Is Our Nation Changing from its original Constitutional Meaning?

Is our Nation changing from it's Original Constitutional Meaning? Our suspicious concept of other nations entering our country is becoming real. Ever since 9/11, our open arms greeting other nations is part of the United States of America's Creed.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

― Emma Lazarus

quote-on-the-statue-of-liberty

I get that the United States is "full", however we need to develop a new "Creed" that is inclusive, but also knows that we are a Christian Nation, and just because we have religious freedom does not mean that Christianity should take the back burner on our Government properties, or in the Government school districts. If we want to salute the flag, and have prayer in these places, we are guaranteed to have the freedom to celebrate our beliefs, as well as the religious groups have the right to not have those beliefs. I cannot possibly express my feelings better than the following item:


AN AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT SPEAKS HIS MIND No name calling, no hatred, no political agenda.

A CANADIAN COMMENT APPEARS AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE AND IS MEANINGFUL. THERE ARE ALSO SOME RECENTLY ADDED BRITISH & AUSTRALIAN COMMENTS.

[This pilot hits the nail right on the head in his open letter]

A newspaper stated that a Muslim Doctor is saying we are profiling him because he has been checked three times while getting on an airplane. The following is a letter from a pilot. This well – spoken man, who is a pilot with American Airlines, says what is in his heart and says it beautifully:

YOU WORRY ME!

By Captain John Maniscalco, American Airlines Pilot I've been trying to say this since 911, ..... You worry me. I wish you didn't. I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that your color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy in this country. But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me. I notice you because I can't help it anymore. People from your homelands, professing to be Muslims, have been attacking and killing my fellow citizens and our friends for more than 20 years now. I don't fully understand their grievances and hate, but I know that nothing can justify the inhumanity of their attacks. On September 11, ARAB-MUSLIMS hijacked four jetliners in my country. They cut the throats of women in front of children and brutally stabbed to death others, hacking their necks, over and over, with box cutters. They took control of those planes and crashed them into buildings, killing thousands of proud fathers, loving sons, wise grandparents, elegant daughters, best friends, favorite coaches, fearless public servants, and children's mothers. The Palestinians celebrated, the Iraqis were overjoyed as was most of the Arab world. So, I notice you now. I don't want to be worried. I don't want to be consumed by the same rage, hate and prejudice that has destroyed the soul of these terrorists. But I need your help. As a rational American, trying to protect my country and family in an irrational and unsafe world, I must know how to tell the difference between you, and the Arab/Muslim terrorist. How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim Americans and the Arab/Muslim terrorists in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter MORE of the same good neighbors and children?

The events of September 11 changed the answer. It is not MY responsibility to determine which of you embraces our great country, with ALL of its religions, with ALL of its different citizens, with all of its faults. It is time for every Arab/Muslim in this country to determine it for me.

I want to know, I DEMAND to know and I have a right to know, whether or not you love America ...... Do you pledge allegiance to its flag? Do you proudly display it in front of your house, or on your car? Do you pray in your many daily prayers that Allah will bless this nation; that He will protect it and let it prosper? Or do you pray that Allah will destroy it in one of your Jihads? Are you thankful for the freedom that this nation affords? A freedom that was paid for by the blood of hundreds of thousands of patriots, who have through our history, who given their lives for this country? Are you willing to preserve this freedom by also paying the ultimate sacrifice? Do you love America ?? If this is your commitment, then I need YOU to start letting ME know about it.

Your Muslim leaders in this nation should be flooding the media at this time with hard facts on your faith, and what hard actions YOU are taking as a community and as a religion to protect the United States of America . Please, no more benign overtures of regret for the death of the innocent, because I worry about who you regard as innocent....

No more benign overtures of condemnation for the unprovoked attacks, because I worry about what is unprovoked to you. I am not interested in any more sympathy; I am interested only in action. What will you do for America - our great country - at this time of continuing crisis, at this time of war?

I want to see Arab-Muslims waving the AMERICAN flag in the streets. I want to hear you chanting 'Allah Bless America '. I want to see young Arab/Muslim men enlisting in the military. I want to see a commitment of money, time and emotion to the victims of this butchering and to our returning wounded and to this nation as a whole.

The FBI has had a long list of people they’ve wanted to interact with regarding the threats that they believe to be ongoing. Many of these people live and socialize right now in Muslim communities. You know them. You know where they are. Give the FBI a heads up as to where they may be. Better yet, hand them over to us, NOW! But I have seen little even approaching this sort of action. Instead I have seen an already closed and secretive community close even tighter. You have disappeared from the streets. You have posted armed security guards at your facilities. You have threatened lawsuits. You have screamed for protection from reprisals.

