Pentimento

The Cherokee Nation -- Speak Up, Be Heard, Make the Call!

Congress should not terminate the Cherokee Nation or punish the Nation with amendments that would cut funding to vital services – like health care. But that is exactly what they are trying to do. This is just the latest in the ongoing battle our government wages each day against this proud nation: The Cherokee.

Since last June, more than 10,700 people have met online to submit letters and make their voices heard. If you are Cherokee, or of some other Indian tribe, please alert your friends and suggest that they get on the phone and call their elected officials and put a stop to this shameful act by the US government.

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Seahawk Cockles Get A Warming

Seahawks at Packers
January 12th - 1:30pm PT
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
TV - FOX

Stadium:  Lambeau Field

 

Cockles of their hearts, that is. The big game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers kicks off this Saturday in Green Bay. The temps will range from a low of 19 degrees to a high of a blistering 31. What's a punter to do? Or a kicker, a coach or a lineman for that matter? All of them on the Seahawks team will be getting some toasty duds courtesy of Gerbing's Heated Clothing of Union, Washington. (Something about "Union suits" seems appropriate here, but...) Coach Holmgren will be sporting a heated coat, while the linemen will have heated gloves. All of the attire will only be worn on the sidelines though, not in the game.

                                  

Those football fans in Mason County really love their Seahawks. Especially Gerbing's Heated Clothing! I bet those Seahawks are really lovin' their 12th men right now too!

Thanks to the Kitsap Sun for this post idea.

Greg turned 36 so we took him to Disneyland!

Some people never do things when they should. When our son was younger we never traveled anywhere but back and forth to Iowa. Not much of a vacation for him. So, if the title of this post seems a bit odd, well, it is just because we finally got Greg to Disneyland. It was just a few years late, and oh, we took along his wife Jenn and two kids too.

We were able to park in the handicapped parking using my placard, so it was a short walk to the tram that would take us into the park. The temperature that day was in the 60's, but the wind was kind of cold. Not so cold that the snow on the castle is real. Still, it was very pretty and made for a great picture, don't you think?

As we were walking into the main park area we spotted Pluto and the grandkids wanted to have their picture taken with him. I had never been to Disneyland before or I would have known that they have "official" photographers who accompany the characters and so we just walked up and started taking pictures. Jenn told me later that kids that go to Disneyland can get autograph books and have the characters sign them when they have their pictures taken. The picture goes in a sleeve on the page with the signature. We'll know better next time....

With so many extra people there because it was two days after Christmas, many of the rides had really long wait times. We did get to ride the Disneyland Star Tours one, and the kids absolutely loved it! After snaking around in a line for what seemed to be an hour but was probably closer to 30 minutes, you end up at the entrance to several doors and when they slide open you file into the row to which you are assigned and strap yourself in. The premise of the ride is that there is a new droid pilot and it is his first day. Basically, you are watching a movie and the seats are rocking and rolling around. I was holding on for dear life and trying not to look at the screen so I didn't upchuck my recently eaten breakfast! I am pretty sure I left my liver near the Death Star....

My husband is a pretty quick thinker. Garrett is 7 and Katrina is 6, and they had gone to see Santa before Christmas, so when we were at the park near Frontierland the kids spotted Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and their reindeer. Jim told them that they should go over and tell Santa "thank you" for bringing their Christmas presents, and they rushed right over and did that. I love this picture of them. Just for this day, they were just two innocent kids believing in Santa.

 

They got a ride in on the merry-go-round, watched a magician at Big Thunder Ranch, and had a chat with Chip and Dale. Garrett was totally into the magician and was cracking up watching the tricks. Katrina will probably always remember her visit with Ariel. We got there just as the character was taking a "3 minute break" but it turned into a little longer than that. I think the poor thing must have been freezing! She wasn't nekkid or anything, but in that outfit she sure needed a heated seat or something. Cruella DeVille could have loaned her a fur piece.

It was a pretty long day for all of us. I was on my last legs with all the walking. The grandkids were so good and patient with all the waiting and walking. It might not have been the perfect day, but it was sunny and I think we all had a good time. The good news is that right now the kids live about two miles from Disneyland and we can all go again, but this time NOT on a holiday.

Holiday Shopping Conundrums

I am probably just one of millions who has been shopping this year and at the same time, scratching my head when it comes to what toys I can buy for my grandkids. Being aware of tainted toys is just half the battle. Just the other day, I purchased some Barbie clothes for my granddaughter as a gift, and at the online checkout there was a notice that they fall under the Prop 65 category for hazardous materials.

