dogscatskidslife

...Wrinkled...

2011-09-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Wrinkled

...sorry...

That I cause a wrinkle in your life.

...sorry...

That I can't seem to let you go.

I'm like an old wore out t-shirt...

Happily lying crumpled in the corner.

Just being near you...

To hear your voice...

Is enough ... perhaps.

Seems so forlorn...

...maybe today, I'll be worn.

...sorry...

I hope I don't cause you any strife.

...sorry...

My heart seems to not want to go...

...away...

Don't smooth out... this wrinkle in your life.

Could you please...

...just let me stay...

...Ten Years Ago...Today.

2011-09-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Eyes well up... tears come again...from that day that seems so far away...yet so close.

Heart feels wounded...the scars are still tender.

Bravery seen... understood ... but unexplainable.

Thankfulness felt ... yet unable to say enough.

Strength needed ... so glad for amazing grace.

♥ America

The Ride...

2011-02-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

My hands... run across the stallion's neck.. and my body leans into him...

He shakes his mane... a little wild-eyed from anticipation...

He knows his rider... he understands her.

The stallion... paws the ground nervously.
Shifts his feet.

I bury my face in his neck... as my hands run across his sleek body.

I grab a handful of mane...
And I jump onto his back.

He gives a little lunge...

...whoa... Babe.. Take it easy...

I sink in my hips.
I twist my hand in the mane.
I squeeze my knees... into his ribs...

He sinks back on his haunches...
And takes off.

I lean forward... the wind in my face...
My eyes sting a bit... and tears form...
There is a roar in my ears.

I become one with his rhythm.
His neck gets flatter... and flatter...
As he stretches out... into a run.

I hang on... whispering to him.
I feel his strength underneath me.
His breathing... is loud now.

Where will he take me?

I close my eyes for a moment...
And live in the experience.

His tempo is beginning to slow...

White foam sweat... has formed on his neck.

The stallion is spent... but the arch in his neck... shows that he is well pleased with himself.

And I...

And I... am grateful for the gift.

The gift... of "the ride".

I Am Yours...

2011-01-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

You make me so happy.

You're not mine...

My heart leaps when I hear your voice.

You're not mine...

My soul is filled with songs.

You're not mine...

You are my daydream.

You're not mine...

I cling to every minute that I have with you.

You're not mine...

My body craves your touch.

You're not mine...

My nights are filled with dreams of you.

You're not mine...

You're not mine...

But I am yours.

My heart cries out in agony.

Because you're not mine...

...Flesh...

2010-12-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

You took my heart of stone...

Turned it into flesh and blood.

And now...

And now.

I feel the pain...

The same pain that every other ordinary human being feels.

It hurts...

It hurts so bad.

The tears...

The tears are hot.

How does one stand being human...

How do you survive it?

The Night Won't Save Anyone...

2010-10-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

The wind moaned and the trailer house creaked. Another Oklahoma thunderstorm was battering our senses. A frequent experience rated somewhere between thrilling and mortifying.

My two youngster's voices became quieter as the storm became louder. Then the lights flickered. Eyes turned to mine, wide-eyed and questioning... not frightened.

Not yet.

And then the lights went completely out. Darkness rushed out of the corners and filled the room.

Alone with two small children... I felt like I was adrift in heavy seas. A feeling that became too familiar as our lives progressed.

Looking for candles. Light the match. Locate the flashlight. How is dinner going to turn out now?

Oh my... I hear their little voices no more.

Night's Darkness brought its friend Fear with it.

"This is just like camping.", I said confidently.

"Now we can pretend we're camping!"

Interjections from the tiny voices soon erupted. Imaginations had changed direction. Good.

To be strong in the face of Night's Darkness... to do this every day... to always be there for everyone else.

I have to ask...

Who will be there for me?

Night won't save anyone.

Let Me...

2010-09-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Let me lie my head against your chest...

Listen to your heart...

Feel your breath.

Let me feel your warmth...

Your gentle touch...

Make me feel safe.

Let me watch the sunset with you...

Hold your hand...

Enjoy the breeze... together.

Let me say silly things..

Tease you...

Laugh.

Let me sing out of tune...

A love song...

And think of you.

Let me cry...

For things lost..

And hold me... please.

A Daydream...

2010-09-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Silently falling through the air...

Floating.

Wafting too and fro as I drift to earth.

I gently land... without notice.

No splash... no sound.

I become one with the flow of the river.

The sound of the rushing waters soothes my soul.

I follow the path of the current...

I glide over the rocks.

I survive the falls.

An eddy.

A quiet place ...

To pause and reflect.

A spot to be one with the river...

But still waters to observe the passing current.

Summer is over... but it seems that life for a leaf isn't?

Maybe... I will enjoy fall...

...after all.

Beauty...

2010-09-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Beauty is like dust... blown away by the wayward winds of life... and time.

Maybe we should spend our time ... not in the spas... the gym... or in the mirror... but spend our time building our character.

uhmm...

Perhaps... better yet... we should spend it building up our neighbors, our friends, and our families.

So that maybe... the beauty of our character will be longer lasting... and perhaps last for generations to come.

So Do I...

2010-09-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

When you're happy...
So am I.

When you're sad...
So am I.

When you're frustrated...
So am I.

When you're perplexed...
So am I.

When you are angry...
So am I.

When you hurt...

So do I.

Remember...

2010-09-11T12:44:00.001-07:00

He held my hand... once.
And kissed me with passion.

When was it... what year?
I don't remember.

I opened my heart.
And hurt... it was.

Will it hurt again?
I don't want to remember.

I held my babies... close.
And loved them with adoration.

Was it only yesterday?
I want to remember.

I walked...
Alone it seems.

The path leads where?
Please help me...

...to remember.

This is Where I Come From...

2010-08-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

A tear... running down my cheek.

A memory... too sad to keep.

A heartbreak... painful and deep.

A lost dream... afraid to sleep.

Long and winding ... my roads are.

Far and wide... my travels.

Here and there... my thoughts wander.

My history... should I share?

Where do I come from...

It depends ... on where I've been.

My Ocean...

2010-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

The surface... smooth as glass it is.

ahhh... a gentle breeze... provides a slight movement... a small ripple.

Enough to add interest... curiosity... to hold your attention... provide enjoyment?

Perhaps.

Beneath... a varied terrain exists... mountainous... with deep, deep valleys.

Deep... the valleys are so deep.

I'm not equipped to stay in this world... I can't stay here... not for long at least.

I can't hold my breath much longer... where are you?

I'm alone... on the quiet surface.

And I am tortured ... in the deep.

I'm looking... everywhere.

Where are you?

Well now...

2010-08-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

... it seems that it has been almost 2 years since my last post.

And no... the shunt didn't fix my CSF leak problem.

I had the surgery for repair in November, 2008, two months after the previous post. The leak recurred in May, 2009.

I then got pneumonia and developed a lung abcess. I became so ill that, according to an ECG and cardiologist, that I had a heart attack? Unbeknownst to me... it was. During this period of extreme fevers, shaking chills, and incompetent MD's... I continued to work.

Why? Well... I am my family's only source of support. Have been for what... 15 years now?

After multiple spinal taps, CT and MRI's, etc., etc., etc.... I had another surgery to repair the leak Christmas week 2009.

So... here I am ... trying to get back into the swing of life.

Seems to be hard for me... for as you can tell... I prefer to become a recluse when I am not well.

So... here I am.

Trying to live ... again.

Later...

Like I Need Another Hole in My Head...

2008-09-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I know that it has been quite some time since my last post.

Once again, I find myself apologizing for the the lack of communication. However, for those of you who know me best, I'm sure that you aren't surprised.

I tend to be the type of person to go into hiding and lick my wounds in relative quiet and privacy.

The shunt was placed in my head and it appears that everything is going okay at this point in time. It is a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Also known as a VP shunt. It has a valve to regulate the cerebral spinal fluid as well as a port where samples of fluid can be taken directly from the shunt. (*whew* - hopefully I'll never to have to go through another spinal tap again) The line runs down my neck and my chest and then enters my abdomen where the CSF empties.

And yes...

This thing is designed, and is intended, to stay in my head and body for the rest of my life.

This Thursday I will see the doctor for my two week check-up.

These pictures were taken shortly after I got home from the hospital.

I couldn't "see" my wounds, so I got the kids to take a picture of it all so that I could see what it looked like.

I have to say that that stray gray hair in the picture is really bothering me by quite a bit.

So far I haven't experienced any CSF leaking out of my head (rhinorrhea) since the VP shunt has been in place. Which means that the shunt is doing its job. Hopefully this will be the fix that I need and avoids a surgery that would entail going into the original acoustic neuroma brain tumor site.

The doctors all wanted to go and try to fix the leak at its source, but I just couldn't bear the thought of it at all. The first tumor surgery nearly cost me 100% of my facial nerve. The thought that I could lose what facial nerve function I have now is just unbearable to me.

The doctors said that we couldn't leave things the way they were with CSF washing over bacteria in my sinuses and throat and then providing a tract back to my brain. They said that I would eventually die of meningitis if nothing were done.

I've had meningitis once already and I've been on antibiotics going on three months now because of the risk. Plus, there was a colony of psuedomonas cultured near my eustachian tube as well.

The antibiotics have been very problematic for me too. I have experienced all manner of problems from the long-term use of these various high-powered drugs. Especially since there are only a few drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier and effectively treat meningitis. Thank goodness, though, I haven't suffered from a secondary yeast infection.

Sometimes I wonder if long-term antibiotic use wears your body down and makes you feel tired. I would think that it is possible since organs such as your liver and kidneys are closely monitored for any long-term side affects from the drugs.

The Levaquin caused me to have a very severe case of tendonitis. It is my understanding that about only 1% of patients taking this antibiotic have this kind of problem which can lead to ruptured Achilles' tendons and the like. Thank goodness I didn't have that happen and only suffered from about one week of extremely severe joint pain.

All in all, things seem to have settled down by quite a bit for the time being.

I have been blessed to still be alive and well, and I'm thankful that the shunt appears to be fixing my problem.

Hopefully, I will get the okay soon to D/C (discontinue) the antibiotics and be able to get some normal bacterial flora back into my body.

And some semblance of normality in my life as well.

later...

Swimming at the Devil's Waterhole...

2008-07-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

The weather has been really hot here this summer. We have had more than our fair share of 100+ temperatures.

Of course, endless sunshine and high temperatures are perfect ingredients for an afternoon at the lake.

The kids wanted to go to a local favorite swimming hole today called the Devil's Waterhole.

A lot of the local kids go there to swim during the summer. Of course, there are quite a few visiting campers there as well, but I would venture to say that most of the "jumpers" live around here. (Do you see the guy on the very top of the huge boulder?)

Devils' Waterhole is located at Inks Lake State Park. I had taken a few photographs from our previous visit.

The first time I had taken Carrie and Parker to the swimming hole they were quite intimidated by the "recreational activity" of jumping off of a cliff into the lake.

I have no idea how high that cliff is. I would have to estimate that it is probably close to 20 to 25 feet?? When you add the boulder to your jump you could be adding another 15 feet to that. This is strictly a guess on my part. Parker is about 6' tall and I'm using him for measurement. Also, it is "SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK" because there aren't any lifeguards to be found anywhere on the lake.

Carrie and Parker spent quite a bit of time sitting and watching the jumpers. Of particular interest are the jumpers who climb the big boulder and jump off the top of it.

I didn't know if Carrie and Parker were going to muster up the courage to take the plunge or not. I think they sat up there on that huge rock for about 45 minutes before they even ventured to the edge of the cliff.

Once they were there, they spent quite a bit of time "looking" at the water.

hmmm...

It's pretty scary looking. Even from my vantage point from the opposite shore. Thank goodness I was able to zoom in with my camera so that I could get a good look at Carrie and Parker's expressions. (You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

Carrie was the first one to jump.

This is her as she is hitting the water.

Upon seeing that his sister survived the ordeal, Parker then unfolded his arms and took the plunge as well.

After the kids made their first successful jump they then proceeded to climb back up the rock to do it all over again.

Today, the kids acted like they were "old pros" and made quite a few jumps off of the cliff.

Me...

I'm an old pro at watching the scenery from a shady point of view.

later...

Eureka!

2008-06-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yes... I must apologize for having been gone for too long.

I have plenty of excuses for not having posted before now.

My latest excuse is that I was in the hospital for a week with meningitis and pneumonia

I got to come home this past Thursday.

How did I get meningitis?

I'll spare you all the details and just give you the nuts and bolts.

Remember I had told you about having surgery for a brain tumor? That's been almost five years ago. Well, the incision site has developed a "leak". Yes... I am leaking CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) and it's running out my left nostril.

So...

This opens up an area of the body that is supposed to be a "closed system". Nothing in... and nothing out. However, in my case I have plenty running out which also gives opportunity for much more to run in.

Anyway... I hope that we can come up with a solution to repair the leak and return the open system back to a closed system.

This is something that really needs to happen.

This morning while I was drinking my coffee I had quite a surprise drop by my bird feeder.

I couldn't believe my eyes and was afraid that I was imagining what I was seeing.

I moved very slowly in my chair in preparation to slip back into the house so that I could grab my binoculars and camera, but the visitor saw the movement and flitted away.

Thankfully the shy little bird came back and I was able to make a positive ID on it.

It's a Painted Bunting!!!!!

How I have been hoping to see one of these birds. I have only heard about them and seen them in photographs. Their numbers are in decline and they are listed as a "near threatened" species.

Today I saw one for the very first time!

And I've reported my sightings to the ebird project. This project is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society.

As an added bonus this male Painted Bunting has a mate. While she isn't colored in any way like her mate, her green coloring is quite pretty in and of itself.

I wish that I had better photographs of these birds, but they were at the feeder that is farthest from my vantage point and I do not have a telephoto lens for my camera.

So these closely cropped images will have to suffice for now. Perhaps, they will become more comfortable with my backyard and I'll be able to get a better picture of them both.

later...

The Snakes in My Backyard...

2008-06-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Linda in Norman (Oklahoma) sent me an e-mail quite some time ago that said something to the effect that I needed a new post to put above the (ugly) bug post.

I've accumulated a few pictures and I had thought about posting the bird pictures, or the pictures of the deer that come up to my yard every day.

But I got busy per usual and didn't get it done.

I promise that I will post some of those photographs, however tonight's post was prompted by me finding a shed snake skin in my backyard this evening. I don't know what kind of snake it was but never the less...

It was ~more~ evidence that I do seem to have quite a bit of "Snake Traffic" come through my yard.

A while back I found this little Prairie Ring-Neck snake while I was working in the yard.

I don't believe that I had seen one since I was a kid. The markings fascinated me then as it still does today.

What a striking contrast of color this little snake has.

A bright orange belly with a matching ring around its neck. These colors are brilliant when set against the black of the rest of the body.

Mom says, "The only good snake is a dead snake." Of course, she has already found two rattlesnakes this year at her house. And I agree... rattlesnakes are not welcome.

Even so, I beg to differ with her about all snakes being bad. There are good snakes. This snake in particular catches and eats slugs (among other things). I'll have to remember to tell Mom that because she is inundated with slugs in her flower beds.

I remember catching my first Prairie Ring-Neck snake. It was about this size. I was so excited that I wanted to show it to Mom. She was gone from the house at the time, so I rummaged around to find something to put my prize snake in.

For some reason, I couldn't find anything but a paper lunch sack...

and into that sack I put my snake. I then left the snake in the house and went back outside.

When Mom got home I told her that I wanted to show her something really neat. I was very proud of my catch.

I retrieved the paper sack and opened it only to find that it was empty.

I couldn't believe my eyes...

as my short little insignificant life passed before them.

Well...

When Mom found out what it was that I had LOST IN THE HOUSE she had a ~conniption fit~. She said, "I am NOT sleeping in THIS house until you FIND THAT SNAKE!!!"

I've since seen another little Prairie Ring-Neck snake in my yard. He was a little bigger. I wonder if I caught him if Mom would like to have it live in her flower bed to eat her slugs.

NOT!

I'm sure that many of you have wondered how I ever lived to be as old as I am.

Parker and I spent quite a bit of time trying to get this photo of the snake's tongue sticking out. But Parker showed some remarkable patience and was able to capture one

Please ignore my dirty fingers.

I didn't take the time to go into the house to wash my hands before we took the pictures of the snake.

So the other evening after I got home I drug out the water hose. I needed to water some of my plants and flowers.

While I was watering this guy come flying around the corner straight at me. This snake was on a mission of some sort.

I sprayed him with my water hose to stop his advance which took some doing.

But I did get him to stop and at least turned the other direction. I think I made him mad too.

I kept looking at this guy and I couldn't readily identify him. He was only about two feet long and quite slender in appearance, however the markings on his head is what really caught my eye. The pattern that starts at the eye and comes down to the mouth is quite interesting.

So I grabbed my camera real quick to take a picture in hopes that I could later identify what kind of snake it was.

It took quite a bit of time to browse through a bunch of photographs, and Googled pages. But I finally got a positive ID on the snake.

It is a Checkered Garter snake. The picture associated with the link is a pretty good picture. Much better than my hastily taken shot. You can click on it to make it bigger.

I failed to tell you guys that "something" ransacked my fish pond a few weeks ago.

All of my pretty fish are gone. Vanished. Disappeared.

Most likely eaten.

From the mess that was made it is likely that it was a raccoon that "fished" them out and ate them. The lily pads were all torn up.

I did see a raccoon early Monday morning run from behind my neighbor's garage.

But it is also possible that it was this fellow, the Checkered Garter snake, that could have made a quick meal of them as well.

I don't believe in feeding wildlife, but I will have to get some more fish.

Hopefully they'll last a while longer than the last batch?

*sigh*

later...

The Giant Red-Headed Centipede...

2008-05-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Early one morning, about a week ago, Parker and Carrie had gone outside to catch the bus. Suddenly the front door flew open and Parker came running in the house out of breath and extremely excited.

No time for dilly-dallying. The bus was on its way. He rifled through the kitchen cabinet and produced a plastic container and quickly ran outside.

Soon, he was back in the house with his prize.

A Giant Red-Headed Centipede.

*YIKES*

When I saw it I was totally dismayed that such a creature could be living in my yard.

Yes, these guys are predators and are venomous. They can be life-threatening to a small child or if you have a bee-sting allergy.

It has been reported that the feet of this centipede can cause lacerations on your skin. I can only imagine. His feet look like talons!

Some may not know how to tell the difference between a millipede and a centipede. Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment while millipedes have two pair.

While the Giant Red-Headed Centipede is considered to be a "good" creature to have around because it does hunt and eat large prey, I do not consider anything that is venomous to be welcome at my house. Especially if it is an aggressive creature which this centipede is known for.

Fortunately, this centipede succumbed on his own without any intervention on my part. I think it was ill, injured, or dying when Parker found it because they are known to stay on the ground and are very, very fast. Parker found this centipede on the side of our house and was able to capture it easily. It wasn't long after he had caught it that the centipede started to act strangely and roll over on its back.