The very few Arab/Muslim representatives, like CARE, that HAVE appeared in the media were defensive and equivocating. They seemed more concerned with making sure that the United States apologize and take responsibility for actions defending our own people. They seemed more concerned with protecting their fellow Muslims from violence directed towards them in the United States and abroad than they did with supporting our country and denouncing 'leaders' like the late Khadafy, the late Hussein, Farrakhan, and the late Arafat.

If the true teachings of Islam proclaim tolerance and peace and love for all people, then I want chapter and verse from the Koran and statements from popular Muslim leaders to back it up. What good is it if the teachings in the Koran are good, pure, and true, when your 'leaders' ARE teaching fanatical interpretations, terrorism, and intolerance? It matters little how good Islam SHOULD BE if huge numbers of the world's Muslims interpret the teachings of Mohammed incorrectly and adhere to a degenerative form of the religion. A form that has been demonstrated to us over and over again.

A form whose structure is built upon a foundation of violence, death, and suicide. A form whose members are recruited from the prisons around the world. A form whose members (some as young as five years old) are seen day after day, week in and week out, year after year, marching in the streets around the world, burning effigies of our presidents, burning the American flag, shooting weapons into the air. A form whose members convert from a peaceful religion, only to take up arms against the great United States of America, the country of their birth. A form whose rules are so twisted, that their traveling members refuse to show their faces at airport security checkpoints, in the name of Islam.

We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11, or any others for that matter, to take away that which is so precious to us -- our rights under the greatest constitution in the world. I want to know where every Arab Muslim in this country stands and I think it is my right and the right of every true citizen of this country to DEMAND it. A right paid for by the blood of thousands of my brothers and sisters who die protecting the very constitution that is protecting you and your family.

I am pleading with you to let me know. I want you here as my brother, my neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American...... But there can be no grey areas or ambivalence regarding your allegiance, and it is up to YOU, to show ME, where YOU stand. Until then, " YOU WORRY ME!"

CANADIAN COMMENTS:

We Canadians totally agree with this sentiment. I hope you will forget all about the 'political correctness' mandate we've had rammed down our throats by so many on the left, and see if this doesn't ring true in your heart and mind.

For Canada , with all the multiculturalism we've been told is so important.... why should we not, as Canadians, expect that the millions of new people immigrating to our country will show their love for our country, their allegiance to our country, their willingness to obey the laws of our country, and acceptance that we are a Christian country?

Just because they are able to enjoy exercising their own religion, they should NOT expect us to be ashamed of ours.

They knew Canada was a Christian country when they came here. Why are we erasing Christianity because immigrants who are unwilling to adopt our way of life expect us to? There is just too much insanity in the world, and we have to start taking a stand.

I hope you will forward this, so that others will feel they are not alone if they are starting to feel the same.

BRITISH COMMENTS:

At last a clear non - racist example of the concerns that the vast majority of our Nations population probably share. The pilot's letter encapsulates all that is fair and just about national pride and protection of one's national culture. I fear it may be too late here in UK , BUT we too want our country back in the form that attracted all these different cultures to come here in the first place!! In all our conversations with a wide range of friends and acquaintances we have not met one that disagrees with our own views.

If only we all had the courage of our convictions to pass this on, it is a statement that should be accepted as the heart-felt feelings of someone with honest commendable national pride.

Not all Muslims are terrorists but all terrorists to date have been Muslims.

Stand up and be counted!

Australian Comment :

Best email I have had in years it needs to be in every paper every day until we get some answers.

McMinnville Flight Museum, Part II

Besides the huge building that houses the Spruce Goose, their are 2 other buildings, dedicated to

1)  History of Planes

The entrance to the History of War Planes, and heroes,  The last 2 buildings housed the Astronaut

memorabilia , and the History of War Planes, and development of early flight.  I have intermingled 

the pictures from both buildings.

Astronaut suited up in his space vehicle

The 1st building was the displays of both War planes, up to Space memorabilia.  2nd was Spurce goose, and the 3rd was the theater.  

An actual space suit used by the astronauts

A training capsule used by the Astronauts 

Blackbird SR 71 in as much of its entirety that I could get.  This reconnaissance plane was designed in the 1950's and would still be the most advanced spy plane in the present time if it had not been discontinued!

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Part of tbe Blackbird, SR 71

 Sikorsky war helicopter c the time of the Korean war, and Viet Nam.  Although I have many more picture from McMinnville, I think this is plenty.  I was so excited about these planes, that I got carried away!               PS. a Drone.

