29 years ago

It will be 29 years ago tomorrow that I met Tom. In room 2-239 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN. The rest is history.

Love my curly hair

OK, I'm not sure I'm ready to discuss this. My experience on Saturday was so awful. It caused a full fledged panic attack which is fairly new to me and most unpleasant. I have very curly hair. It was a curse during the 70's when stick straight long hair was "in" and I lived in the humid Midwest. About a year ago I came across some information about Japanese hair straightening or thermal reconditoning. Since I had just had one of those big decade birthdays I thought I deserved this. So last November I made an appt. with a woman in NW Portland who does this process. She's done hundreds of them and knows her stuff. I loved the results but she is SO weird! The process takes about 6 hours and it was so ackward to spend that much time with someone who I have nothing in common with....not one thing. About 6 months later it was growing out and I thought I'd like to do in one more time. She was even more odd at that time. I thought I would not do this again since I don't want to ever see her or try to carry on a conversation with her again. She threw up 5 times while she was doing my hair. She weighs about 90# and I would say has had a few face lifts, a boob job or two and must be on some sort of drugs. When I went to see my hair stylist who I've been seeing for 17 years she told me about someone that used to work at the Salon I go to who had moved but she does this straightening process. I got her name and number and made an appt for Saturday. I was so pleased...she was all normal and easy to talk to. We both have daughter's who graduated in the same class. Her process is a bit different than the other one I did...this is Chi and I had done Yuko before....very similar. Things were going great until about3.5 hours into it. She said "the rest will go quickly" since we'd just spend about an hour or so with the iron process. I could see her in the mirror. She looked puzzled and then read the directions on a bottle, then she stepped back and had her hand over her mouth with a look of horror on her face. She got really red and started shaking. She dumped some stuff into a dish and started literally throwing it on my hair....while shaking. She was frantic. She opened up another bottle of this stuff and kept on thowing it around..it was everywhere. I was watching my hair stiffen up....kind of like cement.I was hyperventilating and shaking. She completely stopped talking. I finally said "is everything OK?" knowing that it wasn't. She didn't answer right away but a few mintues later said "I've been doing this for 3 years, I know what I'm doing". We ran to the hair washing station where she rinsed this stuff off. We went back to her chair, she looked at my hair and had me run back to the hair wash station again. It was one of the worst things I've been through! I pictured having to shave all my hair off......vanity thy name is "I want straight hair". She then started talking like she knew what she was doing. When it was finally over my hair was staight but very greasy. She said something about the secret to this process is the conditioning and my hair might seem a bit oily. I left there shell shocked. I tried calling all three of my daughters. I think I got ahold of Melissa who told me to chill. I have been scared to death to wash this mess. I've even had dreams about losing all my hair. I did wash it this morning and it's OK. There is an area at the nape of my neck that is like straw but it's hidden under the rest. It seems like it's harder to comb through than the previous times but I'm thankful I HAVE hair. I think I've learned my lesson and I'll just appreciate the hair that God gave me.

The farmer is crazy

Really, I think he is. I see him out back driving his tracter back and forth REALLY fast but I don't think he's doing any farmer like things ie: plowing, planting, sowing, reaping. Clouds of dust are overtaking the house even with all the windows closed.

I miss my Fred Meyer!

One of the good things about our recent move was that I wouldn't have to change major things in my life, like our dentist and doctor. We moved only 6 miles from where we used to live. When we first moved to our family home there were very few grocery stores in the area. As the population in that area increased so did the shopping areas. Fred Meyer was probably the first one to build and it was SO exciting! I was probably one of the very first customers there and over the years I've gotten to know the employees. You know, you'll get into the line where your favorite check out lady is because she knows if you want paper or plastic without asking. I got to know some of them so well they knew when I had my surgery and knew about my family and job situation. I knew about their family and the situations in their lives also. The pharmacy staff would get my medication ready when they saw me in line since they knew my name. Where we live now there is a Fred Meyer that is much closer. At first I actually would drive back to the old Fred Meyer but as the weeks have gone by and the gas price increased I realized that was stupid. I bit the bullet and have just been going to the new store for the last several weeks. I actually get "home sick" when I do this. The store is all new and fancy and the people aren't as friendly. I can't find the things I want and I MISS MY FRED MEYER! I imagine I'll eventually get used to it and things will be fine. For now it's just another reason to get upset about where I am now. I spent hours today cleaning and I know within minutes the layers of dust will be on everything again. Tom is out in the dirt just raking it and making plumes of dust come flying through the air. He says this needs to be done before we have grass....whatever.

Murphy

Here is Murphy, the most handsome of all the dos there!

The Berner Bash

Well, here is what you've been waiting for...a picture from our dog picnic on Saturday. There were 7 Bernese Mountain dogs there. This picture shows all of them except Murphy who is on the far left with his back to the camera. They are such well behaved dogs and they all get along so well. Two of the families now have two Berner's each. They DO call them "the potato chip dog" because you can't have just one! I asked one of the "moms" if two dogs produced twice as much hair and she said no, it's 4 times as much hair so I'm thinking one is enough for us. I don't think I could handle more hair along with the DUST we have here out in Green Acres. We haven't really named our place Green Acres but I want to come up with some sort of name before we send out Christmas cards. Happy Holidays from Kris, Tom and the critters at .......Dusty Hill, Dirty Ranch, Fairly Filthy Farm....I don't quite have it yet. Any ideas?

