When you live next to the woods you have to deal with alot of critters.One day a deer jumped our 5 foot fence and ran through the yard and jumped out again.  Moles and voles dig up the yard all the time.But in the fall, the mice are looking for a warmer place to live for the winter.Last winter, when I had my oil changed, I was told there was a ‘stash’ of dog food in the air filter under the hood.And Blips had a ‘stash’ of dog food in his car engine also.Soooooo we decided to give them a treat.  Since they like to crawl behind things…….doesn’t this plywood look safe to crawl behind?

 NOT

Blips makes a good mouser!!!

Some days are better than others.Today was not such a good day.I shopped for 3 hours getting all the stuff for the Christmas cookies.Then it was between rain showers so Mona and I took a walk.As we got to MY rock pile, there were two guys there surveying the land and marking it with sticks.I asked them what was going on and they said that 3 houses were going in that spot.WHAT!When?They said, the builder usually digs the hole within two weeks of their survey otherwise the sticks disappear or get moved.CRAP.I had some really nice rocks picked out but needed help to move them.I thought they would be safe until next spring since they have laid there for at least 3 years.Well, say goodbye to those rocks.They will just push them over the hill and bury them.What a shame.

I get home and spend 4 hours making Christmas cookies.I did not have any wax paper to put them on, so I just put them on the cutting boards.I don’t know what I was thinking…….maybe that the cutting boards were white and shiney so would be slippery????Well, the cookies are stuck.Stuck to the cutting boards.  I froze them thinking they would then pop off like gum does when you freeze it….it pops off the fabric.NOPE, just crumbles.OK, so I heated the metal spatula and coaxed them off……well, the first half came off just fine but then the second half crumbled.So, there they are….take a good look.Those are your Christmas cookies.I made about 8 dozen because I was going to send them.The only thing they are good for now is that cookie/cool whip desert salad.

Unless somebody has a scathingly brilliant idea.I will keep trying for two more days….

Blips posted the pictures of the food that we use to celebrate being together.So, I will show a few pictures of the family.  It is tradition to gather around a full table, celebrate and give thanks.  We missed Little Brother and his family very much.   LB has been through some health struggles and we were looking forward to seeing him again. But he came down with the flu, so his family stayed home to be with him and take care of him.This year Big Brother said a prayer and gave thanks for all we have and asked a blessing for all those who could not be present.This included the good health and prosperity of family across the ocean and all those we love.Here are a few more pictures of family. Big brother with grandson Elijah and granddaughter Jessica.Molly with blonde hair explaining a game to Summer and Jessica. Molly just starting to organize the salad table.This is a book mom wanted to read.It was the last one on the shelf. It explains all the secrets that she may have missed in her 50 years of watching “As The World Turns” on TV. I brought it along to surprise her. 

I think Marie Antoinette would have said, “Let them eat cake”butQueen Jessica said she would be honored to fulfill her duty.Her duty in the military that is.Several years ago she signed up for the Minnesota National Guard wanting to serve her country.She is now a college senior and last summer was selected to be Queen of the Lakes.And now:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Jessica Gaulke is trading in life as Minnesota’s queen of the lakes for a year in the Iraqi desert. 

I don’t eat much pumpkin throughout the year.Fall is traditional when we have a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas too maybe.But this fall the pumpkin taste craving just keeps going and going and going.We have eaten about three pies, then I made pumpkin bread(see picture)…ohhhhh that was good!Normally I don’t buy snacks at a coffee shop, but in my weakened condition with the pumpkin craving ….I tried a pumpkin scone from some coffee shop and it was lame.grrrrr…..so I have gotten out my own pumpkin scone receipe.It is laying on the counter just screaming my name.I wish I could bake it and have one piece, save one piece for Blips and send the rest to all of you.Wait…we would have another piece the next morning with coffee (fika of course) for sure before I could send it At the post office they ask if it is perishable.Does that mean you can’t mail perishable things?hmmmm, I will have to ask next time I mail something.

ok yesterday the door bell rang and the FedEx man delivered part of my birthday present.What do you think it is?I give you a clue.I have been researching this for 4 months and I ruled it out as too expensive.Then it arrives at the door!!!When Blips and I first met on line, I told him…..I don’t cook much and I clean even less.So, some people might think this is a gift for himself, but I just love it……I really really love it!Any guesses?

The other day, Blips was helping me haul a rock that he said was …. WAY TOO BIG!And his observation was that the rocks keep getting bigger and bigger.Well, he is correct on both comments BUT the rock was soooooo beautiful.And if you tell me I can’t do something……then I am all the more certain that I *will* do it.  We had this georgous (way too big)rock on the dolly and were just going to dump it on the pile in the back yard.Then all of a sudden a different 40 pound rock fell on Blips toe.He jumped around the back yard on one foot.If it wasn’t so scary, it would have made a nice picture.But we both thought he broke his toe if not other bones on the top of his foot.Can I say he was very pissed  and he shouted that he was done with the rock gathering duty!!!!

Oh crap!The rocks I have my eye on are ‘two people’ rocks.Ok, they are bolders.Blips you are my partner….for better or worse…..right???One person cannot do it by herself.First of all, the toe and foot are fine now.phewwwww! But my desires have grown and I want the really big ones now.They weigh about 200-300 pounds.And the reason they are still there is because nobody can lift them.So, I now needed to outwit the rocks.Blips thinks this is rather funny as a friend of mine always says…….dumber than a box of rocks.So, not too difficult to outwit a rock. 

My neighbor Judy (who got me into this rock hunting addiction) and I were going to locate rocks when I told her that I dream about hauling the bigger bolders home on the dolly behind the car.It takes 20 minutes to walk a rock home(that is after it is on the dolly).Fortunately it is all down hill.Then we both got this gleem in our eyes at the same moment. LET’S DO IT!I’m not sure why Judy looks like she has no teeth, but I assure you she does.And this rock is one of the small ones that we took on our first trip.We laughed all the way home.See Mona in the front seat?It was spur of the moment, we were just on a walk and locating them for ‘future removal’.I had to pull over and take a picture.As we turned the corner to our street, I honked the horn for the rest of the neighbors to come out and enjoy the sight.

So, it takes plenty of team muscles to haul a bolder but we are using our heads to outwit them! BTW, it takes 8 minutes to drive a bolder home(going zero MPH with the clutch in and coasting down the hill) with a partner.Smarter than a box of rocks

Blips told me he sent for my birthday present.So, be expecting something in the mail, he said.  Today, when there was a key in the mailbox, I got excited.But I had an even nicer surprise when I got the box.It was from J and N, our two granddaughters!Addressed to Opa and Grammy.Two very nice pictures in frames that now sit in our living room for everyone to see.We will be very proud to show them off at Christmas time when the family is here.Thank you very much to our sweet darlings and their mommies!

I take great pride, satisfaction and happiness in knowing that my vote helped force Dubbya to hand us the head of Rumsfeld on a stick.Because America soundly sent many Republicans home, Dubbya had to do something to calm things down before we were clammering for his own head on a stick.And he went for something big……Rumsfeld is toast. 

Go home to your ranch, take off your respectable suit, and hang your head in shame.Shame on you.You have brought more hatred upon our country than all others added up including Richard Nixon.You and Cheney have singlehandedly created 3 generations of American haters.Shame on you.Shame Shame Shame!