Spruce Goose and I

I always imagined the Spruce as a boxy, wooden plane.  Sort of a massive, enclosed soap box with wings.   Much to my amazement. it was sleek, and shiny, the largest plane to ever fly.  And it was in 1947.

                                         Me in front of the Spruce Goose

'

The Spruce Goose In it's entirety

The Spruce Goose was actually a slang term penned by the press.  The plane was really the Hughes H-4 Hercules and was designed and partially funded by Howard Hughes.  In 1942 when the War 

Department needed to transport men and material to Britain  to aid in the war effort.  The original design for this gigantic H4 Hercules plane  was created by Henry J Kaiser, and, with help from Howard Hughes. formed the Hughes-Kaiser partnership.  Long after Kaiser and then the Senate left the project, Hughes continued to finish the H-4 Hercules with his own funds. Designed to float, also, Hughes built a huge hangar, and the massive plane had its maiden voyage taxied through the,harbor and flew 70 feet above the water, and went 135  mph, remaining airborne for 1 mi, 2 years after war ended!

America the Beautiful

We were driving home from a one of our jaunts around our newly found home in Eastern Washington.

The time was just late afternoon, and the beginning of our Autumn sun color, and the harvests had begun early.  As we drove, I saw "O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain"

                                   

                                           For purple mountains Majesty . . . Above the fruited plains....

                                          America,

                                                     America!   God shed His Grace on thee...

                                                     And crown thy good with brotherhood,
                                                     From sea to shining sea

Linda's Theories:

Over the years, I have developed some of my own observations:

1)The 1st one being My Theory of Fat Transposition

Adipose cannot be dissolved.  It just moves from one person to another.  Like whenever
a friend loses 10 pounds, I usually   gain them.  I can't take them off unless I find someone
else to take them.

2) My Theory of Diets.

If you lose a great deal of weight by ordering special foods and their wonderful portions and
meals they have previously prepared for you, and when you quit and gain it all back, you finally
realize that:

A few people that are either models or movie stars have a very fast metabolism.  OR

The only way to lose weight is to starve--ALL OF THE TIME.  Face it--most thin people don't
eat.  When you go out for lunch, they order a small dinner salad.  That's it  No hot turkey sandwiches
smothered with rich turkey gravy, or club sandwiches made with 3 slices of bread each 1/2, and a huge bowl of clam chower with pie for dessert.....with diet pop  .ect.  Like ordering a diet drink makes the food binge OK.

3) My Theory of Death:

I lost my father-in-law,paternal grandfather, and  maternal grandmother right before my son, my
cousin's daughter, and my other cousin's son were born.  In other words, someone is born to take
their place.  My son is a lot like his grandfather--immersed in Boy Scouts, and a scout leader,
Love to cook, fish, and hunt;  etc.

4)

PERCEPTION!

PERCEPTION!

My favorite television show "Perception" was cancelled this year!  Even though the show was quirky, I enjoyed it immensely.  Eric McCormick plays a schizophrenic who has visions of the "perp" ( I hate it when crime shows use the terms "perp"  and "vic" over and over again as though they are really trying to be just like the real guys.  It is stupid, and terrible acting).

Anyway,  Perception is a word that fits the epiphany  I just had today, in regards to my real self, and how old I really am. I was at a gathering, and a fellow Presbyterian, whom I highly respect, was telling a story of what happened at his 55th high school class reunion.  I was stunned, because "I", super young "me", had just had my 50th class reunion, and I'm not nearly that old!  I figured that he had to be at least 80!

Then, I began to do the math.  If he was speaking about his event being a few years in the past, and then I added that many years to my age, perhaps it may be 10 years or so.  I realized that I was not that far from being what I consider what his age is,  Or maybe I look older than I think I look.
A person looks in the mirror and sees only what their brain thinks they they look like.  I had better either get a face lift, or except the fact that I am old!

I Love Summer!

We love summer.  It is very

TransRacial

Rachel Dolezal certainly surprised the news world with her adamant charade on being black, even though her biological parents are as white as can be, and insist that she is too.  She is shocked to realize that she is not black, even though her hair and appearance has been made over to look it.

I suppose there is no difference in her  claim to be in the wrong body, as I call a TransRacial, than the TransSexual.

Grandchildren

As you can see, I adore my Granddaughter Cailin Emily Arnold.  This picture is from her last birthday at Dry Falls.  Dry Falls is near Coulee City, Washington, and is part of Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park.  She went with John & me to camp in our trailer at Sun Lakes,  Dry Falls is a overlook site that has a wonderful little food stand that serves a variety of foods.