If you are like me, a child who was born in the 1950's, I long for the days when you could (almost?) be assured that if you bought anything from a toy company like Mattel that you would be safe in knowing it was made in America, and not toxic. As Black Friday shopping begins, and billions of dollars will be spent, will gift givers be extra careful to avoid Mattel toys, or give gifts of special meaning, like things they have made themselves and know to be safe?

We are giving the gift of our presence as our presents this year by going to visit our son and his family in California. We are all going to Disneyland on December 26th, as well as gathering with our daughter-in-law's family for Christmas Day.

Take a look at this CNN Gift Finder for some great ideas.
Santa: I would love to have Merry Maids housecleaning service! Just a thought....

Save $15 off $50 at Cafe Pentimento

Friends & Family of Pentimento Shop at Cafe Press Get $15 off $50*

Start shopping at Pentimento Shop at Cafe Press, http://www.cafepress.com/cafepentimento

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You Can Be In Fuelmyblog's Book Too!

 

Click on picture. It's a link to my Flickr photos!

"I'm gonna be in pictures, their gonna make me a star"...OK, I am going to be in a book (with probably a few thousand other people) that Fuelmyblog is putting together to promote the site and to help raise money for Doctors Without Borders. Either way you look at it, we all win!

 

 

Here's what they say on the Fuelmyblog site about entering the Fuelmyblog Book contest:

To enter is real easy, take a look at the flickr group here simply add your photo and a little bit of text explaining what your blog is about, your url and username or alternatively, send us your image and text by clicking here, we'll add it for you!

Befuddled and Bewildered Grandma Buys Gifts

It's not their fault. The grandkids, I mean. I am just so "out of it" when it comes to what kids want for Christmas, it is a crying shame. For instance, my granddaughter Katrina wanted an Ariel 'salon'. I know who Ariel is, but for the life of me, I couldn't think of how to spell her name. Aerial? Arial? Ah, Ariel! Got it! Sheesh! After all that, they were out of stock.

Next challenge: Katrina wanted a book about Junie B. Jones, Party Animal. I got the Party Animal part correct, but I thought she was saying Genevieve Jones! In my own defense, I should mention that we had this conversation while they were in the car in a parking lot, and I was a few thousand miles away, so it was a cell phone connection. Huh? What? Oh...

About a month ago you might have seen on here a rant about buying poisoned Mattel products. As I was finalizing my order, which included some Barbie clothes for Katrina (yes, made by Mattel!), I noticed that there was an alert to "Proposition 65" for CA residents so they know they might be buying (or, in this case, receiving) something with toxic chemicals in it.  "Oh Grandma, how thoughtful, the gift that keeps on giving."

It's really tough being a out-of-touch grandma.  And disheartening to have to worry about making them sick just by giving them a gift.  I have high hopes the trip to see them next month goes well. Everyone pray for no snow on the west coast from Dec. 22nd to the 29th, OK?!

Wordless Wednesday - Veterans

In honor of Veteran's Day this week, my post for Wordless Wednesday is a collage of my husband's family veterans, including him.

Clockwise, from the top left: Richard Rufus Bean, Civil War serving from Iowa; John Whitmore, Civil War, serving from Illinois. Medal of Honor Recipient; anonymous cousin who served two tours in Iraq, came home safely; our son Greg, Desert Storm era, Somalia; my husband Jim. Vietnam era; Jim's dad Loren, World War II, aboard Cape Esperance during Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Thanks to all who serve and their families who support them!

Wake up call. For all the cat people.

If you have a cat (or it has you!), you will know what this feels like. I don't think I have ever experienced quite this much attention from Rocky, but he can be very persistent when he wants his wet kitty food! Rowr!! Click on 'read more' below!

 

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Oh No! Not the Led Zepplin Album!

I got quite a chuckle out of this news item. When we first got married, waaaaay back in 1970, I met my husband's grandmother who was living in my in-law's house at the time. She was a little old lady with a lot of time on her hands and she had taken up the "hobby" of putting old 78 rpm records in the oven and melting them over an old coffee can and then decorating them with stuff like macaroni and old buttons, etc.

At the time, we just laughed to ourselves about such silliness, and hoped that none of those 78's were heirlooms that should have been kept for posterity.  Now, what was old is new again...but instead of an oven, we have a hairdryer. My husband and I have maybe 100+ old LP's of our own. Do you suppose that they will one day become "art"? Oh, the humanity....

