Life in Weyers Cave

"Mom, where can we get a thumbtack?" "What for?" "Uh, don't ask" the kids said. "Oh, we can use duct tape!" All five were busily working in the hall by the door to my bedroom on their project. After listening enough to realize they were getting ready to terrorize the cat, I slipped into my bedroom from the rear door where I thought she was hiding. No fear, she can read minds. She was safely tucked away under the king sized bed. Allen came in and saw me and figured out I had hidden the cat elsewhere in the house. The search ensued, with children even checking the cars to try to find her. Finally, someone had the brilliant idea to check WAY under the bed and Bingo! (Sorry, Faraday.) They scared her out with the vacuum. Apparently the torture had something to do with videotaping her running into a wall of Saran Wrap at my door, but she just ducked under it. They thought she wouldn't be able to see it. (Who are the dumb ones now...

  

  Proof they belong on the OTHER side of the camera! 

  

  

  We had posters of duct tape "hints" all over the gym. 

Last night was Allen and Chantell's Duct Tape party. I am too tired to write as much as I can, but there was a lot. We had games on each table. Crazy hats in the corner for pictures. Roast beef sandwiches, cheese, and desserts. We had about 100 people and I think they had a great time. Bryan made a wishing well. The girls made a giant card. My friends really pitched in and things went smoothly. Thanks!

I was told about the following song titles for Christmas tunes. I am not sure what they are. Any guesses? 1. Uncouth dolt with his beazer on teh booth thinks he's a storm cloud's boyfriend. 2. Apartment of two psychiatrists. 3. Coniferous nativity. (O Christmas Tree?)

So Cathryn comes tomorrow, Addie, Lawrence and Gail Monday, Carolyn, Mark, Arline, Bryan and maybe Chantell's Aunt Kelli Tuesday, the party on Wednesday, and as I walked in the house just now, guess what Allen and Chantell wanted to get TODAY? A DOG! A PUPPY to be precise. I don't know how many of our guests are allergic to animals, but this is one being I do not need in the mix right now. How loud and quickly can I say "NO!"

On what is happening around here. Bryan got an awesome second job as a pilot of a submarine. Allen still has no job, but was offered a temp position tending mentally retarded people. He wasn't too thrilled. He has some possibilities though. Chantell is loving her new job as Manager (we think that's the title) of the new Staunton Grocery restaurant. Dianna is so happy to be out of school, but is swamped with homework for the holidays. Cathryn has finished her last final and is coming in on Sunday. We made divinity and it was good! Gail will be visiting here on Christmas Day. I was supposed to see her today, but her blood pressure went up and she had to see the doctor. I keep buying and buying and will NEVER have enough gifts for everyone. Argh! We are going to move all our couches and overstuffed furniture to the living room so all our company can sit in the same room. David has been working many hours on an article so he hasn't been around much.

I have no fever. I'm not coughing (much) or sneezing and have no runny nose. No headache, achy joints. I'm fine. Just because I can't talk, everyone thinks I am sick. The kids came into primary today and I whispered that I can't talk. "Yeah," said Clark "We all know. Everyone in church is talking about it." But they listened really really well. Because everything I said was whispers, so they start whispering too. It was nice. Except for Jaden who kept interrupting to say that he knew I could talk because he heard me yesterday. And of course, Tommy, who interrupted to tell us that no one should use drugs. The phone is ringing. I have finally learned not to answer it, because, well, I can't talk and it is rude to answer a phone and then not be able to talk. I called Margie after church and forgot I couldn't talk until she answered the phone. Luckily, she had been at church with me and had caller ID so she knew what was going on.

  

Potatoes: I arrived home yesterday and my kitchen literally sparkled from where it had been spit-polished. Happy Happy Joy Joy! I decided to maked instant mashed potatoes for dinner, so I boiled the water with cream and salt, then put the water in the mixer, added the mashed potato mix, and turned the mixer on. Nothing happened. Oops. It wasn't plugged in. So I leaned over the mixer to plug it in without turning the mixer off, and the next thing I knew there was boiling water-cream with instant potato flakes all over my face, clothes, and covering everything within a two foot radius of the mixer. Sputtering out a few expletives I rarely use, I called for help. Allen ran (Allen IS an expert in emergencies), followed closely behind by Chantell and lastly by Dianna. After realizing I wasn't really hurt, they did an admirable job of containing their laughter - certainly better than I would have. They immediately went to work cleaning up the mess for me. I half-heartedly m...