Here is a link to a YouTube video of a Giant Red-Headed Centipede eating a young mouse.

And here is a science video of another variety of centipede hunting and capturing a tarantula.

These videos are examples of how strong and aggressive of a hunter they are, so don't watch these videos if you're squeamish.

later...

Species Scolopendra heros - Giant Redheaded Centipede

Giant redheaded centipede

My Goldfish...

2008-05-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

I enjoy watching the goldfish that are in our little pond.

So I thought that I would try to take a few pictures of them and share them with you guys.

~ha~

Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of a fish?

This is one of the Black Moors.

It's Parker and Carrie's favorite fish because it has "bug eyes".

Look at this guy's big mouth!

We don't have the plain "gold-colored" goldfish. These have three different colors and are known as calico goldfish.

Can you see the difference in their tails? We have the regular body-type as well as the fan-tailed goldfish.

You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.

I hope that all of you are having a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Week-end!

later...

The Texas Brown Tarantula...

2008-05-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

In April, Parker found a tarantula in our backyard. It was the "prettiest" and "fluffiest" tarantula that I have ever seen.

Taken by this prize specimen of a spider, Parker and I spent the greater part of a Saturday morning taking pictures and playing with the spider. In fact, I believe that Parker took most of the photographs himself.

Parker carried it to different locations. We put it on rocks, moss, grass... You name it. We had a great time with this gentle giant.

At the time, I had thought that the tarantula's calm demeanor and deliberate activities were due to the chilled air that we were experiencing. However, after doing some reading about the Texas Brown Tarantula I have discovered that it is the most docile of the giant spiders and can make a good pet. It is also known as the Desert Tarantula.

I did not want to keep the spider in captivity. I thought that it was such a peaceful and beautiful specimen that it should live on to produce others like it. It's amazing to think that a tarantula has to live almost ten years before it is sexually mature enough to reproduce. Another unbelievable statistic is that the tarantula can live up to 25 years! I have also read some reports that they can live up to 40 years in captivity. Deciding to have a tarantula for a pet would certainly carry the weight of a long term responsibility.

If you look closely at the above picture you can see the tarantula's four eyes. You can click on the picture to see a larger image.

This spider was very, very large.

It is still amazing how this spider didn't seem to mind our "manipulations".

It allowed us to lift its legs and nearly turn it completely over.

Just so that we could see its fangs! Is that cool or what?!

There are a lot of people who kill these spiders. But they aren't venomous, and tarantulas are really good to have around because they hunt and eat big bugs like grasshoppers.

So... this is another one of our latest and greatest finds in our backyard here in the Texas Hill Country.

BUT...

You ain't seen nothin' yet! Wait 'til I post pictures of our latest backyard discovery!

later...

My daughter has changed one of this tarantula's photographs into an artistic design that has been placed on t-shirts and bags. You can find the items here.

And if you decide to buy something, well, we thank you in advance!!

Texas Brown Tarantula Fact Sheet

The Basics of Having a Pet Tarantula

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Aphonopelma chalcodes

Happy Mother's Day 2008...

2008-05-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

It's the little things...
Of every day life.

Happy times...
A few with strife

The proud moments...
Accomplishments, Achievements.

Disappointments are there..
Try not to despair.

Watch them grow...
And guide and admonish.

Life is layer upon layer...
A foundation is made.

Brick upon brick...
Apply the mortar of love.

Wonder at their uniqueness...
A person is in the making.

God has a purpose...
For your child in this world.

Let them grow, explore...
Fulfill their calling.

Marvel at their beauty...
God gave you a precious little pearl.

The best Mother's Days are the regular "ho hum" days. The "every days", when you realize that your child was thinking of you. Carrie and Parker took a walk to the lake a couple of weeks ago. On their way back home they picked these wildflowers. Parker braved the prickly pear cactus and picked the beautiful rose-like blooms for me. Yes... he did get a few stickers!

Silly boy.

I was quite impressed by the beautiful bouquet that they had collected for me. And it touched my heart. Imagine, a 15 and 17 year old picking wildflowers for their mother.

Carrie proceeded to make some arrangements out of the flowers. She then got the camera and took some pictures of them.

This day, a cloudy cool day in April, was a Mother's Day to celebrate.

I'm so blessed to have Mother's Days throughout the year.

Because having Mother's Day, once a year, is just not enough.

later...

Carrie's Prom Pictures 2008...

2008-05-08T19:25:00.001-07:00

As I had mentioned earlier, Carrie's prom was last Saturday evening.

She was really excited and said that she had a wonderful time.

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

Before the prom I took her to the park and took these photographs of her.

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

She looks all grown up.

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

It was quite a scramble to get her outfitted for this event.

Carrie had originally said that she wasn't going to go.

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

Nobody had asked her to be their date...

And she said that she didn't want to go with a group of girls.

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

But... about ten days before the prom, wouldn't you know it.

A boy asked her to be his date.

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

I had to work on the last week-end before the event.

Which meant that we didn't have ANY time for shopping, and we most definitely didn't have time to go and get lost in Austin looking for prom dresses. You need quite a bit of time to look for a prom dress, too. Especially if you are on a budget.

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

What were we going to do? Well, the Lord certainly does work in mysterious ways sometimes.

The only idea that I could come up with was to go to a resale shop to look for a dress. There just happened to be such a shop across the street from where I work.

I had made Carrie get up with me on Saturday morning so that we could start looking for an outfit as soon as I got off of work.

Carrie wasn't too excited about that idea...

Mostly because I have to be at work at 7:30 in the morning.

After work, we went across the street and...

Guess what...

A beautiful prom dress had just been brought in that morning.

And it was the ONLY prom dress in the shop.

And...

It was just Carrie's size!

Hallelujah!

So the rest of the afternoon was spent looking for jewelry and shoes.

Not an easy task in and of itself I might add.

All of that stuff cost a WHOLE LOT more than her dress.

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that we got the dress for $26!!

Carrie 03May2008
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

later...

Boer Goats...

2008-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of those things that I had meant to do oh so many months ago.

I took some video with my camera in December of a few of the kid goats. There are always some orphans as well as a few kids that need supplementing by bottle because the nanny doesn't produce enough milk. This is mostly because the nannies either have twins or triplets nursing and they just can't keep up.

It was quite a breezy and cool day, but the kids were all feeling pretty good. They are really cute and are fun to just sit and watch.

Week-End Projects...

2008-05-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for their prayers, cards, and beautiful flowers. They were greatly appreciated and your encouragement was a blessing to all of us.

At our new house there is a lot of white gravel in spaces that could be used for flower beds. Under these layers of rocks is a heavy duty fabric, also known as weed guard, which helps prevent any botanical being from emerging from the earth. It's a form of "waterless landscaping" that is used quite frequently in these dry parts of Texas. But... as you all know, I prefer plants and flowers to rocks and I find this form of landscaping to be very, very... uhmm ... well... just plain ugly.

In my backyard, next to the deck and the brick walk, was such a strip of rock landscaping. The only green stuff there was monkey grass. I had planned on transforming that space into a cute little flowerbed (probably less the monkey grass), but after I had removed all the rocks and then pulled up the weed guard there was a gruesome discovery. I found that the bottom board of the decking was beginning to show signs of decay due to being constantly wet. I then realized that I wouldn't be able to have a flower bed there because watering my plants would destroy my deck. In fact, I was faced with removing as much dirt as possible so that it would not be touching the wood.

What was I going to do now? I couldn't replace all those rocks because it was obvious that they were causing a problem against the wood as well.

I was very upset and terribly disappointed in the situation. The thought of having ~plain dirt~ next to my deck was inconceivable.

All of my free time, that I use for day dreaming and stuff, was then consumed by trying to figure out how to solve 'the problem'.

What could I do with

~less dirt

~a significant slope to the ground

~low decking

and without using that horrible white gravel?

I finally came up with a fantastic idea! It was possibly an idea that was bigger than me and the kids put together, but once I had hatched the notion I was determined to make it work.

I spent hours on the internet searching for information. I visited lots of how-to sites. It seemed like a formidable task.

However, my idea had now become a dream. And I was determined to make it happen.

So... here is my little "Backyard Dream" that the kids and I did in one week-end. Of course this dream has led to another proposition that is much larger and quite a bit more expensive. (Think several thousand dollars here.)

I'm now dreaming of a rather large waterfall with a Koi pond.

*toothy grin*

But it will have to wait quite a while before it comes to fruition. (Like years!)

I have other week-end projects that I have to tackle.

This Saturday?

I have to figure out how to fix Carrie's naturally curly hair for tonight's prom!

We went to a water landscaping company and was able to purchase some heavy duty rubber pond material that would become the bed of our stream. We attached the long edge of the lining that was next to the deck with a strip of 1x2" cedar with galvanized nails.

The water landscaping store had lots of beautiful fountains. There were so many different styles and types.

ALL of them were EXPENSIVE. Some were in the thousands of dollars!

We went to the 'close-out' section and this little fountain was there. It had originally been 5' tall. Due to an accident, it had fallen and broke in half. The base also has a couple of chips on the side. I was able to negotiate a very good price for this 100+ pound section of the fountain. It had originally retailed for $800. I paid a lot less than that. (Think ~very good deal~ here.)

At the end of the stream is a pond. Water is pumped from the pond, up the stream, and to the base of the fountain. There is a diverter in front of the fountain. Part of the water goes up the inside of the fountain. The main volume of the water comes out in front of the fountain. The water in the front of the fountain provides the volume needed for our running stream. Our pump moves 250 gallons per hour (gph).

Parker really seemed to enjoy constructing the stream. He didn't like the digging part at all though.

The only rocks that we bought were the smooth round 'river rock'. We used those rocks to cover the very bottom of the stream and to hide the flexible pipe that moves the water from the pond to the head of the stream and the fountain. There a few rocks that had been collected over the years, such as the lava rock. The rest of the rocks are native stones that we had in the yard and surrounding areas. Some of the limestone rocks are from Mom and Dad's pasture.

I hope that Mom doesn't miss them.

*laugh*

This is looking up the stream at ground level at the very top edge of the pond.

I left the existing monkey grass. I think that it helps to add a "water's edge" feel to the stream.

I really like this fountain. The birds like it too. The goldfinches enjoy drinking from little bubble of water that it makes on the top. Some of the goldfinches cling to the side of the fountain to drink.

However, the other day I saw an amazing sight. A tiny hummingbird took a bath on the top of my fountain. I had never seen a hummingbird take a bath before! It was wonderful!

I'm going to try to grow some Scotch moss here. We'll see what happens. Hopefully it will fill the entire area in with moss.

In the mean time... I have to have an Impatiens there too!

This is looking downstream. There is an old stump that was being used as part of the landscape here at the very end. You can see one of our cats there. The cats don't like to drink water out of their bowl any more. They prefer drinking the water out of the stream now.

I have two bog plants. One is at the bottom of the stream and the other is a papyrus which is in the pond. I also have water lilies in the pond and nine goldfish. The goldfish consist of three calico, three fantailed calico, and three black moors. These guys will eat up any mosquito larvae that may get hatched in the pond. The water from the stream "falls" about three to four inches into the pond. This falling water makes a most pleasant sound to me. The stream and fountain add a light trickling sound as well.

I love to sit on my back porch. I watch the birds and listen to their calls. Now that I have a stream and pond, it just adds so much more to my "little piece of Texas".

later...

Goodbye, Daddy...

2008-04-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

Engrossed with the task at hand, I was subtly aware of the soft silence that had creeped over the noisy chatter of the college classroom. Subconsciously aware that the atmosphere had changed I looked up to survey my surroundings. A student next to me asked, "Who's that man?" I looked in the direction that she referred to and saw a very tall and strong man in blue jeans and a buttoned shirt sporting boots and a cowboy hat. His hands were large and strong looking. His face and arms revealed that he was a person who had spent a lot of time in the strong Texas sun. The stranger's gaze was direct, almost piercing, definitely subjugating all who had turned to look his way. However it was obvious that he was there without malicious intent and held no ill will towards anyone. This tall Texan had a very self-assured stance, and it was clear that he was accustomed to having a commanding presence over all that he surveyed. In fact, one had a sense that this man was God's representative of honor, a person who had surpassed the simplicity of drawing a line in the sand between right and wrong. He was a virtual wall between good and evil, principles and deceit, justice and inequity. I felt a sense of pride and an indescribable sense of safety and warmth wash over me and simply stated, "That's my Dad."

Dad loved the land and appreciated the bounty that it brought forth. He was a dutiful steward of the earth and was a nurturer of the grasses, fields, and animals that were put in his care. A rugged individualist, Dad was an example of self-sufficiency and strength, drawing all that he needed in this life from God and what God had provided. Dad taught his children independence and gave us a sense of individuality, duty, and a strong knowledge of right and wrong.

My father, the protector and spiritual guide of my family, a tireless caregiver, a man of sacrificial love for his wife and children, and a true patriarch passed away Thursday, April 17, 2008, little more than a month before his 72nd birthday.

The heavenly hosts cried out in simultaneous sorrow and joy as they received God's faithful servant into Abraham's bosom. That night the heavens opened up and the welcoming tears of God watered the Texas Hill Country that Dad loved so much. Dad is now in a mansion on the most beautiful ranch that anyone could imagine. Fields full of grain and pastures of tall grasses. Fat livestock graze in meadows watered by gentle rains and they drink deeply from cool clear waters.

I would not want to take your reward away from you, but Daddy, I miss you terribly.

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

Genesis 1:27-30 (NIV)

My New Backyard...

2008-03-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

I pray that everyone is having a wonderful Easter!

It is cloudy, windy, and quite cool out today, and so I am being a bit lazy. I have been going over some landscape ideas in my head as well.

You know... daydreaming.

Yesterday I put out two hummingbird feeders in hopes of attracting some hummingbirds to my backyard. You may remember that last year I had to wait many, many weeks before I saw my first hummingbird visit my feeder at my home in Oklahoma.

You can only imagine the surprise and excitement that I felt when I saw not one, but TWO Black-Chinned hummingbirds at my feeders by early evening!

This afternoon, I was privy to another amazing sight that I have never before seen. I saw the pendulous acrobatic flight of a male Blacked-chinned hummingbird courting a female.

I will most certainly try to keep an eye out for any hummingbird nests! That would be sooo exciting for me if I found one.

Hopefully I will also see some other hummingbird species come and visit my feeders other than the Black-chinned Hummingbird!

I am really enjoying my new backyard which is now filled with a great variety of birds who are visiting my feeders and birdbath. The birds that I have identified so far are:

The American Goldfinch

The Tufted Titmouse

The Black-crested Tufted Titmouse (Which, by the way, there were a pair inspecting my little bird house today!)

The Inca Dove

The White-winged Dove

The Northern Cardinal (I don't know why they call it the "Northern" Cardinal as it is a very common species here in the Texas Hill Country.

Bewick's Wren (Click on the "bird call" button on this page to hear what the bird sounds like. I must have quite a few of these as this is a common call that I hear in my backyard.)

The Carolina Chickadee

The Loggerhead Shrike

The Mockingbird (This is the Texas state bird.)

The House Finch

The Downy Woodpecker

Overhead, gliding through the skies, is the buzzard. Also known as the Turkey Vulture.

Of course I have a multitude of sparrows which help to empty my feeders on a regular basis. I also have a few grackles that show up. And then there are the dreaded Brown-headed Cowbirds that are "brood parasites". This means that they don't make a nest of their own, but instead lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. This reproductive habit of the Brown-headed Cowbird is a serious threat to other bird species as it often leads to the death of one or more of the foster parents' brood.

I believe that I have listed all the birds that I have seen in my backyard to date. I am anxiously keeping an eye out for the mysterious Painted Bunting which is usually only fleetingly spotted in the Texas Hill Country.

I'm also considering purchasing some meal worms so that I can hopefully attract some beautiful Eastern Bluebirds. Mom has quite a few at her house, but she lives in a less wooded area of the Hill Country so I don't know if I'll see any here or not. They like open pastures quite a bit. Mom has also has put out quite a few Bluebird houses out on the fence posts as well. If I see one I might put out a house for them.

In the evenings I get about six or more bats that come to my backyard. Since there are 32 different types of bats in Texas, I cannot tell you which kind I have. I would have to probably capture one and look at it up close to be able to identify it. However, since I live fairly close to Longhorn Caverns the chances are that my bat visitors are the Mexican Free-tailed bat which numbers are in the millions in the areas surrounding my home. I have observed their flight in the evenings and have surmised that they are the type of bat that eats insects. So that's what they probably are, the Mexican Free-tailed bat.

My house is near Ink's Lake. Not at the water's edge of course, I can't afford waterfront property! But nonetheless I can see a small part of the lake from my driveway and the water's edge is about 1/2 of a mile from my house. A very nice walk on a beautiful day. My neighborhood also has two "POA's" (point of access) to the lake where I can access the water free of charge.

Large bodies of water attract all sorts of wildlife. There are deer in my neighborhood which means I will need to be selective on the plants I choose for my landscape. So I think the chances of me seeing a large variety of bird species is pretty good. I live almost directly across from Inks Lake State Park albeit it is on the other side of a narrow part of the 800 acre lake. I can see the park's golf course from my driveway. Here is a neat video put out by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife about Inks Lake State Park.

I am very thankful for the house that I have and consider it to be a wonderful blessing.

Hopefully I will capture some photographs of the critters that visit my backyard. If I do I will most certainly share them with you guys.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

later...

Hey...

2008-03-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hi all...

I hope that everyone is doing well.

I haven't had internet access for quite some time (four weeks!) and am finally able to sit down and browse for bit.

Our house in Oklahoma was sold and closed on Monday, February 18th. I drove up the Friday before and, with the help of a lot of friends and neighbors, we were able to pack our entire house into a 26' U-Haul truck in just two days.

*whew*

I couldn't have done it without all of you guys. God Bless Each and Everyone of You!!

The weather going into Oklahoma was a little dicey and we ran into some freezing rain. There for a while I wasn't for sure whether or not we were going to make it into Oklahoma City or not. But thankfully we got a break in the precipitation and were able to make it in okay. It rained almost all day on Saturday, but it was better than having the snow that the weatherman was predicting at first. Regardless of the weather, we were able to vacate our beautiful home so that the new occupants could move in.

The kids and I drove back to Texas pulling our car on a trailer behind the truck. This is when I discovered that all of the gas pumps have a $100 limit on them. Boy... did that truck suck down the gas! I estimated that I got about 6 miles to the gallon. Of course, it was probably because the truck was STUFFED full ~and~ was pulling my car as well.

We closed on our new home here, in Texas, on February 20th. Thanks goes to my realtor and the mortgage company for helping to pull that off. I really, really, didn't want to unload our stuff, put it into storage, and then load that truck again. So we were able to unload our stuff directly into the garage of our new home.

*double whew*

Things get done quite a bit slower around here to say the least. Thank goodness that I have a cell phone. While we have been here one month as of yesterday, it seems that I have been meeting installation people every week since we have moved in.

