Thanks for the reassurances that I am not carrying some cow-plague, or spreading "Mad Cow" Dis-ease. I am always shocked to recognize that I have great freaking moments of INSECURITY.

(My friends would never know. I hide it SO well.)

Cowpernia, tell us who THE current little darling is. DS? My DS is kind of a hulk (not quite hunk)... and if I ever figure how to post photos, I'll include one. Of course, if it makes this take FOREVER to load, I'll understand why you start a new thread.

Possible title: Udderly Fab. Bovine Beauties. Steer me in the right direction.....

We're leaving tomorrow before the sun's up to fly to St. Louis. Will visit inlaws and celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary... then off on our own for the zoo and fun time. Will be back Tuesday next.

Mz. Lucious and Wabby... I empathize with your consternation about developers vs conservators vs misguided people who cause unintended consequences. I spent some good times in the Pine Barrens... (loved the blueberries more, though) and hope to get to Maine before it is all glizted up like Eureka Springs, or worse, Branson. At least the California Coast threatens to fall into the Pacific frequently enough that people build cautiously.[IMG]C:\photos\John boat.bmp[/IMG]
[IMG]C:\Photos\cymbal guy_john_pinizzotto.jpg[/IMG]

Join the club, darling! That's why we're all here. :D :D

Holding steady at 157 and my new bell-bottom jeans (which I think make me look more silly than cool but balance out the big butt) are LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE. Yay.
:smug:

I suppose all of yous except Bagzie will be off tomorrow celebrating and eating way too much at the Annual Dogpatch/Podunk/Dullsville Independence Day Picnic?

Painty, I think your proposed title is fine but I REALLY LIKE the use of "steer" in the next sentence.

Yes, Sugar, ds and I are invited to a bbq. They're having ribs, chicken, couscous, veggies and dip and grasshopper parfaits. What should I take?

Congrats
 

yesssssssssssssssss-------------i hope you fat cows have a nice "Fourth"---Two years ago I was in the Berkshire Mountains on the big july day!!! seeing my darling------------Jamessssssssssss-----however he is just like Joan Lunden and his old bag wife and he have TWINS as well!!! imagine!!! how come we make fun of HER ,not him--------------my dh says that people always say that women should run the world and their would be no more war etc--BUT------------all the mean bosses at his work and my brother's work are serious OLD BAGS-----------I know this to be true---not just jealous guy ranting------why am i talking about this ----do not know-----and NO i am not drinking margies--------we have been at a golf tournament for three days in the very FRENCH part of our province-----------and the lobster capital to boot---------------------i have had a giant lobster and a lobster roll-----------------------ANYway---NOW we have to go golfing again for days---------------------myself,i have been buying enquirer mags and made only ONE trip to the driving range where i got three blisters because no one told me to wear a glove-----------------i am boring myself------------------sorry-----------i may go insane from the pace of living with SIX children-five teen girls as you all know------------------let me change that---i am certifiable-----------------i am glad you are all here and that we don't have a forum where we have to address EVERYONE at every post--------------------HOW tedious----------------LushIOUS would HATE that-------------------------i am glad you are all here though and when i am done the

oooooooooooooooopssssssss--- i was using the dd's computer and suddenly she burst in with a friend who was very upset--it is impossible to get a computer around here------------there is constant msnnnning all day and night bye bye yankees and confederates!!!!!

Hello!

Ummm.

Hey, who is that kid on Cowpernia's posts?


Somehow, by sleeping 16 hours today, I lost 5 pounds. I would like to know why so I can duplicate it. However, losing the five pounds only got me back down to 180.

Sugar P- hooray for loose bellbottoms!!!

I give up. It won't let me embed my picture.

Hi kids! Had a great 4th of July; hope you all did too. It's beastly hot here again and I will be moaning and groaning and avoiding work until it stops. It's my way of boycotting hot weather.

Kiwi

No time to post
 

Only a few
 

bikers with no sense of direction ended up in front Sugar's house, right? I watched Wimbledon yesterday, but I missed most of the preliminaries. Trouble with tennis is there are only 2 choices of people to gawk at for each match, and sometimes they're not worth gawking at. Switzerland got its first Wimbledon win.

New hair color? What color is it? This? Or more like this? Perhaps you went with this? Or the ever-popular this?
Yesterday I almost ran into a kid whose hair was sort of this color.

Obviously I have nothing to say. DD is still at music camp. We've heard from her once. Oh and one email to inform me that I shouldn't send her anything to read because she doesn't have time to read. Maybe I'll write to her again and maybe I won't.

Yesterday we went to some friends' camp and enjoyed the cool breezes and a little swimming. It was lovely. Our house is too dang hot this summer, and I never have any energy to do anything.

