Sudokuaholics Anonymous 10

Over the long haul, courage and persistence can beat skill and ability.

(Had to look for my book and then find something that was not marked)

CynB..... Boy does that woman sound like my mother. And a lot like my friend Helene. Your friend might want to do what I did. My mother had me so stressed that I kept bleeding internally. My GP gave me 6 months to live unless I got mother out of my life, so he sent me to a fantastic shrink. He realized immediately that there was no hope for a healthy relationship, so he helped me remove her from my life and prevented her from ever hurting me again. A lot of people don't understand why I no longer have any feelings for my own mother. Even deep down, there's nothing left. But it got to the point where it was my own life at risk. Her or me. With your friend and her darling son, this might have been the straw that broke the camel's back. She has plenty of people who truly care about her and her family, and it's healthier for all that she avoids the evil ones. Yes, I call any ''mother'' who treats her child and grandchild that way, evil.

Lucy's sister Molly passed away this morning. She and Lucy were inseparable, and Molly just gave up.
I need to go bury her now, or right after I finish stacking the hay in the barn.

Heidi, so sad that you lost another of your dogs. How old were Molly and Lucy? They were so fortunate to have spent their declining years with you.

OH BOY, do not remember what is back a page, except Cyn's Friend's mother being so terrible to her. How very sad that is. I am glad your friend decided to just leave and not continue to put up with the abuse from that woman. Good for you, Cyn, reaching out with unconditional love and a safe place to stay for your friend.

Today is a do nothing day. Nothing planned, not gonna do a thing, I said, as I got up this morning. I did have a visit from my former next door neighbor, Caudelle. She had gone to doc yesterday, her blood pressure was up, never had been before and she is older than I am. doc wanted someone to check BP every day for a week. Not knowing I had been a nurse, she asked my yesterday when i saw her in parking lot, if I knew anyone who could take her pressure every day for a week. I volunteered. She came down and came bearing gifts even. We had talked about chicken pot pie, it had been on menu for lunch here Tuesday. she told me she bought chicken pot pies by the box, packed 4 of them, at Aldis. I had never seen them. So today she bought one for me to try. I thought that was so sweet of her!

I phoned doc office, since 1, no one had called with schedule for the tests he wanted, and 2, because this was a good day for me to stay in all day waiting for their call. Only thing I really thought about doing today was laundry, can go up to laundry room later, after they return my call if I still want to go.

I must go and see why I am feeling so warm. Is it hot in apartment, or my personal thermostat just not working?? OH, I also think I have a leak in that wall again. Remember how long I waited to get moved in here? I got my BP cuff out of a basket that sits on floor near where the leak was. It was damp. I thought either I spilled water when watering plants, or it wicked up from below, through the basket. It was so evenly damp, I thought more of wicking, so I moved basket and flower that sat next to it. NO wet under flower pot. There is damp starting at the wall, coming out into room, getting narrow as it comes forward. Looks like it's coming from inside the wall, to floor. DRATS, that would be some mess to have to live through their repairing wall while I am here! We did have a lot of rain recently, just as there had been last year when I was waiting to move in.

Hugs to each of you, with extras. Till later.

Found out is just warm in apartment, temp up to 76 and climbing. It is very how outside, but sun has just stopped shining on my windows, on my wall, so maybe this is the worse. I turned fan to high, it is better already.

Heidi, so sorry for your loss. Gosh, we do love our animals. Hugs to you, my friend.

I will be glad when hubby is able to go back to work. He is feeling a bit nauseous from the anti-inflammatory and he's a touch cranky. He is also a computer hog!!!! When he fully retires, we are going to have to have two computers, his and hers.

I had my doctor's appointment yesterday and things were not too bad. He is adding another diabetes medication and for now I won't have to take the insulin, because my numbers are not too bad. I had also lost 10 pounds since I last saw him, so that helps with the blood sugars. Now that the warmer weather (supposedly) is here, I can be out and about more.

