We set a record!!

Yesterday, I whiiiined about wanting to go to the Sun Bowl game, but NO ONE, not even my ever dependable sister would go. Actually the whining didn't start yesterday. It started sometime last week. But funny thing! All of a sudden 4 free tickets fell into our laps and then everyone wanted to go! I had already called Patti before the ticket bonanza, and she insisted she was still NOT interested. Then about 30 minutes later the guilt set in, just like I knew it would!! (It's all part of the plan!) She said she'd go with me. You should have heard the tone in her voice. It was like I had asked her to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro! But I had to tell her we had no more tickets!! I think I heard her sigh of relief.

Anyway, as much as I love football, the ONLY reason I wanted to go was to see the half-time show. Get ready for this......The Village People!! I always thought they were so unique, in alot of ways! ;)


Aren't they just the cutest?!?!

They only sang 3 songs, "Macho Man," "YMCA," and "In the Navy." I think that's the only songs they ever sang! AND.....in the process of enjoying the concert, we set a Guiness Book of World Records by the most people doing the YMCA dance at the same time in the same place! Over 45,000 people participated. The last record set was in 2001 in Utah, but with only 13,000 people. There was even a Guiness Book Record Certifier there! They're real serious about ridiculous things like this. I haven't heard the results, but I'm pretty sure we set the record.

So they showed us "how" to do the YMCA dance, and after all these years, we've been doing it wrong! You probably have too, if you've ever stooped to that sort of thing! But we had SO MUCH FUN! Even Troy and Ben had fun. It was one of the better half-time shows I've seen. WAY better than Michael Jackson.....Patti!

The game was between Pittsburgh and the Oregon Beavers. The Beavers scored a field goal in the first quarter to make the score 3-0, and the final score was 3-0!! Apparently it was the lowest scoring bowl game for the past 75 or so years. Pretty sad. We left after half-time tho, because as I said earlier, it was all about The Village People for me!

Memory Lane Mondays ~ "Please leave!"

Quite a few years ago, the husband of my mom's best friend Leola, passed away. Patti and I went to the funeral at the Douglas Street Chapel, and it was packed. We found a seat in front of our Aunt Ernestine, who we LOVE, and listen intently to the talks. Well....as intently as Patti and I are capable. We really tried this time out of respect to the deceased. One of the speakers had been our Bishop when we were kids and he was an "interesting fellow."

About 30 minutes into the funeral, the former Bishop got up to speak on "The Big Picture." He talked and talked and talked and talked and talked. We started glancing at each other, which was a HUGE mistake. He continued to talk, on and on. We were getting fidgety and bored and just wanted to go home! As you can imagine we started whispering to each other, and that started the uncontrollable laughing. Aunt Ernie was poking us in the back saying things like "You girls never change!"

After what seemed like an eternity, and I'm NOT kidding, our former Bishop pronounced, "And that brings us to "The Big Picture!!" What was he SAYING all that time?? What was the Big Picture?? So with that statement we looked at each other quizzically, and started laughing so hard we were gasping, choking, tears running down our cheeks, shoulders shaking, and we could NOT STOP!

Aunt Ernie leaned forward and asked us to please leave the funeral until we could compose ourselves! How embarrassing is THAT?? Have YOU ever been asked to leave a funeral for bad behavior, or for any reason? Oh, and we're adults, or at least we looked like adults!

Memory Lane Mondays ~ Silly things my Mom says!

While on a trip to Mazatlan some years back, Troy and Grandma were leaning over the edge of the tourist cruise boat (and I use that term loosely) peering into the water. Troy was about 10 or 11 years old and was saying things like "Look how blue the water is!" and "I wonder how cold it is?" and "I wonder how deep it is!" Mother, with her brow intently furrowed, replied "What I want to know is, what is a participle!"

A few little things I remember about growing up....

1.  Sitting on the curb on a rainy day with our feet in the rushing water and trying to make little dirt dams
2.  Dipping my raw carrots in ketchup
3.  Mary the rabbit, Chocolate the dog, and Cheema the cat....and Cheema #2, the next cat!
4.  The smell of Carmen's tacos
5.  Playing baseball, and hide and seek in our backyard
6.  The smell of the little cedar boxes we always bought in Ruidoso
7.  Running away to Roy English's house, and Mom saying "OK!"
8.  Sargent, who had the most beautiful lawn on the block
9.  Our babysitter who always threatened to call the cops on us, and whose dad just              happened to be the Chief of Police!
10. The smell of mothballs at Grandma's house....mmmmmmm
11. Having to listen to Daddy read instruction manuals for each and every new appliance we ever bought! I NEVER read instruction manuals now.
12. Climbing the China Berry tree and crossing the patio roof to get to our tree house
13. Jumping on the Jenkins' trampoline and drinking their milk out of their side-by-side, restaurant-style milk machine. It was always so yummy and cold!
14. Using TV trays to slide down the hill when it snowed
15. Watching "The Mummy" with Patti and Rico and being scared to death - every time!
16. Flying kites in the park across the street
17. Rico throwing Patti's "Flower Drum Song" record like a frisbee over the fence of the reservoir because she played it so many times. He had warned her.....
18. Our dog Mutts, running around the yard with Daddy's freshly grilled (or should I say freshly charred!) chicken or steaks
19. Our flocked Christmas trees
20. How Mother made each and every Christmas magical

Survival of the Dumbest!