Kiwhini

harummmmmmmmmmph
 

Awwww Bagzie, you know I'm totally sympathetic. I personally have dealt with teenagers. I have a mindblower to tell you dearie - it doesn't get much better when they become young adults. :yikes: Remember how DS had moved out and finally settled into his own apartment? Well his lease was up so he decided that he really would rather rent a house. And he found one. Across the street from me. He is moving into it today. I really really hope it works out. For everybody. eeeeek.

We bbq'd our way through the weekend. We had a big one ourselves yesterday. Perfect weather and lots of friends. I roasted a couple whole chickens and made Ginger-spice salmon and one smokey seasoned salmon, both of them cooked on a cedar plank that makes them all smokey and yummy. Then one day we took a long drive with some friends up in the Mt. Hood wilderness area. Stopped for lunch, nothing too exciting, but fun.

Peach. Please explain the hair color. Platinum blonde?

I almost forgot to tell yous - the weight on my home scale was down to 149 this morning!!! Of course that's not the official WW scale - I weigh and extra 3 lbs. on that - but it was wonderful to see the 140's again!!!!

my hair is brown. Brown Brown Brown. Like Bagz's. Lushies's is black. Kiwi's is caramel. Bagz and I have brown hair.

I was looking at the stuff I have stored in favorites and ran across a web site that inspired me so deeply in the past. Here is a quote from there.
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.
Usually those who do are constitutionally incapable of sloughing off
responsibility and blaming others. It is not their fault; they seem to have
been born that way.

THANK YOU
 

for all your SYMPATHY!!!!!--------- i am beginning to see what you are talking about WABBY---------the older teens are VERY stressful for sure----------we thought we would be OUT of the WOODS but we are DEEPER in something that's for sure------ congratulationsssssssssssss on the weightloss----------and poor brown haired,greeen shoed lady----------THROW SOME STUFF OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm
 

maybe the peachboy will star on the season opener of CSI!!!!!!!!!!!---------that screaming match there kiwonkers----was that in deutch or francais???isn't it fun to have the freedom to yell without the babes around!!!the heat will do that to you---i suggest a nice quiet kayak ride------they say a man in Woodstock NB has West Nile and he just got back from Maine,so be careful as those damn skeeters are bad on both sides of the border---maybe they can bite some of our sick cows-----------------

cOW-DING-DONG-IA
 

The box says my hair is dark brown. It is really white...but who wants to know that????? It is so white that the color from the supermarket won't cover it anymore. I have to pay big bucks to have the hairdresser do it. Then I look like Cruella deVille after the roots grow out a week later.
My DS13 is at camp in NY. It is raining there. I've sent him letters...with food and presents. I also sent two sets of dry clothes.....just in case his are all damp. DH found this humorous. I have not heard from him. I didn't expect to. When DD went, she didn't give us a thought until we walked through the gate to pick her up.
That System Goddess is a real riot.
DD has arthritis in her knee. She is on antibiotics on the chance that this is due to an insect borne infection. I hope so. She has been in and out of doctors for a year about this knee. She did months of physical therapy. I wish they would solve it. She's getting frustrated with her lack of activity. She can't get a job or participate in any sports or dance. That gives her plenty of time to hang around the house and let us know how much this situation is getting on her nerves.
Bagzie, I feel real bad for you. There, was that enough?????
I'm off to run errands. House is a tip. Kids refuse to do anything. I am WWWWAAAAAYYYYY too lazy to be responsible for the cleanliness and health of all these people.
L

THAT WILL BE MY MANTRA FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-----they all just left for the golf course!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it is ds's NINTH birthday---------------my baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee how can my darling be so oldddddddd?????? HOWever,now that he can golf with the girls that leaves me glorious free segments of time!!!----i have to plan the party,but we are having it at the mexican restaurant,so at least i don't have to clean up the mess!!!!!-----referring to lush's lament ----see quote--------that is the MAIN problem around here----the rooms are all MAJOR dumps--------clothes EVERYwhere yet they all want to look pristine in their skin tight capris and golf shirts----------SOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! they took my still WET clothes out of the dryer and set them on top of the washer and loaded up the dryer with their FINALLY laundered outfits { i told them i was not doing anyone's laundry this summer] anyway, i took all of their clothes OUT of the dryer,put mine back etc etc etc-----------not good enough that i won't do their laundry,they have to WRECK mine at their leisure------------------- can you tell i am pms,perimenopausal and just plain MEAN---------------i could scream if someone asks me "WHAT'S for DINNER?" one more time--------lately i just say ----whatever you can find. SORRY ABOUT THE MAJOR RANT--------NOW I CAN ENJOY MY FEW HOURS OF ERRANDS IN PEACE---------HAVE A NICE DAY--------OH---I NOTICE THAT COWPERNIA POSTED.