Sign over a Gynecologist's Office:
'Dr. Jones, at your cervix.'
**************************
In a Podiatrist's office:
'Time wounds all heels.'
**************************
On a Septic Tank Truck:
Yesterday's Meals on Wheels
**************************
On a Plumber's truck:
'We repair what your husband fixed.'
**************************
On another Plumber's truck:
'Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.'
**************************
On a Church Bill board:
'7 days without God makes one weak.'
**************************
At a Tyre Store
'Invite us to your next blowout.'
**************************
On an Electrician's truck:
'Let us remove your shorts.'
**************************
In a Non-smoking Area:
'If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.'
**************************
On a Maternity Room door:
'Push. Push. Push.'
**************************
At an Optometrist's Office:
'If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place.'
**************************
On a Taxidermist's window:
'We really know our stuff.'
**************************
On a Fence:
'Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!'
**************************
At a Car Dealership:
'The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment.'
**************************
Outside a Car Exhaust Store:
'No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.'
**************************
In a Vets waiting room:
'Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!'
**************************
In a Restaurant window:
'Don't stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up.'
**************************
In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
'Drive carefully. We'll wait.'
**************************
And don't forget the sign at a
RADIATOR SHOP:
'Best place in town to take a leak.'
**********************
Sign on the back of yet another
Septic Tank Truck:
'Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises'

Love 'em, Theresa. I think you saved the best for last, though.

Molly and Lucy were 13, I believe. They were litter mates who had never been apart. I didn't think Molly would long survive Lucy. Molly had the worst health of the two.

The oldest of the Collies is now Sugar. She's a 11 or 12 year old white rough with a real love of life. Tho' she is stone deaf. Dogs rely more on their sense of smell than their other senses, so losing hearing rarely bothers them. It bothers us more that the dog can't hear us call them.

Anecdote: A young girl confesses to the class that she wishes people would stop talking about death because she has a phobia and very real fear. She even knew the name of it. I young boy says 'All of the scientists say the world is going to end in 40 years. It's true, they're all saying it.' Young girl gets a touch hysterical and I say to her 'I am a scientist and I can tell you that NO scientist is saying anything liked this. They say the world will end when the sun explodes in a few billion years.'

I started to tell some teachers in the staff room about this conversation and when I got to the 40 years comment they pipe up - don't they say it's going to end in 2015?? Seriously! Not science teachers, but still. I of course jump in with pretty much the same answer I gave to the young girl, though I probably had a hint of incredulity in my voice.

Sorry, Folks! No time to read again tonight. Time to head to bed. Sending lots of {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, , healing vibes and positive thought for each of you!

Nola, I am glad you got to spend some time with your Adelaide friends, just wish it had been more...

Mamacita and MizT, my get up and go has got up and gone too...

MizT, I have met many people in Australia who don't drink, but I haven't met anyone here who does it for religious reasons and so would be offended. I think Broni is pretty safe here. I actually have no idea if any of my sudoku friends would be offended.

Tami, I wish our schools did things your way. Almost no child is retained fail or not!

Cyn, how is your friend with the evil mother?

Theresa, I was 'lucky'. I always knew I didn't like my father and when he died (I was 16, he was 37) the overwhelming feeling I had was relief. It was like a huge weight had lifted off my shoulders. Followed quickly by feelings of guilt for not being sad. That took a while to get over.

Heidi, so sorry to hear about Molly. I've seen that a bit with people, but this is my first time with dogs....

Theresa, we've had his and her computers for years. We never replaced our desktop when it died because hubby now has a work laptop that he brings home every night. We'll have to indulge if he leaves work.

I worked in support today. I like working in support but it's also hard. The kids tend to be 'nicer' (not as malicious) and their meanness a level below the meanness of the mainstream kids. But things like I described above do happen. The kids with the phobia has reason to have it - if she was telling the truth - as she saw a friend mauled to death by a dog when she was about 8. She described being able to see bones - her skull,legs etc.. and being unable to do anything but stand there. The problem is that she is really annoying about it so the kids stir her up. She doesn't deserve it from what I saw, but I don't think she's ever told the kids about what she saw, and even if she did they wouldn't understand.

Hubby sent me a text during the day that Alie wanted to stay at a friend's, what did I think, and could we go out. So I came home and sat for a while to rest up - no tripping today! - and we went out for chinese (I ate too much!) and lost a dollar on the poker machines (slots). We usually lose between 3 and 5 (on our annual trips to the club), but we got a few good pays so were already bored by it when the first dollar ran out.

My inheritance came today. Not much, but enough to fix the roof and a little bit left over. Hubby tried to talk me into spending it on me, but I think fixing the roof is the perfect way to spend money from the sale of a house.

A new roof is a good idea, Suzy. You're spending it on the house and the family. If any is left over, spend that on you... or something to remember your mother by... like a shrub.

