Vacation to Hot Springs, AK

Lately, it seems I'm catching up on the blog rather than keeping up with it. Even though it was weeks ago now I ought to capture the fact that Larry and I went on vacation. His work slowed down so much that he could take the time without using vacation (which he hasn't earned much of yet anyway) and I had hours I needed to use.

It was a trick figuring out where to go. We decided on Hot Springs, AK because we found a "resort" for an inexpensive price. It turns out the resort was a 3.5 star trying to masquarade as a 5 star. It was nice enough though.

Hot Springs is about an hour SW of Little Rock (capital city of AK). The area is wooded and there's a big beautiful lake there. Also, as you can imagine, there are hot springs. Check out this fountain. It's steaming and we were there at the end of August! There is a rich history surrounding the hot springs and, as you may know, we love seeing history in person. Believe it or not, there is a National Historic Bath House from the late 1800's/early 1900's. Here are a few photos. I left out the pictures of tubs and showers because there's nothing exciting there but there were a few surprises. First is the exterior of a couple bath houses in Bath House Row. Then, a fountian in the mens steam room. There was an exercise room as well as a music room Who knew?! Back in the early 1900's (before modern medicine as we now know it) there were lots of experimental and alternative therapies going on here. It may be the beginning of chiropracty too (don't quote me on that). All sorts of "machines" and contraptions were used to stretch, twist, and otherwise manipulate people in an atempt to ease their various aches and pains.

The other major item of interest, as least for me, was Gavin Gardens (woodland botanical gardens). I won't bore you with the details but here are a few items of inspiration for me.

Really Huge Event

During the blog silence the last couple months, a really huge event took place. I can't let it slip by without blogging it.

Dad moved to Chattanooga!! Though he was ready and anxious to do so, it was not easy. In a matter of just a few weeks he did long over-due house repairs and (with lots and lots of help from family) sorted a lifetime of "stuff" for a gigantic yard sale. In the process he had to decide what to move with him. After that, he was in limbo for a couple weeks while waiting to leave (the little house here wouldn't be available until August 1st).

Finally, he made the long trek across the US. Along the way he visited family in CA, AZ and NM before arriving in Atoka, TN to stay with David and family for a two or three days. The final leg from there to here was only 5 or 6 hours.

He arrived July 31st - a Friday. He spent Friday night at our house and was able to move into his little house next door before the next day was through. He settled right in and was finally able to relax.

He has found two churches and is trying to decide between them. I think he knows which one he prefers but likes the other for extraneous reasons (like the Asst Pastor lives nearby and stops to visit while on his walks around the block). He has lots of time to decide. Until then, he's been going to both services.

We have visited the TN Aquariums (both of them) and Point Park - a National Historic Park on Lookout Mtn (with cousin Linda, Casey, Jamie and Joel). There is still a lot more to explore which we will in time. I'm very excited about him being able to enjoy Autumn here. I can hardly wait for the trees to turn color.

Too much of a good thing

If you're one of those people I stay in close contact with then you'll know that you haven't heard much from me the last couple months. If you aren't then you didn't miss me anyway. :-)

But... did you notice the blog posts stopped as well? If you had asked me a few weeks ago why, I would have replied that I've been busy. That is true.

Six weeks ago, in spite of knowing better, I volunteered with McKamey Animal Center to train a dog. It turned out to be a great little puppy named Howler. I did this because a local dog training company donated 4 classes to McKamey who then asked for volunteers. I was one of four people who took a dog to class each week and also went to the center each day to spend time training. Howler was a very shy (apx) 4 month old mixed breed pup who blossomed with the training. I loved it but it took a lot of time out of each day. It was a challenge to complete my commitment but I did enjoy doing it. That's why I thought I hadn't had time to do much else.

But... it was more than that. It seemed that my life was completely out of whack and whatever it is that turned my life upside down happened in June. I had to ask myself "what happened in June?". It wasn't because Mom passed away (that was May) and it wasn't because Dad moved here (that was August). I don't think it was training Howler - at least, not in and of itself. That's when the lightning bolt struck me. It was Lincoln! I got Lincoln in June!

