Immigrant Daughter 58

One night about the time I go to bed a large water bug that looks like a giant cocka roach invaded my kitchen, I went for the bug spray and fly swatter.  I then realized my fly swatter was so small compared to this monster and thought for a moment I was in Guam because this is what greeted me one morning. I forget to mention this was on the counter in front of the toaster oven, I must have used a half can of the bug spray.

Well this monster ran under each item on the counter until it ran under the microwave which is on the end. I managed to knock it on the floor between the frig and the counter. Again I used more spray and sat down at the table and waited. In about five minutes a groggy bug comes out and by the time I made it to my feet it ran back under the frig. This time I got the broom and waited and again it came out for air because of all my spray. The broom came down so fast on that bug and I held it until I could get closer to step on it. When I heard a snap I knew I got it. Let me tell you I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I hadn’t killed it.  I emailed my DIL and told her I almost called her to come and help but knew she was sleeping and didn’t have the heart to wake her up. Surely I can kill a water roach.

I sure miss my honey saving me from such chores, In Guam the bugs were big but I never worried about such things because Carl was always there and I was younger and could move faster than I do now. Does anyone else dislike spiders and bugs as much as I do?

My trailer is only 16 months old and the dirt is only mine so you can see I was a bit taken back when I saw it. Every area  of the country has it share of undesirable bugs. I remember in Guam and California we had to cope with scorpions and crickets. In Arkansas its the brown recluse spider and the black widow.  Isn’t God wonderful that he takes care of his children of any age.

It been at least a week since I have been on the computer to complete this post. I will try to finish it and get on with other things. I have a painting started and I am doing a 1000 piece puzzle just to keep busy.

I had to prepare the lawn tractor for winter and made a trip to Home Depot to purchase Staybil for the gas tank this way I don’t have to worry about the tractor not having a permanent cover. Oh I have a mower cover but that won’t protect liquid from freezing. I know gasoline won’t freeze but the condensation from climate change in the mower gas tank will . I am sure glad Carl was patient and taught me many of the things I need to know now without him.  Our anniversary date just passed making me a bit sad that I am not with him walking on the streets of gold with our Lord.

We are not into our winter as yet so sitting out on the porch with the dogs is a treat for me and them because they know they will get a goody. I took out two pieces of bologna and the Sheltie just swallowed it whole but the Belgium Milionis took it and carried it off the porch and dropped it to lick. As soon as the Sheltie  got too close he just swallowed it whole. I think I am going to take a trip to the dog pound to get a small mutt to have inside. I do miss not having a pet. I thought I would just share Cindy's but when the day is over and they realize she is about due home they want to go out so they don’t miss her. It never ceases to amaze me how attached animals get to our schedules.

I can remember when Carl was due home our dog use to wait on the door stoop just so she could be first to greet him. I already mentioned the Cocker Spaniel “Missy” who adopted Kim’s  bed as her night time sleeping place. Pets are family members as far as I am concerned.

This is where Missy should be sleeping:

 

 

When we chose to live in Muncie, Indiana there was a pet shop that will be remember by by me until my dying day. It really was striking how they advertised their store. They had a large hippopotamus out in front on the sidewalk painted purple that was as large as small car. It was used for many things. The parents use to put their kids on it and take pictures and grownups used it for giving directions because it was on the main drag and you really couldn’t miss it.  It was a fun thing to see and it reminded me of several large cement animals we have seen in different parts of the country. There is a large elephant at the Jersey Shore all decked out that people could climb up for pictures and in the mid west there was a huge Mother Goose that that displayed some of her rhymes.  Also there was a large shoe that the old women lived in that sold cookies and candy. The nursery rhyme themes were easy to copy and everybody enjoyed them. Do kids even hear nursery rhymes anymore? I know the comics in the papers aren’t funny to me in fact they are gross. It seems like the more ugly the better is tolerated. 

I am concerned as to what is ahead for the future children because they are not allowed to be children. I read Stickhorse today and she hit the nail on the head that children are not made to read a book or just have discussions at supper time or even just some quiet time without the TV or computer. They really do need to use their imagination.