We had to wait almost three weeks to watch television. We weren't able to pick up any local stations so now we have satellite TV. The kids had quickly found our box of videos and so we watched "re-runs" every night. I have to admit, it was kind of fun, for a while that is.

Yesterday, the installer came and put in a new satellite dish for our internet service. There isn't cable out here and our only other alternative was dial-up, and well you know me... that was like sooo not happening.

;+ )

So now our house looks all "techy" on the outside with two separate satellite dishes. *sigh* I just hope that aliens don't start trying to contact me through them, because if they do they'll have to start contributing and pay on the monthly service bills.

I certainly have my work cut out for me here. Our yard has essentially been neglected for several years. It's full of weeds, grassburrs, thistles, and much more. At some point, someone didn't want to do any yard work and so they filled every spot possible with rocks so they wouldn't have to mow. Come to think of it, our house in Oklahoma was just like that too when we moved in. It also had rocks in the flowerbeds! (I wonder if there's any significance in this coincidence?)

Well... it's going to take a lot of work, but most of these rocks have got to go. It's springtime and I have to have flowerbeds to work in. I bet my daffodils and tulips in Oklahoma are beautiful this year.

I haven't taken one picture of our new house, yard, or anything. I really need to so that I can have before and after pictures. I've just been too busy to stop and take them. Hopefully, the dust will start to settle around here and I will be able to get some up for you guys to see.

later...

Burnet County 4-H and FFA 2008 Livestock Show...

2008-01-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

I'm terribly behind on posting on my blog.

And no... I haven't posted lately because of laziness.

;+ )

Yes...

We're doing okay, and thank you for the kind inquiries.

Last week-end we stopped by the Burnet County 4-H and FFA Livestock Show.

It's held in the same barn that I used to show my lambs, pigs, and animals in.

Except for a small addition to the length of the barn, it hasn't really changed much.

I hadn't been there in over 30 years.

The barn isn't that big really...

Although, the place seemed enormous to me when I was a kid.

Bigger than life in my memories.

It was fun to watch the kids show their livestock. This little girl was probably outweighed by her Boer goat at least 2:1. If not more.

She did very well in the show ring as did all of the other exhibitors. These kids will look back on their time in the show ring with fond memories.

The stock show is still alive and well in Burnet, Texas. Thanks to all of the support that it receives from parents, grandparents, adult sponsors, and the local businesses.

It is my understanding that the show was a big success once again this year.

That's good.

It's nice to know that some things really don't change after all.

later...

2007's Top Ten Lists...

2008-01-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Year of Our Lord, 2007, has come to a close.

Our home in Oklahoma is for sale, and the kids and I are staying with Mom and Dad.

There's a lot of stuff that needs to be done and it seems that I run out of time to do it.

My brother, Don, was able to come up and we all dewormed the cattle yesterday afternoon.

So that is taken care of.

We will need to get the goats all up and take care of them as well. We also need to vaccinate the kids and castrate the billies.

But I don't know when we will do that.

I missed my usual timing for my EOY (end-of-year) post. I always try to get it done on New Year's Eve, but it didn't happen last night.

Mom and Dad are taking a nap right now, so I thought that I would at least pull a few things together, today, on January 1st.

Top Ten Lists

I haven't added too many new photographs to my Flickr page, but I still really do enjoy watching the stats on the pictures.

As of this posting, my photographs have had a cumulative total of 4,611 views.

Top Ten Photos

#10

348 views

Timmy the Chihuahua Celebrates Christmas
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#9

362 views

Timmy the Chihuahua is a Christmas Angel
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#8

369 views

Norma Wants to be a Beauty Queen
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#7

383 views

Surgical exposure of a urinary catheter in a feline bladder.
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#6

395 views

Timmy the Chihuahua is a Christmas Angel
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#5

456 views

Norma the English Bulldog wants to be a Beauty Queen
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#4

567 views

Removing Stone from Incised Bladder
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#3

661 views

Norma the English Bulldog is Ready for the State Fair
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#2

1592 views

Norma the English Bulldog Wants to be a Beauty Queen
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

#1

1929 views

Timmy the Chihuahua is a Christmas Angel
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

Timmy the Chihuahua is really excited that he came out as "Numero Uno" this year, beating Norma out by what appears to be a comfortable margin. Of course, he is a lot more excited that he has almost 2000 views as compared to the 144 views that he recieved from last year!

Congratulations Timmy!

I know that I had promised you guys that I would keep a better tally sheet of my top ten posts but...

As ~life~ would have it, I have not been diligent enough to keep up with the sheet.

And...

I'm still too cheap to upgrade my free Sitemeter account to help me keep up with the page rankings.

So I suppose that, in lieu of actual hard core numbers, we will have to go by what I have observed to be the most popular posts that are visited by my search engine visitors. As always, it is my hope that someone was helped in some way or another by the information and/or links that I have provided in these informal articles and blog posts.

2007's Top Ten Posts

#10

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

In 2007, I followed the unfolding events of the tainted pet foods and had written several posts concerning the tragedy. While this crisis has certainly passed I do still receive a few visitors on these posts. It is quite possible that this series of posts are number one according to visits because there was one day in which I had over 1000 visits. However, the number of consistent visitors on a weekly basis has fallen sharply, so that is why I have placed this post at Number 10.

#9

Swiffer Wet Jet Rumor is an Urban Legend...

#8

Cytauxzoonosis aka Bobcat Fever...

#7

Today's Mailbag...

The National Scholar's Honor Society must have a HUGE direct mail program. I certainly would not be surprised if this post becomes number one for 2008.

#6

Subcutaneous Emphysema in a Canine Patient...

#5

Metropolitan Who's Who aka Metropolitan Registries, Inc.

I still keep loose tabs on these folks. Can you believe that they were able to get themselves off the the Better Business Bureau's list? This observation of mine is a post in and of itself, because I truly do believe that the BBB was paid off (or something) in order to get MWW's information off of the internet.

And this has got me to wondering...

How honest is the Better Business Bureau really?

#4

Commemorative Speech...

#3

A Bite of Reality...

#2

Bladder Stones in the Canine Patient...

#1

Chronic Renal Failure in Dogs and Cats

I haven't been able to do any extensive research and write any new articles lately. Perhaps 2008 will provide me some of that time.

I really don't have the time today to place my top designs from my little online store at CafePress.

Especially since I have already had to save this one post several times today as it is.

But I will tell you that I am very happy with my little store and that I have actually received a few checks in the mail from them this past year!

**woo hoo**

2007 has been quite a year in more ways than one for me and my family. And I will have to say that I am hoping that 2008 will be very quiet and calm for all of us.

I need to find some time to update my links to fellow bloggers on my sidebar. There have been several who have found that 2007 was the year to quit blogging. I truly do understand why a person would do that. Especially if you are a person who doesn't want to throw just anything out there.

Blogging really can take a lot of time and effort.

And to those who have quit blogging, I would like to say that it was really nice to meet you and I wish you the very best.

Happy New Year everyone and I pray that you and your families are richly blessed.

later...

Nana is Out of Town...

2007-12-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

Things have been busy around here.

Carrie's choir had their Christmas Concert.

And was I relieved when I learned that they actually DID call it a CHRISTMAS CONCERT.

They even performed REAL Christmas songs that had the word Christ in it.

It was really nice. The choir and band concert were both combined along with the sixth grade and middle school choirs.

Mom has flown the coop, so to speak, and is in Denver right now.

brrrrr...

My sister is due to have her second child by c-section tomorrow morning.

Yes... my sister started late in life to get married and have kids. (She's 44 years old.)

Dad and I took Mom to the airport in Austin. While we were gone Carrie and Parker were left at home to take care of the morning chores.

Yesterday, we had gone into town to pick up some feed for the livestock. It wasn't too much. Less than 1000 pounds that was still in the back of the pick-up.

While we were driving to Austin, Parker called and asked if Carrie could drive the truck to the barn so they could go ahead and unload the feed.

I thought, "What sweet kids thinking of something that needed to be done without being told."

Dad said that would be okay but not to back the truck up to the barn because they might get stuck in the mud there.

(We have had a little bit of rain here.)

Dad and I got home right about noon.

Carrie runs up to me and tells me that she has to tell me something.

From past experience, the use of this phraseology by my teenagers has never been the forbearer of good news.

So Carrie spills her guts...

While she was backing the truck out she caught the post by the cattle guard with the front bumper of the truck.

Oh my.

Dad was upset.

Mom called to let us know that she had made it to Denver okay.

I asked Dad if he had told Mom about the fence.

"No, I didn't", he says.

That means that Mom is going to be even more upset.

We're "Home Alone" for the next two weeks now.

I hope that the place is still in one piece when "The Boss" gets back in town.

later...

Bingo at the Nursing Home...

2007-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

"I-14!"

"I-14!"

First male player, "Can we make substitutions?"

"No. It's I-14."

"N-32!"

"N-32!"

Second male player, "N-22?"

"No. It's N-32."

"O-21!"

"O-21!"

First male player, "Can I play O-31?"

"No. It's O-21."

Boys just never grow up.

later...

Just a Note...

2007-11-30T19:30:00.000-08:00

I have had quite a week at work and it's still not over.

No week-end off for me as I will have to work both days.

I have noticed on my site stats that there has been an increasing number of college students looking for help with their commemorative speeches.

It's that time of year and the assignments will soon be due.

It's interesting to me to watch how the timing of class requirements correspond with all of the universities and colleges across the nation. Even in Hawaii!

I get quite an increase in visits to my commemorative speech assignment that I posted on my blog. It has already been two years since I attended that class.

It really doesn't seem that long ago to me.

I've used the internet a lot to help me along with my assignments. Last year I think a visiting student got in trouble because of my speech paper. It seems that my work has possibly been uploaded to turnitin, which is a plagiarism detection software that many universities use. The university I graduated from used it, and several of the professors let us "students" know how much they really liked the program.

**ahem**

Anyway...

This year a professor from the University of Iowa has linked to my speech via her online lecture notes. I don't know how long this link will be good. It's possible that she uses the same link for all of her classes and then updates it to change dates and pertinent information.

Regardless, I was flattered when I discovered that many of my Iowan student visitors were coming to my blog via the English professor's link.

I was then quite shocked when I read what she had written:

Want to see or listen to some other special occasion speeches?

Oprah Winfrey's Eulogy of Rosa Parks
George W. Bush's remarks at the Virginia Tech memorial
John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address
Here is nice student speech posted on a blog--it is from a longer assignment.

Thank you for the kind comments Professor. I really appreciate them!

(I wonder what kind of grade she would have given me?)

So...

I just thought that I would share this little tidbit of information with you guys and let you all know that finally I have been included with a group of individuals that might be able to meet my standards of achievement.

**cough**

That's it for my "short" little note for tonight.

Somehow, everything I write seems to always turn into a "longer assignment".

later...

Two Guinea Chicks...

2007-11-29T06:09:00.001-08:00

Two Guinea Chicks
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday.

We had some "not-so-nice" weather here with a lot of cold wind and rain. It was really bad for the new kid goats that were being born out in it.

We spent nearly the entire time slopping through the mud and rain looking for wet newborns, then dragging the nannies and the kids underneath the barn so that the babies could be placed under heat lamps to dry off and warm up.

We lost quite a few kids due to hypothermia.

Carrie and Parker were able to see the birthing of several kid goats for the first time. Having seen many animals being born from a much earlier age than they are I think that it made quite a big impact on them both.

Even though I have witnessed the birthing process many times, there's something about the miracle of birth that is still mind boggling to human reasoning. While watching the kid goats being born my mind could not escape the thought of thousands of human babies that are aborted every year in this country. I just cannot wrap my mind around the excuses (yes, I said excuses) that people use to support and allow such a practice on normal, healthy babies.

As I looked at the lifeless bodies of the adorable kid goats I wondered...

How could anyone be in the abortion business?

There is already a frailty in life that none of us will be able to escape...

Death comes to everyone eventually.

The picture was taken a few weeks ago of some Guinea chicks that were hatched out. Those silly Guinea hens were still laying and sitting on eggs this late in the year. Mom gathered the hatchlings all up and brought them into the house so that they could be under a light for about 10 days. She then moved them out to the barn into a little pen with a light out there.

Aren't they adorable?

When they're grown they won't be near this cute and "innocent" looking.

Maybe that's how some people can support and perform abortions on healthy babies.

They look in the mirror every day and reflect on their inner souls and think that everyone else in this world grew up to be just like them...

...unhappy and miserable.

Later...

Happy Thanksgiving 2007...

2007-11-22T17:05:00.000-08:00

I trust that everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

Things have been generally quiet around here.

The goats have started kidding so Mom and Dad are fixing to be inundated with a few hundred kid goats.

We have had a big weather change in the last 24 hours; a 50 degree drop in temperature and howling northerly winds. Our temperature yesterday was 89 degrees and believe me, I was enjoying it too.

I know, I know...

Our cold weather isn't anything compared to my northern friends, but I just can't stand cold weather.

I have a lot of things to be thankful for so I guess I shouldn't be complaining...

Too much that is.

Christmas is just around the corner.

I had an idea for my three year old nephew who lives in Colorado.

I thought it was a great idea, but I had some technical difficulties, compounded by a slow internet connection, and had just about decided that I was going to have to do something else for his Christmas present.

I have worked on this thing in my spare time for almost two weeks now

So not getting my project uploaded had made me really *sad*.

But after four plus hours this afternoon I was finally able to get my project uploaded.

*whew*

My project was to make a little book with some of the pictures that I have taken around here. I have written a story to go with it as well.

Have you guys heard of blurb.com before?

Well, I just think that it is the coolest idea ever and I can't wait to see what "my book" looks like in print.

A Trip to Nana...

In the Texas Hill C...

By T.J. Morgan

Book Preview

I will do my best to get a picture of it when it comes in and try to get it posted here.

I hope all of you guys have a wonderful day tomorrow and this week-end. I have to go to work, but I don't have to work this week-end. I'll have to work Saturday and Sunday of next week though.

Thanks to all of you who work on the holidays. You guys certainly make our holidays safer and brighter.

later...

Hometown News...

2007-11-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Spider
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

I haven't been spending much time on the computer lately. Part of the reason is because there are so many people sharing internet access on one computer.

It has been too long since my last post so I thought that I would give you guys a bit of an update. I wanted to share some photographs as well. When I sat down at "my" computer to gather some photographs together it wasn't long before I had a "visitor" appear.

Yes... the spider came upon my keyboard with me sitting there.

I thought to myself, "Self, it has been a long time since you've sat down at your computer."

So, of course, I had to document the indisputable proof that had so generously landed, nearly, in my lap.

Then I disposed of the eye witness so that there would be only one story to tell...

Told by one storyteller...

Me.

BTW... there wasn't any torture involved. It was quite painless I'm sure, as he didn't even see it coming because I wanted to avoid any messy cleanups on my keyboard.

Parade Fire Truck
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

I know that you folks may find it hard to believe but this post has been in the making for almost four days now. It has taken three of those days (you know I am at work during the day, so when I say "day" it really means evening, at home, after work) just to get my photographs uploaded.

I had to resort to posting my photos on Flickr and then posting them from there to Blogger.

I just can't seem to get my pictures to hardly upload to Blogger on this low-speed internet connection.

As you know, I am partially relocated to Texas. My kids are attending the same school that I did.

The same school that my Dad attended as well.

Noooo... not in the same building, just the school in the same town of Burnet.

The kids nowadays have a big fancy campus that is absolutely huge and is laid out much like a junior college.

The town still isn't much bigger than it was when I went to school there, but it seems that it has become a sought after public school and there are many parents who pay out of district fees for the privilege of transferring their children into it.

A couple of weeks ago was homecoming and there were a lot of special events to mark the occasion. The pictures are from the Homecoming parade which is always led by a firetruck.

Parade Marchers
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

It is a casual affair and the parade consists of students from the high school all the way down to the kindergartners.

You could say that it's a parade for the students.

Carrie
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

Carrie is in the high school choir. Of course, every organization in the school had to have its own flatbed trailer for them to ride upon. The choir wasn't any different. I was able to catch a quick picture of Carrie on her "float".

Doesn't she have a nice parade wave and smile?

All of the students are known as "Burnet Bulldogs", however the little tykes are known as "Bullpups".

These kids have everything these days. They even have air conditioning in the school buses and paved roads!

Have you ever ridden in the back of a school bus with the windows open on a dry dusty Texas road?

I'm sure you've figured out by now that the school colors are green and white.

I laughed out loud when the little wagon train came along near the end of the parade. It looked so fun.

I wish I had a little wagon train like that when I was a kid.

Heck...

I wish they had had kindergarten when I was a kid.

later...

Imperial Moth Caterpillar...

2007-10-21T17:28:00.001-07:00

Imperial Moth Caterpillar...
Originally uploaded by itsmetj

I received a friendly e-mail telling me that "the bug needs to go".

So...

I have replaced it with an "autumnal" creature. The Imperial Moth caterpillar.

Here is a great picture of the moth on Wikipedia.

The moth, Eaclis imperialis, is not very widespread and according to some reports that I have read it may be in decline in a few areas.

We found two of these caterpillars here at my parents' home in Burnet County, Texas.

These caterpillars burrow into the ground or crawl under leaves. I have some dirt and leaves in a mayonnaise jar and I am keeping the caterpillars in there. Early this evening, the first caterpillar shed its skin revealing an auburn colored pupa. I will try to get pictures of the pupa soon, but I want to be careful to not injure it. So I will leave it alone for a few days to allow the shell sufficient time to harden.

It is my hope that we will see adult Imperial Moths this spring. Which is a creature that I have never seen before.

While I was trying to identify our caterpillars I ran across a very interesting and interactive website that I wanted to share with you guys.

It's called What's That Bug?. If you find a bug, or a caterpillar, and you don't know what it is you can search their website for its identity.

But the best thing about this website is that you can send them an e-mail with a photo of your "magnificent finding", and they will post it on their website along with its name.

It's a really cool website and some of the photos that people have taken of insects from all over the world are really, really good.

I suppose I should also include an update about what's going on with me and my family.

For those of you who don't already know, the kids and I have partially relocated to the Texas Hill Country.

The kids are attending public school. Something that they have never done before.

I have started a new job at a veterinary clinic down here as well.

My home in Oklahoma is up for sale and all of our stuff is still up there too. We are currently living with my parents.

So...

Having lived in Oklahoma for almost 30 years (my entire adult life) I now find myself back home in Texas.

Dad is doing some better. At least he can see to walk around the house and the ranch. He still can't read, see the TV, or drive.

The kids and I have been helping around here. The kids do most of the chores after school.

The kids seem to have adjusted really well to a completely different type of school environment. I have been blessed to have found employment that is only 23 miles away. I was afraid that I would have to go to work in Austin and commute 65 miles one way.

But as always...

God has been good to us and He has been faithful.