Saturday Patti, Mom and I took a day trip to Colonia Juarez to see Jennifer, Sasi and Jeneanne, and let Mom visit with her sister, Aunt Nellie. It's only a 3 hour drive, and very do-able in one day....assuming all goes as planned.

Our drive down was uneventful, which is great with the conditions in Mexico like they are. We got thru all the checkpoints without any problems. The only stop we made was in Casas Grandes to get Mother's hair cut and styled. Patti and I had been extremely negligent in getting that done earlier and poor Mom looked like a homeless woman, as you can see in the picture below! Her hair was down to her shoulders, combed to the side and just awful. We ended up at a beauty school and didn't know what to expect at first, especially when they showed us this picture of a funky haircut all spiked up! We agreed to it anyway, and you can see Mom wasn't all that thrilled with what was happening to her! But during the styling process, they used a curling iron and she look really cute - not funky at all! Aunt Nellie always looks so prim and proper, we just couldn't take Mother to see her looking like she did.


Our visit was great fun. Mother is 95 and Aunt Nellie is 92 and at first they didn't even recognize each other! We had to introduce them. They are so funny together. Their conversations are nothing but nonsense! But they have alot of fun together, and that's so nice to see.


Jennifer and John fixed us a delicious lunch. After we had eaten, Aunt Nellie took all the extra brownies off the plate, wrapped them in a napkin and a baggie and took them home. That was a little odd!



I called Rocky to let him know we'd be on the road by 4:30. We planned to spend the last hour at Aunt Nellie's home with Jen and Sas, but I always forget to include the time it takes to get Mother out of the car and into the house, and the reverse when we have to leave. It's a significant! By the time we were actually in the car and ready to go, it was 5:30! When we were finally on our way, but still in Aunt Nellie's driveway, Mother asked "Where are we going?" When I said we were on our way back to El Paso, she said "I hope I can go to the bathroom before we leave."

Grrrrrrrr. Patti, being "patient and kind," asked her if she could wait 3 more hours!! "Well, I'll TRY!" was Mom's response! So we looked at each other, sighed, and backed up and started the process of getting mom out of the car, into the house, to the bathroom (that's another story altogether!), back to the car, into the car and finally we were off.....2 hours late! After stopping for tortas where the store was closed, gas and queso Menonita, it delayed us just enough that when we got to the Santa Teresa bridge it had closed, exactly 3 minutes before we got there. We couldn't believe it!

I have to interject a story here. There's a military checkpoint half way between where we bought the cheese and the border. The soldiers there check mostly for weapons, but probably look for drugs too. Patti and I both speak fairly good Spanish, and between the two of us, we're awesome! Patti was driving so she was in charge of fielding all the questions. I guess the soldier couldn't see into the back seat where mother was sitting, because he asked if we had any "pasajeros" (passengers). So Patti reaches for the handle to pop the trunk at the exact same time I told the soldier "Yes, our mother is with us," while I point with my thumb toward the back seat. So up pops the trunk, and the soldier looks at Patti, then at the trunk, then at me and back at the trunk. He very slowly walked toward the trunk fully expecting to see our mother back there. I asked Patti "WHAT ARE YOU DOING????" She said "I got confused!" I don't know how she could have thought pasajeros meant cajuela (trunk)!! Finally we all got on the same page and he let us go. That was a close one! Those guys don't have anything close to a sense of humor!

So now it's 10:03 p.m. Being a little closer to the border, I finally had a phone signal and was able to let Rocky know we were so close, yet so far! Because the bridge was closed, we had to drive 10 miles back to the road that takes you to Juarez, which is supposed to go directly to the Santa Fe bridge. Well, that didn't happen. (On a side note, the highway we were on now, took us right through the Home Depot parking lot in Juarez! Isn't that strange??) We spent two more hours of meandering around unfamiliar parts of one of the most dangerous city in the world! Patti, who has this uncanny sense of direction had completely shut down, and I had no clue where we were, except when we hit the red-light district. That was VERY interesting!! All we knew is where we were, not where we were in relation to the bridge! So we asked a taxi driver if he could tell us how to get there, and he said he'd lead us there in his car.....for $5! He got us there in about 3 minutes and I was so grateful, I paid him $10.

