play outdoors. She carried my little one to the twolegswhocannotfly who lives in the big nest nearby. 

This cannotfly is my friend. She digs worms for me and tosses them toward me when she is out of her nest. She grows berries for me (editor note: I had no idea they thought I was growing berries for them!), and leaves out basins of water for me. She has even raised some of our children. She greets me whenever she sees me with the same song. It sounds a little like "Hello Robin," but I do not know what that means. I believe that she thinks my name is Robin, tho my name is Wormeaterwithredbreast. These cannotflys do not know very much, but this one seems very happy. And she is out of her nest much of the time, digging worms for me or pouring water on the berry plants. She sings, too. I like to hear cannotflys sing.


I do not know her name, but I call her Planter.


Planter told this young egglayer cannotfly how to care for my babe. She took her a box and some food and something to give her water. Water is important for babies. She told her to keep her warm and safe from the cats.


I do not know if this babe will live. But if she dies, she will not be cold and hungry and wet...and alone. I am thankful for that.


And it is Summer, still. The suntime is longer than the moontime.  There will be time while it is still warm for another nest of eggs and another clutch to rear. I shall pray, as always, that I can raise these next babes to fly and eat and go their way to dig worms for themselves. This is what I can hope for. 

Aint Annie's Leashes

My father grew up in the Great Depression. When his friends' boots wore out, he would take the still-good leather tops, cut the leather round and round in a continuous piece of lace, then plait a 4-plait braid and make reins and harnesses for his horses. Several years ago, he taught me this craft, and I took it way further! My braiding is lots prettier than Pop's, and I added beads and wove the handles neatly back into themselves. MY source of leather came from purses I'd found at garage sales, upholstery samples, and, of course boot tops and even a leather coat or two. Later on, I bid on some kangaroo lace on ebay, and began plaiting show leads, gathering up even more pretty beads and embellishments.


Cowhide leads are $20,  usually 3-4 feet in length.



Kangaroo leads (see pictures below) are $1an inch, minimum 36 inches---making a 3 ft lead $36.
4 ft, $48, and so forth.
I'll pay the shipping.



You can order one of these by placing your info in the comments section, or, if you have my email address, then send me a message there.  These pictures can also be viewed on my
Facebook account. "Toni Jasper Bailey"

T

 The bead clusters begin about 10 inches up from the snap.

Here's a closeup of the beads.

And the beads, again.