I'm waiting for that perfect family to come and buy my house so that Sue will have a great neighbor. At least neighbors that won't cause her as much aggravation as I have.

;+ )

I also want to thank all the people who are currently helping me through this transition... Taking care of the house while I am gone, those who have helped do some much needed repairs and painting on the house, yard work, cleaning, and so much more.

What would I do without all of those wonderful Oklahomans?

God Bless You All...

later...

Grant's Rhinocerous Beetle...

2007-10-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Parker found this beetle in the pasture here in Burnet County, Texas.

When you're out in the country your backyard kind of expands a bit.

It's really cool.

And big too!

I looked it up and its Latin name is Dynastis Grantis. I have found other variations of the Latin name as well.

It isn't supposed to be in Texas, but Dad says that he would see one every now and again.

Even when he was a kid.

Dad is 71 years old.

So I guess they've been around in these parts for quite some time.

What I didn't know was that there are a lot of rhinocerous beetles that are kept for pets.

Another thing I didn't know is that there are a lot of different kinds of Rhinocerous beetles.

Here's a cool video about them on YouTube:

This beetle was a great find and is now one of Parker's prized possessions.

;+ )

later...

One Day at a Time...

2007-10-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would give you guys an update on Dad.

Mom brought him home from the hospital yesterday. His eye is swollen beyond belief and the conjunctiva has prolapsed and is exposed to the air.

We're putting ointment on the eye to prevent it from drying out.

He is also essentially blind right now.

As far as his psyche goes...

Dad isn't doing too well.

He also seems to be having difficulties with his mental acuity.

So...

I'm still in Texas...

Helping out as best I can.

Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes.

later...

Today Needs Some Humor...

2007-10-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would give you guys an update from Texas...

We will be leaving here in a little bit for Austin. Dad has his surgery today. It is the second one on this eye. The surgeon says that he won't repeat this surgery again because each time he goes in behind the eye the chances that Dad will be blind from the surgery goes up. So the surgeon says that he will remove a piece of bone from the orbit of the eye so that the melanoma will have a place to expand and not put so much pressure on the eye. It's important that the sight in this eye is preserved since Dad has already lost his left eye to retinal melanoma.

BTW...

Thank you for your prayers. They are greatly appreciated.

Now for something funny and cute...

God Bless.

later...

There's Evidence...

2007-09-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

...that taking work home with you is hazardous to you...

...and your family's health.

Relax...

And have a great week-end.

later...

I'm Speechless...

2007-09-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

My blogging has been spotty lately at best.

I haven't been able to keep up with my blogging friends' blogs either.

I've been very busy, lots of projects, lots of work, lots of personal stuff...

So imagine my surprise...

Shock rather...

When I discovered that I have been nominated for a 2007 Okie Blog Award.

The category that I have been nominated for is:

Best Unusual Blog

I want to personally thank the Okie Blogger(s?) who nominated me.

It's really an honor to be nominated...

A cherished prize in and of itself.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Voting for the 2007 Okie Blog Awards has already begun and will continue through September 26, 2007.

There are a few rules, one being that you have to be a current Oklahoma blogger to be able to vote.

Thanks to Mike for all of the hard work that he puts into sponsoring the awards as well as the annual Okie Blogger Round-Up.

Below is his list for this year's nominees.

Enjoy.

A Short, Dramatic Story...

2007-09-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Daughter with Algebra homework:

Mom, I need help with my math.(imagine a female whining)

Me:

Okay. Bring it here.

Background: Mother graduated from high school in 1976.

(Mother looks at the problem, refreshes memory from ~several~ examples, tries a few and checks her work for accuracy (*cough*), and begins to explain how to solve it.)

Daughter:

Mom... What are you doing? That's not how Ms. ____ did it. I don't understand this. I can't do it. I guess I'll just get a zero (Add *pitiful* whine and tearing eyes.)

Me:

You can do it. You just have to take it step by step.

Mother starts back at the beginning and continues to explain the processes wondering how in the world these teachers explain something by using their "modern" shortcuts.

Daughter is now in full-blown "feeling sorry for herself" mode.

A reference is made by the daughter that the mother doesn't know what she is doing. Mother assures daughter that she does know what she is doing. *cough*

Daughter:

I can't do it. I don't know why I need to know this stuff anyway. I'll never use Algebra.

Me:

You need Algebra to get into college.

Daughter:

Then I guess I won't be going to college then.(add "teenage tone" here>

Me:

You'll be surprised at all the things you'll use from school when you get older.

Daughter:

Well I won't be using Algebra.

Me:

Yes you will.

Daughter:

No I won't, 'cause I'm not going to college.

Me:

You'll still need Algebra, because some day you'll be trying to help one of your kids with their math homework.

Daughter:

Then I'm not having any kids.

Me, pondering:

hmmm... algebra=birth control?, birth control=algebra?... Go figure.

End Note:

The daughter ended up understanding the algebraic equations. And yes, the little family duo was able to complete the homework assignment ~without tears~.

When Hype Hurts...

2007-08-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

The Oklahoma State Fair will soon be underway and is an event that is looked forward to by tens of thousands of Oklahomans, both young and old. This year the fair will run from September 13th through the 23rd and it is expected to be one of the biggest events of 2007 as the state continues to celebrate its 100th year of statehood.

Many people think that the state fair consists of rodeos, entertainment, and the Midway with its numerous carnival rides and food vendors. However, the state fair has many educational experiences as well throughout its ten day run.

For several years now the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association has sponsored an educational exhibit on the fair grounds.

One of my blogging friends, Shelly, was reviewing the events that were scheduled for this year's fair and ran across the promotional blurb about the OVMA exhibit. Shelly blogged about it and posted her feelings concerning the exhibit. She also left a comment here on my blog asking for my opinion.

Here is the excerpt about the OVMA demonstration exhibit as written by those who are in charge of the State Fair publicity compaign:

VETERINARY SURGICAL CENTER

Can you stomach seeing a live surgery? Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) Veterinarians will perform a live surgery right before your eyes and show the entire spaying process of a female dog. It’s just like being in the operating room with play by play commentating. It’s an educational experience for the whole family. All dogs having this procedure will be available for adoption. So be sure to visit the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter table and find out more about how to take one of these loving pets home.

Monday – Thursday • 6:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday • 2:00 & 6:30 p.m.
Location: Barn #3

I assure you that the OVMA is not wanting to sensationalize this intricately planned educational exhibit. There are hours upon hours of planning that goes into pulling such a demonstration together. Additionally, all of this is done on a voluntary basis by veterinarians and their support staff from within the state. My employer, Dr. Tina Neel, serves on the planning committee and some of our doctors and staff volunteer their time to help man the exhibit. There are thousands of dollars of time, equipment, supplies, medicines, and ancillary items that are donated in hopes that the general public will gain an understanding of responsible pet ownership as well as modern veterinary medicine.

It is a committed group of individuals who work tirelessly to bring veterinary medicine out of the dark ages and strive to raise the standards in the field as a whole.

Why are there still hundreds of thousands of unwanted, unspayed, and unneutered pets in this nation?

Public education is imperative.

How many people understand that the technology and equipment is available for our pets unless they are shown?

We have gas anesthesia machines that deliver safe inhalant anesthetics. The days of having an IV anesthetic taped to the leg of a patient using a straight needle should be gone. For some, this is still the norm in the surgical suite; but how is the public going to know there is a better and safer way unless they are taught?

How many individuals expect to have surgery without the basics of screening blood work, or EKG, CO2, and blood pressure monitoring?

How about pain control? Would you like for your doctor to ask you to "bite the bullet" after an extensive orthopedic procedure?

There are many people who are not aware that these things are available for their pets.

Why?

Because they have never been told about it or seen it in use.

It is the hope of many veterinary professionals to stop the uncontrolled repopulation of pets as well as raise the standards of care for your personal pet.

In order to do this, the public has to understand what the standards should be.

That is what this exhibit is all about...

Education.

I apologize for any misunderstanding that may have been caused by the promotional hype by the State Fair organization.

Because that is not our intent at all.

later...

Today's Mailbag...

2007-08-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I receive a forwarded e-mail that is worthy of a second look.

This particular e-mail hooked me because it touches on one of the greatest dangers our children can face.

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental-injury related death among children ages 1 to 14 and the leading cause of accidental-injury related death among children ages 1 to 4

The e-mail had a link to this compelling video which is provided by the folks at Infant Swimming Resource.

Over half of the children between the ages of 1 to 4 who die from drowning do so in a swimming pool. And many of these deaths occur at their own homes.

I have always felt that in order to help protect my children that it was imperative to teach my children how to swim.

However, this swimming program takes it to the next level... survival.

What a great e-mail to forward.

later...

Another Hummingbird Picture...

2007-08-22T20:04:00.001-07:00

I was able to capture this photo of another little hummingbird flying.

You should have seen all the pictures that I took where the hummingbirds had left the frame of the shot.

I did get some other snapshots with a hummingbird within the frame, but I thought that this picture was the best one.

I've been busy lately.

Cleaned out the fridge...

And discovered that the interior was white.

later...

Hurricanes in Oklahoma...

2007-08-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't have an actual hurricane in Oklahoma...

But a tropical storm?

Here?

By "hurricane and tropical storm standards", it would be considered a small one.

Even so, the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin certainly did cause some problems for us this Sunday.

And sadly, there were those who did not survive the storm and its flood waters.

Our prayers are with those families as they mourn their loss.

Here at my house I was quite fortunate.

And I have to admit that I slept through the entire event and wasn't aware of what was going on.

At all.

I woke up to quite a surprise this morning.

The high wind had torn off one of my porch lights...

And twisted off a fairly good sized tree limb and countless other smaller limbs and leaves.

And the rain flooded my yard.

But only it was only a few inches deep.

I had other plans for my Sunday, but I ended up picking up the yard instead.

Once again I find myself counting my blessings...

And have been protected from the severe forces of nature.

You guys have a great week.

later...

Reflections...

2007-08-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

There are times when we all need to just sit down and count our blessings.

The problems in our lives try to overtake us and keep us preoccupied...

Causing us to miss the important things in life.

And when we try to reflect on the positives it seems that we only look for the "big blesssings".

The things that appear to be of substance...

On the outside that is.

We look at the stuff that could possibly impress our friends...

People at the mall or at work.

We look to money way too often and depend on it for our happiness far too much.

Missing what is truly important.

The loudness of a quiet, hot summer evening...

Cicadas singing in the trees.

We should be thankful that we can hear them.

The cool green leaves of a stout oak that provides us with shade from a dutiful sun.

The joy of water.

It feels so much wetter in August, don't you think?

I'm thankful for my lawn chair...

And my backyard.

It's one of my most favorite places...

And provides me with a respite from the outside world.

It's a place of solitude that provides ample room for soulful reflection.

What a blessing it is to me.

Be still...

Be quiet...

So that you can truly hear.

Find a quiet spot...

Close your eyes...

And listen to the 23rd Psalm like you've never heard it before.

It will bring tears of gratitude to your eyes.

later...

Gone Huntin' II...

2007-08-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember when I put my hummingbird feeder out late this spring. It was in the first week of May.

Every day, I would wait and watch for any sign of a hummingbird. But the only thing visiting my feeder was a butterfly or two...

And a few wasps.

I would pour the old sugar water out and refill it with a freshly made batch of the sweet liquid.

And then wait some more.

Two weeks ago I saw my first hummingbird come to my feeder. My visitors have increased from the lonely one to about five.

This evening I sat down with the camera and was able to capture a few of the little guys.

I had plenty of time to wonder why it took them so long to find my feeder. Then I got to thinking that maybe that it was time for them to start migrating south.

And these guys are just passing through.

If that's the case, I hope that they stay for a while before they move on.

The Oklahoma Wildlife Department says to hang the feeders from April 1st until November 1st which is very encouraging.

Although I can't say that I have ever seen a hummingbird that late in the year.

These are my first attempts at taking pictures of hummingbirds. It was quite a challenge to say the least.

Something that I will need to practice.

All in all I am happy with these snapshots. I just wish that my ruby-throated hummingbird had seen fit to visit me this evening.

Maybe he will come by the next time I get a quiet moment with my camera.

later...

Final Grades...

2007-08-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

The grade for my last class was posted today.

And my "unofficial" GPA as well.

I have completed all my requirements for my bachelor of science degree in management.

GPA: 3.948

Returning to school was my approach to physical therapy for my brain.

You may remember that I had a rather large tumor removed (although they weren't able to get all of it) on November 6, 2003.

It was a very, very long surgery.

When I awoke I wasn't the same.

I couldn't see well or focus. I had memory problems and other difficulties.

Plus, the left side of my face was paralyzed.

I am also totally deaf in my left ear, but I knew that was going to happen before the surgery.

A friend of mine who had suffered from hypoxia several years prior had told me that she worked word puzzles on the internet and that it seemed to help her quite a bit.

I started playing the online games on Yahoo. Games like Literati and Spades.

Stuff where you had to use words and your memory.

I found that it helped me out quite a bit.

The physical therapy prescribed by the surgeons didn't really help me out that much.

Sure... it was supposed to improve my balance and all that, especially since they had removed everything that was associated with my left ear, including my cochlea.

But my balance issues weren't that big of a concern to me.

Neither is walking in the dark, which is something that I still can't do.

And probably will never be able to do either.

My concerns were about who I was internally.

It was about my mind.

Encouraged by the improvement I experienced with the games, I started looking at returning to school.

You know...

Make those synapses work really hard.

Put some stress on them...

Like a dumb bell does your biceps.

While I still am not 100%, I have found that I am a whole lot better off mentally.

In fact, I even surprised myself today by remembering a number that I had seen only once earlier this morning.

For most of you this may not be a big accomplishment...

But for someone who can't find their car in the grocery store parking lot after 20 minutes of shopping...

This is a big deal.

So...

I am proud to say that I have completed 2 1/2 years of college that, when added to credits from my previously earned associate's degree...

Gives me a BS...

*WOO HOO*

I was able to set a goal and accomplish it...

A challenge that I wasn't sure that I would be able to meet.

And actually, that is my biggest achievement...

later...

Two Year Anniversary...

2007-07-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

Is this crazy or what?

I forgot to post on my Blog Anniversary.

I have completed two years of blogging!

When I started I didn't know whether or not it would be be something that I would continue doing for any length of time.

I'm still here.

Too busy to blog sometimes...

But I still enjoy it.

And you guys too!

Exactly 23,900 visits at this very moment.

Thank you for your friendship!

later...

Busy Week-End...

2007-07-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with schoolwork that I haven't been able to keep up with things around the house like I should have been.

One thing that has been "let go" is the yard. While we have kept the yard mown and the grass generally under control, the little things have been left undone.

This week-end my goal was to edge the yard. While some may not think that this is a huge undertaking it was quite a challenge since this aspect of lawn care has been ingnored here at my house. We also live on a 1/4 acre corner lot, so we have quite a bit of curb between us and the street.

We have been blessed with drought breaking rains and so the grass has really grown. The runners from the Bermuda grass had literally hidden my curb and had taken root in the dirt against the curb and the street.

Yes... my yard had extended itself beyond its normal boundaries and my section of the street was actually turning into turf. Also, my front sidewalk resembled a narrow path and the grass was jumping its boundaries into the flower beds as well.

I worked until the last minute yesterday afternoon because I was due at work at 4:30 to do some ultrasounds.

I took a much needed shower and went to work. I then left work and attended the season's last game of the OKC Yard Dawgz. Just before half-time I went upstairs and got to talk on the radio with Mike Frazer about ultrasounds. My work is a sponsor of the team and so we get some air time when the team plays. Mike is the "voice of the Yard Dawgz" and announces the play-by-play radio broadcast live on KTOK radio.

After the game we went and had a few drinks with Mike.

mmm... Frozen Margaritas!

By the way, Mike is a very generous host.

Of course, it was very, very late when I got home last night. I slept in by quite a bit this morning.

I got up and started working on edging the driveway, the other sidewalk and flower beds. I also have a pecan tree by the driveway and there were a lot of limbs that were hanging so low that they were laying on top of my car. To walk to the door of the house it was like walking through a giant shrub.

So I trimmed a bunch of tree limbs as well and got them bundled up so they can go out with the trash. All in all I scraped up several hundred pounds of dirt and grass from around my curb and I now have quite a pile of bundled tree limbs.

Needless to say, my hands are very sore and tired this evening from the strenous two day work out they have gotten. I can feel my hands complaining now while I type.

Working outside this week-end was also like working out in a sauna. It has been really humid and today was certainly more humid than yesterday.

But I have quite a sense of accomplishment and feel really good "internally".

Of course, the margaritas could have more to do with my sense of well-being than the strenous physical labor and gallons of sweat that streamed from my pores.

Maybe I should do this more often.

The margaritas that is.

later...

Civic Duty...

2007-07-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

As Linda in Norman would say:

"Poke me with a fork. I'm done."

We have just been released by the Federal Judge.

We have completed our service as jurors after six days of testimony and deliberations.

All 12 jurors are emotionally and mentally drained beyond description.

Believe me when I tell you that it was an experience like no other.

And no...

I don't want to do it ever again.

later...

Story in the Norman Transcript.

The Latest News...

2007-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Linda in Norman e-mailed me the other day to tell me that it has been quite some time since I have posted anything on my blog.

When I looked at the date of my last post, I found it hard to believe that it has been 13 days!

Two weeks without a post?

How unlike me.

*sigh*

Needless to say, I have been inundated with an enormous amount of school work. If I told you guys how many hours I have spent in research and writing for my class assignments alone...

Well, let's just say that I am certain that you would understand why I haven't posted.

For example, in one class alone I have typed 18,772 words. Of course, this is a word count for the finished product as recorded by my Word documents.

Another neat thing about the statistics that Word records on your documents is the amount of time that is spent on editing the document. I think that the amount of time that is spent on projects tells a much clearer story.

In this same class I spent 5478 minutes editing those 18,772 words. This calculates into 91.3 hours of my life that was used to to type these papers up. Of course, this does not include how much time was spent on reading and researching the topics that I was writing about. However, I did not keep a manual record of these efforts.

Albeit, I spent an enormous amount of time on these assignments, I am happy to announce that I did earn an "A" for the class. My professor e-mailed me this afternoon to let me know what my grade was before she was required to post it officially.

She also gave me quite a compliment.

So... In the end, it was all worth it because I achieved my goal!

In other news...

I know that I had a lot of people worrying about me and my ONG bill and the overcharge from my account via the automatic payment plan.

I have been so busy that I haven't been monitoring my bills like I should. I was yanked into reality when they *dinged* my account for an EXTRA $75. Of course, this caused me to pull all my old bills out, go out and read my meter myself, and make a phone call that put me in that endless on hold loop for over 30 minutes.

I won't go into all of the *gory* details of my telephone conversation with the customer service rep when I called about my bill.

Let's just say that I became very frustrated with her because she WOULD NOT SHUT UP and listen to my reasoning and logic. While I didn't have all the facts in front of me "like she did", I had a pretty good idea of what had happened to my account. She kept telling me that I OWED Oklahoma Natural Gas money!! She refused to listen to me. I know that she thought I was crazy...