We had a a chicken Caesar salad that was pretty good.  They also had an Ice Cream Stand, so
we had to have an ice cream cone, also.  I haven't had one for years!  (really).

I live in Desert Aire, which is a resort community.  A variety of people live here, including
retirees, who live here full time.  Cailin and I had a glorious time swimming in the river.  August
is very warm (over 90 degrees), and by then, our Priest Rapids Lake is warmer.  Because we are
between two dams:  Wanapum and Priest Rapids Dams, It forms two lakes:  ours and Wanapum. 

We also went boating, and Cailin floated on the large inner-tube.  I am afraid I could not do that
sort of thing anymore.  But I will try this year!

Parker Gerrit Arnold is grandchild #2. He is photographed here at the Benton-Franklin Fair near Kennewick, Washington.  He is with us on the Tilt-a-Whirl.  We had a blast.

Parker is a Boy Scout, and won all of the metals available while preparing for "scout-dome".  He is in Jr. High, and like his sister, he plays the Viola.  Cailin plays the violin and cello, and is in the Concert Orchestra as a sophomore in high school.  Both are gifted beyond normalhood, says his Grandma!

Parker and Grandma cut greens for Christmas wreaths and decorations.  He replaces his Dad as my greens cutting partner.

Sunsets over the Columbia

Every evening close to sunset time, I go out to our deck to watch the sunsets.  Each night dresses up in her very best, ready to be photographed.  These are last night's shots, slightly pastel, and later in the setting of the sun.  A soft end to a very warm day.  I lazed in the river, sitting in my lawn chair, my feet up on a rock in the water.  As the temperature climbed to 92 degrees, I sunk deeper into the river,  Now, several hours later, the evening settles down to a soft good night.

Memorial Day, cont.

Continuing on with my Memorial Day, May 25, 2115, I was first showing my Father and uncles in uniforms and attire of that era of WWII.

First:  My uncle Wilfred Dunnigan and father Gerrit Jansen.
2nd:  My mother Vivian Clarke Jansen
3rd:  father Gerrit Jansen
4th:  Aunt Ruie and Uncle Wilfred Dunnigan (Aunt Ruie is now 95 years old!)
5th:  Dad Gerrit by  a classic old car.

As I was saying, the Civil War was the most vivid, heinous war of all, because it was on our own soil, and had devastating consequences.  With the ending, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

We saw it first hand in Gone with the Wind, which was so realistic and showed the destruction.

Of course our biggest war was saving the world from the Nazis.

Memorial Day

continued....

After I studied the Civil War in Jr. High, read a lot about Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln's struggle in a time that was dreadful.  Health care was practically nonexistent, and we saw in Gone With the Wind, the bloody battles and destruction.   

WWI & WWII are sad that our Greatest Generation are mostly gone from us.  My photos are::

Dad Gerrit Jan Jansen & Uncle Wilford Dunnigan, my mother Vivian, Auntie Ruie and Uncle Willy,

Dad in 2 more poses.  Auntie Ruie is still living!

The Greatest Generation: An extra good time was had by all over Memorial Day

In my blog, from now on, I will simply refer to my characters by name.  Husband John and I had some of his buddies from the Air Force, and the early life of defense from Viet Nam.  We were very taken with the many relatives of ours were from the Greatest Generation, and are now deceased.
And we are now "it".  We are the only ones left, starting the New Generation.  We are all orphans of the many heroes, the Allies, that saved the world from the Nazis.  World War II.  Now, we are the ones to defend the world, or more importantly, our nation.  John, Tony, Don, friend Vincent, Rob, and many others have now taken the torch.

I will start with the Civil War of 1860's.  To me, this was the worst, most horrific time in our history.
The Declaration of the freedom of the slaves.  I was reading about Mrs. Lincoln, and the sadness of her life, losing 3 out of 4 sons to terrible diseases of the time.  The uproar of the Southern plantations, the bloodshed, and the complete destruction of a grand life of huge crops and products that were possible because of the labor of their slaves.

to be continued . . .

Images of pelicans in their May fishing grounds

Every year (and this is the third) we have gone to our favorite weir on the Yakima River and observed dozens of pelicans.  They are getting many fish for their families.  I have posted many other photos of pelicans from this spot on this blog.  They have been more descriptive of the actual bird.  This time I am enjoying their activities and the amazing grace and size of the bird.

Happy Mother's Day!

