Economy will get worse before it gets better

We have enjoyed our time in California. We have had cool, rain and now sunny weather, temps in the high 70's.

If California is a bellweather for the rest of the country we are in trouble. The state is short billions, El Dorado county will have to borrow millions. There was a big jump of foreclosures in April. People are pulling their children out of private schools and putting them in public. Yes this has affected people that were already living beyond their means but it is also affecting the frugal people.

I have happily traveled to old town Folsum and the little towns of Sutter Creek and Placerville. All share the same signs of the sinking economy. The little downtown streets are peppered with out-of-business restaurants and shops. Every small business closed means a loss of jobs.

So, I am predicting things are going to get much worse before they get better.

IF DOGS CAN DO IT - SO CAN I

Live in the Moment. This came to me driving up Highway 45 in Mississippi on the way to Memphis. Time stands still in little towns with names like Chunchula, Buckatoona, Tupelo and Citronelle. I actually saw two old guys sitting in a breakfast place just passing the time. Along the back country roads there were signs for yard sales and homemade purses. Pine forests, country churches. There were wood crafts, bird houses and red dirt roads. I'm thinkin some of those people had lived there all their lives and never ventured to far away.

At any rate. I am trying to hold myself to living in the moment.

We are in Memphis until Monday when we board the night train for CHI town.

This morning we watched 4 yr old Ethan play soccer, his daddy is the coach. We went to visit their house in the country. Then we went to lunch at Arlington Barbeque in Arlington Tenn. Yum. Gregory and Cristi have a beautiful house and two really cute children.

Crummy Art Supplies

My talented niece posted a blog entry about "Mr. Sketch" markers. That got me thinking about one of my pet peeves. The lousy art supplies marketed to unsuspecting parents by our favorite importer of chinese products "Wallmart". (on a side note, I only go in Wallmart when I absolutely have no other choice).

Every school year bins full of dried up practically worthless rose art markers, elmers glue sticks and crummy no name colored pencils are pedaled as school supplies. This stuff is practially worthless, low quality and pitiful. One can purchase a good quality glue stick at Michaels for around $1.00, it will last the entire school year. Crayola makes some good quality markers that will outlast those cheap rose art things. Use your Michaels 40% off coupon to purchase some artist quality prisma color pencils. They are blendable and will last all school year and beyond.

Recently I took Jack to the Art Museum in Mobile. This museum has a children's section on the first floor. It was a Saturday and as usual we were the ONLY people in the children's section. There are a lot of hands on projects for kids, giant Lego's and plenty of art projects for children to start. There are also hundreds of dried out, spent, ruined markers. Empty pads of paper. Broken equipment, It was pitiful. I emailed the Director of the Museum of the pitiful shape of his children's section and he said he would inform the education director. The Art Museum in Montgomery is hands down 100 times better and there is NO fee!!!!!!!!

Cooking Disasters and other Boring things

OK, here is my stab at a blog entry that has NOTHING to do with my parents (who by the way are still taking up a lot of my time).

I have only had two cooking disasters that I can remember. The first was when we lived in New Orleans. Before work I put something in the crock pot. When I arrived home I took a look at the food and wanted to thicken it up a bit so in my tired "just getting home" stupor I grabbed a yellow box I assumed was cornstarch. Unfortunately it was baking soda. When I added the baking soda to the simmering pot it proceeded to erupt like a volcano and spew everywhere. Chinese takeout was substituted for the ruined dinner.

Last week I made spaghetti squash in the microwave. Spaghetti squash is allowed under South Beach, regular spaghetti is not. Anyway, I followed the directions stuck to the squash. I was just passing the microwave when the door blew open and spaghetti squash exploded all over the inside of the microwave, what a mess.

Now - for the biggest messes I have ever made. I always remember when littles Brian was helping me bring in a gallon of milk. He was about 4 years old. He dropped the milk and it exploded everywhere. Yesterday I dropped a container of custard straight down on the floor, it spewed all over the wall, computer, printer, floor. That was a bigger mess than the milk.

Maurice and Archie

Oh, I did forget to mention Maurice and Archie. These two have now become the stars of our parents lives. Maurice is a poodle rescued from a puppy mill. He sits on a chair while his owner has lunch. He has had more than one personal tour of Mom and Dad's apt. Archie is a terrier and belongs to one of the nurses. He runs around the apt. and never barks.

So sorry for all of you out there with imperfect dogs, they will never measure up to Maurice and Archie!!

Still a work in Progress-Pictures in bad light

The wreath from Brian and Jenn looks great on Mom and Dad's new door. Oops, I think it may be hung upside down?? no worries. The living room is still a work in progress. We are bringing a few more pieces of furniture from their house. There is a hutch going in that empty corner. Then we will have to tackle that huge empty wall.

Assited Living - Moved In

All the furniture finally arrived and has been rearranged several times.

We took Mom and Dad to their new home friday morning. I pictured two hysterical people and this was not the case. They were both fairly upbeat. Mother said goodbye house. We got in the car and went to Rite Aid, picked up medicine and said goodbye to the Pharmacist.

We arrived at Catherine Place and went straight to their new apt. The chairs are working out. The big handicapped bathroom is wonderful. We had a very nice lunch AND dinner at Catherine Place. Dad and Mom really enjoyed the grand piano concert friday night. They had a reasonably comfortable friday night.

They have been kept VERY busy. Breakfast is at 7:30 in the "chow hall". Dad pushes mom in a wheelchair. Lunch is at 11:30. Usually there is some sort of afternoon event. Their favorite is the people that come in to play the grand piano. There was also a blue grass group. The afternoon events lead into dinner at 5:00.

Mother has gone between hating all of us to semi enjoying herself. She very much wants to go back to her house. Unfortunately she is the one that needs all the help and is breaking all of our backs as we try to lift her out of the car.

Dad has no more grocery shopping to do. No house repairs. The staff help mom get dressed and dispense all the medicine. Dad is enjoying meeting the two "handy man" guys there and the residents.