And stupid as well.

BTW... if you really want to make me mad, just ~act~ like you think I'm stupid.

I tried my best to get to a supervisor, but you know how that first line of defense works. They won't let you get past them.

The next day I finally got through to a supervisor. While she didn't quite understand my logic or reasoning, she could tell that something "just wasn't right" with my account. She promised that she would send it over to the "Accounting Department".

Long story short...

ONG ended up crediting my account $318.23.

Oh yeah... uh huh...

That customer service rep was wrong, and I was right.

You know that I really didn't have the time to deal with those people, but for $300 I figure that it's worth it.

HOWEVER... I think I still need to write a letter to ONG because they don't REFUND you the money. They only credit your account.

Which, in my opinion, is wrong, wrong, wrong.

There's a lot of things that I need to share with you guys, but I'll only share a few more things.

One is a new phishing scam. The last couple of weeks I have been getting hit with spam that presents itself as an e-card. It says things like, "Your family member has sent you an e-card!" or "Your friend has sent you a card!". There's one that uses Hallmark's name on it too.

You get the idea.

They're FAKE e-mail greeting cards.

I knew that these cards were probably worse than the annoying spam that we all usually get. But I never took the time to research it. This evening I took a few minutes and I was able to confirm my suspicions.

Anyway, in the body of the e-mail is a link that you click on and it takes you to a website. This website downloads malicious spyware, etc., on your computer when you land on it. With this "mal-ware" the people on the other end can gather your credit card numbers, passwords, or anything else that you type on your computer or online.

So I thought that this was something important for you guys to know. You can read this short article about it.

Let's see...

What else.

Oh yeah...

Do you guys remember me mentioning that I had been summoned as a petit juror to the Federal Court?

Well, I had to show up yesterday morning at 7:30 am. We had orientation, swearing in, and all that stuff. They told us that we had to be available through August 10th. They also said that most trials usually only last about two to three days.

I ended up being selected as a juror for a criminal trial...

And the judge told us that it was certain to last for FIVE days at the very least. Maybe into the following week?

Can you believe this?

So...

What have you guys been up to?

Hopefully, I be back here sooner than...

later...

Big Hearts in Oklahoma...

2007-06-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Big Hearts Live in Oklahoma …

Americans are generous people. They give their time, their money, their physical strength, and their love.

But how many of us can say that we are able to give away our hearts.

Who has ever asked you to give something that was dear and precious to you?

How would you respond to such a request?

What if you took a pet into your home and cared for it, took it to the veterinarian, paid its bills, loved it, and treated it as one of your own for two years.

What if you believed that it was your pet, forever?

How much of your heart would be invested in your pet?

What if someone came to you and said, “We have found the original owner of your little dog…

And she wants it back.”

Could any one of us give away a pet that we dearly loved?

How big is your heart?

This scenario is real.

The people are real…

The dog is real…

And so are the emotions.

Get your favorite beverage…

Grab some tissues.

I have an unbelievable story to tell…

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, there was utter devastation. Families' lives were literally uprooted. Many were separated from each other. Not only were the lives of the people in total disarray, chaos, and anguish, but there were thousands of animals who were in great need as well. From people, to wildlife, to farm animals, to household pets, it seems that not one living being was left unaffected by Hurricane Katrina.

So great was the destruction that separation from family and friends lasted for months. Communications were non-existent. Thousands of people had lost everything, including their pets. Several animal rescue teams were formed and spread themselves along the devastated coast in order to provide support for the animals in desperate need of rescue, medical care, and eventually reunification with their owners.

In August of 2005, our hospital had two of our staff members at Neel Veterinary Hospital volunteer to help in one of the greatest natural disasters that our country has ever seen. Dr. Chris Logan and one of our veterinary technicians, Nadia Rizzo, went to care for pets that were separated from their owners and help relieve the widespread suffering of the animals that were caught in the storm. They joined forces with United Animal Nations (UAN) Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS), and with a trailer of donated veterinary medical supplies and other much needed items, they arrived in Louisiana soon after the hurricane had struck.

If you would like to read an eyewitness account of where they were and what this team encountered, you can go HERE.

Many of the animals that were rescued did not have any identification on them. No collars, no tags, no microchips. There were so many animals without a place to go that volunteers took many of them back to their home states. Our team brought several dogs back to Oklahoma. Photographs of all of the pets were taken and posted on the internet. Soon networks of people were diligently trying to reunify families with their lost pets.

Louie72
Originally uploaded by gteans

That has been almost two years ago.

Most of us have forgotten about Hurricane Katrina. Two years is a long time for most folks. Time passes. Memories fade.

Unless…

You were someone who was directly affected by the storm.

Yes…

There are people still living in FEMA trailers.

People like Betty.

Betty

There are people who are still trying to rebuild their lives, nearly two years after the monstrous storm.

Betty lost many things because of Hurricane Katrina. She also lost her little dog, Howie. Betty moved back to New Orleans in hopes of finding her small companion.

Eileen lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She is a volunteer with Best Friends Remote Reunion who tirelessly works to reunite Hurricane Katrina victims with their pets. Eileen posted the pictures that Betty had of Howie on the
Petfinders’ website in September of 2006. Eileen and Betty were hoping that someone would recognize him so that he could be returned home to her in New Orleans.

PetFinders’ Poster

One day a woman from Belgium named Ingrid saw Howie’s picture on the PetFinders website. She thought that he looked awfully familiar to a picture of a rescued Louisiana dog that she had seen before on the EARS website. Ingrid e-mailed Eileen and told her that she believed she had found a link.

But where was the dog from the EARS website now?

Nobody knew.

For the next seven months Eileen made telephone calls, sent e-mails, and questioned people who were involved in the rescue efforts after the hurricane of 2005. She was able to locate the photographer who took the picture of Howie and finally…

A link was made to the triage center in Monroe, Louisiana, and its team of volunteers.

But who were they?

Where were they from?

Due to the undying investigative efforts of Eileen, she ran across Dr. Logan’s name in the eye-witness article written by Molly Gibbs. An internet search and finally… she had a direct link to Howie.

In May of this year Dr. Logan received an e-mail from Eileen asking for help in locating and positively identifying Howie.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In October of 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina had destroyed so many homes and lives, Patti Landers was at her veterinarian’s office in Norman, Oklahoma. She had her dog “Elway”, a 115 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback, with her. While she was at the Main Street Veterinary Hospital she saw a veterinary technician playing with a little dog. The technician was Ashley, who had gone with the Oklahoma team to Louisiana as a volunteer. Ashley had brought the homeless dog back with her to Oklahoma and had renamed him Louie. Louie was one of several Louisianan dogs that had made the trip to Oklahoma in hopes of finding a new home.

Ms. Landers asked Ashley about the little dog. Ashley told her about Louie’s plight. How he needed a real home to stay in, because he had already spent many weeks in a crate at the Main Street Veterinary Hospital in Norman, Oklahoma.

Would Ms. Lander’s keep him for “two weeks only”?

It was an impulse.

It was a commitment.

It was love.

Louie wasn’t too demanding of a dog.

Although when Patti had bought him and Elway nice new beds, he insisted on having Elway’s bed. Elway’s bed was much bigger than his bed, and Louie wanted a big bed too.

So the Landers bought Louie a bed just like Elway’s.

Rather timid at first, especially with Mr. Landers, Louie also became a very good watchdog.

And Louie helped Elway overcome his fear of thunderstorms too.

How do the Landers feel about Louie?

Patti says, “We just love him.”

Empty nesters, the Landers are very attached to the little guy. Their only grandchild is a rescued “grand-dog”.

When asked about sending “Louie” to New Orleans to be “Howie” once again, Patti simply responds.

How could they not give him back to Betty?

The Landers’ love of the dog is overshadowed by their love for their fellow man.

Louie/Howie in his Norman, Oklahoma, home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This story isn’t over yet.

Betty is financially and physically unable to make the trip to Oklahoma to positively identify Howie. Funds are needed and many coordination and travel arrangements are yet to be made and finalized.

Dr. Logan has contacted Continental Airlines in hopes that they would be kind enough to donate round trip airfare for Betty’s daughter to come to Oklahoma. And hopefully return with Howie.

But we haven’t heard anything from them yet.

We were also hoping that a local television station would pick up the story and help us find some generous benefactors to help with the expenses.

Even Eileen has offered to make the trip with her own funds.

But wouldn’t it be nice if we could help Eileen instead?

She’s already done so much and has invested almost a year of her time and funds in this magnificent adventure.

If you are interested in helping with this endeavor…

Or you know of someone who would be willing to reunite Betty with her dog Howie…

Please contact us at 405.947.8387.

You can leave your contact information for Dr. Logan and he will be more than happy to get back with you.

We would really like to have Betty and Howie reunited as soon as possible.

**UPDATE** 01July2007

Dr. Logan has informed me that everything has gone well at the airport this morning.

It ended up that none of Howie's family members could make the flight. Eileen, who lives in Greenbay, Wisconsin, flew in to New Orleans and then to Oklahoma City where she then picked up Howie. It is hoped that she made the connecting flight in Houston at 1pm and will be in New Orleans by 5pm this evening.

After such a long journey in time as well as distance, Howie will finally be home.

Best Wishes to Howie, Betty, and Eileen...

And God Bless You All.

**UPDATE** 29June2007

The Channel 9 reporter and cameraman came to the hospital this morning. Both Mr. and Mrs. Landers came as well and they brought "Howie" with them. They surrendered Howie to Dr. Logan.

I have gotten to meet Howie and he is a very sweet little dog.

**UPDATE***

Dr. Logan and Eileen are going to share the costs in flying Betty's daughter to Oklahoma City and then back to New Orleans with Howie.

Channel 9 is going to cover the story as well, tomorrow, Friday, 28June2007.

Today's Mailbag...

2007-06-25T19:22:00.001-07:00

I have been terribly busy with lots of schoolwork and I have gotten behind on a few things.

And I haven't been able to keep up with all of your blogs either.

I also have several "Mailbag" topics that I really want to discuss, but my mailbag items usually involve a bit of research which...

I just don't have the time for right now.

However...

This mailbag item is a No Brainer.

Last week I received this in the mail:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Western District of Oklahoma

SUMMONS FOR JURY SERVICE

THE COURT SUMMONS YOU TO APPEAR FOR JURY DUTY BEGINNING ON THE DATE, TIME, AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW.

Yes folks...

I have been summoned to Petit Jury Duty.

And it's not a scam, a joke, or anything like that.

It's for r e a l.

hmmm...

Let's see what the U.S. District Court is up to tomorrow.

Really folks...

Wouldn't you just be quaking in your boots if you ever saw your name after USA v.?!

I'm glad that the courtrooms these days are modern, technologically advanced, and air conditioned.

It should make things a whole lot easier for me.

later...

Butts and Boobs Part II

2007-06-19T14:50:00.001-07:00

So I'm sending an e-mail reply to one of my professors.

I'm concentrating on my stuff, you know?

And I get THAT SCREEN in my face!

Do you guys realize how this just RUINS my concentration?????

I know...

You folks may think that I am just being sensitive about all of this.

But I assure you that I'm not.

I have a large monitor at home.

And I like things to be easy to see and read.

(No... It doesn't have anything to do with my age. *cough*)

So when I use my e-mail, and picture like the one above pops up, it feels like my NOSE is in SOMEONE's ASS.

I'm not a dog.

And I don't go around shoving my nose up people's butts or in their crotches.

I tried last night to contact AT&T and complain. But I was not able to get through. Not even to the "Live Chat" person.

I am SICK and TIRED of these ADS on my YAHOO e-mail account.

I am going to IGNORE the ads and BOYCOTT every single company that I see advertise on my e-mail account.

In fact, I might even boycott Yahoo and AT&T.

We'll see if I can "reach out and touch someone".

AT&T...

This could get ugly

later...

Butts and Boobs...

2007-06-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yes.

I've been busy with schoolwork.

Lots of schoolwork.

I just had to stop in and complain for a minute.

I get all of my web based e-mail through Yahoo. My ISP (internet service provider) is with SBC, which has now been taken over by AT&T. Of course, the ISP has an aggreement with Yahoo.

Since AT&T has taken over they have turned my e-mail "environment" into an advertisement smorgasborg. It isn't like it used to be. A nice clean e-mail program with MY RELEVANT STUFF in it.

Now, when I access my e-mail, I see lots of butts and boobs.

And really folks...

I don't enjoy it at all.

AT&T...

I'm tired of you already.

later...

The Development of Cancer Vaccines...

2007-06-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year it was announced that a cancer vaccine for canine melanoma had been approved for a conditional license by the USDA.

The vaccine is currently being distributed to selected facilities and has recently arrived at Oklahoma State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The conditional license is valid for one year, which at the conclusion, all the data from the treated animals will be gathered and evaluated. The results of the data will determine whether or not the license will be renewed for further study.

It takes several years of research for medicines of this nature to make it to this stage of development. Additionally, USDA-APHIS (United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) reserves the right to issue these special licenses under certain circumstances. According to APHIS, "the vaccine has been shown to aid in cancer treatment for dogs and has demonstrated a reasonable expectation of efficacy to increase the survival time of dogs with oral melanoma."

Probably the most significant aspect of this vaccine is the fact that it has had some very promising preliminary results which led to the conditional licensing. What should be even more encouraging, to the general public as a whole, is that the canine melanoma vaccine could be a significant breakthrough in cancer research. It is hoped that the research associated with this vaccine will be very instrumental in furthering the development and release of cancer vaccines for humans.

Similar vaccines for humans are currently being researched, however the conditional license for the canine cancer vaccine is considered a major breakthrough.

USDA ISSUES CONDITIONAL LICENSE FOR CANINE MELANOMA VACCINE (26Mar2007)

Retrospective Study of 338 Canine Oral Melanomas with Clinical, Histologic, and Immunohistochemical Review of 129 Cases (2000)

Long-Term Survival of Dogs with Advanced Malignant Melanoma after DNA Vaccination with Xenogeneic Human Tyrosinase (2003)

Canine Treatments May Shed Light on Cancer

My Food Pyramid...

2007-06-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

Yes...

I'm under a lot of stress here.

Big papers...

Lots of homework...

Lots of material to read.

Then last night my bank account was drafted by ONG (Oklahoma Natural Gas).

It wasn't unexpected since I am on the "automatic bill pay" plan.

But the amount was...

My account was OVERCHARGED!!

Oh yeah...

I'm HOT.

I'm UPSET.

I'm...

Headed for the fridge.

later...

D-Day Prayer...

2007-06-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today was the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, the Battle of Normandy.

Unbelievable numbers of young men lost their lives on that day.

The United States was unified.

We had a common cause...

A common belief.

We were all Americans.

Today, it seems that many have lost what it means to be an American.

To be an American you must have a strong sense of right and wrong...

And believe in justice.

To be an American you must be willing to help yourself by using your own hands...

Not holding your hands out for free help.

To be an American you must understand what it is to be a neighbor...

And how to be there when you're needed.

To be an American you need to have faith...

For that is what America is, a refuge for the faithful.

To be an American you need to believe in the Constitution...

And have faith that God truly guided the hearts of our Founding Fathers.

To be an American you must be able to pray...

Pray for our country and that our leaders use wisdom.

Pray for the safety of our soldiers...

And pray that we continue to be blessed.

To be an American you must realize what you have...

That your life in the United States is unique and rich...

Unlike any other on earth.

To be an American you must know that you live a life like no other...

Because of those who paid for it.

To be an American you owe a debt that you cannot repay.

America doesn't have a debt that is owed to you.

To be an American you must be respectful...

And honor those who gave you this country.

To be an American you must be willing to do what is necessary in order to guarantee that those who come after you will enjoy the blessings that you have enjoyed.

To be an American you cannot take...

And expect not to give back.

What will you do...

To ensure that the United States of America continues to exist and prosper...

Long after you are gone.

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Prayer

June 6, 1944

My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them--help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Just Plain Busy...

2007-06-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

I've been too busy to blog.

Too busy to visit any of your blogs.

Too busy to scratch my ...

Anyway, I just thought I would let all of you guys know what I've been up to.

This evening I have read an assignment.

Took a test.

And worked on a project.

I have just given myself a "self-reward".

A nice tall glass of ice cold milk and a couple of pieces of chocolate out of my Godiva Box that my oldest daughter, Calais, had given me.

mmm...

I think I deserved it.

And yes.

I'm stressed out.

I feel like I am snowed under right now with class assignments, projects, and papers.

I wasn't able to get as much accomplished this week-end as I had hoped. This has given me the feeling of being even farther behind in my schoolwork.

No TV.

No phone conversations.

No nothing.

Just schoolwork.

Tomorrow my neighbor Sue and I will be working on Part II for my Human Lifespan Development class.

Then I have to get the paper written up and turned in on Friday.

This is certainly not how I like to do my papers. I like to have a lot more time to work on them than just a couple of days. That's basically about all the time I'll have since I have class on Thursday evening.

And so far, my Thursday night classes have been running from 5:30pm up to almost 10pm. We also have a group project and we are required to meet after class.

So then I come straight home and type up my field notes from our group meeting.

Just so that I won't forget anything.

*sigh*

Linda in Norman did give me a call last night.

She thought that I might have died or something.

No, I'm not dead.

But I'm beginning to wonder if this is what it feels like just before you do die.

later...

Once in a Blue Moon...

2007-05-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

That seems to be about how often I post around here these days.

Once in a blue moon.

But really folks...

There is going to be a "blue" moon this year!

It will occur on May 31st.

And no, the moon won't really be the color blue.

If you've never used the old saying "once in a blue moon", or if you don't know what this is even all about...

Go here for an interesting little article.

Or you can go here to see what Wikipedia has posted.

later...

Forwarded E-mails...

2007-05-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

I finished editing my paper that was due tonight.

It was 17 pages long, APA format.

Completed in plenty of time to go through some of the forwarded e-mails...

Delete the bad ones.

Forward the good ones.

Then I browsed the blogs.

It was time for my rather large piece of chocolate cake and my nice ice cold glass of milk...

Time to check for any last minute e-mails that had come through before I go to bed.

Uh oh...

I have a reply to one of my forwarded e-mails.

It's from my friendly, demure, grandmotherly neighbor Sue.

In fact, she's a great grandmother.

hmmm...

The message was written in VERY LARGE font in BOLD letters.

I have copied and pasted the message below:

TJ Morgan, you just had to do it again
didn't you.
Just wait I'll get even with you. You
better be watching out for me!!!!!!!!!!

Yes. I've been threatened by my neighbor Sue.

It's been a while since I have been able to get a "GOTCHA" by her.

How do the kids say it?

Ah yes...

~S W E E T~

BWAH HA HA HA!!!!

later...

BTW...

Here's what the e-mail said:

Follow the little tiny blue dot

This will drive you crazy! It's much harder than it seems.

Can only be done by about 1 in 10 people.