Another party!

We've been invited to another Bernese Mountain Dog party this weekend. This picture is from the party we went to this Spring. There is something about owning Berner's that brings people together. A year or so ago, probably longer, Tom and I were taking Murphy for a walk when a car goes by and then stops and a couple get out and they have a Berner in the back seat. We start talking and as we're standing on a busy street corner ANOTHER couple walks by with ANOTHER Berner. All three dogs are sniffing each other (as dogs will do). We almost stopped traffic because these are beautiful dogs! The first couple end up inviting both other couples to their place that weekend for a birthday party they are having for their dog. We all went and have been back several times. The group keeps growing. I think they just drive around inviting random people with this type of dogs to their house. It's an interesting group of people but we all have one thing in common....we go through lots of vacuum cleaners. No...we all love the Bernese Mountain Dog. It's become a big pot luck and we always have a big cake with an edible picture on it...guess what's on the cake? Yes, dogs. We all talk about how everything we eat has Berner hair in it. Anyway, we're going to another pot luck next weekend and I'll try to take more pictures. Murphy will have a bath and have a great time being social.

My vacuum doesn't suck

So that's a bad thing. I guess we have broken yet ANOTHER vacuum cleaner. You can not own a Bernese Mountain dog and not have a working vacuum. And yet that's what is happening in my life. There are clumps of Murphy hair everywhere. I guess they'll just stay there.

I had a nice lunch though. It wasn't here where there are clumps of Murphy hair. I had lunch with some old RN's (literally) that I used to work with at the infertilty clinic. We spent hours at the Cameo Cafe in NW Portland. The waiter finally put some loafs of Stong Bread( a specialty) on the table and said something like "I thought maybe you'd like to take this home with you". As in, "are you old RN's (literally) EVER going to leave??" It was fun to catch up on what's going on with all of them. All of us have moved on from PCRM except for Katy who just work every other weekend. Marianne is working at a pain clinic and has lost 40 pounds....she looks good and seems happy. Joann is working in research and is looking old...I noticed a tremor in her hands. She also seems a bit confused. I think something is going on there. Katy isn't working very much, which is good. Her mother in law has moved in with them and there are issues there too. I'm happy to say that I wouldn't trade places with any of them. Even though I live in the middle of a dirt field and don't have a working vacuum cleaner.

Critters

We get a Christmas card every year from a couple that moved from MN. toWA. at the same time that we moved from MN. or OR. They ended up buying some property and getting lots of animals and they always sign their cards "Bob and Sue (made up names) and all the critters from blah blah farm" I always thought that was stupid but now I think we should get critters and name our place. We're talking about getting two alpaca in the Spring but I'm thinking about cats now. I don't like cats and never have but since we ARE in the middle of a field and it's getting to be Fall it might not be a bad idea to get a couple of "mousers". I hate mice. A girl at work has two kittens that are ready to leave home. She said they're mousers so I had to ask what makes a cat a "mouser". I guess the mama cat gets mice, keeps them alive and brings them back for the kitties to practice chasing. Ewwwww......I'm wondering what the expense would be to get the cats fixed and get them the shots they need to live outside....they won't be coming in the house. And do you have a litter box somewhere? Do you feed them? I don't know enough about cats to be a cat owner.

Murphy is scary!

I was at home this afternoon and Murphy was outside....probably in a hole that he dug in the dirt. I heard him barking so I looked through the window to see what was going on. The mailman was sitting in his green jeep like vehicle (for some reason there are no usual postal cars out here). The poor manly looking man was throwing doggie treats in the dirt for Murphy....one after another. Murphy would eat one and then start barking again. I went outside and apologized for my vicious dog (?) and then signed the registered letter he had. There was NO way he ever would have gotten out of his green postal truck. I guess we have a watch dog! I feel safe. In reality Lexi is more vicious than Murphy. Murphy would get you really dirty.

Here Comes the Bride

We went to a wedding last night. It was so beautiful! I have a hard time at weddings. They're so emotional. I did OK until I saw the mother of the bride losing it. The picture is the father of the bride and the bride. Doesn't he look proud?

Playing in the dirt

The dirt is starting to get organized in piles. I'm assuming that's a good step. Tom rented a trencher and now we have tunnels everywhere. That's Lexi in the middle of the picture. I dusted the dining room table three times yesterday just for fun. There was a layer of dust on it all three times. I think there are about 4 or 5 more things to do and then maybe Tom will be ready to plant grass. What a happy day it will be when this is all green! I'm experimenting with the picture with Melissa's help.

QUIT YOUR WHINING....it's not all about you

I can't help but feel upset with people complaining about their piddly little problems when you think about the people suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It really puts things into perspective, doesn't it? I can't understand why it's taking so long for help to get to these people. They knew this storm was coming...it wasn't like the tidal wave in December. It seems like plans should have been made for immediate help. I was in line at the grocery store and I realized I had a coupon for water and I had forgotten to pick it up. I had a coupon for money off beautiful clean water. There are people that will die from lack of water. It's all so awful. So lets all quit our whining. Intel is matching funds that their employees make. I'm sure there are other companies doing the same. I hope my money will buy water for many, many people.