Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween
It is an absolute treat to be your friend, so I give you a treat....
If you stopped by today, grab this great award, you deserve it...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #53 ~ Halloween
Join in the weekly fun at The T13 Hub
Thirteen THINGS I LIKE ABOUT HALLOWEEN
1.... Making costumes for my kids.
2.... Snitching candy from the kids trick-or-treat bag
3.... the cute costumes little ones wear
4.... horror movie marathons
5.... decorating the house
6.... passing out treats
7.... the joy on my kids faces and others
8.... a good reason to watch Rocky Horror Picture Show
9.... adults who get into the spirit of the holiday
10.... tootsie roll heaven
11.... ghost stories
12.... dressing up
13.... carving a jack-o-lantern and roasting pumpkin seeds
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
I've Been Boo'd and....
My pal Forgetfulone got me...
Now, this is how Blogging Boo will work. Go to as many friends as you want and tell them they've been "Booed". Have them link back to your blog to pick up their Halloween Treat (picture)! Tell them to "Boo" their friends. Then, put the picture in your side bar so everyone knows that you've already been "Booed".
So, are you scared yet!!?? Well, you better be!!! BOO!!!
One more time - the rules - short and sweet!
1. Take picture, put on sidebar
2. Tell people they have been booed
3. Link back to who booed you
Now for the REALLY SCARY PART...I just got hired at Walmart and start next week.
YIKES!
365 or Bust!
I swear I would not be online posting today if it were not for my commitment, as crazy as it was in January to blog 365 days....remind me, what was I thinking?
I have 3 book to read this week for reviews and am only half way through 1 of them....yikes. I need to curl up with some hot tea, a blanket and a book.
So, that's where you will find me today.
I'll be back tomorrow with a Thursday Thirteen of some creation, I just have no idea what.
~ Penelope
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday's Happenings...
The boys had a great Halloween party last night, lots of fun. Of course, silly me I forgot my camera....so hopefully a friend will forward her pics along to me.
Had my 2nd interview at Walmart and as long as I pass my drug test which I head off for in the next few minutes, I will be a cashier very soon. Will let you know my start date.
It's cold here in Wisconsin, winter is quickly knocking on the door wanting in. Frost even at night and some scattered snowflakes the past few days. Bet some of my northern pals have snow on the ground.
I know boring post today, but my hands are cold, I kid you not, and I just feel it may be too late for a HoT post, but who knows time is always the factor and maybe I will post a scary story for you, another Wisconsin haunting.
Until tomorrow or later, 
Monday, October 27, 2008
Who Wants Chocolate?
Everyone, of course, what a silly question right?
Celebrating her 100th post is my pal, Sara at News from NOLA and she's giving away
Click above and enter and give her well wishes.
~ Penelope Anne
Manic Monday - Haunted Wisconsin
See More and Join in CLICK HERE
The Story of Summerwind: WI Most Haunted House
Located on the shores of West Bay Lake, in the far northeast regions of Wisconsin, are the ruins of a once grand mansion that was called Summerwind. The house is long gone now, but the memories remain ... as do the stories and legends of the inexplicable events that once took place there. Summerwind is perhaps Wisconsin’s most haunted house, or at least it was, before fire and the elements of nature destroyed her. Regardless, even the ravages of time cannot destroy the haunted history of the house.
The mansion was built in 1916 by Robert P. Lamont as a summer home for he and his family. Nestled on the shores of the lake, the house caught the cool breezes of northern Wisconsin and provided a comfortable place for Lamont to escape the pressures of everyday life in Washington D.C., as he would later go on to serve as the Secretary of Commerce under President Herbert Hoover.
But life was not always sublime at Summerwind during the years of the Lamont family. For those who claim that the ghost stories of the house were "created" in later years, they forget the original tale of Robert Lamont’s encounter with a spirit. Legends of the house say that Lamont actually fired a pistol at a ghost that he believed was an intruder. The bullet holes in the basement door from the kitchen remained for many years.
Upon the death of Robert Lamont, the house was sold ... and sold again. It seemed that nothing out of the ordinary really happened there, save for Lamont’s encounter with the phantom intruder, until the early 1970's. It was in this period that the family living in the house was nearly destroyed ... supposedly by ghosts.
Arnold Hinshaw, his wife Ginger, and their six children, moved into Summerwind in the early part of the 1970's. They would only reside in the house for six months, but it would be an eventful period of time.
From the day that they moved in, they knew strange things were going on in the house. It had been vacant for some time ... but it had apparently been occupied by otherworldly visitors. The Hinshaws, and their children, immediately started to report vague shapes and shadows flickering down the hallways. They also claimed to hear mumbled voices in darkened, empty rooms. When they would walk inside, the sounds would quickly stop. Most alarming was the ghost of the woman who was often seen floating back and forth just past some French doors that led off from the dining room.
The family wondered if they were simply imagining things but continued events convinced them otherwise. Appliances, a hot water heater and a water pump would mysteriously break down and then repair themselves before a serviceman could be called.