If you want to see what's gotten Sue so upset go here.

Home Alone... And Unsupervised...

2007-05-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

The kids are pursuing separate interests this week. They're on a ten day break.

Carrie is at the International Conference.

Parker is at his best friend's house. He didn't want to go on the trip (even though he qualified) because he thought that the trip cost too much money. I tried as hard as I could to convince him to go, but he had made up his mind. He didn't want to go.

He's always watching out for our family budget.

Parker is turning into quite the young man these days.

With these gasoline prices lately, I know that most everyone is feeling the squeeze.

I'm sure a lot of folks are tightening their gas budget belt.

Me? Well, my entire budget's belt has been tightened so much that I've about cut myself in two with it.

My assignments in my classes are quite unbelievable. I have been inundated with large projects.

As a consequence, I spend all my spare time reading chapters, writing papers, and taking tests.

One of my classes has a test on every Monday!

Can you believe that?

This same class has us doing research and an analysis every week as well!

Thank goodness that I have a special neighbor who is willing to help me out with my homework too.

This particular class is about human lifespan development.

{huh?}

Well, let's just say that we're covering human development from conception to the end of life.

Every week, the professor gives us an assignment.

And we have to have a partner to do it with.

Someone who is in a generation before ours.

Let me tell you.

At my age, this is getting to be a hard thing to do.

And no, I'm not giving Sue's age away, or anything like that.

*wink*

I have pretty much completed this week's paper tonight.

Of course, I will let it *sit* for a couple of days. Reread it, edit it, and then turn it in.

I'm funny that way about my papers.

I have to let it get ~cold~ before I check it over for errors or do any major editing to it.

Here on my blog, you guys don't get such special considerations.

What you see is what you get.

One of the advantages of not having any kids in the house is that you don't hear distracting noises all the time.

Noises like the refrigerator door shutting every 30 minutes or so.

Without any kids to feed...

And left to my own devices...

You will find that my diet really goes downhill.

In fact, it starts to resemble a teenager's diet.

Especially if I have a project that I'm working on. I get so involved that I tend to forget to eat.

Plus, I just don't have the desire to take the time to fix anything either.

Dietary habits like that does have its benefits.

I mean...

You can eat whatever hits your fancy at that very moment.

And the kids aren't home...

So you don't have to set a good example either.

By the way...

How many of you guys can live on guacamole and tortilla chips?

I most certainly can.

And huge pieces of German Chocolate cake with very large glasses of ice cold milk as well.

later...

Reflections...

2007-05-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Life is like a slow moving river.

You stare at it...

And it appears to stand still.

Then before you know it...

The water you thought you were looking at,

has made it to the sea.

Today's Mailbag...

2007-05-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

I know that everyone is interested in reading my mail.

If it's something that I'm interested in, then you must be interested in it too.

Right?

Today I received an interesting letter in the mail from Nationals, Incorporated. Yes... they spell "incorporated" out and do not use the abbreviation.

The letter starts out like this:

My name is Anna Klejnowski. I am a Coordinator for this year's 2007 Oklahoma City Pageant that is a preliminary pageant to the Cities of America National Competition that takes place in Orlando, Florida. You have been referred to me as having a daughter between the ages of 10 and 19 within your family who may enjoy modeling in front of an audience and learning modeling routines that enable her to accomplish her goals on stage...

That's when I stop for a second and think to myself, "Who in the heck gave them information about me and my daughter?!"

I couldn't think of anyone, so then I tried to remember if I had filled out any "survey" type forms, etc., and gotten myself on a mailing list of some sort.

No... I don't recall having done that.

The letter is addressed to me with my ~formal~ name. Not as T.J. A credit card company? Certainly I have never told them about my kids...

The letter continues...

No past experience is necessary and training will be provided to all participants through a training class and rehearsal that will be conducted. The Oklahoma City Pageant Production is sponsored through different businesses and organizations in the Oklahoma City and surrounding areas.

Judging is based on personality, casual wear and formal wear modeling. There is no bathing suit or talent competition involved in this year's pageant."

Of course, the words bathing suit certainly conjured up an image in my mind. My daughter model a swimsuit? In front of an audience? I don't think so.

After that vision, a question soon formed:

"Why is there not a bathing suit or talent competition for this year's competition?"

Suspicion about this letter was beginning to creep in.

I would be happy to personally meet with both of you as I will be meeting with other young ladies on Sunday, May 20, 2007. By attending, she will have the opportunity to meet with me personally as I provide her with all the information on this year's production....

Particulars are then given as to time and place. The fact that she can bring a friend who may be interested in this opportunity. Although they do have to meet eligibility requirements.

We're also asked to pre-register at their website.

Even though suspicion was raised early on while I was reading this letter, I must tell you that I considered letting my daughter do something like this.

I think that it's something that she would like to do and it could be a fun experience

And of course, I feel that she is a beautiful child and would do well.

However, I just felt that the letter was just weird all the way around.

I went to their website. It certainly isn't set up to be very informative and open.

I then went to the Better Business Bureau and did a search on the company.

That's where I read this:

Participating in a beauty pageant may provide a rewarding experience, but many would-be contestants find that some pageant promoters do not deliver what they promise. Participants sometimes complain that no pageant exists. Check-out a pageants promoters before making a commitment.

Realistically assess your chances for success. Many people compete; few openings exist. Few people possess the unique combination of physical qualities and camera-friendly features to compete in an established pageant. Beware of any agency which requires payment for classes, or requires you to use a particular photographer exclusively.

Before signing agreements or paying fees, ask for written information. Rules, requirements, fees, and prizes should be explained. Costs may include wardrobe, make-up, travel, food, and lodging. You may also have to buy or sell tickets, advertise in a program, or purchase pictures or videos.

Investigate the pageant promoter's history. Request names of former participants. Ask past winners about their prizes. Did they receive all of their promised prizes? Speak to contestants who did not win as well, and ask about the criteria for judging.

Get all promises in writing. If the contract includes a cancellation clause, review it carefully. If you withdraw, you or part of your money. Read and understand the
whole contract and know what your responsibilities and obligations are before signing.

To hear more about beauty pageants, dial 412-456-2700 and listen to Tel-Tips message 50935.

Even though Nationals, Incorporated has a satisfactory rating I must tell you that the BBB's information 'blurb' was quite the eye-opener.

By the way...

I like their idea of having "Tel-Tips".

I then found out that there was a scandalous incident associated with their "pageant" in Orlando in 2003 which involved a registered sex offender.

The article is entitled, "Modeling Scam Suspect Accused Of Sex Crimes".

Nationals, Incorporated had several locations pop up in the Better Business Bureau search. The return address on my letter and envelope is 1951 Shenango Valley Freeway, Suite 2 South, Hermitage, PA 16148.

A few more things here....

Do you remember this statement:

The Oklahoma City Pageant Production is sponsored through different businesses and organizations in the Oklahoma City and surrounding areas.

None of these businesses are listed in the letter.

Who are they?

Are they reputable?

Could they be a *vendor* similar to the one in the above article?

Are they sex offendors posing as photographers and talent agents?

Also, I think that it is interesting to note that the website listed in the letter as oklahomacitypageant.com is the exact same website as listed here for the parent(?) company.

This is the URL:

http://www.nationalsincorporated.com/nationals.swf

Some may call that efficient. But I call it weird. Especially since I was expecting information specifically tailored for my Oklahoma City market.

At least that's what we're viewed as, right?

A market? I wonder how much money these people want? $1000? $2000?

How much are plane tickets to Orlando?

It doesn't really matter though...

Because I don't believe that we will be attending this year's event.

later...

Today's Mailbag...

2007-05-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I received this invitation from The National Scholars Honor Society.

I have to be honest with you guys...

I felt a sense of ~pride~ wash over me.

In fact, I felt my head starting to swell a bit.

I think that is what brought me back to earth. An emotional chord had been struck.

And I am ashamed to say, it was struck fairly easily.

When I pulled my a**...

ahem...

What I meant to say is that when I pulled my head out of the clouds I seriously began thinking about this opportunity and the consequences that it could present.

So, I decided that I would see what would happen if I "applied" for membership.

I went online to their website at www.collegehonors.org.

I was wanting to see how they compared to other vanity type opportunities such as Metropolitan Who's Who, Cambridge Who's Who, et.al.

There was a section provided for me to write in my "accomplishments", biography, and all of that stuff.

All I did was put in a ~one liner~.

This is what I put in the little box:

Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges

I don't remember how long it was before I received an e-mail reply.

(Time just seems to get away from me.)

I had planned on writing a post about all of this as well as portions of the e-mail, but I got busy again and put it on the back burner.

Well today I received another e-mail from them. So that gave me the impetus to write the post.

The e-mail states (bold is my emphasis):

Thank you for your interest in The National Scholars Honor Society. The membership committee has reviewed and approved your application for membership.

It is my honor and privilege to extend congratulations on your acceptance into The National Scholars Honor Society. Our membership of over 60,000 university scholars and students welcomes you.

Your Membership Acceptance Key is:
** **** ****
(You will need this to complete your membership.)

As a member of The National Scholars Honor Society, you gain the right and privilege of listing your membership on applications, professional credentials, curriculum vitae, and resumes. Upon accepting your membership, you will receive The National Scholars Membership Document, a parchment document suitable for framing. You will also receive a complimentary copy of "The System. The tools you need to get the grades you want."

After an initial review of your file, you have not been selected to receive a scholarship.

You have two options for accepting your membership and submitting the membership fee: Online (for credit card payment), or regular mail (for check or money order). There are no additional fees or dues.

If you choose the Online option (pay your membership fee via Visa or MasterCard), you may follow this link http://www.collegehonors.org/ccpsystem.htm to complete an online Membership Acceptance Form and pay your membership fee via Visa or MasterCard.

If you choose regular mail (pay your membership fee via check or money order), then your next step is to complete, print and return the Membership Acceptance Form along with a check or money order for $85.00, payable to The National Scholars. This link will open the printable Membership Acceptance Form http://www.collegehonors.org/MembershipAcceptanceForm.pdf

I personally welcome you to The National Scholars Honor Society, and wish you continued success.

Kevin Wakeman MD
President , The National Scholars Honor Society

I have to say that deep down I was disappointed. Not only had I been rejected for a "scholarship", but I felt that it was just someone else trying to get some of my hard earned money.

And what would I have in return for the $85 fee?

I don't really know. Perhaps it would look good on a resume`?

And besides...

I can dream up just about anything I want and place it on parchment paper at Kinko's for a lot less money.

In researching this opportunity on the internet I discovered that there are a whole slew of "scholastic scams".

For some reason I was surprised. I suppose that I had mistakenly thought that scholastics was somewhere in the same neighborhood of integrity, honesty, and achievement.

But I guess I was wrong.

A few universities have warnings on their school websites and offer advice.

They tell you to ask yourself questions like this one:

If I put the honorary on my resume, and a prospective employer asks me about it, how will I respond?

I also found out that there are scholarship scams. These people ask you for money in order to give you money in the form of a scholarship.

Does this make sense to you?

UCLA has an interesting resource site that tells you where you can report scams and stuff like that.

And Williamette University has a helpful page about scams that is entitled Scholarship Information.

I then ran across the Association of College Honor Societies. These people basically say that if the society isn't one of their members then it could be a scam.

Could that be true?

Who knows. The National Scholars Honor Society isn't on their list.

But neither is Alpha Sigma Lambda. An honor society that I was inducted into at the university that I attend.

Alpha Sigma Lambda does seem to meet their criteria and standards that the ACHS have listed in their How to Judge the Credibility of an Honor Society page. However, I didn't have to pay Alpha Sigma Lambda a dime for anything. Not even for the little finger sandiches that I ate at the special induction ceremony.

Could it be that you have to pay an enormous membership fee as a society to be a part of ~their~ organization?

Interesting.

Sounds like this scholastic thing could be fairly lucrative.

As far as The National Scholars Honor Society goes they do have a satisfactory rating with the Better Business Bureau.

And they've almost been in business for 5 years and are upfront about the things that they don't do.

They don't write letters of recommendation.

They don't issue press releases.

They don't host public ceremonies for induction or graduation.

And they don't sell or distribute honor cords.

I guess whether or not you choose to join any of these organizations is solely dependent on what you expect to receive from them.

After you write your check out of course.

later...

It Isn't Wheat Gluten?

2007-05-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

The investigation expands and continues concerning the Pet Food Recall of 2007.

International expansion of the investigation has begun and United States officials have finally been allowed into China. The Chinese government appears to be taking the food health concerns seriously.

China launched a food and drug safety crackdown on Wednesday, following an announcement that authorities detained managers from two companies linked to contaminated pet food that killed dogs and cats in North America.

This article only scratches the surface on the corruption that is present in Chinese bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, state side, it has been discovered that the tainted wheat gluten wasn't really wheat gluten at all.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China—associated with the deaths of at least 16 dogs and cats and the recall of hundreds of dog and cat food brands—was mislabeled and was really wheat flour contaminated with melamine and melamine-related products.

And now, the animals affected with tainted feed stuffs includes an untold number of catfish.

While there still aren't any official final numbers on how many pets have died from eating the tainted pet foods there is evidence that progress is being made.

In fact, according to Cornell University, one of our patients was found to be the first pet to have traces of melamine in the circulating blood supply as well as in the kidneys.

This is our first and only patient that has received a melamine positive report from the laboratory.

According to various news articles the official number of melamine related pet deaths stands at 16. However, I cannot confirm this number at either of the AVMA or FDA websites.

My boss, Dr. Tina Neel, writes a bi-monthly article for The Daily Oklahoman. Her articles can be found in the "YOU" section of the paper and are also available online.

She also has a recent NewsOk podcast about the pet food recall.

(By the way, she was recovering from a severe case of laryngitis when she made this podcast. In fact, she had just gotten her voice back.)

At this time, scientists still seem to be fairly confident that there are not any melamine-related risks to humans.

However, some of you may be interested in reading a South African study summary about melamine crystalluria (crystals in the urine) in sheep that was reported in 1966.

It looks like melamine has been around for a very, very long time.

And the idea of using it in animal feed has been too.

Now I wonder who was thinking that melamine could possibly be beneficial as food.

And since it is a chemical without any obvious nutritional value or benefits...

It makes me wonder why they thought it was a good idea in the first place.

later...

New Melamine and Cyanuric Acid Theory...

Melamine Contamination Advances to Poultry Production...

Melamine and Melamine Related Compounds...

Pet Foods=Human Foods... It's All the Same Thing

Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

Gone Huntin'...

2007-05-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

For the last two summers I have had the opportunity to see a passing hummingbird or two zoom through my yard.

I kept telling myself that I would get a feeder so that I could attract the little speedsters to my back yard.

Well, I finally broke down and picked up a hummingbird feeder at the Dollar General Store over the week-end. It was $2.50 and hopefully it will last the entire summer season.

It's been out now for almost a week. And I keep waiting and watching for a hummingbird.

But I haven't seen one yet.

It's getting a little frustrating.

Maybe I am expecting to have the following of hummers that my Mom has. She has so many hummingbirds in her yard that they consume almost 1/2 gallon of sugar water every two or three days.

Can you believe that?

Mom must have hundreds of hummingbirds come to her yard.

Or maybe I'm remembering the days when I was a kid and used to play in the water. I remember my clothes being wet and the colors turning real dark from the water. Hummingbirds would "buzz" me thinking that I was a flower or something. I remember one day when I was wearing red shorts. A hummingbird came up to me and I sat really still. He actually stuck his tongue on my water soaked shorts and then...

I "nabbed" him.

Yes. I have captured a hummingbird with my bare hands before.

The little birds are aggressive too and have turf wars over the feeders.

They fight and dive bomb each other all the time. Sometimes one of the birds will get knocked out of the air from the force of the attack. If a little hummingbird falls to the ground and lands in the grass they'll die. Because their legs are short and they can't get enough lift to take off from the ground.

I remember my grandmother, Mamma, having a hummingbird feeder on her front porch. It was great to be so close to the action.

One summer there was a hummingbird that was very aggressive. He would sit in the vine on the side of the porch and guard the feeder. He wouldn't let any other hummingbirds drink any of the sugar water.

I can't remember how long this went on for, but one day my grandfather, Pappa, had had enough of it. He had swung his hat at that bird, yelled at it, and who knows what else. But nothing he did had any effect on it. That bird was not giving up his territory. Pappa had labeled it "mean".

Then one day we heard this huge "BOOM". I thought...

"That sounds like a shotgun."

We all ran to the front porch and there was Pappa with the shotgun.

Lord, what dangerous creature had come so close to the house?

Not being able to immediately visualize a ~carcass~...

We asked Pappa what it was that he had shot. He said that he had shot "That Mean Hummingbird".

Us kids looked for the remains of the hummingbird, but there wasn't much left to be found.

We learned that day what was meant by the saying...

"Blown to Smithereens".

later...

It's Hard to Find a Good Dog...

2007-05-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's even harder when you lose one.

Here's a heartbreaking and terrific story all at the same time.

Man's best friend at his best...

And at his worst.

George the Jack Russell Terrier gave his life to save his five kids.

Thank God the kids are safe.

Sad thing is...

Bad pet owners seem to be a global problem.

later..

Spring Rains...

2007-05-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

We've had some very, very nice rains here lately.

Soft, gentle, and steady...

Perfect for God's delicate creations.

How intricate His handiwork is.

To think that He has put so much thought in the tiniest of details.

Beauty intertwined with function.

Food for the heart and soul.

And to think that he made us with such attention to detail.

Thank you Lord for the rain.

Thank you for Your Bountiful Blessings.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

These are my Bearded Tongue flowers. They are a perennial wildflower that can withstand heat, drought, and cold winters. They like full sun, but they don't like fertilizer! I've had these plants for about 5 years now. They are slow growers and are not invasive at all. I really enjoy them a lot.

New Melamine and Cyanuric Acid Theory...

2007-05-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

**UPDATE**

Here's an article that I think that many of you will be interested in.

Chinese Businesses Say Animal Feed Commonly Laced with Mildly Toxic Melamine

"We've been running the melamine feed business for about 15 years and receiving positive responses from our customers," Wang said in a telephone interview.

"Using the proper quantity of melamine will not harm the animals. Our products are very safe, for sure," Wang said.

Although apparently widely practiced in China, concern over the use of melamine arose only in March, after the U.S. recall of nearly 100 brands of pet food made with wheat gluten contaminated by the chemical. Adding melamine to food is illegal under U.S. law, and China's government last week said it was banning its use in food products.

Cyanuric acid, which was found in urine samples from animals that died, and melamine, a compound identified in the gluten found in the recalled pet food, react with one another to form crystals that may block kidney function, researchers at the University of Guelph said Friday.

...Adding melamine raises the nitrogen level of feed, making it appear that the feed is higher in protein without increasing its nutritional value. That makes it attractive to makers of feed for stock animals such as pigs, chickens, and fish, as well as companies that make prepared foods for household pets such as cats and dogs.