It was time to admit it. This lovable cat was driving me crazy with his lovable needs. I adored this kitty. He was there to greet me when I woke up in the morning (so much so he often woke me at 4:45am - my alarm doesn't wake me until 5:30). He hung around me the whole time I got ready for work right up to when I left. When I was in the bathroom he would use his litter box, when I was in the kitchen he would eat, when I was in the living room he would climb his tower, when I dared sit at the computer he would play with Larry's papers, the computer wires, climb on my lap, then climb onto my keyboard, etc, etc. It appears he slept all day but then be waiting for me when I arrived home and despair when I left again for McKamey or small group or whatever. When I was home for the evening he would be on my heels. In fact, he heeled better than Howler! He needed company! I would change into my kitty clothes (because his lovely soft fur would fly while being petted) and snuggle into my recliner with my kitty who would purr and hum and cuddle for about 2 minutes. Then, he'd jump down and lay down near my feet. Does this mean his needs were met? Noooooo, not by a long shot. He wanted to be close all the time! If I got up to work in the kitchen he would be right there (though he almost never jumped on the kitchen counter). He wouldn't leave me alone! I tried playing with him - dragging his kitty toy around the floor. He would pounce and jump for 30 seconds or a minute and then lay down and watch me entice him. I was getting more exercise than he was! I'm sure he enjoyed it.

When I opened my eyes to his needs, it was plain that he needed much more companionship that I was able to provide. Even with Larry working at home different portions of the day it was not enough for him. He either needed a playmate or a home where people are home all day. We weren't about to get another cat or a dog so I finally decided it was time to give him back to the organization I got him from (it was stipulated in the contract that way). It was a tough phone call to make because I loved Lincoln and enjoyed his company.

They came and got him the same day. Really, they were too hasty. I didn't even get a chance to say good-by (though that would have been for me, not him). He ended up going to a home of one of the rescue cat people that I also am not happy about. She has about 100 cats (no exaggeration). He needed some company but not that much. But then, I had no say in the matter. He was no longer my cat when I made that phone call.

I won't miss the cat hair and I won't miss the cost (equipment, toys, food, vet bills, etc) but I will miss Lincoln. (The violin playing will fade out soon.)

You should be seeing more posts now. I can sit at my computer again for as long as I want without too much interruption (it depends upon if Larry is home or not). :-)

There are some things to catch up on which I will post soon. Check back again soon!

Lincoln

When this week-end started, I had no idea where it was headed. This being the second Saturday of the month I had planned a couple hours of stamping with local members of the Tennessee Stampers. Lori and Myra came and we stamped and chatted. It wasn't long before our conversation turned to my fake kitties. The upright one needs batteries to meow, purr, blink, turn it's head and who know what all else (I bought him at a flea market for $3.00. He was meowing in the store and continued his antics for a couple hours before running out of battery. I couldn't find an on/off switch.)

Anyway, I told the gals about my history with dogs and how it isn't fair to have a dog while we don't have a fenced yard and we work all day. Besides, Larry really likes not having dog hair on his clothes. I said if there were a cat that didn't shed I would consider a cat.

That's when Myra told us about a cat rescue she works with that just got several cats of the Ragdoll breed. I don't know a whole lot about cat breeds but I am familiar with Ragdolls. I read an article years ago about them I told myself if I ever got a cat it would be a Ragdoll. When Myra mentioned these Ragdolls, Lisa and I both said Oooooh. Then Lisa suggested we go see them (they were not far from my house.) We did and that's when I met Lincoln.

He is the most wonderful cat. Friendly, gentle, soft as all get-out, and the epitome of a Ragdoll breed; which, by the way, gets their name from the way they go limp when you pick them up.

So anyway... I fall in love with Lincoln but figure the odds of us getting a cat are so slim I might as well not get my hopes up.

Even so, when Larry comes home from playing handball the first thing I do is tell him about Lincoln. Much to my surprise Larry's first response is to say, "Let's go see him".

You can tell from the pictures how this story ends. Larry completed surprised me by being totally agreeable and almost even anxious. I couldn't believe it. Larry is agreeing to a cat? Not just a cat but a cat that must stay indoors (they're so gentle they have a hard time defending themselves so indoors is best).