Windows and doors that were closed would reopen on their own. One particular window, which proved especially stubborn, would raise and lower itself at all hours. Out of desperation, Arnold drove a heavy nail through the window casing and it finally stayed closed.
On one occasion, Arnold walked out to his car to go to work and the vehicle suddenly burst into flames. No one was near it and it is unknown whether the source of the fire was supernatural in origin or not, but regardless, no cause was ever found for it.
Despite the strange activity, the Hinshaws wanted to make the best of the historic house so they decided to hire some men to make a few renovations. It was most common for the workers to not show up for work, usually claiming illness, although a few of them simply told her that they refused to work on Summerwind ... which was reputed to be haunted. That was when the Hinshaws gave up and decided to try and do all of the work themselves.
One day they began painting a closet in one of the bedrooms. A large shoe drawer was installed in the closet’s back wall and Arnold pulled it out so that he could paint around the edges of the frame. When he did, he noticed that there seemed to be a large, dark space behind the drawer.
Ginger brought him a flashlight and he wedged himself into the narrow opening as far as his shoulders. He looked around with the flashlight and then suddenly jumped back, scrambling away from the opening. He was both frightened and disgusted ... there was some sort of corpse jammed into the secret compartment!
Believing that an animal had crawled in there and died many years ago, Arnold tried to squeeze back in for a closer look. He couldn’t make out much of anything, so when the children came home from school, he recruited his daughter Mary to get a better look. Mary took the flashlight and crawled inside. Moments later, she let out a scream ... it was a human corpse! She uncovered a skull, still bearing dirty black hair, a brown arm and a portion of a leg.
Why the Hinshaws never contacted the authorities about this body is unknown. Was the story concocted later to fit into the tales of "haunted" Summerwind? Or was their reasoning the truth ... that the body had been the result of a crime that took place many years ago, far too long for the police to do anything about it now.
Had they been thinking things through, they might have realized that this body might have been the cause of much of the supernatural activity in the house ... removing it might have laid the ghost to rest, so to speak.
Regardless, they left the corpse where they found it ... but it will figure into our story once again.
Shortly after the discovery of the body in the hidden compartment, things started to take a turn for the worse at Summerwind.
Arnold began staying up very late at night and playing a Hammond organ that the couple had purchased before moving into the house. He had always enjoyed playing the organ, using it as a form of relaxation, but his playing now was different. His playing became a frenzied mixture of melodies that seemed to make no sense, and grew louder as the night wore on. Ginger pleaded with him to stop but Arnold claimed the demons in his head demanded that he play. He often crashed the keys on the organ until dawn, frightening his wife and children so badly that they often huddled together in one bedroom, crying and cowering in fear.
Arnold had a complete mental breakdown and at the same time, Ginger attempted suicide.
Were the stories of strange events at Summerwind merely the result of two disturbed minds? It might seem so ... but what about the children? They also reported the ghostly encounters. Were they simply influenced by their parents questionable sanity ... or were the stories real?
The family’s connection with the house would continue for years to come.
While Arnold was sent away for treatment, Ginger and the children moved to Granton, Wisconsin to live with Ginger’s parents. Ginger and Arnold would eventually be divorced when it looked as though Arnold’s hopes for recovery were failing. Ginger later recovered her health, away from Summerwind at last, and she married a man named George Olsen.
Things seemed to be going quite well for her in her new peaceful life, until a few years later, when her father announced that he was going to buy Summerwind.
Raymond Bober was a popcorn vendor and businessman who with his wife Marie, planned to turn the old mansion into a restaurant and an inn. He believed that the house would attract many guests to the scenic location on the lake.
They had no idea what had happened to their daughter in the house.
Ginger was horrified at her parent’s decision. She had never given them all of the details about what had happened during the six months that she had lived in the house and she refused to do so now. What she did do was to beg them not to buy Summerwind.
Bober’s mind was made up however. He announced that he realized the house was haunted, but this would not deter him. He claimed that he had spent time at the house and knew the identity of the ghost that was haunting the place.
According to Bober, the ghost was a man named Jonathan Carver, an eighteenth century British explorer who was haunting the house and searching for an old deed that had been given to him by the Sioux Indians. In the document, he supposedly had the rights to the northern third of Wisconsin. The deed had supposedly been placed in a box and sealed into the foundation of Summerwind. Bober claimed that Carver had asked his help in finding it.
Bober wrote a book about his experiences at Summerwind and his communications with Carver through dreams, trances and a Ouija board. The book was published in 1979 under the name of Wolffgang von Bober and was called THE CARVER EFFECT. It is currently out-of-print and very hard to find.
Shortly after Bober bought the house, he, his son Karl, Ginger and her new husband, George, spent a day exploring and looking over the house. The group had wandered through the place and as they were leaving the second floor, George spotted the closet where the secret compartment was hidden. He began pulling out the drawers and looking behind them, although Ginger begged for him to stop.