I adore flowers and my cat! And my Ginger Aile and lemon to help m cough.  Of course my husband and sons.  I got flowers from Jeff and a phone call from Jim.  Hearing from James was a joy. because after Jim's house sold, it was so awesome that he found a house so soon!  He and his ex wife had an agreement that worked out, and they each found houses close to their old neighborhood in Sudden Valley (near Bellingham, Wa)
The arrangement with Willard the cat was mde by me in honor of my friend Mona's vase.  When I get some yellow and blue iris, and they are actually outdoor iris,
plus a few yellow roses.  They went to the church with a few bigger arrangements I had made.

I hadn't planned to be so prolific, but once I  had offered to make arrangements, suddenly I was as though I was designing for a Wedding!

The reason I had to leave the floral department came back to me Monday as I ended up on a ventilator in the Dr.s Office monday.  

Senior Citizens Thoughts

I was at the store, and all they had was low fat cottage cheese.  I asked the clerks, who did not know what cottage cheese was, and did not speak English, if that was all they had (I do not speak Spanish).  It was, so I brought it home, and I had some, and I could not tell the difference.  In fact, I liked it better.  I find that my taste buds are not as clear as they were when I was young.  That is a good thing, unless someone gives me poison.  However I do not have vast wealth for that to be much of an incentive, so that is a doubtful scenario, unless I am just too annoying for my husband(or others) to stand anymore.

I live in Desert Aire, which is close to Mattawa, a small little Mexico.  I wished everyone Happy Cinco de Mayo, and met with blank stares.  Well, today is the 5th of May, or Mexican Independence from France.  In 1861-63, Mexico fought for their independence from Napoleon III of France, and won.  That is why Mexico celebrates Cinco de Mayo!  The Mexican soldiers defeated the French soldiers in the Battle of Puebula.   They destroyed the Napolian 111 regime in Mexico and started their own dictatatorship of Diaz in the 1860's.  They did not get their independence until the 1900s in September.

Pelican Reache

We always think we need to name everything.  Our cars have their own names, like our gold Tundra truck is called Golda and my last red Prelude was named Roseee.  So naturally, our new abode in
Desert Aire is known by Pelican Reache.

When we first came here, I saw my first pelican floating by our beach, and that set me on my lifetime quest for pelicans.  One day, we got in our new, to us, boat, that is named Mariah, because that is actually the brand name, and we went with it.  I have already blogged some shots I have taken of pelicans, but we did go after a group of pelicans on our Priest Rapids Lake, and got some more shots.

Well, the big group of them are back at Horn Rapids Dam where the Yakima River is diverted for irrigation, and also where the Pelis hang out for fish migration season.  We just love to look at them, admiring their uniqueness and they are much larger than we imagined!

But, I didn't really start this blog to talk about Pelicans, but I did want to write about what else we do here.

There are three groups of residents here at Desert Aire:

1.  Is the Boaters, and Waterbabies.  That is what we are.  We live on the edge of the Columbia River or, as close to the PUD land as possible.

2.  The Golfers, whose backyards are next to the golf course.  They ride around  in shiny, new golf carts, and of course, go to the "Club", and golf.

3.  Are the Airport people.  They have hangars, where they keep their airplanes, and are backed by the airstrip, our little airport.

So, when my coastal friends ask me what do I do out here all day, I am dedicating this blog to them.
If we want to go shopping, or to a mall, we drive 40  or so miles to the Tri Cities.

We are also close to Ellensburg, where we go to Central Washington University's musicals, or their community theater.  Yakima has a wonderful symphony orchestra (YSO).

We are exactly halfway between Spokane and Seattle, so if I need my Swedish doctors, I can get there.  Our Mattawa Community Medical Clinic, which had doctors and a pharmacy are 5 miles away, so we are set!

That is what most mothers tell their children when they are hanging out, saying they are bored.

That is what I tell my friends that wonder what we can do all day, now that we are retired in Desert Aire.  Desert Aire is a resort community on the Columbia River.  I have been here for two years, and have found many activities and new friends our age.  There is the Bible Study group, the Garden club, and the Book Club.  We do read books that are on lists for such clubs, and I just finished one I liked so much called the Lady Bug Farm, that I ordered the next one in the series.  We do have a new book scheduled, which I will begin next week.

One of the books was The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, was especially interesting, however most of the club ladies were gone for the winter, and the rest hadn't finished it.  It took a lot of perseverance to read that book, because of going back to several time eras.

OOps! I thought it was a Taser, not a gun!

