Life in Weyers Cave

I tend to get tunnel vision on big projects, where I forget everything else until the next project is done. But I have a whole series of tunnels this week. I will substitute teach the early morning church class and be there at 6:15 every morning, have four concerts, one doctors appointment, two business appointments, and two Christmas Parties. Then Saturday morning is the kids church party where I have to be ready for 25 gingerbread houses and the costumes for the nativity scene. David will be going out of town Friday and has been really sick. After I had been up for a while this morning, I felt I could go to church and even recorder. I haven't coughed up anything so I can't be too contagious. The first hour of the morning is the worst. Hmm. Should I get up at 4 instead of 5 then? Karen sent me a ten dollar Restaurant.com gift certificate. They say there are doing it to help everyone with the bad economy but I think they just think it is great advertising. Click here and send a...

I'm sick. Just a cold with a sore throat. I'm not really miserable (yet) and cough drops keep the sore throat livable. Two problems. Half of the people in my church are quite old. I really don't want them to get it, particularly with a pot luck after church today. Do I go? The other, worse, problem, is recorders. I have been working on this costume for two days for a guy who is in his late sixties, but we have several people in their eighties. I don't like to have a single germ around them. But we have little concerts Monday, Tuesday, Thursday AND Friday of this week, and I definitely hold the group together. If I go, I would have to pretend to be perfectly healthy, which I could do. But this germ would be really miserable for them. Stupid cold!

I believe that this video can solve all of our energy problems. 100% natural. All you need is grape jelly, a white carpet, some duct tape, and a cat.

The best news is that my nephew Forrest is over the hump on his heart surgery on Tuesday. They had to burn out an extra nerve, then got in there and found out the position was too dangerous so froze it instead, taking much longer and I'm sure being more difficult for the doctor. But all is well and he is home and enjoying life again. What a huge relief. Tamtam told me not to worry, but heck, that's my job! That's what I get paid for! And to make bad jokes. Like Forrest having a heart of ice. We went down to Mother's in Raleigh for Thanksgiving. Brother Gary and his family came as well. Of course Tamtam was in Atlanta with Forrest and her family. Bryan flew up! What a great treat! It has been a long time since he joined us. We had our traditional lunch at "the club". There's nothing like family, is there? We had to drive back to WC yesterday since Bopnopper had to be at work early this morning. I think this is the first time Bryan has been here in nearly t...

  and he loves his chickens.

  We have six new chickens! This one is Tristan!

At the German Museum, Misha the cat loves to sit by the warm kokelofen all day. This is an ingenious setup of baffled bricks with a small oven (in the next room) at the bottom which holds on the warmth of the fire and keeps the living room warm without smoke. She is patient with large crowds of children and just sits curled up and enjoys being petted from time to time. If a child is too rowdy with her, she patiently leaves! Yesterday we had school groups of eight year olds all day long. Misha endured the first four groups and then decided to make herself useful. As Jay was talking to the group, I entertained a smaller family. The family was just leaving as Misha arrived, with a large, dead, present in her mouth. She proudly dropped it in front of me on the stoop and I quickly shut the door. Ten minutes later, the group was still going on, and I peeked outside. Thankfully the cat and rat were gone. I started to go out and Misha came a-running to me, rat in mouth. I controlled the scream...

My oldest son deployed yesterday. That alone makes me want to go crawl into bed in tears and never come out. He is going to places where people want to kill him. The logical, rational side of me must overcome these feelings. I know that nobody in his group has been killed since the 1960s. I know that he isn't going to Iraq and won't be on the front lines. Let's not get overdramatic here. How many other mothers have had sons who went to wars? Historically, many never even received word of what happened to their sons. They just never came home. I can't help but compare my life as a mom to my ancestors or to others in the world today. Thanks to our wonderful military and our Constitution, we have it better than anyone in history. I'm grateful for our country and our freedoms. But I will be an emotional mess until he comes home.

Dianna told me about this new book at the bookstore: Porn for Women. The women stand around and thumb through it, point, and giggle in groups. It has a bunch of pictures of guys (I guess, that's not really what we were looking at - I think they have clothes on, so don't get the wrong ideas), but it is what they are doing and saying that is so great. One is actually, get this, putting the toilet seat DOWN and saying "Honey, I know you like it better down so I am doing this for you" or something like that. One is washing dishes, another vacuuming, one is saying "after I finish the laundry I'll take the kids off for a while so you can have a break". Swoon! David keep saying that guys are "visual" and get turned on by what they "see". I keep trying to explain that women care about how men act. After 27 years, he does show sparks of understanding from time to time. Maybe I need to get him the book. The visuals might help him understand the...

The primary purpose of this blog, of course, is to keep up with my children scattered across the country. And soon to be across the world. One question I often get is "Mom, give me your recipe for..." so I need to start posting the recipes that I know they want here. Then they can find them when they need them. Crepes 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 2 eggs 2 tablespoons oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Mix together until smooth. Put 1/4 cup in hot oiled 8" crepe pan. Rotate pan until mixture covers bottom of pan. Cook until dry on top. Flip with wide spatula. Cook another minute. Remove onto plate. Put wax paper between crepes so they don't stick. Fill with cream cheese, jelly, chicken salad, whipped cream, etc. and roll up. Top with gravy or powdered sugar, depending on filling.