George was confused. He had simply been curious as to what might be in the drawers. Up until then, Ginger had never told anyone about finding the body behind the closet. Sitting in the kitchen later, she would tell them everything.
After hearing the story, the men rushed back upstairs and returned to the closet. Ginger’s brother, Karl, climbed into the space with a light and looked around. In a few moments, he climbed back out ... it was empty!
Bober and George also inspected the small space and found nothing. Where had the corpse gone? Had it been removed, either by natural or supernatural forces?
Or, most importantly, had it ever really been there at all?
Toward the end of that Summer, Karl traveled alone to the old house. He had gone to get a repair estimate on some work to be done on the house and to check with someone about getting rid of the bats which were inhabiting the place. He also planned to do some yard work and to get the place cleaned up a little.
It started to rain the first day that he was there and he began closing some of the windows. He was upstairs, in the dark hallway, and heard a voice call his name. He looked around but there was no one there. Karl closed the window and went downstairs. He walked into the front room and heard what sounded like two pistol shots! He ran into the kitchen and found the room filled with smoke and the acrid smell of gunpowder ... apparently someone had fired a gun inside of the house!
Karl searched the place, finding the doors locked and undisturbed. There appeared to be no one inside and he returned to the kitchen. He began looking around the room and discovered two bullet holes in the door leading down to the basement. He examined them closely and realized that they were not new holes at all ... but old bullet holes that had worn smooth around the edges.
They were apparently holes left behind from Robert Lamont’s encounter with a ghost in the kitchen. Perhaps events from the past were replaying themselves at Summerwind!
No matter what the explanation, it was enough for Karl and he left the house that afternoon.
The plans to turn the house into a restaurant did not go smoothly. Workmen refused to stay on the job, complaining of tools disappearing and feelings as if they were being watched. Marie Bober agreed with their complaints. She was always uneasy in the house and frequently told people that she felt as if she was followed from place to place whenever she was inside.
Most disturbing to Bober however was the apparent shrinkage and expansion of the house. Bober would measure rooms one day and then find that they were a different size the next day. Usually, his measurements were larger than those given in the blueprints of the house ... sometime greatly larger. At one point, Bober estimated that he could seat 150 people in his restaurant but after laying out his plans on the blueprints of Summerwind, he realized that the place could seat half that many.
Photographs that were taken of the house, using the same camera and taken only seconds apart, also displayed the variations of space. The living room was said to show the greatest enlargement.
Bober compared his photos of the living room with those that Ginger had taken when she and Arnold moved in. Ginger’s photos showed curtains on the windows that she took with her when she moved out. The curtains were physically absent in the room that Bober photographed ... but somehow they appeared in his photos!
Like the incident involving Karl and the pistol shots, could Summerwind be a place where time inexplicably repeats itself? Perhaps the place wasn’t haunted at all, but instead, was a mysterious site where time was distorted in ways that we cannot understand. Perhaps the shadows and figures that were seen could have been people or images from the past (or the future) and perhaps the sound of someone calling Karl’s name would happen in reality ... several months later.
We will never know for sure now, but the idea is something worth considering.
Eventually, the project was abandoned and Bober would never see the dream of his restaurant and inn. Strangely though, despite his claims that he was an earthly companion of the ghostly Jonathan Carver, the Bobers never spent the night inside of the house. They chose instead to sleep in an RV that they parked on the grounds. Also strange was the fact that Carver (if the ghost existed) chose to manifest himself in such malevolent ways ... especially if he was looking for help in finding his deed.
Bober’s explanation for this was that Carver resented anyone living in the house or trying to renovate the place, at least until the deed was found. Bober spent many days searching the basement for where the deed might be hidden, chipping the foundation and peering into dark holes and crevices.
To this day, the mysterious deed has never been found.
In the years that followed Bober’s abandonment of Summerwind, a number of skeptics came forward to poke holes in some of Bober’s claims. Many of their counter-claims, however, have been nearly as easy to discredit as some of Bober’s original ones.
Obviously, we are never going to know for sure if Summerwind was really haunted. The house is gone now and we are left with only the claims, reports and witness accounts of Bober and his family.
We can examine the claims of the family, and the skeptics, and try to make sense of it all.
In 1983, a freelance writer named Will Pooley set out to gather the facts behind the story and discredit it. His research claimed that even if Bober had found Carver’s deed, it would have been worthless. He based these findings on the fact that the British government ruled against an individual’s purchase of Indian land and also that the Sioux had never claimed land west of the Mississippi River.
First of all, the land was not sold to Carver, it was given to him in return for assistance that he had given to the Indians, so British law would not have ruled against this. On the other subject, the Sioux Indians were not a single tribe, they were an entire nation, made up of many different tribes. It is possible, and very likely, that one tribe that belonged to the Sioux nation could have lived in Wisconsin. The white settlers pushed the Indians further and further west and as this particular tribe abandoned their lands, they could have deeded them to Carver.
Pooley also argued that the deed to the property had been located in the old land office in Wausau, Wisconsin in the 1930's and that it is unlikely that Carver even journeyed as far north as West Bay Lake.