I am appalled at the news.  It seems like the Police and their Volunteers don't know the power of their weapons.  I am not a fanatical cause person, but these accidental killings, even if the Killee is a guilty person, has to be stopped.  These are professional, trained persons that are our protectors, but they must know how to stop for a few extra seconds, to know what their impulsive training really means.


Our achievement tests, SATS, IQ, entrance exams, etc. are all geared towards speed, and those that just have fast reflexes, and don't thing things through.  Those that can think that fast, are brilliant, but others that wait another second or 2 to make sure there is not an alternate plan, are just as smart, but not as competitive.  I know that exams for certain jobs are required, and some, that are very qualified for the job are overlooked, because they didn't work as fast as others, and may not have finished the exam on time.  Even though they may have more insight and knowledge than those who have zipped through the exam.  There are now other methods of testing. and that is good.


Therefore, our future policemen, and those that look after us, will hopefully have many new ways of testing to choose their employees.  Impulsiveness should not be rewarded.  Their should not be time limits set for any test.  Yes, we need fast reaction times, but not at the expense of stopping that extra second or 2 to think through your mission.

Spring!

This is the lovely Lovely Bouquet that Son Jeff &Susan sent from Royal City.  It is very amazing to me, and it is still beautiful today.  It has white godeia, yellow tulips, iris, hyacinth and pussy willows!   A work of art, and it makes me very happy to see and have flowers!

I will try to add the floral arrangement I made for the altar at church, if I can find it in my collection of photos for my blog.  Goody, I picked the right one!  It was made from all the flowers from the
church Ladies gardens .  I did have a fabulous birthday, and Spring flowers and Wind Mill steak dinners always make me happy.  My cake, made by John, is my absolute favorite!!  White cake, boiled egg white frosting and coconut!  Ummm!  Back to Miracle Soup tomorrow.

!

 

It's My Birthday, and I'll Cry if I want to!

It seems like the 9's in the decade ages, right before there  is a major change a year from now, is

not cheery to me.  No matter how old I get, it does not make me feel any better.

So this is a Lamentful blog.  I do get to go out to dinner, and John made be my favorite cake, and

GOOGLE even wished me a Happy Birthday!I think it is shaping up to be a pretty nice weather day.

I even got  HBD wishes from my relatives, so I am not complaining.  

I did one job of cleaning and pick-up and 2 loads of wash, letting the sheets dry in the fresh spring air, so now I get to sit and read until we leave for dinner!  We are going to the Wind Mill in Wenatchee for dinner, which is one of my favorite places in the whole world!  So the day itself is

promising to be a good one.  I just have feelings of gloom now and again.  I am not able to get into the water yet, because it isn't warm enough.  I imagine by May, it should be warm enough.  I am

not only not getting any younger, I am not getting any thinner, either.  So I have started the Miracle Soup Diet.  If that doesn't do the job, it is starvation next.  I do like the soup, and I have made up my first batch of it.  I do think it is time for my first bowl now, so good-bye and I hope you like your birthdays better than I do today.

Onion Wine

Easter Dinner was a work of art, if I do say so myself.  It is too bad we didn't share my ham
covered in pineapples and brown sugar, and my scalloped potatoes bathed in cream, butter, cheese

and sliced onions covered with more grated cheddar cheese.  I also added sliced tomatoes to a green
salad, topped with ranch salad dressing.  I was glad we didn't have company when I left my mess.
The whole kitchen was looked like a cyclone hit it, and it was waiting for John to clean up.

After we ate, and I was involved in "The Good Wife", John got up to clean.  The one that cooks
doesn't do dished.  After loading the dish washer, he put the finishing touches on putting the food away by adding the onion slices to the tomato plate, putting it in the fridge uncovered.  He then put
his untouched glass of wine next to it.

The next day, he got out his wine and said euwe!  this tastes like onion!  We laughed and decided to call it Onion Wine!  In memory of our Easter.

Blood Moon

Saturday, April 4, there was a beautiful Lunar Eclipse, or Blood Moon.
After going to bed at 8:00 p.m., I was able to jump up at 4:30 AM and watch it slowly disappear in the shadow of the Earth. (umbra)Usually, I am not one to get up like this, but it was well worth the
display.