..."As far as I know, there are no rules of regulations that make this illegal. As to whether melamine is toxic or not, I believe it won't do any harm if there is only very small amount," Ji said. "Otherwise, those companies could not do that."

Calls to China's food safety regulator, the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection & Quarantine, rang unanswered Monday afternoon.

Tainted animal feed is merely the latest revelation about China's food safety woes, ranging from dye-tainted fish, and fake baby formula to the alleged use of ingredients intended for animal consumption to make snack foods.

I'm sooo glad I don't shop for groceries in China.

Hopefully, our food manufacturers will quit shopping there and buy their ingredients here in the United States.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Bold is my emphasis.)

AVMA Press Release

For More Information:
Tom McPheron
Phone: 847-285-6781
Cell: 773-494-5419
e-mail: tmcpheron@avma.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2007

Melamine and Cyanuric Acid Interaction May Play Part in Illness and Death from Recalled Pet Food

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.
— Tests conducted on contaminated pet food and necropsies from affected animals have resulted in a new theory to explain how animals are being adversely affected by contaminated pet foods. A chemical reaction between melamine and cyanuric acid is suspected of forming crystals and blocking kidney function.

The investigation into contaminated pet food has focused on melamine contamination of ingredients imported from China, such as wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate and corn gluten (imported into South Africa). It is now believed that cyanuric acid, as well as melamine, has been found in urine samples from animals that died.

Analysis of the crystals in the kidneys of affected animals have revealed that they are approximately 70 percent cyanuric acid and 30 percent melamine, and are extremely insoluble. Furthermore, tests mixing melamine and cyanuric acid in samples of cat urine resulted in almost immediate formation of crystals that were identical to crystals found in the kidneys of affected animals. Two other melamine- related substances—ammelide and ammeline—may also play roles and are under investigation.

As the recalls continue, the AVMA reminds pet owners and veterinarians that over 98 percent of pet foods are still deemed safe and haven't been recalled. The FDA is currently testing 100 percent of wheat gluten, rice protein concentrate, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, and rice bran being imported from China for these contaminants. The most recent pet food recalls have been undertaken proactively, due to association with involved ingredients and suppliers rather than as the result of complaints that animals that have consumed the food and become ill.

Most affected cats and dogs are recovering through use of standard fluid therapy and supportive care. The AVMA urges all veterinarians who have seen animals they suspect have been affected by a contaminated pet food to submit their findings to an ongoing survey. This survey is being conducted by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and is accessible at http://www.aavld.org.

The AAVLD Web site also offers a protocol for sample submission and a list of accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratories. It is important to note that samples from the kidneys should not be preserved in formalin, as the crystals seem to dissolve over time in formalin. Instead, they should be preserved in 100 percent ethanol or snap-frozen in OCT medium and sent to a diagnostic laboratory on dry ice.

A comprehensive AVMA Pet Food Recall List is available at http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/products.asp. The AVMA Pet Food Recall List contains all recall information that has come to the attention of the AVMA, but it is not guaranteed to be complete. The AVMA encourages all concerned to contact the specific manufacturer regarding the status of any particular pet food or treat.

For more information, please visit the AVMA web site at www.avma.org.

Melamine Contamination Advances to Poultry Production...

Melamine and Melamine Related Compounds...

Pet Foods=Human Foods... It's All the Same Thing

Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

Melamine Contamination Advances to Poultry Production...

2007-04-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Linda in Norman has given me another heads up on the now infamous 2007 Food Crisis.

None of us really have to worry about this latest joint announcement by the FDA and USDA.

Because the chickens that ate the tainted "foul feed" have been processed and consumed by us already.

Yes...

Another update has come this week. This time it is chickens that have consumed tainted feed.

Since the FDA isn't quite sure how these chemicals will affect humans, I propose the following:

We should go ahead and save all the pork and chicken, butcher it, freeze it, and then use it to feed inmates who are sentenced to life in prison or who are on death row.

You know, people are beginning to think that lethal injection isn't humane. So why not feed these people fried chicken and pork chops. They'll have a nice smile on their face while providing us with some beneficial scientific data.

I think these guys would be a good group to put in the test group as well.

Well, maybe they wouldn't eat the pork, but I think that they can eat rice cakes and chicken.

Actually, we probably should just ship it all back to China and cut our losses.

How many boatloads of that stuff have they been shipping us anyway?

Maybe it's time for us to make a change.

later...

Joint Update: FDA/USDA Trace Adulterated Animal Feed to Poultry

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2007 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have learned that byproducts from pet food manufactured with contaminated wheat gluten imported from China have been used in chicken feed on some farms in the state of Indiana. This information came to light as part of the continuing investigation into imported rice protein concentrate and wheat gluten that have been found to contain melamine and melamine-related compounds.

At this time, the investigation indicates that approximately 30 broiler poultry farms and eight breeder poultry farms in Indiana received contaminated feed in early February and fed it to poultry within days of receiving it. All of the broilers believed to have been fed contaminated product have since been processed. The breeders that were fed the contaminated product are under voluntary hold by the flock owners.

As with exposure from hogs fed contaminated pet food and for similar reasons related to the dilution of the contamination, FDA and USDA believe the likelihood of illness after eating chicken fed the contaminated product is very low. Because there is no evidence of harm to humans associated with consumption of chicken fed the contaminated product, no recall of poultry products processed from these animals is being issued. Testing and the joint investigation continue. If any evidence surfaces to indicate there is harm to humans, the appropriate action will be taken.

Because the poultry being held have been fed adulterated products, USDA cannot knowingly approve products derived from these poultry for human consumption. USDA is offering to compensate producers who euthanize this poultry. USDA is also offering the expertise and assistance of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) personnel in carrying out depopulation activities, to ensure adherence to Federal and State laws.

FDA and USDA anticipate that as the investigation continues additional farms will likely be identified that received contaminated feed. As indicated in previous updates, FDA and USDA have also traced contaminated feed to swine farms in several states. The same procedures are being followed in relation to both swine and poultry; animals are being quarantined by state order or voluntarily held by the owners and USDA is offering compensation for depopulation and disposal of both swine and poultry that have been fed contaminated products.

USDA and FDA continue to conduct a full, comprehensive examination to protect the nation’s food supply and will provide updates as new information is confirmed.

Melamine and Melamine Related Compounds...

Pet Foods=Human Foods... It's All the Same Thing

Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

Melamine and Melamine-Related Compounds...

2007-04-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

As time goes on the FDA continues to release information multiple times each week concerning the pet food recall.

We now have the USDA, FSIS (USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service), and the FDA all working on this huge problem. This catastrophic event could run into 100's of millions of dollars.

Especially since contaminated foodstuffs were fed to hogs by pork producers. These were hogs destined for human consumption and have now been quarantined. Not only that, it seems that hog producers will be compensated by the federal government for "depopulation". I felt that this was an interesting statement as well (bold is my emphasis):

The contaminants in question include melamine and melamine-related compounds, including cyanuric acid, the combination of which is a potential source of concern in relation to human and animal health. Scientific research indicates that melamine alone, at detected levels, is not a human health concern. However, no scientific data exist to ascertain the effects of combining melamine and melamine-related compounds. Therefore, a determination has not yet been made regarding the safety of the product.

Hmmm...

As scientists continue to scour the samples and try to identify every possible source of contamination, it's quite possible that they will continue to find more substances in our foods that aren't supposed to be there.

It appears that nearly every major pet food manufacturer has been affected since new recalls continue to be announced. This past week alone gave us these announcements:

*Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. Recalls Products in Response to American Nutrition Inc. Pet Food Recall (April 27, 2007)

*American Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall (April 26, 2007)

*Blue Buffalo Recalls Can and Biscuit Products Due To Tampering By American Nutrition Inc. (April 26, 2007)

*Diamond Pet Food Withdraws Products in Response to American Nutrition Inc. Pet Food Recall (April 26, 2007)

*Chenango Valley Pet Foods Issues Voluntarily Nationwide Recall of Certain Pet Foods (April 26, 2007)

You can go to the FDA Pet Food Recall page to keep up to date on the changing events.

Now that there are hundreds of pet food labels that have been affected, the FDA has also developed a searchable web page where you can search for your particular pet food in their database. I think that this is probably one of the best things that the FDA could have done as far as getting accurate and reliable information to the public.

All of this information should set aside any deragatory comments or ill-feelings towards Menu Foods Income Fund. Especially those comments about the company purposefully putting poison in the pet foods. Which I personally felt was an absurd and ludicrous thought.

Of course, there are people still wanting to find someone that they can sue over all of this. And a quick search pops up all kinds of lawyers who are just waiting for a phone call or an e-mail.

Nonetheless, I would like to point out how small bits and pieces of information are filtered down to us, the general public. And I would like to draw attention to the fact that we still don't really have a lot of answers concerning this crisis. The pet food companies are limited on the outflow of information to their consumers as well.

Of course, this all makes me begin to wonder why. It could be that there is a government gag order on all of this until all the information has been gathered. It is also possible that there are some major diplomatic problems going on with China. You did hear about the tainted corn gluten in Africa that came from China right?

And that it appears that the addition of melamin to these products appears to be intentional?

So all of this has become quite an international incident. It will be quite interesting to find out what will become of all of this.

If we get to hear about it that is.

As a side note, it seems that there is a new "advertising" website that has been set up to possibly generate some income from all of this. I presume that it is for the purpose of making money as it has several advertisers on it.

How did I find out about it?

Well, it seems that this website has placed a link to one of my posts on their page.

It has this picture:

With the words "Read a Blog and enjoy a Hamburger - DogsCatsKidsLife which is linked back to this post.

*scratches chin*

So this led me to check on my Google Adsense account. You know, to see if my blog has profited from all of this. I haven't checked it in six months or more. Mostly because you don't get a check until your account reaches $100. And I figured that would be somewhere around 2018 at about .01 cent a click.

Of course, it's hard to tell if any of the clicks are directly related to the pet food recall posts. However, it does appear that I have made about .22 cents since it all began.

Maybe I should see if I can get into law school after I graduate.

later...

Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

A Nice Day...

2007-04-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

NASA Sunspot Number Prediction

Today's weather was absolutely perfect.

The temperature was perfect.

The light breezes were perfect.

And the sunshine was perfect.

My grass was knee high in places. It was needing to be mowed in a bad way.

No, I haven't gotten behind on my mowing because I was too busy at work, or because of huge research papers at school, or even because I was studying for finals.

In anticipation of a wetter spring than what we have had the last two years, I had put out some grass seed to help fill in the spots where grass had died from the multi-year drought that we have been experiencing.

We're due for an increase of sunspots in this next 11 year cycle of the sun.

Which could mean more rain for us.

Australian weathermen watch sunspots to help them with their rain predictions.

I suspect that the upcoming sunspots are going to cause problems for the charting of global warming changes. We've already just came out of the 5th most frozen winter in Oklahoma history.

My seed received their first good watering with over 5 inches of rain. The rain washed a lot of my seed away and instead of being evenly spread throughout the bare patches it was washed into clumps.

Because it was so wet I didn't get the yard mowed before the seed sprouted. Then the grass seed sprouted and I couldn't mow because it would kill the tender sprouts.

Even though the seeds didn't sprout exactly where I had wanted them to, I was bound and determined to at least salvage as much of the situation as possible.

More rain came.

The grass continued to grow and so did the seedlings.

Today I had decided that I was going to have to mow the yard, irregardless of how much the seedlings had grown.

The grass had become so tall that it was beginning to look like I was going to need to bring in a swather and bale the cuttings for hay.

Not only that, I was beginning to fear for my baby grass because it was being overshadowed and cut off from the sunshine.

The seedlings were just going to have to endure some trampling today from me and my mower.

Before the neighbors arrived en masse to do it for me.

later...

P.S.

Thanks Lynn for offering to mow my yard for me.

Who's Who Researched...

2007-04-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Victoria Strauss is on top of all things involved with writer, publisher, and editor scams. She provides a public service to thousands of aspiring writers and authors.

However, she has stepped outside the subject of the publishing industry to write an article about who's who registries.

She has uncovered some very interesting information. What I think is the most interesting is how many of these registries are linked to each other. Evidently, if you are a who's who networking opportunity or registry, and your image becomes tarnished from your poor business tactics, the best way to handle the public relations problem is to just start another who's who organization.

Maybe it's too much trouble to legitimately correct your marketing difficulties?

Ms. Strauss provides a plethora of links to a lot of who's who organizations. She has also made a correlation between Cambridge Who's Who, Manchester Who's Who, and Metropolitan Who's Who. These three organizations appear to be generating income for a single entity.

She also clarifies the fact that who's who registries have a registry for just about every industry in America. Registries are available in religion, science, and executives and professionals. There are even opportunities for women only.

I feel that Ms. Strauss has a done a wonderful job in researching the subject of who's who registries because I know for a fact that it is very difficult to find information about some of these organizations.

Mostly because they threaten anyone who publishes negative information about them with lawsuits.

And the sad thing about it is, is that many people succumb to their intimidation tactics and delete their posts out of fear of retribution. I feel that these acts alone speak volumes about the integrity of the organization.

Ms. Strauss also provides a link to this post which was written by Shawn Olson. His post has been targeted by Manchester Who's Who.

As more individuals like him and Darrell at Southcon stand up for their freedom of speech rights, hopefully a message will be conveyed to these individuals. If who's who registries feel that they have the right to run a business with poor business practices, morals, and ethics then surely everyone else has the right to speak about their experiences with them as well.

Meanwhile, I hope that those who are researching information about the letter that they received in the mail have found the information they are looking for.

later...

Metropolitan Who's who aka Metropolitan Registries, Inc...

Questions...

Hate E-mail and Threatened Bloggers...

Blogger's Rights...

Do Search Engines Serve the Public?

To Kill a Mockingbird...

2007-04-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have had a very stressful evening.

I had to give my oral presentation on my researched paper tonight. We ran out of time in our last class so there were five of us who still had to stand in front of the class and give our presentations.

Afterwards, I had to take my final exam.

Yes...

I had to take a final exam after the emotionally draining and stressful act of public speaking.

While public speaking isn't all that bad, I seem to suffer quite a bit of anxiety when I speak in front of a class and with the understanding that I am trying to earn a grade for my efforts.

I suppose I should admit that I must be suffering from some form of "performance anxiety".

Needless to say, after my grueling class tonight I actually began to feel physically ill.

Surely the symptoms are solely related to the stress that I was under.

And then compounded by the negative "self-talk" that I was trying to overcome concerning what my grade would end up being for the class.

My only hope and prayer is that my professor absolutely loved my presentation and perhaps will give me some special consideration on my final.

She did make several comments about my presentation this evening. All of which were very positive.

So, I am starting to feel a bit better and it is now time for bed.

I have been suffering quite a bit from sleep deprivation which is due in part to my ~brain injury~ issues.

However, lately I have been having more trouble than usual.

It seems that a Mockingbird has decided to take up residence in and around my back yard.

I enjoy birds.

And I enjoy listening to birds.

In fact, I have three bird feeders in my back yard.

However, what I don't enjoy is listening to a loud and raucous Mockingbird run through his repertoire from 11pm to sometime after 1am in the morning.

Yes... You've heard me right. He's singing in the middle of the night!

This bird is so loud that I can hear him through my bedroom window.

I've been meaning to ask my neighbor Sue if this bird has been harassing her too.

I wonder if this bird's midnight songs are due to the weather? My grandmother, Mamma, used to say that it was going to rain if you heard a rooster crow at midnight.

And we have certainly had some drought breaking rains lately.

Finally, my Thursday has come to an end.

Hopefully I will drift into a much needed restful sleep.

And if that bird keeps me from my beauty rest...

I will then be forced to dream of a very large and powerful gun that spews bird shot out its mouth...

After which I will envision myself resting my head on a cloud of feathers.

later...

Pet Foods = Human Foods... It's All the Same Thing...

2007-04-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Linda in Norman gave me a heads up on this article:

FDA Examines if Pet Food Contaminant in Human Food

The FDA named the six grain products to be inspected as wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein.

"We're going to target firms that we know are receiving imported products," said David Acheson, chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in a conference call with reporters. "The goal is obviously to sample as much as we can."

Like I said before, many of these pet food manufacturers have always been proud of the fact that they have been using "human quality" ingredients in their foods.

And that's been my biggest concern about this whole fiasco. This stuff is bound to be in our *people* foods.

On Monday, two U.S. lawmakers said a second company likely imported rice protein from China that was contaminated with Melamine. FDA officials on Tuesday would not say whether there was a second importer.

Those folks who said all of those "not nice" things about Menu Foods should take back what they said.

*darn*

I just now realized that my kids are going to be real upset if they find out that they're going to have to give up their Doritoes.

*geez*

Are we going to have to start trying to eat healthy now and give up all of our over-processed fake foods because of all of this?

later...

Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

E-mail Request for Help...

2007-04-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

From time to time I have posted requests that I have received via e-mail.

I receive e-mails for prayer requests to actual physical needs...

Each and every one of them are important.

And I always try to help however I am able to.

Tonight I have received a special e-mail request from Shepherd's of Love Ministries.

I thought that I would post the information here.

We are a community.

And a kind and giving community at that.

I won't post the telephone numbers from the e-mail here, but I will provide the address in case you want to get in touch with Teresa or want to send funds to help this man.

Dear Shepherds of Love friends,

We have a special need and would like you to consider helping us raise $1835.00 to restore hot water for our Viet Nam Vet.

Here is the situation: Our client has been without hot water and heat for a year. He has gas pipe leaks under his home and the gas company pulled the meter. He lived last year without heat and his cooking stove. He lives on $900.00 a month, has a $300 house payment, utilities and 25 medications to purchase through the VA. He has Agent Orange disease and Colon cancer.

Shepherds of Love sent our personal plumber there to check out the problems and present us with a solution. My husband Max who is in construction management has discussed this with the plumbing company and he will personally oversee the repairs.

Needs are: All leaks need to be repaired under the house, the hot water tank has been setting in water in the basement and must be replaced and relocated in the kitchen. He needs faucet replacements on the old bath tub in order to use the bathing equipment provided through the VA.

Financial Needs to restore gas:
Gas Permit/repair all leaks, relocate & replace hot water tank/vents etc/install handicap faucets in tub/ Total Cost: $1835.00

We have $600.00 pledged leaving a need of $1235.00.

You guys know that I trust this organization and that I personally send financial support to their ministry.

Here's their information if you want to send money to help with this large project:

Shepherds of Love Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 5043
Edmond, Oklahoma 73083-5043

The Anonymous Gift Blooms...

2007-04-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Do you guys remember these?

Well it has almost been a year since I received my anonymous gift.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was able to identify my anonymous gifter. It was my Neighbor Linda who had left them on my sidewalk. She was thinning out her beds and shared her extra irises with me.

I didn't know what color they were going to be. And Linda couldn't remember for sure which ones she had given to me.

*laugh*

But the mystery has now been solved.

I planted them in my backyard flower bed and they have survived a long cold dry Oklahoma winter.