But would he have had to have traveled to northern Wisconsin to hold a deed to the land? And why would there not have been another deed filed for that piece of land? Someone could have claimed it many years later, not even realizing that Carver already held the title to it.
He also argued that the deed could have never been placed in the foundation of the house anyway ... Summerwind had been built more than 130 years after Carver died. To this, it can only be argued that many events of the supernatural world go unexplained.
One man that Pooley did talk to however, was Herb Dickman of Land 'O Lakes, Wisconsin. He had helped pour the foundation for the house in 1916 and recalled that nothing had been placed in the foundation ... a box containing a deed or anything else. So, who really knows?
Apparently, Bober was not always the most credible person either. Residents who lived close to Summerwind said that Bober spent less than two summers at the estate. After abandoning plans for the restaurant, he tried to get a permit to operate a concession stand near the house but local ordinances prohibited this. Perhaps he was planning the idea of tours of the "haunted" house ... and idea that would come along a little later.
There was even some uncertainty as to whether or not Bober even owned Summerwind. One area resident told Pooley that Bober had tried to buy the house on a contract-for-deed but the deal had fallen through. The house had been abandoned and no one laid claim to it, save for the bank, and they never realized what Bober was up to out there. This story has never been verified however and it cannot be proven that Bober did not own the place.
So how much of the story that Bober wrote about in his book is true? Was the house really haunted, or was the story of the haunting merely a part of a scheme by Raymond Bober to draw crowds to a haunted restaurant?
Those who live near the house claim that the idea that it is haunted has all come from the fact that the mansion was abandoned and from Bober’s wild claims. But what else would they say?
These neighbors have often made it very clear that they resent the strangers who have come to the property, tramping over their lawns and knocking on their doors. They say that the chartered buses that once came and dumped would-be ghost hunters onto the grounds of Summerwind were also unwelcome. These are the last people to ask for an objective opinion on whether this house is actually haunted.
So there remains the mystery ... was Summerwind really haunted? No one knows and if they do, they aren’t saying.
The house was completely abandoned in the early 1980's and fell deeper and deeper into ruin. Bats had already taken up residence years before and the house became a virtual shell, resting there in a grove of pines. The windows were shattered and the doors hung open, inviting nature’s destructive force inside.
In 1986, the house was purchased by three investors who apparently thought that they could make a go of the place again. But it was not to be ... forces greater than man had other ideas. Summerwind was struck by lightning during a terrible storm in June of 1988 and burned to the ground.
Today, only the foundations, the stone chimneys and perhaps the ghosts remain ...
© Copyright 2001 by Troy Taylor.
***************************************
This story has always intrigued me. It is one of many stories that I have heard of haunted Wisconsin.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Items for Sale at the Shop
Help support your Mama Bear's craft career, check out the current items available...new items to be posted this week.
Craft supplies:
yarn lot New low price of $15 S&H included. Goes to eBay at the end of the week.
Scarves
Blue Spark Deco
Autumn Blues
Pink Frost
Purple Haze
Red Hat Bliss
SCENTED Trivets
Bloggin' the Blessings ~ Scouting for Food
Finding a blessing this week was very easy. Yesterday was the annual Scouting for Food Drive and we rocked it. Our neighborhood helped an empty food pantry become full again, and if that wasn't a blessing to be proud of I do not know what more could have been. To see the food pantry people so thrilled as we unloaded vehicle after vehicle of full food bags was heart warming to say the least.
On other fronts:
I have my 2nd interview at Walmart Monday afternoon, a financial blessing maybe.
I might have determined why I am so tired, now to test the theory.
Nikolaus is loving his job.
Papa Bear has been a happier fellow this past week.
May your Sunday be blessed as well.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
guest host
Hello my name is Zak.
I will be presenting you with some music and such.
Be forwarned this is my type of music so some of you may not like it.
I apologize about this but I cant make everyone happy.
first up "disturbed" with inside the fire and Indestructable
Inside the Fire
Indestructable
now "Linkin Park"
faint
"One step closer"
now the "Foo Fighters"
let it die
"three days grace"
its not to late
Thats it for now,I leave you now to puzzle why my mother let me do this.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Get Your Frivie Laugh On. It's Friday
Snag the graphic, and join in.
CONSUMER WARNING...
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
SEXY COWS...
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
VIDEO JOKE OF THE WEEK...
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
BLOGGIN HUMOR
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
CUTE KITTEN IN 1..2..3..
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Comment Issue - Change Your Settings
I took the advice of a very smart friend and changed my settings and now the comment window has returned.
Go figure.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Blogger Preventing Comments???
Is everyone else having problems with certain blogger blogs, including this one, in leaving comments? I ran into 7 this morning in my rounds and boy does that irk me.
Know I love you and meant to comment...and I'll know the same until things get fixed. I checked my settings though, and nothing is different there. Off to pester Blogger. 