Case-Notes from the Artsy Asylum: Link Love for Socialmeter

Interested in how your blog is doing socially? My friend Susan says she isn't exactly a rock star, but doing nicely enough. I wasn't surprised about mine, but it is inspiration to do better. How about you? What are those social media sites saying about your blog?

Link: Case-Notes from the Artsy Asylum: Link Love for Socialmeter.

Papa Murphy's Cut The Cheese. How Rude!

I can't say for sure if this is happening at all Papa Murphy's locations, but from my experience doing business with them here in Port Orchard in the last year or so, they have really cut back on the cheese  they add to their take-out pizzas. We had gotten to the point where we would ask for  extra cheese just to get the taste and flavor we were expecting. But then you know what? It really irked me that they should offer me a coupon for $2 off on their family size pizza and then short me on the cheese! We have even gone so far as to buy our own mozzarella to add to the pizza before we cook them. So, I have a message for Papa Murphy's, NO MORE CUTTING THE CHEESE! Give us our money's worth and bring back that gooey cheese on top!

And, while I am on a rant today....

How about that new ad campaign by Arrowhead water? They are saving the environment by adding a waistline to their water bottles? Come on! The turnip truck is not my mode of transportation, and I know you are giving me less water in those bottles. They should rename this company 'pinhead water'.

Google Shows The Earth Is Moving

If you have Google Earth installed, check out this Earthquake KML from USGS. I got so caught up in it that I wasted a good hour just going from place to place. I guess you could kind of call me an earthquake nut, but I am fascinated by the effects of volcanism, plate tectonics  and all that geology stuff. Not that I am educated in it or anything, I just like to be "in the know". Google Earth does a spectacular job of bringing into perspective the forces of nature at work all around us.

Our news services could devote a whole day to just covering nothing but all the earthquakes, but they probably assume that we want to hear about other issues too (poisoned food, lead in toys, the instability of Pakistan, how some nuts start fires in CA, etc., etc.). I think it will get your attention though when you see all the quakes popping up on the world map.

Rumsfeld Confirms His Lunacy

I always thought that Rumsfeld was a megalomaniac, but this latest revelation goes a long way to confirm it. Daily, I am in awe of the American public that continues to exalt the likes of Rumsfeld and his cronies. It is no secret that I am firmly against anything this current administration has done. What infuriates me is that there are still twits out there willing to believe the swill that comes out of Washington DC via news conferences and news bites. Read this article and take a look at the propaganda this nut was/is promoting. They truly think the majority of Americans are ignorant sheep. If they elect another Republican this time, I am inclined to agree!

Wordless Wednesday - Halloween 2007

Wordless Wednesday - Halloween 2007

 

Just a little note to go with this picture. I did not do this. My husband would not do this. We are the only two in the house. Imagine my surprise when I opened that door! Poltergeists? Happy Halloween everyone!

Saturday Lazy Links

Are you looking for a few good blogs or website worth subscribing to? Look no further!

Tracing Our Roots - Brenda Kellow's weekly genealogy column

David Airey :: Graphic Designer  - Scotland’s first Adage Power 150 blog 

History Mike - News, history, technology, commentary, and reviews.

14th Colony - The Decision Maker's Guide to Web Development and Business Online.

Internet Duct Tape - Blog by //engtech

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Network - Just what it says it is

blogher - Community for women bloggers

Eleanorblog - My friend Alison Lodge's personal blog. You should see her photos!

Blog-Op - My friend Chris Lodge's very helpful blog advice for WordPress users. Make sure you visit his photo blog Autofocused too, as well as his personal blog Thermal. As he describes Thermal, "it's just a lot of hot air".

The Thinking Blog - Gee, what do you suppose that is all about?

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - 24 Oct 2007

This pretty much speaks for itself, right? (Not taken in my house. Hubby is very good about such things).

"I Can See Three Fires From Here Mom"

Our son Greg and his family live in Orange County, CA but they went out of town to Dumont Dunes this last weekend to do a little camping and riding on their sandrail and quadrunners. He called me this afternoon to tell me that they were stuck in Victorville, CA and unable to get home because the wildfires had closed all the roads home. They are safe, and have their trailer to stay in, but as he talked to me on his cell phone he said, "I can see the smoke from at least three different fires from where I am, Mom".

The fires are at least 50 miles away, and after my experience this summer with the wildfires in Idaho, I know that they are not near the actual danger. Still, without putting too much of a melodramatic bent on it, this is the worst I have ever seen during the time I have lived on the west coast.