Larry has been awesome. He and I went shopping for all the cat paraphernalia (carrier, bed, litter box, food, dishes, a climbing tower, toys, and even claw covers so he won't scratch

our furniture).

May I brag just a little about how blessed we are? Ragdolls typically command a price of $600 - $1,200. The local rescue "Cats are Totally Special" charged only $150 and Lincoln is already spayed and has his shots. Wow.

The trick now is for us to learn how to live with a cat. The idea of Lincoln sleeping on our bed takes some getting used to. We never let our dogs do that. Lincoln stepped on, and even laid down on some of Larry's paperwork on the floor next to his desk and Larry only mildly objected. It's a good think Lincoln weighs a whole lot less than a dog. He didn't see to do any damage to the papers.

If the library were open today I'd be there checking out a bunch of books. I think he was a little lonely this morning as he was walking around the house meowing. This is the first time he's been an only cat and I think he's rather lost. Those fake cats just aren't filling the bill.

Trip to California

Photos of family have been posted here:

http://travelingturtles.myphotoalbum.com

If you're not family you probably won't care as they're mostly group photos (which only those who know each other care about).

David and his youngest daughter Sarah arrived in CA before I did. They and Dad had tackled areas of the house that needed going through and made great progress.

Wednesday and Thursday were busy days as we had the internment and memorial. On Friday, we took a break and went to Pt Lobos and then to lunch. David and Sarah went home Saturday and I went home Sunday. It was a fast trip.

Dad has determined a long time ago that he if outlived Mom he would move to Chattanooga. Things were happening so fast around the house that I asked Dad about his timing. He thought August 1st was a reasonable date. So, that's what we're shooting for. We've given our tenant notice and Dad's working fast to get things ready. I'm excited about him being here. I think it is especially great that he'll get to meet Abi and be a part of her life (not to mention the rest of us).

It's count-down time! As of this posting there is only 8 weeks to go!

Mom has passed away

Today, May 19th, about 6:20 Pacific time, Mom left this earth and moved to Heaven. She will make her permanent residence there. Someday I will move there too (she just beat me to it).

A new chapter in our lives is beginning - one without Mom. We'll miss her but we're happy for her. She is finally set free from her many limitations and lives in the land without corruption.

Do you know the lyrics to "I Can Only Imagine"?

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me

I can only imagine
I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory,
what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus
or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah,
will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You

I can only imagine
I can only imagine

Bocce and first glimpse of our backyard

Today was the second annual Handball Bocce party (the "Handball" part of that title means it was the group that Larry plays handball with 3 times a week. Larry picked a date earlier in the year because last year, in early June, it was 100 degrees! This year we were hoping we didn't get rained out. There was a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

It turned out to be a wonderful day with plenty of clouds, some humidity, warm temperatures and no rain... until after the whole event. Then it poured. Good timing!

Last year, when everyone came over I was very embarrassed about my yard. There was no grass, only dirt and dead weeds. There was the outlined planter area but very few plants. I've been working on it a lot in the last year and have made some progress. I guess the Bocce party was my benchmark and I had a list of things I wanted to get done before. I wasn't quite there so I took Friday off work to get as much done as possible.

Up until now I've been reluctant to post anything because it just wasn't pretty yet. I think I'm finally ready to give you a peak.

The islands are new as of Friday. I was still working on them Friday afternoon when a big thunderstorm came through. You can't quite see it but I planted more lawn area not even a week ago. All was well under that storm came through. It dumped nearly an inch of rain in 20 minutes and created a stream right through the middle of the seed bed. Oh bother. Now I'm going to have grass seed coming up in places it shouldn't and I'll have to reseed where is was washed away from.

With time, these beds will be filled with greenery and more things will be added. From time to time I'll share some photos with you.

Bye Bye Carpenter Bees

The Carpenter Bees have been out in force this Spring. They're looking for wood to drill into for new homes. There seem to be a great number of them. When Larry found a hole drilled into our front door he declared war. After searching online we found that it takes diligence to observe where they're drilling, then killing the bees inside the hole followed by killing any eggs inside. I read that, when it's dark outside and the bees are in their nest, squirting W-4 into the hole is effective at killing the bee(s). Follow that by stuffing the hole with a cotton ball saturated with acetone and hopefully you've controlled that one nest.