I hope I haven’t bored you silly but this nation needs to get back to basics to help the children realize the important things they need don’t come in boxes. Until next time, I am Immigrant Daughter

Immigrant Daughter 57

I want to tell you more of my life with the Love of my life. It seems to me that Lives being displayed whether on the TV or newscasts just the despicable ones are shown because that is what people  want to hear. I am sure there are many of you reading this are not in that group. If I am watching a movie  and the story is good if at any point two unmarried people jump in bed ..click it goes off. I don’t care how good the story is. I guess you would consider me a prude.

I watched the next Dancing With The Stars and the star I did not like was sent packing and I am glad others did not like her either.

I worked for an Insurance Company in Dallas and had a nice job where all the secretaries desks were lined up out in the hallway. The picture below is of the building.   The managers offices were small just be enough for him and a client.

My job included two managers. I had only met the one who hired me. He was respectful and did not use bad language, but the other 0ne use to parade down the hall stopping at the sectaries' along the way telling off color jokes. The first time he stopped at my desk he found out I was not interested in any thing he had to say and if he didn’t have any work for me to just stay away because I wasn’t  there to be insulted. He thought because he was handicapped with a shriveled up leg he could say anything and spoke loud enough so everybody could hear him and said boy stay away from CM’ desk. I mentioned to my other boss if it didn’t improve with the bad language and off co9lor jokes I would have to leave. What ever was said to the man it certainly changed the atmosphere there.

Everyone had the same lunch hour because they offer a reduced cost lunch in their own cafeteria which was delicious. It was there that I had my first taste if a cheese enchilada. They made the standard so high that I have never found any as good as those.

The ladies sat in small groups of friends and people they worked with.  Most time I would eat and leave to walk the rest of the hour. If the weather was yucky I stayed and talked, but mostly listened. I have never heard so many complaints about husbands as I did here. Women spoke freely of  very private things done in their bedrooms, and some not too kindly about their husbands. It was like an on going saga of  “Peyton Place” because they all joined in. Then one day one lady said C. you have said nothing all this time about your husband. I said you are right because comparing my husband to all of yours, after God made C he must have thrown the mold away. And another thing what goes on in our house is private and not for discussion. I have to say when I did eat lunch with them again they curtailed the complaints about their husbands and started to tell some amusing stories about family get together. They did get to meet C because he came in after work to pick me up so we could go up to their Tiki Bar on the 30th floor to have a drink and supper. It was a nice place to bring guests. My kids tell me they remembered the place,

Again I say there isn’t any place we have lived that we didn’t like and I would say Dallas ranked high on the list. At that time I would have to say Dallas was so spread out and easy to get about because the LBJ Freeway went around the city making a complete circle. We lived at the top of the circle and I worked at the bottom of the circle. The new airport was close to us so C could get in and  out of Dallas easily. We thoroughly enjoyed our live there. C bought a boat that we put on Lake Texoma  It was called that because it was on the border of Texas and Oklahoma. The lake is so big we never did get to the Oklahoma side.

The house we purchased was a Tudor type  with an upstairs and for us this  was certainly different.  But it had a big room C used as an office on the first floor and made his work at home more enjoyable. The thing I remember most about this house the lady who had this house before us loved yellow. Everything was yellow outside and inside. It was a cheerful house and I liked it. I have mentioned before between the military moving us and C’ company moving us that we lived in so many houses I really am having fun remembering them. This house  had a small kitchen with an extra large dining area attached to the kitchen area. Our animals loved the space because they had run of the whole house.

One night we had C’s boss over for spaghetti and meat balls. When he was finished eating we had to take him to the motel. I just rinsed and stacked the dished putting them on the counter. I put the left over spaghetti in a bowl and left it on the counter surrounded by the cups and glasses because it was too warm for the fridge and we we were coming right back.  Our animals never lacked for food but the smell must have been overwhelming because when we returned the bowl was on the floor and the spaghetti  was all gone. Our dogs did not greet us as usual because their tummies were bulging. C and I had to mop the floor before going to bed. I did the dishes and he mopped the floor.