Of course anyone offended by the words "Merry Christmas" is probably going to give you a lecture someday about how intolerant you are. To combat this negative thinking, the Liberty Counsel has given a list of stores where Christmas is and is not allowed. If you go into a store where it is forbidden, be sure to smile and tell the clerk "Merry Christmas". I pity those who work in these stores. They probably realize the policy is as nutso as you do, so will appreciate it.

I was so grateful to see this clear explanation of how to handle the new digital television signals. This is a fun video.

Dr Pepper to Deliver On Its Free-Soda Promise Friday, November 21, 2008 LOS ANGELES — Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality. The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday. "We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "But now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us." Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28. Dr Pepper is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. ********************************************************************* So now you can get a free one and compare it to ...

Prices look like they will be crazy for the next month or so. The monitor yesterday was a different price every time I looked. I have seen some great deals. Who know WHAT will happen with cars! It has been a long day with me going a hundred miles an hour all day long. Breakfast meeting, lunch with a friend, and errands in between. A miniblind broke again. These are the ones with the "lifetime" warranty that cost a fortune. They still look good, but the strings keep breaking. Turns out a "lifetime" has been redefined as five years. Who can afford to replace their blinds every five years? That's nuts. Last night I had friends over for dinner and cooked a nice meal for a change. Chicken crepes, spinach cornbread, carrots with thyme -- low fat stuff. We worked on learning to use the knitting machine, but finally had to give up and decide it is broken since the needles keep falling. Well, there are ways to learn more.

Anyone need a new computer monitor for Christmas? People are buying this one from Dell with free shipping... $106 total... 17" flat screen. (Karen said $106 -- it is showing $100 for me but I don't know about the shipping)

I have had three Vista laptops knocked dead after the last update release in the last few days. Are you backed up? Let's see. I blame ..... Chuck Norris.

Yesterday it "spit" snow from the sky off and on all day. Today we woke up to a dusting of snow on the cars and on the ground. Winter is going to hit this year. Food hasn't appealed to me for the past week. I stare at the fridge and the cookbooks and nothing looks good. Yesterday when I got to the German Farm, Sally and Jay had made chicken/carrot soup. With LOTS of thyme. It really hit the spot. It was cold outside, cozy inside, and the nummy soup made life perfect. My clothes are hand-me-downs, and quite well patched. Sally and Jay were gone for an hour and I was all alone, with no visitors. Just eating the soup and washing the dishes. In a 1688 house without a bathroom or electricity. I couldn't help realizing how happy I was and what great blessings I have in my life. Then I pulled out Gail's recorder and Adair's 18th century German music and played for a while. The music resonated beautifully in the house. I didn't get to play with the chickens since ...

Yup, first one in a long time. "The Christmas Sweater" I didn't get all emotional. It was a good book, but not the tearjerker I thought which is probably good. There is a Cathryn in it who is "the nicest person ever". *grin* A good thought-provoking book about what is really important in life. Mom sends me home with Dad's old papers and I have to go through them and pretty much toss them, after carefully making sure it is okay. He was so meticulous in the paperwork he did. But what really matters now is how he treated his family. Nobody ever doubted how much he loved my mother. Okay, and his cat. Next week is his ninth "birthday in heaven" as Mom puts it.

I was on Facebook and found someone with my same name with a picture of a cute little honeybee with a big smile and green antennae! And get this, her son is a paratrooper. Doo DOO Doo doo

Bold the things you've done: 1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new ...

First I had a breakfast with the group where we give and get a bunch of referrals back and forth. There are 15 in the group and they are all very nice. A chiropractor, realtor, investment counselors, bankers, insurance sales, florist, plumber, cleaning contractor, building contractor, etc. The "deal" is that we look for business for each other and promise not to let each other down. Someone had to leave last month because he didn't honor a price. Integrity is a big deal. I have gotten several good leads for computer sales there and enjoy my weekly breakfast. I got some beautiful gold material to make a Madrigal outfit for our director Jeff. Jeff is so wonderful to have in the recorder group. He is a professional percussionist and played with the Miami symphony. I must admit, the four guys in the group right now make it much more fun. So the gold material with a deep brown velvet cape is going to be just awesome. Next I stopped by and picked up a Madrigal hat that needs a ...

I don't want to hear about any more computer problems. I don't want to fix any more computers. I don't want to think about computers. I hate computers. I want to interact with people about real things. I want to talk about cooking and kids and politics and the weather. I want to clean out the garage or paint a room or learn how to use my knitting machine. I watched broadcast television tonight for 20 minutes tonight. I saw a McDonald's commercial. How many years has it been? I had lunch with a friend, then worked on her computers rather unsuccessfully for two hours. I had a new client, nice guy, in Broadway, with a new computer. I had three phone calls from friends with computer problems today. My brain hurts. Allen is now supposed to be deployed in two weeks, on the 25th. He hopes it goes through this time. Now I need to go work on the computer for an 8:30 presentation tomorrow.