It didn't seem prudent to be climbing ladders in the dark. Also, if you know Larry, he likes to take immediate action. So, he went shopping for a butterfly net. When he couldn't find a good one for a decent price he decided to make his own.

It wasn't long and he had himself a sturdy "bee" net and proceeded to catch bees. One by one he caught the bees and smashed them while in the net. He also sprayed W-2 40 and stuff holes with acetone drenched cotton balls just in case but I'm not sure he needed to. I haven't seen any Carpenter Bees in a few days now.

Holly Bees

We had a little excitement this week-end. A swarm of bees made a temporary home in my newly planted Holly tree.

I had been working in the yard for several hours when Larry came home from playing Handball. He came out to visit me. A couple Carpenter Bees had been hanging around me quite a bit during the day - even zooming. quite loudly. around my head; I believe, trying to intimidate me. But, I have grown accustomed to their presence and don't view them as a threat. While Larry and I were talking I was aware of their buzzing.

Well, as it turns out, it wasn't their buzzing I was hearing. Larry had noticed this cloud in our yard and said, "What's That!". I turned and looked and said, "I'm getting out of here!". With my hula hoe in hand I ran and said "I'm going to the front door!" and Larry, who was heading for the back door says, "Me too!", does a 180 and follows me. The route to the front door from where we were is the steepest slope in our yard so we're not quick. We're just hoping the swarm isn't following us.

We get safely inside and go to the kitchen window to watch. The swarm engulfs the whole back yard. At first we wondered if they were flys or bees. We finally decided it was bees. They were flying in swirls, more chaotic as first and then with a bit more precision. We watched for several minutes when Larry noticed that that they were especially circling our small Holly tree. As we watched the cloud became smaller and smaller and formed more of a tornado-like shape. That's when I noticed a dark core in the Holly. Can you see it in the photo? I took this photo from the kitchen window. I wish I would have gotten closer but I didn't dare.


Well, now what? We decide that leaving the bees there is probably not a good idea. So, I get the phone book and look up bees in the yellow pages. There are advertisement for bee removal but before I call I ask Larry how much he's willing to spend to get rid of the bees. He said "Nothing." So, I decided to look online to see what to expect from these bees. It turns out this is a normal occurrence this time of year. A hive will raise a new queen and the old queen will take 1/3 or more of the bees and go find a new home.

Upon further search I found a site that listed beekeepers by state and found several local people who would come get the bees for free if it didn't require cutting into a house or climbing up high in a tree. We're fortunate they were only 4' off the ground. Before calling Larry and I talked briefly about keeping the bees; not in the Holly but in a hive. It didn't take long to decide that I didn't need another project and Larry admitted he wouldn't help. So, I called until I got a live person on the phone and he said he's be there within the hour.

I expected he would smoke them or douse them with sugar water/syrup but he did none of that. He simply put on his bee clothes, grabbed his 5 gallon bucket and, while holding the bucket up next the tree, he gave the tree a sharp shake and more than half the hive dropped into the bucket. He quickly put the lid on and waited for the remaining bees to settle down a bit. The photo below is the moment he shook the tree.


At this point he didn't yet know if he had the queen so he got a screened box and proceeded to sweep bees into the opening. Yes, sweep them... with a brush. You can see the bees flying around pretty well in the photo below. Imagine the whole backyard looking like that! I think the photo will enlarge if you click or double click on it.


It didn't take too long to figure out where the queen bee was because the loose bees really wanted to get at her. They gathered on the lid of the bucket trying to be close to her. The beekeeper said they could smell her.

Here's the drill for the next several minutes. Wait patiently while the bees gather on the bucket. Brush the bees on the sides up to the top of the lid.

When there are lots of bees on the lid, lift the bucket and lid together and give it a sharp tap on the ground.

Then, quickly lift the lid, turn it on his edge and thump it on the bucket to drop the bees into the bucket and just as quickly, put the lid back on. This was repeated until he felt he might be loosing more bees than he was gaining.

During the patiently waiting parts we talked. Larry and I asked lots of questions and learned a great deal about bee behaviors. It was very interesting. I told him we thought about keeping them and he said that was a practical option and there was a local bee club I could join. Again, I had to think about all the things I'm doing and decide again that I just couldn't add a new hobby to my list. He finally was ready to go and said the remaining bees would either die or go back to their original hive.