My husband John took the photo, and it was exquisite. The night was clear, and the moon was right
above our priest rapids lake on the Columbia River.  I will now display his photo, but seeing it live was
a sight at God's Majesty.

the healing power of SOUP

I had  been ill for several days last week.  I was not interested in eating, or even getting out of bed. My legs didn't work, and my back pain unbearable,  I wanted to just lie there and sleep, so I did.
I decided that I was retired. and If I didn't want to get up, I wouldn't.my sweet husband was concerned so he asked the Pastor to pray.  Then my best friend from Desert Aire called and said that
she had made me some soup. and would come by to drop it off.,  I had discussed my medicine intake with John, and realized I had forgotten   a vital medicine I take. With the consumption of the medicine, which we had just picked up, an appointment with my hair doer, my friend came by with the soup, I felt like sitting up for the first time in days,


I know it was the magic of her visit, and the delicious soup got me on the road to recovery, 
With the knowledge that she would be by, plus the fact that no one could see me in such a mess
spurred me on to think of ways to get up.  I do feel that soup is good for the soul,  .Not your own soup, but from someone who cared enough to help you get well.  I did get up, and although my walking isn't too good yet, I am on the road recovery.  All because of some special, tasty soup.

Pelicans part 2

                                      photo by Linda Marie

This is a photo of a gathering of pelicans I took last time the salmon were everywhere!  I was amazed how big they are!  As I said in my last blog, they must be Our Creator's first bird.  They are like Howard Hughes' Spruce goose.  I love the way the move their giant wings to take off and fly.  Apparently they do form couples.  The white pelicans bob for their food..  The brown ones, who look like they got mixed with a seagull, dive for their food, and were very plentiful in Newport, Ore,  They had stores full of pelican things, and I took many pictured of them on the open Atlantic Ocean.  We had a campsite that was right next to the entrance to the beach full of brown pelicans.  They were there for several years, and then suddenly vanished.  What a magical trip we had!  I even swam in the ocean, which was a little cold in September.  I will try to find my brown pelican trip photos.

We are now back home to our Columbia river abode.  Perhaps when we take a boat trip, I will get more photos of our other exotic birds like Herons!  I love this place!

Sunshine @ Pelican Reach

We call our place Pelican Reach. 


12 years ago, we bought out  Home, and just now have begun to live here full time.
I noticed on one of our visits, there were a little family of pelicans.  I was stunned!  Not having ever seen a pelican in the wild, we rode by in in our boat,, and they were much bigger than I had imagined.


I was amazed by them, and took pictures when ever I could.  I imagined the first bird God worked on.
It was kind of like  the Spruce Goose of God's birds.  It looks big and awkward, like the silly plane
Howard Hughes put together,  seeming out of proportion to his feet, his huge wing span.  Perhaps a swan and a duck got together, and had this amazing duckling that was not a beautiful swan! I will have to write a part 2 to this when I get my pelican photos, and that of the beach, also.  We are getting into Spring and summer, and I will have lots of photos to show!

BRAINS 2

This is a visual of what the jars of various brains look like.  I don't know if Einstein's brain looks much different, however the folds in this matter suggest that they are all different, and possibly Einsteins brain, especially in the frontal lobe. where we do all of our thinking, memory, imagination, may be where his might vary. I have only seen photos of him by a blackboard adding more and more calculations to this theory to prove his Theory of Relativity.  How one proves such an idea with math formulas is beyond me but I think he had a fellow professor show him some mathematics to help him on his equations .Of course we can't study our own brains yet, or that of another genius like Stephen Hawkins, I imagine there would be differences in all of them, just as you can't tell how smart a person is by looking at their face.  I can tell the intelligence of a person by looking at their eyes.  If they meet your gaze, and have depth in them, it helps.  So Linda Marie's theory of Intelligence links the visual Memory, with the frontal lobes.  Visual Memory is an area of vision that sometimes is overlooked.  But I think it has a great connection with vision.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Spring

One thing I loved about being a Teacher, and being a Florist, is that we always decorated for every season.  The kids would cut out flowers and Shamrocks for both, and we would staple them all over the room, especially on the bulletin boards where their writing for spring poetry or St. Patrick.

I still decorate just for my house.  Of course Florists get iris and daffodils & cut tulips that come in Jan and Feb, and March and your spring bedding plants like primroses and pansies &  bulbs to plant are all coming in, so it isn't time for feeling bad that Christmas is over!

HAPPY SPRING!

My new Plants

I did begin blogging about mt  new plants.  We haven't lived here until we just retired a year ago.
When we first started, 11 years ago, we did put in 21 Arborvitaes.  Now they are huge.  I missed
my lilacs from the other house, so we just bought a baby one to raise.

I also put in roses at that time, and they are huge now.  I bought one more white on to replace one that was too  large.