Thursday Thirteen #52~ WI Vanity Plates
Join in the weekly fun at The T13 Hub
Thirteen WI VANITY PLATES EDITION 6
1.... GOLDOG
2.... HUG ALU
3.... POOPSR
4.... DPC DYVR
5.... BRMSTK1
6.... ROOTBR
7.... CHZHEDS
8.... IMLUMPY
9.... MS COURT
10.... GRASS
11.... PLMTREE
12.... TCHRZ PT
13.... VLT LADY
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Go Green This Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner and I know that the prospects of putting together another costume, throwing another party and accommodating a hundred trick-or-treaters seems daunting. I'm here to tell you it can be easy as pie. To the left is my son Zak at age 2 in a homemade costume, which was nothing more than a warm sweatsuit fabric painted by mama to make a cute elf. Big hit, kept him warm, and easier than getting him into any costume...he loved the outfit. It is saved for one of his children as is his next costume... the pumpkin. This was a $1 turtle neck and a sailor hat, made into a pumpkin costume. he hated the act of getting dressed but loved the great comments his costume got. he also is sporting something else my children have always used, reusable cloth trick-or-treat bags, made by mama. Fabric $1/half yard ~ sew into bag, add elastic handles and it will last forever.
The point I am trying to make is that Halloween does not have to be about the fanciest, most expensive costume, it is not about impressing everyone else...it is about having fun. Most of our costumes have been handmade over the years, right down to mine and Papa Bears. They have then been handed down to friends and family for future use or saved. Go to the local thrift store play around...I've created pirate costumes 4 times that way for under $5, even for myself. Save the environment and make a bag, use a washable pillowcase, or ask me I'll whip up a bag for you easily.What about treats...we all know that while homemade would be delightful that for safety reasons most parents will not allow children to eat them. So why not give something different than the usual candy? The year I dressed as the Cat in the Hat we gave out books I got via Book clubs. We have given fun pencils, mini games, and the kids love them.
You know what else is fun? A giveaway, and that folks is why I have shared about my homemade, eco-friendly Halloweens past...right now at the Library at the END of the Universe you can enter to win your very own copy of the awesome book...Celebrate Green
Heads or Tails #31 ~ Stop the Presses!
Spread the news, send it over the wire, stop the presses! The same crazed idiot who stole my ZIP, done stole the BOMP from my Bompity Bompty Bomp too. This is getting simply ridiculous. Good news I did schedule a doctor's appointment to see if these items can be recovered.
More good news, Papa Bear is back to using the wire, welding that is at work, and things aren't as bad as they could have been. More trips to the EAP counselor, but he retained his pay and position. He is however, on tender hooks for one year. At least we don't face too much change, and maybe there will be changes for the better after all of this is said and done. The rumor wires at work spread fast during the time Papa Bear was home and well, it hasn't resulted in all bad.
Now, I must get showered and teach the boys about the Bill of Rights and Cheyla about the 50 States.
Until tomorrow this has been a Heads or Tails sponsored post. 
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thanks to Last Week's EC Advertisers
Advertisers at The Cafe at the END of the Universe were...
Monday ~ Sorry I could not get on site
Tuesday ~ Not Just a Mama
Wednesday ~ West of Mars
Thursday ~ the lighter side
Friday ~ The Zoo Crew
Saturday ~ Tasteful Voyage
Sunday ~ The Wise ('Young") Mommy
Make sure to stop by the...
The Author's Lounge at the END of the Universe, The Library at the END of the Universe & The Shop at the END of the Universe.
Someone took the ZIP from Zippity Zippt' Zip
And I'd really like it back.
I have felt like someone sucked the energy right out of me for the past week and it has been ridiculous.
I wake up and an hour later I'm ready to take a nap, and when I nap I can go down for hours.
Let me say it is really hard to keep up with the kids and husband this way.
I am just going to have to force myself to stay awake. Papa Bear says take a walk when I feel the most sleepy so that is my plan.
I have homeschooling to do, sewing to do, crafts to do, and the never ending housework to do too.
I hate this. 
Sunday, October 19, 2008
My Sweet Husband A True Blessing
This past week has been a difficult one in the bear household.
My dear Papa Bear, the kindest man you could know was accused of something ridiculous at work, and suspended with pay for the past week.
Someone deigned to say that my dear man threatened to bring a high powered rifle to work and take care of his boss. Police were called, no such evidence, Papa Bear was quite cooperative.
Yet, because of hearsay his job now stands on a teetering precipice. He returns to work tomorrow, but not to the same department, we do not know if he will lose pay but that is a possibility, and he is being required to sign a "last chance" statement. Three years almost of good work, dedication, overtime, and then some and this is the result. Someone starts a rumor, unfounded, and this happens. So much for the Union too, don't get me started on the farce they are being in the way of help.
I want people to know the man I married would never do such a thing, never say it, never act on it. He's not perfect but damn close.
I trust him with my heart and soul.
Regardless, he is a blessing for me, always will be.
Pray for us, as we face this new change.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Photo Hunters #24 ~ Family
See Other Hunters @ THE LODGE
Once it was just me...