What you may not hear about is that the Navy and Marine bases at San Diego and Camp Pendleton are closed down and they are taking care of their personnel as they can. That means they have helped the dependents of the (mostly) enlisted people to get through this disaster. I know for a fact that the personnel on Navy ships far away, themselves in harms way, are having a very difficult time trying to deal with knowing their families are in danger and not knowing for sure what the outcome will be.

UPDATE: 6:45 PM, they opened the road to Orange County long enough for the kids to make a dash for home, so they took it. They are now putting their trailer in the storage place and then going to get something to eat. I hope the storage place will be there....

Can Ribose Really Help Fibromyalgia Patients As Weil Suggests?

I am always on the look-out for fibromyalgia news and found this October 8, 2007 newswire story in Voxant today. Like many of you, I am leery of "the next new thing" being touted as a supplement, but Dr. Andrew Weil is a well-respected physician, and hopefully, not being sucked into a marketing ploy. You have to forgive me for my constant negativity when it comes to fibromyalgia "cures". No one wants to be free of pain any more than I do, but after my less-than-wonderful experience with Lyrica this year, well, I am just always a skeptic. And, hopeful.

Officer, There's A Python In My Potty!

Bleeding heart animal lover that I am, I was pitying the poor snake!

Silly String Makes It's Way To Iraq To Save Lives

Stories like this just make you proud of what one person can do if they set their mind to it, don't they?

Marcelle Shriver, a mother whose son is in Iraq is elated that the 80,000 cans of silly string she has collected will finally be shipped to Iraq. After months of frustration the silly string is on its way.

Good for you Marcelle Shriver!

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You Know You Want This Shirt! No Sheeple!

" Be People, Not Sheeple: Think For Yourself!"

The Presidential election is roaring towards us faster than Superman can take his clothes off, so shouldn't you tell the world that you are an independent thinker? My "Sheeple" shirt is just one of many items with this design on it available at my Cafe Pentimento Shop. This design is not just for the the upcoming elections. It is for anyone to wear, young or old, to get the message out that it is alright to break from the herd and think on your own. My grandkids might just get a t-shirt with this design for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, why not buy from me? My design sends the message everyone should remember: "It's CHRIST-mas".

In Cafe Pentimento, this design is on everything from bumper stickers, to aprons, postcards, t-shirts and polos, caps, bibs, mugs, magnets, and ornaments.

You might also want to visit my other shops: Two Cats In the Bath, and Fibro: It Just Hurts! too.

Tuesday Twosome 9 Oct 2007 - Fall

Makes Me Think of Fall....

1. Two fruits and/or vegetables that you identify with fall:
2. Two colors that you identify with fall:
3. Two events that you identify with fall:
4. Two adjective that describe fall:
5. Two favorite things/activities that you identify with fall:

(1)That sweet almost fermented smell of apples that have fallen from the tree, not good for anything but keeping yellowjackets happy and maybe some applesauce; and it just isn't fall without pumpkin. Pies, or carved and sitting on the porch, ready to greet the trick-or-treaters.

(2) The yellow-gold of leaves as they get ready to leave their trees and fall to the ground to complete their value as mulch; and the red cheeks of the fans in the stadiums at all the local football games as they rally to support their teams.

(3) Can it be fall without the annual raking of the leaves? Closely followed by Halloween.

(4) "frosty" fall mornings; red-nosed fall mornings.

Visit Tuesday Twosome and tell us what you think of.

Obama and Clinton Captured In Iowa

 

Hillary Clinton was in New Hampton, Iowa this week on Friday, and her rival Obama was there on Sunday. Notice the background corn in the Obama picture? My husband's cousin Charlie was in attendance and snapped these candid shots. Charlie seems to think that one of them will be the next President. Makes one wonder, huh?

By the way, that flap this week about Hillary's laugh...that just irks me as something disrespectful by those who have never been taught any respect for the office-holders. There are those of us who know that there is a lot at stake in the next election, and in my opinion, having a female President is "about time". After all, could she be any worse than the MEN we have had in that position?

A New Genealogy Kid On The Block

I have just done an unofficial review of the newest version of Family Tree Maker (2008) if you would like to take a look at it on iPentimento.

Family Tree Maker 2008 Review: Newer Isn’t Always Better

Also there is a new way to monitor the internet for your ancestors. Read about it in the article below. It's not free, but then, not much is these days, eh?

Wordless Wednesday 3-Oct-2007: Ebay Mosaic

Ebay Mosaic,
originally uploaded by webduckie.

Happy Wordless Wednesday! Thanks for visiting my blog today.These are some of the lovely things I have bought on Ebay.