There incidents about all of them that I hope I am not boring you with my memory of them. I don’t get too many responses but I guess it’s just me enjoying my memory of them and the man I shared them with. So until next  time, I am Immigrant Daughter

IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER 56

 

A day doesn’t go by when I am not looking for something and that reminds me of a time long ago when Carl and I did our weekly jaunt to the lake when he would come home from work on Friday. We each had a special responsibility to get ready to go. To him it was pleasure and to me it was work. Oh, it it was pleasurable too after I got there and didn’t forget anything.

I am not expressing myself very well so I had better explain some of the dilemma that faced me. If it was up to Carl we would only take water because he could go without eating for a long time. Me, I couldn’t last a day without my next meal. Food for taking on our boat was different because of it having to be kept cool. The different boats that we had over the years gave us much pleasure and to me hard work.

Our Boston Whaler was one the that kids could water ski behind,  and we had a neighbor that had two smaller kids than ours who like to tag along with us and bought their own boat. Now they knew nothing about boating and would copy us in any way they could. They were pleasant enough people to be around, but their only trouble was they argued over silly things they should have laughed about. They were ten years younger and I won’t say smarter but more educated than I was. You can’t put Carl into that equation because he was so much smarter because of having to learn the hard way by life’s hard knocks that books can’t teach.

One weekend we were too busy to go to the lake on Saturday and made plans to go after church on Sunday. It was a rush but we made it. As we were loading up to go the couple across the street always followed us. But this day they were having words even before they left giving each other orders and they did not get off when we did and arrived just as we put our  boat in the water and they yelled to us to wait for them because we always made it out to one of the islands to unload the food and stuff out of the boat so it can go fast enough for water skiing. Well as we waited and waited we finally yelled we were going on to our island we always went to.

When they finally got there and told us what the trouble was we just laughed. They left without the key to the boat and had to go all the way home to get the key. They did not have a check off list or who was given the particular assignment of boat, food,extra gas can to be put in the boat for travel. All this could have been eliminated if they would just quit arguing and talk. After listening to DIL stories about her clients she would have less clients if couples were more respectful and talk to each other more than they do.

Getting back to going to the lake one thing I did not have to worry about was the car. That was Carl’s responsibility. The only thing he liked me to do was help wash it. Car wash establishments were not as plentiful then as they are now. But I love to get wet to help cool off in the summer heat. Although I like the heat and sun I would darken without having to sit  in the sun. My olive complexion takes to the sun nicely. Poor Carl had a fair ruddy complexion and had to keep covered with sun screen and long sleeves When he was young and allowed to be in the Navy the went through the the first blistering sun burn his skin adapted to having to be outside. One liberty he and is friends doing the normal stuff young men do to prove they are grown. One liberty headed out to town to drink and got sloshed and ended up with two small tattoos one on each forearm. He was always ashamed of these and would never wear short sleeve shirts.

I mention this to say I was watching the first show of Dancing With The Stars the other night and one of the so called stars had tattoos all over her body.  To me this was disgusting and found myself hoping she would be eliminated early. Well she wasn’t,  so I will have to watch her again but I want to say she did at least have the sense to wear a costume that covered her body. It also caused her to trip and getting up not so lady like. Does anyone else like this nonsense program. I love to watch them dance I know it is something I can’t do but love to watch others dance.

I remember when Carl and I danced  in the Green Room in the  Edison Hotel in New York City. We were both self conscious but very much in love. Boy that was a long time ago. As I understand it that hotel is now long gone but not the memories.

 The New York Skyline is a beautiful site because of The Statue Of Liberty in the harbor is unforgettable.  Living in New Jersey one of the beautiful sites driving into New York was the Statue of Liberty.

I see I  am jumping around with subjects and it is difficult to sort out some of the stories I want to mention. I  have so much I want to tell you but not to make this too long I will say, until next time I am Immigrant Daughter.