Cars - A blessing and a plague!!!!

Ya know, if I didn't have to go back to cooking with a wood stove, not having air conditioning and having to go to the bathroom outside, I would wish for "The Good Old, (and I mean OLD) Days" back again.

I just brought my car in for its 60,000 miles maintenance. I spent $1077 and didn't have everything done that they told me was "needed" and there was nothing wrong with my car!!! I have driven old beater cars that haven't cost me that much to fix!!! But, those manufacturers kinda have you over a barrel. If you don't do ALL the maintenance that they require, then if something goes wrong with your car they will say, "Sorry, you didn't have this and that done and it nullify's your warranty". Just makes one sick. They called me and told me that I had a tail light out. I actually had one out a couple of weeks ago and bought the bulbs (2 for $1.50) and put it in myself. Do you know what they wanted to charge me for that? $19 Now is that highway robbery or what? It took me all of 10 min and I didn't know what I was doing? They do it all the time and they want $19? So sickening. Anyway, if we lived 100 years ago, we could have a horse and feed it and water it and give it shelter. They didn't have vets back then so don't know what they did with a sick animal, I guess shoot it and get another. I am sure it would be much cheaper, even if compared to today's prices.

I was given a new 2008 to drive and I have to tell you it didn't handle any better then my 4 year old car. The only difference is that I think in the new ones you sit a bit higher. My car is paid off so I think to sit a couple of inches higher, I wont put out the money and I will drive my 2004. I am hoping to get another 60,000 miles out of it and it will last me until retirement, when I will get my retirement car!!

OK,, well I am done venting about cars. My next gripe will probably be the cost of tree trimming as I am getting a couple of estimates to have that done around my house.

Aren't you glad you entered and read???

Blessings to all who read and double to those who let me know they have been here. Evidently I don't get too many readers... Oh well, I get it off my chest.

Sandi

Ya Know????

Some days this says it all!!!!!!

Now for the pictures from ND

My niece Joan's 60th!!

We surprised her and her Mom by bringing her sister from TX with us to ND

and then we surprised her again with a brunch in her honor the next morning.

Me and my sisters

Phyllis, Judy, Vivian and Me
Joan, Viv and Debbie (the sister from TX)

SOME THINGS TO PONDER

The Wooden Bowl

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I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

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A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

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The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

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There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl! When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

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One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"

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Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up."

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The four-year-old smiled and went back to work .

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The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

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On a positive note:

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I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

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I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

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I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

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I've learned that making a "living" is not the e same thing as making a "life..

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"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

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I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

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I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

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I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

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I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

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I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

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I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.!

JUST BLOGGING

It is Wednesday today!! The middle of a work week. I was watching a quiz show on TV and one of the questions asked was "What percent of Americans live for the weekend". I was surprised that only about 25% of the people polled said that is what they did. I have to admit that I have become one of those 25%. There was a time that I actually looked forward to getting up and going to work. Oh its not that I don't like my job. I do. I have one of the best jobs and the best boss in the world. But in aging and seeing how little things are starting to "go wrong" with the old bod, I long for the time when I don't have to spend such a huge amount of my time at work and more time doing the things I love best, ie traveling and visiting family and friends and entertaining more.

This past weekend (and I will post some pics soon), we were off to North Dakota, land of clean air and wide open spaces. World, until you have experienced a North Dakota sunset, you haven't seen a sunset!!! It felt so good to be back in the knick of the woods where I was reared. I don't have any desire to go back and live there, but I sure as heck wish I had more time to go and spend there. 1 1/2 days just wasn't enough. That said, while we were there we had such a good time starting with surprising my oldest sister and her daughter by bringing with us to ND her youngest daughter from Texas. The looks on their faces when she walked in was fantastic. I should have had my camera ready!!! Then Sat morning my sister Judy and I had a surprise birthday brunch for my oldest niece (who is only one year younger then me). There were about 16 of us there and we had such a great time. The brunch was at 10 and people really didn't start to leave until about 3 in the afternoon. Great great time. My sister Judy is a gem.... When God made her he broke the mold and there is only one of a kind of her. I love you Judy and I thank God you are my sister!!!

Food - - Oh there was such an abundance of such great tasting food. My sister Phyllis is by far the best bread baker I know of. Everyone should be so blessed to be able to eat one of her caramel rolls or orange rolls. They are simply the best!! EVER!!!!

With all that good food and in my case, way too much of it, I came back home with a gut ache. Finally today I am feeling back to my old self. I wish I was still in the years of the cast iron tummy where you could put anything in it in just about any amounts and there were no consequences for it (other then fat piling on). But that doesn't happen any more. Dang it!!! I'm learning to eat in a whole new way, but feeling better.

Well that's about all that is on my heart today. Just felt like putting some of these thoughts down in words.

Blessings to all who read and double blessings to those that let me know they have been here (^_^)

Sandi

Excited

I wonder if it is for everyone as it is for me, but tomorrow we are going to head to North Dakota. It seems whenever I am going to head back to my roots, there is this growing excitement in me. I am so looking forward to spending the weekend there with my sisters and my nieces. My brother had made plans to be out of town all weekend so I wont get to see him.

It sounds like we are going to have beautiful weather to travel by. We are planning on leaving here early afternoon. Beat the traffic,,, I hope.

It will be fun to see wide open spaces of combined fields and grassland and fresh fresh air. Such a clear blue sky in ND. Hope it is clear and sunny there.

Well just wanted to share my excitement of "going home".

Blessings to all
Sandi

Workin On A New "Do"

Darn, I meant to have from the front first, but here it is from the back first

From the front

It will eventually be longer on the sides and the top, and the color may change a bit, but not sure yet.

Let me know what you think!!!

And Then She Is A Senior

BEST WISHES IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR MISSY
My oldest grandchild begins her senior year today. Where did the time go. It seems like just a couple of years ago she was born. Or she and I were crying our eyes out when we had to say goodbye to each other. It was just a few years ago that she loved to come and stay with Mamma but now those days are gone. Oh I knew they would come, they always do. Not that she doesn't like coming to see me, but life happens to young people and other things become more important and that is how it should be I guess. But I have never stopped loving her or stopped wanting her to come and stay with me. I love this young lady born on my birthday. This is one of her graduation pictures

Blessings to all
Sandi

What? Are you sure this is September???

If you are in Minnesota (esp the Twin Cities) today and you walk out the door you would be thinking,,, "Gee it sure will be nice when September arrives and cooler weather" and then you slap yourself on the head and say,,,"Hey,, it is September, whats with all this heat and humidity?" I don't know either, but I for one don't like it. It is so humid that last night I went to the basement for one thing or another and it was actually running water out of the a/c drain tube to the drain. I have not seen that before, now I suppose it has, but I hadn't witnessed it running. Even tho there is not a cloud in the sky it almost looks cloudy out there for all the moisture in the air. The forecast is for some of this to move out tomorrow. All I can say is I hope so.

On Labor Day we went to the Minnesota State Fair. There is always something interesting to see, hear, or eat there. We went early and we left about 1. We had had enough. Yesterday my hip/leg hurt from all the walking on uneven ground. But today I think I am going to recover.

Well that's about it for this post. Blessings to all who read and double blessing to those who let me know they have been here.

Sandi