I FORGOT TO MENTION----------Kiwi---they say we have done a good job with our children re:separation issues if they immediately forget us when we are out of sight-----------i say we have all done VERY well--------------------- i torture my dd19 by calling her cellphone whenever i like----she hasn't complained to me personally,but i am sure her friends eyeballs are on a permanent rolling track.

Back from Spain
 

Too many Spaniards there and you know what they're like:p

Ahem! The Tour de France is in FRANCE. Just imagine that. Nowhere near this place. Just watched the legs on tv :s:

My giant baby is going to camp on Sunday. They're not allowed to phone home. I guess I'll be spending this week sewing name tags in 14 pairs of underwear and 28 socks :o

No, that sounds like my life - except I only have one DD that does that. I really hate it when she takes out the wet laundry and sets it on top of the dry, folded laundry. Grrrrrr. Poor Bagzie, I hope you manage to live through the summer without a visit to the mental hospital. I have a hard time with one DD!

Me too, Kiwi. I think it's because he misses his Dad's garage and all the cool tools and stuff. It couldn't be that he misses his Mom. He sees me every day at work. Although it will be very convenient to shop at Mom's grocery store.

I never sent my children off to camp, but I'm pretty sure that neither would write, call or email. Until they ran out of money, clothes or food.

Sugar, my radio station here just gave me the morning Tour de France update. Big pile up yesterday?

Yeah, but isn't that just right down the block from Germany????

Kiwi, use this time wisely to vent everything that would emotionally scar the child. Besides, it's so much fun to make up when the kid is gone. :o

Waaaahh???? I last posted this morning and no one else has been back here. I won't take it personal.

I get to go buy a new refrigerator tonight. DS's new house doesn't have one, and so we're donating my 13 year old fridge w/ the broken thingy that holds stuff in the door and no ice maker to the cause. I'm getting much too excited about a new fridge. This should tell you how mundane my life is. I'm thinking stainless w/ black trim. What do you think?

Speaking of not taking things personally (refer to first paragraph) has anyone read "the Four Promises"? It's an Oprah self help book. Basically you're supposed to follow the 4 promises to yourself rule - 1. Don't talk ill of other ppl. 2. Don't talk ill of yourself 3. Don't take things personally and ..... I can't remember promise #4. Supposedly if you follow this plan, your life becomes wonderful. I never made it past rule #1 because I'm a horrible gossip. Which makes me break rule #2, when I berate myself for talking ill of others. So I've never gotten clear to rule #3.

Well, geez
 

[COLOR=firebrick]Good morning all.
Took DD to the dr yesterday and I don't think the news was good. She's been going from one dr to another with this knee since last October. Now the new dr wants to do surgery. He has run tons of tests and is looking at rheumatoid arthritis. Eeekkkkk! I'm still sure that it is due to a tick-borne illness and am insisting she continue treatment for that. Before they discovered what Lyme disease was, people were assumed to have RA when it was really just a tick bite. She will have to have surgery no matter what. She has one of those arthritic bulges in her knee that has to come out.
Bagzie, at least your wash ends up in a place where you can tell clean from dirty. The famous trick around here is to throw all inconvenient clothes back in the dirty clothes basket so they can be washed again. This works out great since I have NOTHING BETTER TO DO!
I'm having a house full of boys today and it is going to rain. Lucky me. Movies or roller skating. Which will it be?
Wabby, I've run a search on these 4 promises and it comes up nil. Does that mean that I am allow to talk about people? I think that I'm not too bad about gossip. But doesn't everyone? Have you read East of Eden yet? I agree that it is one of the best books I've ever read. I read it about 10 years ago, so I'll have to pick it up again. Right now I'm reading a trashy novel by a Cosmo editor.
Kiwi I am so impressed by your gardening energy. Because of too much rain the crops seem to be ruined across the street. The farmers are making this their last year....next year the field sits. That can only mean one things...eventual development. Boo.
Sugar, watched a little of the Tour de France.. and I do agree that the big attraction is the legs.
I'm going to finish off this post and get the dump in order. bye

What 3fc journal site? I checked your journal and you haven't posted since April. shame. I've been reading an online journal that is hilarious. It's called Plain Jane - plain talk from the sunshine state. This gal's hilarious. Just the usual rambling, but she swears a ton, and she is 40, married to a 27 yr old guy and she has a 2 yr old dd and a 9 yr old ds who has "social issues", a couple of bosses who make Dilbert's boss look like a genius.

Lush, that is just terrible news about DD's knee. She's way to young to have problems like this. Not that you didn't know this. We don't have ticks on this side of the Cascade mountains. No poisonous snakes either. Another good reason to put up with the rainy winters. Doesn't it amaze you at just how little Doctor's know? They basically just give you their best guess. Condolences on the house fulla boys on a rainy day and the impending development across the street.