--- RANT --- sorry.
I believe that ignorance of those teachers. I live in Kentucky, one of the most ignorant areas of the US. (Tho' one of the most beautiful) I have been frequently appalled by how uneducated the local teachers here are. Most of them are highly religious and believe everything in the bible is to be taken literally, and don't believe anything that isn't in the bible. Would you believe that a lot of the local teachers don't even believe in evolution??!! I believe a lot of it can be blamed on the large amount of inbreeding found in rural areas. All of the locals are related to everyone else in so many ways that their family trees look like a single stem from all the tightly interwoven branches. The only hope for Kentucky, in my opinion, is for Northerners to move here in large numbers and take over.

The puppies get their second series of shots in 2 1/2 hours. After that, they can go to their new homes. The wonderful people who are getting Bear want to pick him up later today. The others ( Kola, King and Buster ) are going tomorrow. Mercer has already gone. So by tomorrow night, only Ruby and Spike will be left.

Two puppies will be enough to get into puppy mischief together still . Maybe not enough of them to pants you again??

Heidi, my niece and her hubby would disagree that Kentucky is the most ignorant. They are in north west Georgia, the Appalachian Mountain area. That whole area, although it spills into several states, is very backward, inbreed, superstition, poverty of a level not imagined, religious and believing and teaching creationism, but at same time a big problem with drinking and drugs. Nephew-in-law lost one job, teaching high school because he would not change grades to help their 'score', and another incident being ordered to change grades to keep a football player eligible to play. They both teach there, in the hopes of helping the brighter ones escape to a better life. Niece teaches English at a college there, and says she has to spend time with every class on remedial, basic grammar that should have come by 8th grade. She has a doctorate, he is one of those that just needs to finish a dissertation to get his doctorate degree, never has, and both could earn more most anywhere else. Eric grew up there, will start this next year back at the high school he attended, where he has wanted to be. Both really get boiling mad at the system that is not teaching those children the skills to escape such poverty.

Suzy, like you were talking about, it does happen here, in certain areas, no one held back, send them through, It has made a high school diploma more of an attendance certificate. If they come to class, they push them through to graduate. It helps the scores in the 'no child left behind'. Nope, they not left behind, they are tossed out to fend for themselves in the real world, and cannot get even a minimum wage job.

OK, putting away soap box.

Suzy, most of the Muslims are against drinking, but here with a longer history of it are the Baptist. It is 'against thier religion' to drink or dance, or other things, but it just means a lot of them do thier drinking in private. Others are offended if offered drink, are offended if you, a non Baptist, drink, and will pray for you on the spot. There are other denominations that have similar beliefs, but I speak of Baptist, cause that is what I grew up as and know.

Theresa, funny funny, I got quite a chuckle reading it.

Doc office never phoned yesterday, I must phone again and see why. I hate having to do the job I am paying someone else to do!

Hugs to each of you, with extras. Till later.

AAAGGGH, noone answering phone at doc office, it goes to answering service. I know they are in office half day on Friday, but must be tier 'no phone' day so they can catch up or something. doc there half day every other Friday, takes off the other one.

I at least got a bit of information. The person who schedules those tests is on vacation, will not be back till Tuesday. So I do not waste another day staying home Monday waiting for a cal that would not come.

Now, time to have breakfast and get presentable. Today is June birthday party, and my birthday is in june, so it is partly MY party hehehe.

Hugs again, cause there are very rarely too many hugs.

MizT.... most of Kentucky IS in Appalachia.
If you remember the problem I have with the jerk who thinks it's funny to put pepper on my food and even throw pepper at me, his wife is a school teacher in the area. Her grammar is atrocious, her vocabulary is extremely limited (she doesn't understand a quarter of the words I use) and yet she just won a teaching award!!! That's because she and her family are related to everybody, and are prominent in the local church. They have a daughter who even Gil agrees has a well below average intelligence, and at 12 years old reads and writes like a child half her age. Yet, because of family connections, she gets good grades. Very sad. If she ever enters the real world, she's doomed... but she'll probably remain in the same environment, produce more inbred kids, and continue the problem.

In 15 minutes, I start loading up puppies to go to the Vet's. I'm being smart this time. Instead of lifting a large, heavy crate full of puppies into and out of the truck, I've hitched up the horse trailer and put the crate in there. It's now only 1 foot from the ground, and can be slid easily on to the dolly to go into the clinic, and slid easily from the dolly back into the trailer. No heavy lifting!!! Genius!

We're back, and the puppies were very well behaved. I was SO proud of them!

I just broke my temporary tooth. Friday evening, too. Fortunately, it's had a root canal, so it doesn't hurt. But it feels weird. I split it lengthwise... tip to gum. The whole back side is gone.