I'm Older And I Have No Control Of My Car

This last week, over at Factoria Mall in Bellevue, WA there was a real-life moment much like the one in Fried Green Tomatoes where Kathy Bates is vying for a parking spot with two young women. Car plows into TJ Maxx store, injures 1.

I bet it happens more often than we know, but this one made the 5 o'clock news anyway. We have really become an uncivilized bunch of hominids, haven't we? Sheesh!

13 Random Things You May Not Know

1. If you ever need to know who sits on the board of directors for a company, you can check They Rule. You might be surprised at who is making decisions, and how far-reaching their influence might be. The directors are ever changing, but the website is updated (so they say) annually.
2. Were these home-grown hackers, or Taliban hackers putting a hit on the U.S. power grid? We are under siege from all quarters. I don't think it is a case of major paranoia to say that more and more people worldwide are making efforts as quickly as possible to become as self-sufficient as possible.
3. There are no moose in western Washington. After a highly embarrassing post by me on iPentimento where I proclaimed one had been born here, I had to eat crow and disclose that they have not been here for hundreds of years. Mea Culpa. There was a moose on the loose in Spokane, WA yesterday....
4. Today is Google's 9th birthday. Happy Birthday Googlicious!
5. You may object to NASA trying to go back to the moon, but if another country gets there first, have you thought about what it could mean? On any provocation or whim, the country that "controls" the moon could knock out our satellites and all that they control. We aren't just talking about you missing the nightly news or your favorite soap opera!
6. Nerds in Pullman, WA are willing to trade their computer knowledge for a makeover. What a bunch of brave guys. This is all in an effort to get more women into the computer science programs at Washington State University.
7. Washington state does have a castle (of sorts), but not one to rival Fraser Castle as pictured on Alison Lodge's blog Eleanor and Me. The one here is called Thornewood Castle and was the setting for the Steven King movie "Rose Red". Still, it is worth a visit if you should be in the Lakewood, WA area. Rumor has it it's haunted!
8. We lived on Amelia Island, Florida from 1988 until 1992. Our home was about 1/4 mile from the beach, and on cool evenings after supper we would drive to the beach and have a nice walk in the warm water. Most people walk upright on beaches, but on this island (and other beaches in the area) you tend to walk stooped over because you are going to be looking for fossilized shark's teeth. To be specific, we were searching for "the big one"...Megalodon. I have two intact shark's teeth in somewhat good condition, and we have hundreds of much smaller ones we collected through the years. I also have a mammoth tooth I found on Amelia Island north of Main Beach. (The picture is not mine.)
9. Some of the first Black Angus cattle were brought to Texas from Scotland by my sister-in-law's Carstairs ancestors. Or so their family stories tell it. My own ancestor, George Poingdexter/Poindexter came from the Isle of Jersey in 1657, and some family historians state that he brought a Jersey cow with him. Who knows?
10. And four more makes 13....I am running out of time to write this before it becomes Friday!
11. Average Animal Gestation Periods
12. Male Duckbilled Platypus (Platypii?) have  venomous spurs on the male's hind feet are probably used for defense or to help in the capture of small prey such as frogs, but this is not certain. Females do not have the spur, and the specific use of these spurs is still a mystery.
13. Fenton Glass Staying In Business...For Now

Happy Thursday Thirteen!

Spirit Guides, Angels, and Passing Over

I am not sure what I believe about the topic of spirit guides or angels, but I know that when my mom was in her last days, she had a radiant smile on her face, and seemed to be seeing 'something' or 'someone' near the end of the bed. I have read a couple of Sylvia Brown's books, and she talks about there being another dimension or plane that is near to ours but not discernible.

The reason this is even on my mind is that my good friend Sheryl's husband's grandmother died last night here in Washington state, and he is off on a Navy ship somewhere that can't be named. So, she was just over to see her husband's grandmother on Tuesday of this week. She took Grandma a lap robe that I had crocheted when I was last at Sheryl's a few weeks ago. Sheryl's background is that her father is a minister, and even so, she is not a regular church attendee, but she still retains all of the knowledge of prayers, hymns, etc.

When she visited Grandma on Tuesday, she said that she prayed with her and sang a few hymns to her, which seemed to comfort her. Grandma had a caregiver who, as it turns out, professes to have "the sight". Not in a creepy way or anything, but it is just something she can do. Such as, seeing spirits. So, when the visit to Grandma was nearing the time for Sheryl's departure for my house, she asked this caregiver if she could see the angels around Grandma. She said she could. When we are close to crossing over, do you think that the spirits or angels appear and that the person dying can see them, even if we cannot? What are your beliefs?