They hung around for hours. I continued to work in the yard. Unfortunately, the area I was working on was fairly close to the tree. I was trying to plant wildflower seeds. They had no problem with me as long as I was at least 10 - 15' away. But if I edge closer one bee would come and fly around me. If I didn't leave, two bees or more would come. That was enough to convince me to back off. I finally did get my project done and took one more photo of the remaining bees as sundown was approaching. It's just a small remnant of that original group so he did a pretty good job.

All across the country today - April 15th... Tax Day... were Tea Party's. I heard there were anywhere from 350 to 600 Tea Parties across the nation. The purpose was to voice our protest of outrageous spending by our Federal Government and the subsequent tax burden on our citizens. While it was organized by supporters of those who are pointing out the problem, it was supported by proponents of the Fair Tax who have a solution to the problem. This was a great opportunity to get the word out about the Fair Tax.

Larry has been involved with the local Fair Tax group here in Chattanooga for a few months now. He even hosted a web-site for this local group. If you want to know more about the Fair Tax check out either http://fairtaxchatt.com/ or http://www.fairtaxnation.com/.

Even Abi came to show her support (with her parents who didn't end up in the photo). That's Tim in the back ground. He is in our small group. 4 out of our 5 couples came out to rally together. Sarah Palin came too! Not really - she was a local gal who looked an awful lot like her. I didn't get a picture of that - sorry.

Egg Deco with Small Group gals

It was planned at the last moment. 4 of the 5 of gals from small group got together to do some egg art. We had a lot of fun and turned out some pretty nice eggs for beginners!

There's Debbie on the far left, then Rosemary, Beth and me. We're missing Rhonda.

Next year we'll have to plan ahead more so we can actually have finished eggs by Easter. These still need several coats of varnish and some still need to be emptied.

Oh my, has it really been since January?

Wasn't there a post in February? Where did it go?

Okay, so do you want to hear my excuses? Probably not but here are just a few anyway.

1) I became the President of the Chattanooga Chapter of the American Payroll Association. The month of January was very busy as I worked to book speakers for our monthly meetings and kind of get things revved up.

2) My computer died and it's taken a while to get everything going again. My new computer has Vista. It's already been in the "shop" for repairs since then.

3) Even in the Winter I spend every possible moment outside. There is always work to be done in the yard.

Just a couple days ago I finally got my photos to download - though the videos still won't work. That's a bummer because the photos show what Abi is doing now so much better.

Speaking of Abi - she has accomplished so much in the last two months! She's fully crawling, pulling herself up onto anything vertical and walking with two finger support. Still photos just don't tell the story but that's all you're going to get for now.

Let's see, what else can I tell you about the last two months? Larry is working now. He started at the first of January and has been in training in Insurance Premium Auditing. It's a complex and difficult job. He has started doing audits of his own while studying and will gradually work up to a full load. He's happy for the work seeing as the unemployment rate continues to climb.

My job is going well. I made a trip to CT to learn more about our operations from the people who have been doing it a lot longer. Alstom continues to grow and built even through this economy. I'm loving my job.

I was invited to join the advisory board of Goodwill's new Assistance Dog Academy program. This is very exciting to see an assistance dog program come to Chattanooga!

Do you remember the greenhouse that Larry made for me last fall? It's serving it's purpose. In there right now are 9 Hosta's , 22 strawberries, a dozen Sweet Peas, and seedling trays for veggies and flowers. It's great!

Those are the highlights. Thanks for being patient.

Trip to CA

Right after Christmas I took a trip to CA to see my parents. My niece, Sarah, was there for a visit too. The four of us went to the Monterey Aquarium one day. These two photos (courtesy of Sarah) are from there.

Another day, Sarah and Dad (of course, she calls him Grandfather) went for a hike in Big Sur and another day (after I left) in Big Basin (in the Santa Cruz Mountains). My trip was 5 days but two were travel days, leaving only 3 full days in Salinas. They went by fast.

The trip was possible because my new employee was closed from Christmas Eve and until after New Years and because I had a free airline ticket with SW Airlines. Usually, in my field (payroll), there is no such thing as vacation at the end of the year so this was real treat.