Many people are worried about "Big Brother" watching them. Warrantless wiretapping for those calling terrorists in Iraq. Monitoring emails for certain words. Looking at bank account balances. But I personally have nothing to hide and see a distinct purpose for these activities. There is, however, another group, that is starting to kind of creep me out. I dare not mention its name. This group is starting to control the internet. First a browswer, then a free picture editor and storage, incredible mapping, blog services, email, news, shopping, instant messaging, and now financial checkout. Talk about someone knowing EVERYthing about you! And they are not without prejudice. Type "failure" into the search engine and then the lucky button and see what you get. Go to a liberal website, cut out the first line and post it in the search engine. See what you get. Try the same with a conservative one. Some political speech is deemed "hate speech" and is blocked...

--- getting Blogger to recognize me on posting comments. It won't let me post anonymously either. Bummer. I worked today in Broadway, got home, then the lady I worked for said she couldnt' do payroll so I had to run all the way BACK to Broadway. The screen had cut off the "next" button at the bottom of her payroll page. That has to be as irritating as Cathryn's while/if problem. Is anyone else still having problems with Blogger?

So we are in the throes of Christmas. The tree is up, albeit undecorated. Faraday left a present under it -- fortunately it is all on the tree skirt which makes it easy to - uh - enjoy. Last night we went to a ham radio party with a white elephant exchange. One of the first presents was a lovely bird feeder. Most of the presents were not so good -- five and a quarter inch floppies, a tape measure, a baseball cap commemorating 50 years of Yaesu radios, etc. Everyone could keep what they want or exchange for a better one. Everyone took the bird feeder. Which made no sense since they said whoever had number 1 got to do the last trade. So of COURSE number 1, a lady, would go for the bird feeder. Which she did, leaving lots of disappointed people in her wake. Also popular was a digital thermometer. I ended up with some sugar cookies and David got a flashlight. Allen, Chantell and I went with Sam Frank to inspect the house this morning. There was a bit of an old newspaper in the fo...

I have NOT updated to the latest blogger whatever-there-is-to-update to. But I now find I cannot comment on other blogs, specifically Admiral's and Isepik's. It just won't accept my name and password, and then won't let me comment anonymously either. But since I am posting this, it still accepts my name and password here. Hmmmm. We have an appointment with a doctor today (Tuesday) for Chantell at 11:00 IF we can get her previous doctor to fax her notes here. Allen and Chantell interviewed for two jobs yesterday. Chantell has an interview for a job today, but the boss has already proven to be a jerk despite the great pay, so I really hope she won't take it. I keep worrying about Cathryn and her creepy cough/lung problem. I sure hope the antibiotic solves it. Other than that, life is normal. Visited Gail, exercised, worked on Ruritan stuff, etc. I am excited about my first Christmas in three years. Need to spend some money!

Yes, we all want to SCREAM!!!!! This morning we (Allen, DJ and I) took Chantell to the emergency room. There is some internal scarring (adhesions) from her last surgery that makes her unable to eat, sleep, work, or be free from pain. She has other symptoms which are beyond the scope of this entry. It was THREE HOURS before the doctor came in. She asked the same questions we had already answered several times, did not want to see the records or films Chantell brought from Idaho, and did not tell us what she was going to do. Chantell had lots of blood and urine tests and an xray. They were looking for all kinds of things we already knew it wasn't. They came in for the xray and I said it was a waste of money, since we already knew it was adhesions, and they don't show up on an xray. The doctor insisted they would if it was a full blockage. I reminded her it wasn't a full blockage since her intestines were working. albeit painfully. She had the xray anyway, which - duh ...

Yes, we found the house, made a ridiculously low offer on a house that was already dropped in price twice, by over 30%, and got it! It is a nice brick home, 67 years old, by a creek, in Waynesboro. I think we are all way excited about it. Last night I was president for the evening. We have a dinner coming up, a breakfast with Santa, and one member died, so there was a lot of business to take care of. We had a dinner at church tonight. Rayenell Coiner really works hard on these things! Instead of Santa, the three kings came to give present to the kids. I thought that was a super idea. Allen was supposed to be a king, but chickened out. I made him a costume this afternoon, but the missionary took his place.