Then it became WE...
and then we added three...
The Bear Family...
Laughing, Living and Loving 17 Years Strong.
Frivolity in 1..2..3...
No, how about...
A JOKE INSTEAD?
Bill Gates died and went to Heaven.
Saint Peter showed him to his house, a small cottage on a tiny plot in the woods. The closets were full of simple but servicable clothing, and the kitchen was stocked with the basic needs. Bill slowly settled into a modest and quiet life in heaven.
One day, Bill was walking in one of Heaven's many fine parks, when he ran into a man dressed in a fine tailored suit.
"That is a nice suit, my friend," said Gates. "Where did you get it?"
"Actually," the man replied, "I was given a hundred of these when I got here. I've been treated really well. I got a mansion on a hill overlooking a beautiful lake. I have a huge five-hundred acre estate, a golf course, tennis courts and three Rolls Royces."
"Were you the Pope, or a doctor who healed the sick?" asked Gates.
"No," said his new friend, "Actually, I was the captain of the Titanic."
Hearing this made Gates so angry that he immediately stalked off to find St. Peter.
Cornering St. Peter, Bill told him about the man he had just met, saying, "How could you give me a paltry new house, while you're showering new cars, a mansion, and fine suits on the Captain of the Titanic? I invented the Windows operating system! Why does he deserve better?"
"Well, we even use Windows here in heaven," replied Peter, "and the Titanic only crashed once."
HOW YOU KNOW THE ECONOMY IS BAD...
CUTE KITTEN MOMENT IN 1..2..3..
CARTOON OF THE WEEK
ADVICE OF THE WEEK
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mama Done Hibernated
So, for some reason my mind and body were in full sleep mode most of today, and thus I hibernated a little early and hopefully only for one day.
Be back tomorrow with Frivolous Friday.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Take Me Away
No really I need a vacation, days of rest and relaxation would be the best thing ever. And that folks is seriously all I have to say today. 
Monday, October 13, 2008
Entrecard Advertisers of the Week
Advertisers at The Cafe at the END of the Universe were...
MJG's Rambling Thoughts
Simply Euphoric
My Gypsygoods
Grandmother Wren
News from NOLA
Puss Reboots
E-Pamilya
Make sure to stop by the...
The Author's Lounge at the END of the Universe, The Library at the END of the Universe & The Shop at the END of the Universe.
Monday Morning Recap of the weekend
Meet Troop 607, at the least the guys of the bunch, guess who is behind the camera? This was the start of our lumberjack adventure where we learned about branding the logs. Here is Zachary standing on the logs with a brand between them...
After this we went to the physical stage of the day starting with an event called the Keiser, aka log splitting, one of our boys won this event with the longest distance of moving the log with the mallet.
Here's Zachary in action...
From there it was on to the log pull. An exciting and grueling event that caught two of our young scouts off guard, we needed to remind one that when you fall, let go of the rope! From there was the bell ring, fun when the contraption stayed together. We had some surprises from the younger scouts getting the bell. Zachary missed the target a few times but did ring that bell baby...
From here we were on to the log roll, which was hilarious to watch but impossible to photograph for the most part as was the tomahawk throw, but the boys had a major blast at both events. as for me I did not get down to the last two events of the day for the troop - log cutting with the two-man saws & flapjack flipping. The boys were not overly impressed with either.
The fall colors were beautiful and I should have taken some pictures but of course didn't. I had a nice time camping, loved the campfire time, and we enjoyed mouth watering steak for Saturday supper. The only rough parts of the weekend were setting up in the dark Friday, and the hasty camp breakdown Sunday morning due to one of the adults needing to be home for work.
Once I got home we went to lunch at my in-laws and I got to see my nephews. Then it was home for a much needed nap.
Tonight is the Court of Honor for the troop, so it will be a busy night, but fun. Time for the awards earned at summer camp.
Until tomorrow folks. 
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I return...
Yes, I managed to return from my adventure in the semi-north woods of Wisconsin and I SURVIVED 8 boys ages 11-16, 1 guy that thinks he's an adult acts like a kid, and 2 grown men who were not my husband for two whole days and nights. Some one remind me that I must be crazy!
Actually other than my knee joint locking up and giving me grief all weekend, it was a great weekend. The boys got to experience lumberjack games, and we even had one boy win an award. I hiked lots, ate great...honest. Laughed with the boys, joked with the guys, and slept darned good though I did miss Papa Bear.
It did not rain, and I got some great pictures. Will share some of Zak in action tomorrow, but I am seriously committed to this Blog 365, and shall not surrender to that when I can survive a Boy Scout Camporee on my own, yes, I am a big girl Boy Scout now. 
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Frivolity Must Ensue it's FRIDAY
Join in, get silly, graphic is yours to use.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
VIDEO JOKE OF THE WEEK
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
CUTE KITTEN IN 1...2...3...