Their blooms are so big and beautiful!

They are such a joy to me.

But do you want to know something weird?

I can hardly believe that a year has already gone by since I planted them.

How can that be?

later...

Today's Mailbag...

2007-04-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

It's very, very late.

I worked on assignments all day today.

Save for taking time out to get a much needed haircut and...

To eat a late dinner at Bricktown with folks from work.

We were celebrating one person's recent marriage...

And another person who has worked with us for many years who is moving on to something new and exciting...

In California.

*sigh*

Yes. I had one very, very large Margerita as well.

It was ~strong~ too!

Yet tasty...

mmmm...

Anyway, I thought that I would stop and take a minute before I...

fall into bed.

You know, take the time to query you guys about something I received in the mail today.

I received a letter from the Dean today.

hmmm...

I thought (as I opened the envelope)...

Could they be wanting ~money~?

The letter states in part:

Congratulations! It is my pleasure to inform you that you will be receiving an award from the ______ College of Arts and Sciences.

You will be honored at the annual ______ College of Arts and Sciences Honors and Awards Convocation, ________ , at 7:00 p.m. in the __________. Following the awards, there will be a reception in ______ .

(yada yada yada)

Sincerely,
________, Ph.D.
Dean, ____ College of Arts and Sciences

The letter doesn't tell me what the award is.

It's like some kind of mystery or something.

Could they be withholding information to ensure my attendance?

Just hoping that I will show up to find out what I have been awarded?

Could the award be for the "Best Woman Parker"? I strive to park straight and between the lines.

Always.

Could the award be for the "Highest Library Fines of the Year"?

Yes... I still have library books from my last research project that I haven't returned.

Could I be recognized as "The Biggest Risk Taker on Research Projects of the Year"?

You know, you all helped me out quite a bit on that paper by participating in my polls here on my little blog.

I have been inducted into an honor society.

And I've been recognized nationally along with other students.

Both times I was taken quite by surprise.

So, needless to say, I haven't a CLUE what this could be all about.

If anyone knows, please tell me.

Maybe Jan does. Since she went to the same school and is a member of Alpha Sigma Lambda as well.

Okay... That's it for now.

It's almost 1am Sunday morning.

I've GOT to get to bed.

You guys have a blessed day.

later...

Pet Food Recall Expands to Rice Protein...

2007-04-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

If there ever was a silver lining to a bad situation, I would have to say that the "Pet Food Recall(s) of 2007" would have to have one.

Rice protein from China has now been found to contain the contaminant melamine. Another imported food product from China, the FDA is finding itself scrambling for information once again.

Hill's Science Diet has already issued a statement that the rice protein products that they use do not come from the same source as the contaminated product does. However, Natural Balance has several products that are part of the latest recall. This product is not the same as the Natural Life vegetarian product that Menu Foods added to their list yesterday.

As the trail of the rice protein is followed, be assured that more pet food stuffs will be added to the enormously long list of recalled pet foods.

The FDA seems to have hit a roadblock in their investigations since China will not allow FDA inspectors to go investigate the manufacturing facilities that are producing the tainted products. The FDA inspectors are unable to get Visas to China because the government hasn't "invited" them to come. With China dragging its uncooperative feet in this food health crisis, it appears that maybe someone at the FDA may have run across some information which led to the testing of rice proteins.

Both ingredients were imported from China, though by different companies and from different manufacturers.

The FDA on Wednesday began reviewing and sampling all rice protein concentrate imported from China, much as the agency has been doing for wheat gluten, Rogers said.

This news story also shares some interesting information about why melamine would be found in wheat gluten and rice protein:

The Las Vegas importer of the contaminated Chinese wheat gluten, ChemNutra Inc., that led to the original pet food recall has suggested that spiking a product with melamine can make it to appear to be richer in protein during tests, thus increasing its value.

Economics can certainly be a strong motivator for many.

But if economics isn't the motivation behind all of this mess then I can only conjure up one other hypothesis for why their products are contaminated.

I don't know about you, but when I think of big food manufacturing companies I think of big stainless steel vats and gas fueled flames. You know, shiny equipment that's squeaky clean. However, this may not be the case in parts of China.

It's possible that the products have been tainted by the "microwave effect" with huge melamine laden plastic vats receiving extremely hot products into their bowels. The heat and moisture combines with the plastics used in the processing of the foods and therefore leeches chemicals into the food stuffs.

I envision something similar to overheating your leftover pizza on a styrofoam plate.

One can't be extracted from the other.

*yuck*

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the "silver lining".

Well, the best thing about all of this is...

That FDA officials are now alert to ~something~ wrong in the Chinese food manufacturing process. And something must have sent up a red flag for them to start testing rice protein. Something that we don't yet know about.

So now I would have to logically conclude that (hopefully at least) all food imports from China will be more thoroughly tested.

Especially the human food stuffs.

Next big question:

How will all of this affect the American and Chinese political and economic relations?

Fortune cookie anyone?

later...

***UPDATE***

Blue Buffalo Company Announces Voluntary Recall of One Production Run of Spa Select Kitten Dry Food

Royal Canin has been affected by the rice protein recall.

April 19, 2007

Dear Royal Canin USA Customer,

It is with sincere regret that I inform you of a new and unfortunate development with some of our pet food products.

Although we have no confirmed cases of illness in pets, we have decided to voluntarily remove the following dry pet food products that contain rice protein concentrate due to the presence of a melamine derivative.

ROYAL CANIN SENSIBLE CHOICE® (available in pet specialty stores nationwide)

- Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Puppy DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD
- Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Senior DRY DOG FOOD
- Rice & Catfish Meal Formula Adult DRY DOG FOOD

ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET™ (available only in veterinary clinics)

- Canine Early Cardiac EC 22™
- Canine Skin Support SS21™
- Feline Hypoallergenic HP23™

ALL PRODUCTS WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL 19TH, 2008 ARE MADE WITHOUT CHINESE SOURCED VEGETABLE PROTEINS AND ARE SAFE.

We are taking this proactive stance to voluntarily recall these products to avoid any confusion for our customers about which Royal Canin USA products are safe and which products may be affected.

Pet owners should immediately stop feeding their pets the Royal Canin USA dry pet food products listed above. Pet owners should consult with a veterinarian if they are concerned about the health of their pet. No other Royal Canin diets are affected by this recall and CONTINUE TO BE safe for pets to eat.

In addition, Royal Canin USA will no longer use any Chinese suppliers for any of our vegetable proteins.

This decision to recall some of our dry pet food products is driven by our philosophy that the “Pet Comes First”. The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is Royal Canin USA’s top priority. Pet owners who have questions about this recall and other Royal Canin USA products should call (800) 513-0041.

On behalf of the entire Royal Canin family, our hearts go out to the pet owners and everyone in the pet community who have been affected by all of the recent recalls. We are as passionate about the health and happiness of our customers’ pets as we are of our own, so we are committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure this never happens again.

Sincerely,

Olivier Amice
President and CEO
Royal Canin USA

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

FDA Announces: Melamine in Tainted Pet Foods...

Menu Foods Posts FAQ's Page...

Pet Food Recall...

Still Looking for Answers on the 2007 Pet Food Recall...

Menu Foods Pet Food Recall Update

20,000th Visitor...

2007-04-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

I am six visitors away from 20,000!

I wonder who that person will be?

later...

A Prayer for the Lost...

2007-04-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Another act of homegrown terrorism has once again left our nation in a state of disbelief. It wasn't that long ago, just this past fall, when we were asking ourselves many of the same questions we're faced with today. The questions we asked when the innocent blood of children was spilled at an Amish school. It would seem that Americans would still be reeling from that horrific tragedy.

But the world had moved on. There were clever advertisements on the television to watch, shopping at the mall, and soccer games and jobs to go to.

Of all the questions that we had asked then, did any of us come up with an answer? It doesn't appear that we have.

And while we debated, for a short while, about the affects of stricter gun laws did any of us reach out to those who touch our lives? Those who are hurting, silently, in solitude?

Today we can now discuss the ills of our immigration laws. Now that we can blame a "non-American" for the Virginia Tech tragedy.

A question that I find myself asking more than any other is where have we gone wrong in showing those who are suffering how to find their purpose?

For it seems that those who are in despair, to such a degree as to commit a mass murder and suicide, cannot find their purpose in life.

Did we remove mankind's purpose when we took prayer out of the schools?

Did we eliminate humanity's vision by removing the images that reflect God from our public spaces?

And since it may not seem right by many to pray in public, it makes me wonder if we have quit praying altogether.

Have we successfully crippled our society and placed ourselves in a wheelchair that carries the brand name of "Political Correctness"?

Those who are lost and can't seem to find their way appear to be disconnected from those who surround them.

Where have we gone wrong?

It seems that maybe we have allowed ourselves to become spiritually ill. We are unable to overcome our societal diseases due to the lack of inoculation; protection that comes with faith and prayer.

For if we do not take care of our souls, and are actively watchful for the souls of others, how will we ever stop this pandemic of death?

The young man, Seung-Hui Cho, seems to have been living a life of inner turmoil and seething self-hate. How could he have been so isolated and alone in a society that seeks to satisfy "me... myself... and I"?

Was he unable to assimilate while looking for a deeper meaning to life itself?

Perhaps his actions were a well-rehearsed video game.

Or was it the training that he received from our modern age and the agendas that are pushed by the media. The communications that pound us daily. Words that tell us that babies are worthless fetuses, Christianity is wrong, do what feels good, and that there is no such thing as right and wrong.

Many will speculate and try to understand the meanings of the written words, "Ismail Ax", on his arm and will probably fail to see the obvious. Are those words in reference to Abraham's sacrifice, or to a city without a country?

We could reach for lofty hypotheses, but more than likely the answer will lie in the English student's writings. Perhaps the words are a personification of himself in an assignment that he turned in. A private, yet at the same time, public cry for help.

How could he have remained friendless?

It is hard for a society filled with self-love to love the un-lovely.

And while the parents of those 32 students who were senselessly killed make burial plans, we as a nation continue to die a slow spiritual death.

Who will make our burial preparations?

A Godless government agency?

At times it seems that we reek of putrefaction.

Are we willing to cease all life support efforts?

Are we willing to sign a DNR order?

Or are we willing to believe in, and pray for, a resurrection?

Are we willing to give up our will for God's will in our lives?

Granted, tomorrow some one's father will die of a heart attack...

A mother will be killed by a drunk driver...

And a child will die of cancer...

Murderers have been with us since the beginning of time...

But before these precious lives leave our tactile world can we say that we touched them?

That we prayed for them?

Were we there for them when they needed us?

Are we assured that they will be in their rightful place in Heaven?

Can we say that they had a purpose and that they lived it fully during what precious time that they had?

Can I say that I have?

later...

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.

8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands. ~ Psalm 138:7-8 (NIV)

2007 Convention Highlights...

2007-04-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Carrie and Parker were gone all week participating in the annual spring regional convention. Attending the convention is the highlight of the kids' year. It is where they compete with students from other regional schools from several states in academics, sports, science and many other areas of interest. The qualifications for participation are quite stringent, so getting to go to the regional convention is also a reward for the students' hard work during the school year.

The top winners in each category get to advance to the international convention where they will compete with the winners from regional conventions across the United States and many countries around the world.

Today the kids arrived home safe and sound. They were also recipients of three medals each, which means they get to advance to the next round of competition at the international convention. They are really proud of themselves.

And I am proud of them too.

This year their photography entries made a strong showing!

If you recall, I was quite disappointed last year because I thought that their photographs were just as outstanding. But none of their entries made a showing.

Carrie entered three categories with two photographs. The one photograph, which was double entered, won in both of its categories. However, it can only advance in one category to the international convention.

Here's Carrie's winning entry:

Parker entered six separate photographs in six categories. These are his three winning entries.

His special effects entry:

Parker took a picture of his friend's cat. He had prolonged the shutter time, so when the cat walked off, it left a ghost-like image behind.

Parker's black and white entry:

Parker's scenic entry:

Well, I had better get to bed. I have a full week-end of assignments plus a term paper that is due next week.

You guys have a great week-end.

later...

Metropolitan Who's Who... An Update.

2007-04-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

Connie has noticed a recent increase of hits on
her 2006 post concerning Metropolitan Who's Who.

And I have noticed an increase of visits to my post as well.

There are people using a variety of search terms trying to find out information about the registry. Search terms vary but for the most part they use terms like:

"Metropolitan Who's Who Scam"

"Metropolitan Who's Who is it any good"

"Metropolitan Registries"

"Metropolitan Who's Who complaints"

"fraud Metropolitan Who's Who"

"is Metropolitan Who's Who good"

I won't try to list all of the various terms here, but I think you get the idea.

I suppose the sudden influx of people searching for information on Metropolitan Who's Who is because they have received a letter from them.

Metropolitan Who's Who must mail millions of letters!

From this last mass mailing batch I know of at least one person (so far) who has blogged about the receipt of their letter of recognition.

Ellie's Mommie has written about Ellie's Daddy receiving one of MWW's letters. She's very proud of his accomplishments as a pizza delivery boy and states,

I too strive to be recognized on the same level as my pizza delivery man!!

Her comments remind me of Southcon's post about his letter.

Oh the joys that they share by virtue of being on the same mailing list.

It certainly warms my heart.

I know that Cyndi Jeffus, aka Cyndi Jeffers, aka Amanda, is concerned about bloggers who post about Metropolitan Who's Who. She's also unhappy about other web sources of information concerning the organization that she works for.

I also know that she is concerned about my contributions as well.

It seems that she is petitioning the Better Business Bureau of New York City and has asked them to review/update their report.

I'm so glad that I have placed the original text of the January, 2007, report here.

We'll have to wait and see how the new report "reads" when it comes out. Surely the BBB will be honest and straightforward in their *new* report. Because if they aren't and are coerced to "gloss over" the facts...

Then they lose credibility and are no longer a trusted source of information.

Surely they have a strong code of ethics that they follow.

If not, then I will probably have to write a letter to the national office and a blog post about it all.

The BBB of New York realizes that there is a problem concerning who's who registries. In fact, they have a web page full of advice for consumers.

This is probably my favorite line on the entire web page:

If you are solicited for inclusion in a biographical work, be realistic about your own accomplishments. Determine if the appeal is based strictly on personal vanity.

I think that maintaining honesty and integrity is an accomplishment.

An accomplishment, that sadly, many people will never achieve.

I certainly believe that both Ellie's Mommie and Southcon deserve recognition in an honest and reputable biographical work.

It could be called The Book of Honest Americans of Integrity.

From what I can tell...

We need a lot more people like them.

later...

**UPDATE**

I've run across another blogger who has posted about their letter from Metropolitan Who's Who!

Hopefully they will keep it posted and aren't coerced into deleting the post.

Metropolitan Who's who aka Metropolitan Registries, Inc...

Questions...

Hate E-mail and Threatened Bloggers...

Blogger's Rights...

Do Search Engines Serve the Public?

Royal Canin States: We're Not Involved...

2007-04-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

The press has released a story today that states that Royal Canin products have been added to the national recall list of pet foods.

According to Royal Canin this is not true. The FDA announcement has confirmed that some of the tainted wheat gluten had been transferred to a Canadian manufacturing facility. There have been 26 additional products added to the recall list as of yesterday. However, Royal Canin is not on this newly released list of pet foods.

Below is Royal Canin's announcement as found on their web page:

RECALL INFORMATION

Royal Canin USA wishes to assure pet owners that our dry and wet pet food products are not involved in the ongoing FDA investigation related to the recent nationwide pet food recall initiated by Menu Foods and other companies.

We want to inform you that the recent recall announcement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 10 does not affect any Royal Canin products sold in US retail stores or available in vet clinics.

All of our brands, including Feline Health Nutrition, Canine Health Nutrition, Royal Canin Veterinary Diets, Sensible Choice, and Kasco, continue to be available nationwide.

The safety and nutritional quality of our pet food is our top priority because for many people, their pets are their top priorities.

For details about the recall and affected brands and products, please call Menu Foods at 1-866-895-2708, 1-866-463-6738 or visit the company’s web site at www.menufoods.com/recall for more information.

The Pet Food Recall Expands... Again.

2007-04-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

As the trail of wheat gluten continues to be followed, I am sure that there is a great possibility that we will continue to see more recalled products surface.

Today, Sunshine Mills has added their dog biscuit products to the recall list.

Evidently, a "boat load" of wheat gluten has been shipped to the United States. Who knows, there could have been two boats full. While it hasn't happened yet, I'm anticipating the recall to surface somewhere in the human food market.

This idea doesn't sound so far fetched today as it did even a week ago.

At this point, my recommendation for everyone would be to read your ingredient labels.

I've always recommended that pets not be fed products with wheat, dairy products or by-products, or anything with dyes. The reasoning behind this recommendation was to reduce the incidence of allergies in our pets. Not because the foodstuffs were inherently bad. Anyway, everyone I personally know should be okay if they were following the recommendations.

For those who are looking for pet foods, treats, or biscuits that have been recalled, your best resource is at the FDA Recall web page. They have every product listed that has been recalled. There are also associated links that will give you the product codes, lot numbers, and dates.

Below I have copied and pasted the contents on that web page, however you should go there so you can follow the links.

Pet Food Recall

Topics on this Page

Introduction
News Updates
What Pet Foods Have Been Recalled?
Other Companies Voluntarily Withdrawing Products
How Do I Report a Pet Food Complaint?

Introduction
On March 16, Menu Foods, Inc. recalled dog and cat foods produced at two of its facilities between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007, and sold under a number of different brand names. Several other companies also have voluntarily withdrawn products from the market. See the links below for complete listings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Menu Foods Pet Food Recall
News Updates
Sunshine Mills, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Branded and Private Label Branded Dog Biscuits (April 5, 2007)
ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall (April 3, 2007)
What Pet Foods Have Been Recalled?
Menu Foods Recalled Products

Dog Food Recalls
Cat Food Recalls

Menu Foods Initiates Market Withdrawal of All Varieties of Recalled Wet Pet Food to Ensure Consumer Protection (March 24, 2007)
Other Companies Voluntarily Withdrawing Products
Sunshine Mills, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Branded and Private Label Branded Dog Biscuits (April 5, 2007)
ChemNutra Announces Nationwide Wheat Gluten Recall (April 3, 2007)
Del Monte Pet Products
Del Monte Pet Products Voluntarily Withdraws Specific Product Codes of Pet Treats and Wet Dog Food Products (March 31, 2007)
Hills Pet Nutrition
Prescription Diet m/d Feline Dry Food (FDA Press Release, March 30, 2007)
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Select Science Diet Savory Cuts Cat Food (March 17, 2007)
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company
Alpo® Brand Prime Cuts In Gravy Canned Dog Food (March 30, 2007)
Mighty Dog® 5.3 Ounce Pouch Products (March 16, 2007)

How Do I Report a Pet Food Complaint?

Please contact your Consumer Complaint Coordinator

Page last updated April 5, 2007

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