All, right, here is the whole sordid story. Allen took the van to a job interview. As he started the van, he noticed something was kind of funny, but couldn't figure out what it was. He went to the interstate and as he turned he heard a "Squeak - Thump! coming from under the engine and then saw a furry carcass in the street behind him, which was immediately run over by the next truck. It was quick. I am sad. It was not his fault and David is ecstatic. Fortunately, I am sure there are plenty of other Jason's out there to take his place.

It is with geat sadness that I must announce the untimely demise of Jason, our resident groundhog. Jason has brought me many hours of gentle pleasure over the years as I have watched him in the back yard, with his babies in the spring, with his friends, also named Jason, and climbing our peach trees to glean the fruit. He will be sorely missed. And Allen is in BIG TROUBLE!

Saturday night was Gail's 90th birthday. I took her to dinner at Rowe's. We had a table of 16 people there to celebrate. I took her home and gave her a warm cuddly quilted microfiber comforter in pink. She seemed to like it. Yesterday was Stake Conference. It was held at the new Harrisonburg High School, which I had never gone to before. Beautiful building, nice to see friends. In the afternoon the kids went to see a house they really like in Waynesboro. In the evening, I went to recorder group with Chantell, who I had given a quickie lesson in recorder to. She did great. Then today we had a recorder concert at the Bridgewater Retirement Home. It went well, but Chantell didn't come. I love the people in my group. And Jeff who is leading it now is awesome. He is a retired high school band leader. It is great to have a leader. We have two more performances in the next two weeks. December is always a busy time for us.

For the last week, Chantell and Allen have had periodic flashes of sickness and tummyaches and fever and nausea. And stuff I won't talk about. But they have worked through it to go out looking for jobs. It has been awkward, because I know I need to push them to satisfy David, but I'm a mom -- I don't want to push someone who is really sick. So we have been trying to figure out what they allergic to that is making them sick. I gave the cat a bath. They have an air cleaner in their room. (Okay, my opinion, but I think it would work better if they would turn it on!) I washed all their sheets, blankets, comforters, etc. before they came. But when I went down there yesterday my nose ran so there may be something in the walls or ceiling. I don't know. Then yesterday evening, at 4:45, BAM! I got it. I spent the next hour or so in the bathroom and, despite the fact that I had a lamb roast going for dinner (one of my favorites), I started some chicken soup. Lamb, ble...

Dianna was so happy that she didn't have band or squad or homework last night. It was the first time she could spend an evening with Allen and Chantell. But So I decided to take Dianna to the mall (to show she CAN indeed get nice jeans under $25). As we drove up, guess who's car was outside Steve & Barry's? Yup, and I had the key. So what would any normal, rational person do who had been stood up for dinner? I moved it. Then we went in the mall. We bought two shirts for $6.98 each. Dianna said she had plenty of pants and didn't even want to look at the jeans. As we left, there were Allen and Chantell, walking up the sidewalk outside the mall towards us. We quickly ducked back into the mall, but not quickly enough. Allen came running. He didn't know his car was gone yet. The Salvation Army ringer was there. We had told him about moving the car. So when Dianna and I left to go to my car, he tried to signal to Allen, but Allen didn't understand - ye...

We have ONE 50 gallon hot water heater that is 20 years old and has only one element in it. Ready to DIE! And five adults in the house. I think I need to grab the shower quick. I woke David up early so he could have the first since he gets grumpiest when he doesn't get a long hot shower. But he took a short one. Yesterday, I visited Gail for two hours. She loves having me there. I sit, drink hot herb tea, and do crossword puzzles, and talk. About nothing. With her caregivers. Then I came home and took the kids out looking at houses. We asked the realtor not to come back since he was late for the first appointment and didn't bring listings, didn't drop off the listings as he promised while we were in Raleigh, and was running late for the last appointment, and had forgotten the listings. Plus he doesn't know Staunton well, doesn't think the prices will hold in Staunton since they haven't gone up, doesn't want Sam to inspect the house, doesn't w...

  ... before he got into a squirt bottle contest with his sister. 

  I don't know if I like this picture or not. 