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
QUIZ OF THE WEEK
You Are Rain |
 You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming. Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you. You are best known for: your touch Your dominant state: changing |
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
ADVICE OF THE WEEK
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #51 ~ Things not to SAY on your wedding night
Join in the weekly fun at The T13 Hub
Thirteen THINGS NOT TO SAY ON YOUR WEDDING NIGHT
1.... So that's why they call you MR. Flash!
2.... When would you like to meet my parents?
3.... Hic! I need another beer for this please.
4.... You give me reason to conclude that foreplay is overrated.
5.... I'll tell you who I'm fantasizing about if you tell me who you're fantasizing about.
6.... Can you please pass me the remote control?
7.... On second thought, let's turn off the lights.
8.... Maybe we should call Dr. Ruth...
9.... Did you know the ceiling needs painting?
10.... You're good enough to do this for a living!
11.... It's nice being in bed with a woman I don't have to inflate!
12.... I was so horny tonight I would have taken a duck home!
13.... You're almost as good as my ex!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
That was quick
I applied Sunday online to work at Walmart and I have an interview Thursday at 5.
Guess fate intervened, thankfully Nikolaus does not mind that I will be working with him.
Also spent some time sorting through my craft supplies, got some game plans set up for craft items to make and sell, and to make and give as gifts.
~ Penelope Anne
So I'm Stressin'
Life has been hectic and kind of heinous as of late.
Our financial situation has fallen in the outhouse again, and thus I, not being able to sell enough stuff online, am hitting the pavement and on the job prowl again. Have 2 applications in currently and another to complete. The sad part, I am competing with my own son for a job. Zachary wants to get a job, and he has limited places he can go because he is only 15, but I need to stay within certain parameters also because of my health and our lack of a 2nd vehicle. Bus route or walking distance is key for me.
Papa Bear is unhappy at work, and I admit that while I know he won't do anything stupid it is hard to know what to say. With the economy it scares me to think of him giving up a very decent paycheck, but I also hate seeing him unhappy and even angry.
The homeschooling is happening but not as well as I would like but at this stage we are pretty locked in with the boys and I doubt Micheyla would want to do the real school thing.
Health wise I am not 100%, as usual, but I guess I never will be.
My mom, who I have not talked to in months called yesterday...that was interesting, but she has not changed.
My mother-in-law has become a pest over wanting me to join her in a Bible study group and no amount of me saying no keeps her from calling and it is driving me battier than usual.
I just feel wound very tight and I know one of these days I am going to unwind but not in a good way, it will not be relaxation.
I'm also having chest pains, I don't think they are heart related but they are starting to bother me.
Do you ever just want to curl up and cry? Guess I'm feeling that way at the moment...and then I think what right do I have to be in self pity mode when there are others who far worse off than we are...
Life, it is not a winning situation.
Heads or Tails #30 Black or White
Join in the Rainbow, simply click HERE
Theme: HEADS *OR* TAILS - Black *OR* White
How about some drinks?
How to Make a Black CowRegion appears to dictate the name and contents of this cold, sweet drink. Known as a root beer float, a black cow, a brown cow, and a sassy cow, this all-American favorite is a snap to make.
Step 2 Add the vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.
Step 3 Slowly pour in cold soda until the glass is full.
Step 4 Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.
Step 5 Serve with a straw and long-handled spoon.
Looking for something a little harder? How about a White Russian?1 1/2 oz Vodka
3/4 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz Light Cream or Milk
Mix the vodka and kahlua together then float the cream on top. Add ice if desired.
And you know me, we need some music to end this post...
Monday, October 06, 2008
Manic Monday #6 ~ Leaf
Join in the fun, CLICK HERE
I thought it was a good day for some poetry...
'Fall, leaves, fall'
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night's decay
Ushers in a drearier day.
© Emily Jane Brontë
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Advertiser's of the Week
Advertisers at The Cafe at the END of the Universe were...
Autumn at Oak Hollow
The Q Family Adventure
It Is Nap Time
Everyone's Child
Creating Life
Life's a Pizza Pie
Blogging MoRe
Make sure to stop by the...
The Author's Lounge at the END of the Universe, The Library at the END of the Universe & The Shop at the END of the Universe.
Sunday Babbling ~ Recipe included
Yeah, I am recharged but far from raring to go, so much to do, so little ambition...
So I figured I would revisit the few Sunday memes I have been known to do.
Hosted by NeoBluePanther
How am I blessed this particular Sunday morning? I am blessed with a precious family that comes together to get a job done when needed, but also can relax together.
We have had much financial woe in the household as of late, and thus we have had to make some hard choices, like me applying for a job. With my health it is not a joy but a necessity and together as a family we agree we will make it work even if I cannot get a job. We know we are not alone in struggling to make ends meet so I am thankful that we have the chance to do what we must when we must. Have I mentioned I love my family?
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
Currently unhosted, a recipe meme
Mom's Chinese Cold Ramen Salad
1 pkg coleslaw mix
5 green onions sliced
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C butter
2 pkg chicken flavored ramen(crushed)
3/4 C sliced almonds
1/4 C vinegar
1/2 C sugar
1 C oil
3 tbs soy sauce
Ramen seasoning
Mix Coleslaw Mix, onions, and sunflower seeds in a LARGE bowl.