Kiwi, I'm totally relating to the gardening obsession. Only I don't grow vegetables, but I obsess about my flowers. It's an illness. The only problem is I obsess about the things I should be doing, like spraying and weeding and deadheading and watering, but I seldom get around to doing it. So I have a big overgrown mess, but I love it anyway. We're going camping this weekend so everything will be dried up by the time we get home.

We're camping with another couple. We're taking our motor home, and sharing with them. This will not be easy. Our motorhome is small. This guy is huge. He is about 6'4" and he's got to weigh at least 350. We're giving them the bed and we're taking the bunk (fun, fun, fun) so that I can kill myself when I have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. DH's afraid that the bunk wouldn't hold up with this guy. He's right. We've also been warned that he has sleep apnea and snores like a freight train. Oh geez. I've already broke -oops- broken - rule #1 this morning.

I don't ever remember reading East of Eden. I love John Steinbeck, though. I guess I'd better go get a copy.

I'm so lame. It's the Four Agreements, not promises, and here they are - not what I wrote at all -

The Four Agreements are:

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the of truth and love.

DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

The Four Agreements sound simple, even simplistic. But try keeping just one for an entire day!

See why I'd never be able to do manage this??? - Wab

This is why I think Plain Jane is so funny- is it just me or does this make other ppl laugh out loud too?

February 10, 2003

I don't feel good.
Daily News: Elliot's parent-teacher conference was uneventful. Just more of the same crap. This time Mr. Blackfoot, the student teacher, was there. He's like 50 years old! I don't know, in my day, student teachers were around 20 years old and all giggly and immature. This guy was downright dour. He didn't really say much, except to nod his head mournfully in agreement when the real teacher would say **** like, "Elliot KNOWS all the answers, he just doesn't do the work," and "Well, this 'D' is only based on 10 points, so..." and "These letter grades don't MEAN anything, we just do it because we can." What a bunch of crap. Anyway, he got one A, one B, three Cs, and the aforementioned D. The D was in Social Studies, and he received it because they handed out a word search puzzle containing ten words relevant to Kansas' road to statehood, and Elliot "wasted time" and was only able to circle six words. Six out of ten = a "D". Though I was trying to be civil for Mr. Friendly's sake, I did pipe up at this point, "I see...so he's not bad at Social Studies, he's bad at puzzles?" His teacher got red in the face and Mr. Blackfoot had to get up and get a drink. But otherwise, I gave them a pass. I have decided that if his teacher is so boring that I can't decipher her emails and my mind actually wanders during a conversation with her, then I'm not going to worry too much about his 'D' in word search puzzles. I'm going to wait and see what happens next year. I'm going to request a male teacher, if possible. He does better with male teachers for some reason.

My dinner for my mommee went well; that is to say, I didn't burn anything. The birthday cake, however, was a work of art. We took a picture of it, but I don't think Tim downloaded the pictures in the camera, and NO, I can't download them because the picture disk thingie doesn't like me, and whenever I try to do it, it never works and my husband never answers the *******ed telephone when I call him to ask for help. I don't think he even really sits at the phone number he has given me, because he has never, ever, once answered it. I decided there was just no reason to buy a birthday cake at our local grocery store, because they taste waxy and nasty. I am in no way demeaning the birthday cakes that anyone else may buy at other grocery stores, mind you, just the grocery store that we are forced to go to. So I just hauled off and made one, and bought pink roses and sprinkles and edible writing gel. I was gripped by stage fright when I got ready to write "Happy Birthday" on it, but I practiced a little on the back of a paper plate, and then just started right in. It was comical, really, because I was home alone with the chilluns at the time, since my husband now has to work on Saturdays too. I had the cake in the geometric center of the dining room table, because Holly was frantically trying to climb up on the table so she could defile the cake in some way, and I was crouched on a chair, with my left elbow out like a gate, staring intently at the cake, yelling, "No, no, no, get, down! I am trying to write this! Bad girl! Hold on, Sis, I'm almost done, almost done, get DOWN! DOWN! THERE! THANK GOD!" It's a miracle it turned out at all, especially given the fact that the last layer cake I tried to decorate turned out so lopsided and crappy, that I gave up in a rage and wrote "**** YOU, CAKE" across the top in green frosting and left it on the counter to wilt in the summer heat. I originally was just going to write "**** YOU" on it, but added the addendum of ,CAKE so that my poor husband didn't come home and think I'd gone off the beam and decided to divorce him using a cake as a messenger.

YOU ARE RIGHT WABBY---SHE IS HI LARRY ***----ESPECIALLY THE CAKE MESSAGE!!! I DID LAUGH OUT LOUD-----------NOW TELL US HOW TO GET TO HER SIGHT AND LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUGH HER.

Her address is www.plain-jane.com

Hey! did ya know that if you use the F word on 3fc that they automatically convert it to ******? You learn something new every day.