  

So much has happened the last couple of days. I am sure to miss something. Allen and Chantell got in without any more major mishaps on Tuesday evening about 10:30. I had told David they would arrive that night, but not Dianna. She thought they were getting in the next day. You should have heard her screech when Allen walked into the room where she was watching television. This is one kid that LOVES her brothers and sisters. After a good night's sleep, we got up early to take the trailer full of their stuff to the storage unit I had rented. We had two men from the church help and had it all unpacked in 20 minutes. The boxes were neatly labeled and sealed and it made it very easy. The biggest problem was the truck, which was a disaster from the git-go. Whenever they hit a bump, the left front headlight would point in a different random direction. When they got gas, someone had to get under the truck to push the gas tank up the entire time it was being pumped. The towing bar...

In Primary, I took in nine beanies. I put them out and said something about each one, then asked which was my favorite. Nick realized right away what was going on and said all of them. Then I showed the pictures of my kids and talked about each one. I said a lot of good things and then said "but he/she drives me crazy sometimes because..." They enjoyed the stories about the kids and by the end were asking "What does he/she do to drive you crazy?" When I asked which was my favorite, smart aleck Nick knew again it wasn't any of them. Okay, he guessed my mother, but the women in the room said it was my husband, so I held up David's picture and said it was him. We talked about marriage and how parents are supposed to love each other and how that is a commandment (my interpretation to six year olds of "Thou shalt not commit adultery.") I said sometimes parents try or love each other and it doesn't work out, but it is not the kids' fault i...

My birthday was in JUNE! So in Church on Sunday, Diane Hebdon from Harrisonburg came to give a talk. She said she had turned 50 last week, but no big deal. She said I had turned fifty in June and lived through it. I hadn't TOLD anyone I even had a birthday, much less how old I was. A dead silence filled the room, then everyone started laughing and reaching over and patting me and looking at me and laughing. I stood up in the middle of Sacrament and said loudly "You are in SO much trouble!" Afterwards. President Wright came up to me, hemmed and hawed, and finally said "It's okay. You were provoked." Then I had to go to Primary, where Micah Coiner insisted on singing Happy Birthday. I crawled under a chair in corner and sucked my thumb and cried. For the rest of the day, no one would leave me alone about it. Fortunately, that was my last birthday ever.

They left Saturday early afternoon after some troubles getting the apartment emptied and the appropriate papers in the right places filled out correctly to get the deposit back. Plus a snafu with the mechanism they wanted to tow the car with behind the Ryder truck. They are glad they got the Ryder insurance! Then today (Sunday) they had two flat tires in Wyoming and apparently were put back by nearly three hours. Poor insurance company. Two claims in two days. Ouch! Ryder people were less than efficient in getting them on their way again, but last we heard, they are trucking along and hope to be here Tuesday. The family has not been together in five years. Allen hasn't been home more than two weeks total in the last four. I love him and Chantell so much, that we are waiting with eager anticipation for their arrival. On a scale from 1-10 how excited am I? About 15 to 20. And Dianna says she is a 77. Times a million.

ChantAllen are packed up and leaving today to come to Virginia. Hopefully they will make the 2400 mile drive by Monday or Tuesday, because we leave Wednesday for Raleigh. Bryan is going to make it to Raleigh as well, we hope. I grin just thinking about it. (But no Cathryn (sniff)). He is building another new computer on budget this time. Cathryn is not going to be home for Thanksgiving and we won't pick her up until Christmas Eve from the airport. Dianna is in a play tonight -- a RoadShow at church. She is an evil sock puppet. The meat has all been found, but not yet distributed. Kelly found two more boxes of beef for me. I cried. It is funny how she comes by at 11 at night to deliver it, and I go to the grocery store where she works in the mornings to give her cash for it. It sounds like something wrong! David and I went to a murder mystery last night at Waynesboro High School, put on by a local group. It was wonderful. Nice twists where you would never guess the end. I...

To do a woman's job. I spent yesterday in the pouring, storming, rain getting lost all over Staunton so that I could deliver beef and turkeys to the ladies in the church. For six of them, I dropped it off at the church. (Rank has its privileges. I have a key.) There were nine beeves (?) and five frozen turkeys. I had to take the ice out of the freezer and bring it home, knowing I will return it Sunday, to make room for the turkey. On the front of the fridge, in true Dubby style, I had six carefully pre-addressed envelopes, taped up individually, with big pink hearts on each stating who gets what and how much they owe. I called the Relief Society President and told her when I dropped them off. It took seven trips in (in the storm) so I was glad when it was over. Okay, I'll stop complaining. In truth, the rain let up when I brought the meat in the church, for which I am grateful. But still, seven trips. But I digress. The RS Pres decided she didn't feel well, so she ...