Vacation is done now. Tomorrow I go back to a regular work schedule and Larry starts his new job tomorrow. He's very excited to be working again.

Merry Christmas

For an animated version of this card click the link below:
http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1709951249578&source=jl999

Turbines

It's been almost two months since I started my new job with Alstom Power Turbomachines Group. I am enjoying it very much. The HR Director (my boss) is a great manager and he has put together a great team. We're super busy and working well together. I can't yet explain to you what this is a picture of but someday I expect I will. Right now, my best guess is this is the interior part of a turbine in the process of being built.

Part of our responsibility is to learn what our company, and specifically, our division actually does. We'll take info from wherever we can get it. One of those sources is from the National Geographic channel. Since it's available online I thought some of you might like to see a glimpse (along with me) my world at work (sort of). This episode of the "World's Toughest Fixes" (in the link below) highlights the replacement of a turbine in a nuclear facility. The new turbine they put in is one kind of turbine that we'll be making.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/worlds-toughest-fixes/3342/Overview#tab-Videos/05748_00

I don't expect everyone to watch this... only those really interested. Here's a cut-away of a turbine. The photo below gives it perspective.

Precious Rain water!

Larry has been very busy lately.

For a long time now I've been looking at water barrels. Rain water is good for the garden. The plants like chlorine free water. Also, rain water is free! We can go weeks without rain sometimes and the garden gets very thirsty. I don't like to water because our sewer bill is based upon water usage, so if I use a bunch of water in August, I may pay all year long in higher sewer bills.

So, when I saw 250 gallon water tanks for sale on Craigs List for only $40 I showed it to Larry. To make a long story short - he purchased three of these tanks and installed them on the north side of our house - a side that has no windows and no appeal visually. It's also a side that's on a slope which elevates the tanks over the garden which will create a little water pressure for watering. All good stuff.

So... he gets them installed and that night it rains. It doesn't just rain a little... it rains over 2 1/2 inches! The tanks were full the next morning. Sadly, we got 2 inches the next night and I wasn't able to capture any of that. If it were practical I would like to install a whole bunch more! The good news is, our rain is spread out through out the year - more or less - so I'll have a good bit of water to put to use.

Here are some photos. They're worth a thousand words. I'll be planting something around and over them to help obscure them. Right now they stick out like sore thumbs!

Bathroom remodel update

Back in May (you can look back if you want) Larry started our master bath remodel. I am happy to say it is all done. I'm also happy to say that Larry did a wonderful job. It took a long time due to financial constraints but it is done! In the May blog entry I said I didn't have any before photos. Well... I was wrong. I remembered that I had taken photos of the house before escrow closed - back in 2006. Therefore - here are some before and afters.

The before shot, on the left, is looking through the bedroom door into the master bath "dressing area". Now - as shown in the photo on the right - the dressing area and closet are gone as is the wall that was separating this space from the bathroom. Now, there is no dressing area and the bathroom is one bigger room.

We took some square footage away from our extra large bedroom and Larry added closets with more space than we had before. I didn't take photos of that yet because they're waiting for doors and door jams. We'll save that for another entry (maybe).

The old combo tub/shower has been replaced by a whirlpool tub. See where the window is in the before and after photos? The window is above the tub, next to a wall ,because on the other side of this new wall, Larry put in a new laundry area. So - in essence, the new tub is where the toilet used to be and the washer and dryer are where the old tub had been.


The vanity used to be on the same wall as the tub/shower. Now, in that place is our toilet. See the cabinet above it? That passes through to the laundry area so I can wash & dry the towels, then fold them and put them on the shelf (from the laundry side) and wa-lah!, there are towels ready to go in the bathroom.

And finally, here's the dining room difference.

Before.., just a wall. Now, a laundry area. Sorry; I took the photo from a different vantage point. The fireplace hearth which you see in the before photo is just out of sight to my left in the after photo. Where the towels go is a can of paint so it's not 100% functional yet but that's a small thing. There are bi-fold doors there that are hard to see so the washer and dryer can be hidden from sight.

One more really great thing is a laundry "chute" from the bedroom to the laundry hamper. Isn't Larry clever?