Melt butter and saute almonds and crushed ramen until starts to turn brown. Remove from heat.
Mix vinegar, sugar, oil, soy sauce, and seasoning in jar. Shake well.
Immediately before serving mix Ramen, coleslaw mixture and sauce in LARGE bowl.
This is great for pot lucks as you can carry the bowl with the Ramen in a baggie, and the jar with the sauce. Just dump all together as you set it on the table. Goes great with ham!
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
I would do a Weekend Snapshot but I purposely hid the camera, you do not want to see us on a lazy weekend.
Make sure to stop by the Author's Lounge for some new writings.
Why Parents Drink ~ A Joke
'Is your daddy home?' he asked.
'Yes' whispered the small voice.
May I talk with him?'
The child whispered, 'No.'
Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, 'Is your Mommy there?'
'Yes.'
'May I talk with her?'
Again the small voice whispered, 'No.'
Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, 'Is anybody else there?'
'Yes,' whispered the child, 'a policeman'.
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, 'May I speak with the policeman?'
'No, he's busy', whispered the child.
'Busy doing what?'
'Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman,' came the whispered answer.
Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, 'What is that noise?'
'A helicopter' answered the whispering voice.
'What is going on there?' demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.
Again, whispering, the child answered, 'The search team just landed a helicopter.'
Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, 'What are they searching for?'
Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle...
'ME.'
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Some Days you Just Feel Lazy
...and today was one of them, I slept today. Other than a foray to the grocery store, I have slept and you know something I don't feel guilty at all, because some days you just have to allow yourself to be lazy.
So if you don't like that term go for...
battery recharging
building up the energy stores
I did them both today.
See you Sunday!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Frivie Friday ~ Get Your Laugh On
Join the fun, snag this graphic and post frivolity on Friday!
GOVERNMENT ON POINT
^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^
JOKE OF THE WEEK
The grandma had a cute dog. One day her grandson comes for a visit.
- Grandma what’s the dog’s name? – he asks.
- His name is Egypt. – she replies.
- O that’s a strange name for a dog. Why did you give him such a name?
- Because in every room he has made a little pyramid.
^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^
CUTE KITTEN IN 1...2...3...
^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^
COMIC OF THE WEEK
^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^
QUIZ OF THE WEEK
Your Pirate Name Is... |
 Skull Crusher One Eye |
^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^
THE PICTURE SAYS IT ALL...
^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^
WARNING OF THE WEEK
What is the Country in For?
So, I watched a portion of the Vice Presidential Debate last night and I am scared. Who the heck is going to lead this country.
I want to stay 100% behind Barack Obama, but I admit there are times I waver, but stand strong I never waver in the direction of the McCain/Palin ticket.
I waver instead about wondering if my vote will count, yet again. Never fear I will vote, but as a friend and I recently discussed we need to focus more on our local and state government elections too, because no matter who lands in the White House, it will be the senators and representatives that make the real difference.
SO PLEASE VOTE!
Become informed and make sure you send the right people forward for your state.
As for President, once again I'll vote for the lesser of two evils.
Okay, I could never vote for Palin, she is such a ditz. She clearly does not speak for me....I am not a soccer/hockey mom, and I know I did not marry a Joe Six-pack!!!!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #50 ~ My Before 50 Bucket List
Join in the weekly fun at The T13 Hub
Thirteen THINGS I'D LIKE TO DO BEFORE I TURN 50
1.... Hike the Ice Age Trail
2.... Visit Canada
3.... Go on an Alaskan Cruise
4.... Watch my sons & daughter marry
5.... Become a grandmother
6.... Visit Italy
7.... Sell my first Novel (My writing)
8.... Start my craft business
9.... Hike the Appalachian Trail
10.... Read all of the books on my TBR list
11.... Get my diabetes under control
12.... Renew my wedding vows
13.... Go on a tropical honeymoon with Papa Bear
Pop over to the Library for TT #8 ~ Great Picture Books for Kids
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
October's blue ribbon Blogger
The Cafe at the END of the Universe
selects a blog to be the feature
blog of the month.
any blog could win this honor,
but something about that blog makes them
stand out in my mind...
With that the SEPTEMBER
is....
Mary, The Teach of Work of the Poet
A college teacher of literature, blogging and beginning computers. A fellow Gemini, a great friend, a wonderful lady and the hostess with the mostess of Ruby Tuesdays.
Congrats my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September Top Ten Entrecard Droppers
of September 2008 were:
Blogging MoRe
Winner of 200 EC for being the top dropper this month!
My gypsygoods 26
Acakadut 25
Happy Thoughts, Happy Tot 24
New Orleans Food & Fun 24
The Esoterical Journey 23
The Wise (*Young*) Mommy 23
Oh Fer Cryin' Out Loud 22
The Pond 22
Havoc & Mayhem 21
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