Morning all,
We have a really bad side fence, desperately needs replacing. Our neighbours have been pushing for a long time. We finally have enough to pay half so we go to them. They tell us that they will only pay half up to the bit they agreed to with an old neighbour who did the rest without their consent. It turns out that's about 15m of a 60m fence. I just said to hubby 'fine. we'll do the 15m and leave the rest the old wooden fence.' They think we're going to pay for the rest so they get a nice fence all the way up without coughing up. Not gonna happen!

Here in farm country, each neighbor is legally responsible for half of a reasonable livestock fence, i.e. woven wire/American wire. The way it's divvied up, as the land owner stands on his property and looks at the fence, he's responsible for the half on his right side. The same goes for the neighbor on the other side of the fence. If one party refuses to cooperate, the courts make them pay for half, including the labor. Generally, though, if one party has livestock and one doesn't, the one with the livestock generally just puts up his own fence the whole way around and doesn't enforce the law.

Here it is always 50:50 but we are being penalised by a decision made before we lived here. I suspect it isn't legal and we could fight it, but we have to keep living next door and I really really don't want a bad relationship with my next door neighbour. It will drive them mad having half a good fence so I'll get payback without actually confronting them. They may even change their mind.

I like your solution, Suzy. You're doing the same amount of fence they are. It's fair.

Well, off to bed early. Puppy buyers are coming tomorrow, starting no later than 10 am. That means puppies need to have their brekkie much earlier so it has time to settle before their car rides. So far, no car sickness from this litter, but I won't swear to it to their new owners.

Greetings to all of you! I have been trying to read, but can't stay awake and have no idea what I have read. I am giving up and hope to get back here earlier tomorrow. Oops, just remembered our commitment until quite late tomorrow. It may be Sunday before I can get back.

Take care, everyone! Sending positive thoughts, healing vibes, prayers, and {{{{{HUGS}}}}}! for everyone!

Serenade had her baby early this morning!!!! A lovely filly, mostly white with symmetrical black spots. Just what I wanted!!!! Now I need to think up a name for her. Mama is: Serenade, Dad is: Touch Of Class. Any ideas? I've been thinking on it for months, and haven't come up with anything I really like.

I can see that I need to make a new avatar.

Heidi, Congratulations on the new filly. Hope you come up with just the right name for her. I have no ideas, tough names to work with.

Two puppies have been picked up already: King and Buster (they changed his name to Biscuit), I'm waiting for Kola and Bear to be picked up, and I just got a call from someone interested in buying Spike, the last puppy available. They're heading right over. The Vet is on his way as well, to give the new filly a check-up. Busy day.

The people for Bear and Spike never showed up. It's OK. I can keep them. I wasn't happy about Bear leaving, especially.

Congratulations on the new foal Heidi.
I looked up Serenade in my crossword dictionary and came up with Charivari/Shivaree which I believe is a rock band.(charivari also means hurly-burly)
Then looked up girls horse names (pages of them) and liked Aliyana (Spainish for beautiful girl). I know that does not relate to her parents names at all. I did not get much past the 'A's' in that list.

In an hour, friends are meeting me here and we're going to the county fair. There are sone trick horse and mounted shooting demonstrations. My horse Red Hawk is trained to let people shoot guns off him, and my friend Anita wants to take up mounted shooting competitively, so we're both hoping to make some local contacts to get started.

I thought Aria to go with the song theme. But then I saw June's Charivari and I think I like that better.. Aliyana too.

I was brainstorming with my friends tonight, and one came up with ''Pandora''. I really like that. Tomorrow I'll see if she likes it.

What about Touch of Surreal Heidi? Found that Pandora's other name is Anesidora.
Love and Hugs my friends.

I would register her as SurF Pandora, for Surreal Farm Pandora. The full spelling has too many letters, I believe, for the registration form. I have decided on that name. I took a long look at her this morning ((on the way to and fro Cousin Don's farm, where I sheared his Great Pyrenees guard dog who was a mass of matts and hot spots. The dog is now trimmed and bathed, and much more comfy)) and she looks like a Pandora. And everyone who's seen her says the same. Now to take a nap, then head out to run some errands.... to buy some groceries for us, new float valves for the water tanks, bird food for lovebirds, parakeets and finches, dog food and grain (Omolene) for Serenade.

I did an experiment last night. The puppies got to spend their first night loose in the house, and were very well behaved. Nothing was destroyed, and there was only one small pee spot in an easy-to-clean area.

Rainy day here for Father's Day. We were planning on a BBQ for supper, but that's not gonna happen. On to plan B ... only problem is that there is no plan B!!!