Last week I had such a bad day with the back pain, but I must admit that overall it is really getting lots and lots better. I am ticked off at all the dead ends I went through before I found out that Physical Therapy might help. My PT's name is Tobin! How cool is that! But he is absolutely incredible and to think, he is just a quarter mile from the house. When I am in pain, I know exercises that relieve it pretty quickly. Today was Museum day, always lots of fun. We had Germans from Bavaria today, two sets. There was a fire in the kokeloven - it heats up bricks which keeps the house toasty warm. I didn't want to leave the warm rooms. Also, lots and lots of school groups. My chickens are still upset about the weasel a month ago. They are not as friendly and not laying as many eggs. Dianna got a HF ham radio from a young man she went to school with tonight. No comment. :)

I don't know why I raced to get home this morning. I just like being in my own house. I made the trip in record time, just a few minutes over four hours with stops for gas, eating and having to stop at four stations to find the gas. I got great mileage on this trip because I was able to keep with the No Ethanol gas. The stations I stop at all agree that No Ethanol is a huge selling point and lots of people agree they get better mileage, but they say they may be forced to go to the Ethanol stuff. I wish they would start advertising "NO ETHANOL" and get people talking about it and thinking about it. The Marine Graduation was flawless. 676 new Marine recruits who had spent four months in Basic Training and I am sure were more than happy to stand for an hour in wool uniforms (I think they were wool) in the hot South Carolina sun knowing that as soon as it was over, the rules would be relaxed and they could enjoy food, friends and family. They said any restaurant in town would...

I had an 8:30 business networking meeting, a 10:30 appointment to check out another skin spot, a quick trip to Costco and then drove to Hilton Head. David arranged a nice room with his points, very welcome after nine hours on the road. And that is all.

Yes, I am negative, because I have lived through a "nice" President (Carter) who was a Democrat with a Democratic Congress. I have waited hours and hours in gas lines that ran out of gas anyway, had to deal with getting gas on odd or even days, had toilet paper shortages, dealt with double-digit inflation, 21 1/2 % interest on my home mortgage, and unemployment over ten percent. I remember well the Embassy in Iran being taken over and our President being too weak to handle the problem. So let me get the predictions out of the way, then I'll shut up. All you people with stars in your eyes for the Anointed One can tell me I am wrong, and then time will tell. I predict inflation over ten percent within a year. Actually, it will be significantly higher but the government will find a way to make it seem lower. The reasons: ethanol, the bailout, the money handouts, gas prices going over $4 again. It will have started in the Bush administration and particularly under the Democra...

Voting was very simple at 3 this afternoon. No line to speak of. I am glad it is all over except the counting (and arguing over the counting). I would like to go to sleep and not wake up until that is done. I have been doing great on with the physical therapy on my back, but "backslid" yesterday. (lol) So much pain last night! And still this morning. I have no clue why. Last night David and I went to a Mexican restaurant, Jalisco's, in Staunton. It was wonderful and the best service! I had a shrimp and tilapia dish. I actually DO wonder if a small allergy to shrimp causes swelling in my back. Hmmm. Still, I would highly recommend the restaurant. Today the phone rang all day long. Plus I talked to Belgium for an hour. I heard banks there just quit giving people their money, and since pretty much everyone has direct deposit, it was quite a problem! Gas had gone way up and is down now. It was a crisis but they say it is over. Allen hasn't left yet for Africa and now p...

Here are Obama's "campaign promises:" Taxes • Give a tax break to 95% of Americans. • Restore Clinton-era tax rates on top income earners. • "If you make under $250,000, you will not see your taxes increase by a single dime. Not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes. Nothing." • Dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes. • Give American businesses a $3,000 tax credit for every job they create in the U.S. • Eliminate capital gains taxes for small business and startup companies. • Eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000. • Expand the child and dependent care tax credit. • Expand the earned income tax credit. • Create a universal mortgage credit. • Create a small business health tax credit. • Provide a $500 "make work pay" tax credit to small businesses. • Provide a $1,000 emergency energy rebate to families. Energy • Spend $15 ...

It all comes down to trust, doesn't it? Who do you trust more? And I'm not talking Obama/McCain. It is more the sources from which we get our news. By calling themselves "mainstream media" and never identifying a political preference, many reporters are able to convince the listeners that they are impartial. Fox, which identifies the political leanings of its reporters, is seen as biased. Besides, nobody likes the yelling when they let people disagree. People don't like to choose -- they prefer the nice, neat package of "truth" presented by the mainstream media. This has been the strangest election of my lifetime. McCain was quickly anointed the Republican nomination, before many had a chance to vote. Early in the primaries, Clinton was the presumed Democratic nominee and liberals were crossing party lines to vote for McCain, because he was the most liberal Republican running. So McCain got the nomination. By then Clinton had lost a primary or two, and ...