Next, I am getting a Weeping Alaska Cedar..  I think I talked about it on my last blog, but there is a space for in in the yard.  I love trees, and hope we won't look so much like a desert.

I do plan to get a palm tree, also that can survive this climate.

Brains

 I know nothing about brains other than they have Einstein's brain a jar next to several others.
I guess it's the frontal lobe that has all of your imagination, memory, and the way you see things..without it and Broca's area for speech, and Warner's area for understanding speech.  I know I have been dropped on my head to many times, but if one like Einstein who has had a perfect brain and a bit more lobes in it and especially enlarged frontal lobe, it may be possible as to why he dreamed up The Theory of Relativity.  I suppose he went to a university and learned the basic math to prove his theory,  I still don't understand this theory, because it is not much different than dropping things off of the Tower of Pisa, but he would need to go up in a satellite and drop thinds to see if there is a curve when they are on the way down.  I would welcome anyone who knows more about this theory to put in their input.  i imagine that Quantum mechanics could show this.  I do love physics, and had taken more of it as a young student!

Cats

 I listen to "Wait Wait,  Don't tell Me "  on the radio, and we love it.  They were giving facts about cats

The first thing they said one day was that cats do not like the scent of humans, so that is why they licl themselves after you touch them. So John (my husband and dual cat owner) and I each touched Willard (our 20 lb. white beauty with green eyes, and a loving disposition) did not lick himself.
Next we touched our part Main Coon, not as large as willard, but we do call her Lily the Psycho-cat,.
She did not lick herself, either.  In fact, we have a game I call "Brusha", where she jumps into the bathtub and I brush her and sing Brusha Brusha to her.  She will not leave the house before she is
 by me, and also given water from  the tap/

They  ("meaning the show) next claimed that cats do not forgive.  John has forgotten to give them their food one night, and I have left Lily out overnight (I thought she was hiding inside.  Not only did they forgive us, they even slept on their side of  the bed on their blanket.  Now I am not saying that
they don't punish us..  Sometimes it may be days before they come out of their hiding places, but they
do forgive us, and  leave a mouse carcass or a poor dead little bird at the door as sacrifices for being our pets.  And also, they speak,  I say Good Morning to Willard, and he says "Meorning".

 I ask Lily if she wants out, and she says "meono"

I read my new friend's message about her rose and mine today is about TREES

''I adore trees and flowers.  When I think of the poem TREES by Longfellow, I think of his words


A lovely tree whose mouth is pressed
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast (giggle giggle by 12 year old boys)


A tree who lifts his leafy arms to Pray/


Well that is why I love the Weeping Alaska Cedar.  We are getting one next week.  It looks like it is an art form of all trees, with its cedar branches opening, and its top leaning down to pray.  My new friend and I also got a new rose.  they are a gift here in Desert Aire, and grow so beautifully.

Our Glorious winter

Not that I mind a snowfall, or my cross country ski trips, this winter was exceptionally nice.  A few weeks of cold temps, and a more than stubborn cloud cover, lasting a month was the extent of it.
As beautiful as snow is at Snoqualmie Pass,it still was as bare as a bald man's head.  It was the second time I can remember the lack of snowfall there.  With the East coast and South so crippled by snow, it seems odd that we are now enjoying spring weather, and sunshine, and toasty warm temperatures.  I plan to go down to the beach today, for we expect 70 degrees today.  I will don on my bathing suit, albeit maybe a parka over it, and sit on my lounge chair, enjoying the water of Priest Rapids "Lake" (which is made from being between the Priest Rapids, and the Wanapum Dams on the
Columbia River.  This is where my home, Desert Aire is located.  Not to be surprised, I still keep expecting a Spring snowfall, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Lonely for My latest books that I have read

I love to read.  When I am involved in the story, I really get into  back ground of the book.  Sometimes I have to do a little research like where this character really lives, and some of the events
happening during the time of the novel.  It is really important to finish the book, because It will pull all of the events together.  After putting this time into reading this story, the finished book is lonely for me when I have finished.

Thoughts for the Day: Going to Heaven

Thoughts for the Day: Going to Heaven: My book club book is called "Can't .wait to go to heaven".   I love books about people who  really say they have died and gone...

Going to Heaven

My book club book is called "Can't .wait to go to heaven".   I love books about people who  really say they have died and gone to heaven .  They all have different stories.  The child that made it into a movie had stories about what we learned in sunday school.  Another book had another completely different story about flying about on a butterfly's wing (or was it a dragon fly's wing?)  This author had another approach that was a joy to read about.  I am going to collect different interpretations of the Heaven thing