Last summer when the Weyers Cave Fair was over, there were a dozen or so CASES of chicken quarters left over. As a rep of the Ruritans, I bought it all, Dianna and I cleaned them (over a thousand quarters), packaged them in zip lock bags of four, and found homes for them at cost. A quarter a leg is a good deal. I sold two cases to the Redifers who had bought our old freezer the week before. So last week, I got a phone call at ten o'clock at night. "Want beef?" Kelly Redifer works at the local barbecue restaurant and the owner had bought some meat off the truck for a great price. 42 cases of top round roasts, already cooked, at 6-7 pounds each, with the Quizno's label on them. This is what you get when you go to the deli and ask for roast beef. $25.00 a case of three works out to just over a dollar a pound. So yeah, I bought some, although seven pounds of roast beef is a lot for our little family. But I brought one to a family at church and gave one to the mis...

David went with me to The House today and we were able to talk more about what it was really like, the problems and potential. We measured everything, inspected, checked out the attic and foundation, etc. Sadly, I must at this point agree that there is too much damage to make this a viable venture for ChantAllen at the present time. The kitchen is off the back, and the foundation under it is badly water damaged. There is also severe water damage around the majority of the windows - enough that just changing out the window is not going to fix it. So we have decided to go back to the drawing board and find another, less drastic house, to invest in. I have been talking to the real estate people and reading the booklets and going on the internet. There isn't a lot in the handyman affordable category. Kids may end up in a plain old apartment, but I'm trying!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

David doesn't like the house, period. He says it is because there is broken asbestos siding. So it is back to square one and an impossible situation, since he wants ChantAllen to be out of our house within two weeks of arriving, and you can't find and buy a house or even many times find an apartment in that period of time. Inpsections, hookups, loan approvals, meetings with lawyers and real estate agents, all of this takes time. Let's hope Allen can keep his nose clean when he is here! We had a second Hawaiian Mystery Luau party tonight. It was nice. ToniAnne, Paul S, Martha, and the Larsens were here. I was amazed at hwo well they played the parts. ToniAnne especially hammed it up. Bryan found an inexpensive GPS unit which I (gulp) ORDERED! Just for me, just for fun. I look forward to playing with it. MAYBE I won't get so lost. No news on the teaching job. they said they will be doing more interviews. But after the party tonight, I don't think I could do it. ...

It's official. Allen and Chantell (who I refer to as a couple as ChantAllen) have decided to move to Virginia. Employment opportunities are limited in Rexburg and don't pay much and they have some debts to pay off. So they will be arriving here just before Thanksgiving (just in time for Allen to show off "The Club" to Chantell.) It has been my dream for a long time to buy an old house and fix it up and sell it. It has also ChantAllen's dream, and Chantell has had some experience with her family in doing this. Of course, Allen has been working construction, so he has experience as well. And besides, he is really strong. My friend, Tom, the former Ruritan President, does this for a living. He has been house-heavy lately and when I told him I needed a place for ChantAllen to stay and asked if he had any rentals available, he said he had a house we could buy. This place is absolutely disgusting. It is about 70 years old in downtown Staunton, the only blighted ...

I am so hot I am trying not to sweat. The house is 72. But I am shivering cold at the same time. My hot and cold sensors are firing simultaneously and I don't like this game. Mommy, make it stop!

Thursday was my first night as El Presidente. I didn't get the gavel because it was just a board meeting. Sadness. But I spent a lot of time typing everything up and knowing everything so the meeting would be swift and efficient. Twice, when questions were asked, they were next on the schedule and I knew just what was happening. Happy Day! The meeting was over in 35 minutes. So I think I done good. What a great group of people to work with! I went to teach Gail some more computer, but alas, her modem would not be recognized. Power surge. I took the computer home and sadly both PCI slots are bown out, and her Ethernet doesn't work, but I put in a USB ethernet connection and it was happy. Now I have ordered a USB modem for her. It has been a nice week. I had three consulting jobs and need to advertise a bit more, don't I? I talked to all three kids far from home (which makes me grin!). And even though I PRETEND to grump, I enjoy getting up with the D at 6 each mor...

  Thank you TAT! (And Katie). AND it was filled with yummy baked pumpkin seeds. *sigh of contentment* 

        

  This is my wonderful friend Mae in Belgium. What a hoot!