It's now past midnight and there's a hold up in the line to cross the border. We waited at least 30-45 minutes before we could finally pass. When we got to the US side of the border, Mother pipes up and says within earshot of the immigration officer, "Is this the place where you told me to say I'm an American?" Another uncomfortable moment, but I don't think he heard what she said, thank goodness, because all we had to prove her citizenship was a Mexican passport! Those guys don't have a sense of humor either. We got home at 1 a.m. and were exhausted! A three hour drive took us eight hours!

We had LOTS of laughs on the trip, because Patti and I think everything is funny, but we were so, so happy to be home.

"Take me back to Tulsa...."

This past weekend we decided Patti needed to get outta Dodge, so she and I took a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We were able to kill two birds with this trip. It was Trevor's birthday on the 18th (Trevor is Bobbi's oldest son) AND we had football tickets to see the UTEP Miners play the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Isn't that the stupidest name for a mascot?? The only problem was....they played like a hurricane! The first quarter was great ~ everytime we made a touchdown, they made a touchdown. Back and forth for 20 minutes until the score was tied at 21. Imagine our excitement! Then we watched it quickly get out of control until the third quarter, when we slunk (is that a word?) out of the stadium all decked out in our UTEP orange, trying to pretend that it was "only a game", with a score of 70 to 35! Before we were even off the stadium grounds, the score was 77 to 35.

I'm the tiny little one on the left(!), Trevor, Patti, Beth and Glen.

Our seats were on the first row of the stadium, directly behind the Miner bench. We were so close we could almost touch them, and pretty excited about that! Beth complained alot about the smell! But our excitement about being so close to the players went south in a hurry because we could actually hear what they were saying to each other, and if I told you what they said, someone would file a obscenity complaint against me. It was shocking! I don't know what we thought went on down there. It seemed from a distance they're all real happy all the time, chest-bumping, high-fiving each other, slammin' each other on the helmet. You know how they are. I always thought they were saying stuff like "Good job!!" or "Atta boy!" "I love you, man!" But NOOOOOOO!!

We had an hour and a half layover in Dallas. We found our gate but there was no place to sit, so we sat along the concourse just people-watching. Don't ask why we dedided to do this, and to be fair to Patti, it was my idea, but to be fair to me, she went right along with it! (and she calls me a sheep!) We decided we'd make negative comments about the people who were passing by. "She needs a make-over!" and "Get a load of THAT!" and "Good grief. Did she get dressed in the dark?" and "That guy needs to buy an iron." and "What was she THINKING?" and "He looks just like a leprechan!" Anyway, we were so intent on making fun of everyone, when I looked at my watch, it was 3 minutes to "wheels up!" So we ran to the gate and of course were the last ones on the plane and didn't get to sit together, and as most of you know, that is sheer torture for Patti and I. So I guess that was our punishment for being so juvenile! Just to let you know, we did make some nice comments about this one really classy lady.


Saturday, Beth (Trevor's wife) took us shopping at some great places. We had so much fun while Trevor stayed home and smoked a brisket and a rump roast for his birthday bash. It's what he wanted to do with his friends, so we let him! Patti was as surprised, as I was when I first went to Tulsa, at how beautiful the town is. It's really something! And yes...the above is really a picture of Tulsa, but it doesn't even begin to show how pretty it is.


After shopping we celebrated Trevor's birthday with his friends and had a really fun time. He's such a great cook! Beth made the cake, I iced it, another friend of theirs helped with the candles, and if you look closely you'll see the candles say "37." Really, they do! Patti took a nap. We probably should have celebrated a few hours longer because unfortunately shutting down the party takes us back to the first part of this blog....the football game.

Our flights back to El Paso were uneventful except for Dallas (again), but not because we made fun of people. Patti decided she wanted a Cinnabon. Who doesn't??? They are SO GOOD. So we shared one and when I got home Sunday night, I read on the internet, for the second time, that a Cinnabon is the #1 WORST snack food in America! Can you believe that? Oh well...it was worth it!


Seriously now, who wouldn't want to stuff their face with one of these??

So that was our trip. There was only one snafú and that was in El Paso. Our luggage decided to take a detour to Phoenix, but it came back a few hours later, and Patti went to the airport to get it. All was well after that.

We had such a good time and Trevor and Beth are the greatest hosts!

Thanks guys! See you at Thanksgiving.

Memory Lane Mondays ~ Bread and Pies

I went to high school in Mexico, and lived with my mother's sister and her family. She had a daughter Lurlene, and she and I were the same age and quickly became like sisters. We had so much fun together and living in a small farming/ranching community that revolved around the church - it was the perfect scenario. It was probably the best 2 years of my life! What a great place to grow up!!

It wasn't all peachy tho. Every Saturday, before Lur and I could do anything, we had to make bread and pies. When she made bread, I'd make pies, which didn't even come close to resembling anything like this picture, and the next Saturday we'd switch. This was absolute torture for me because I'm not a baker, even now! Of course Lurlene was perfect at everything she did! It was alot of pressure for me!!

I don't recall how my pies turned out, but since I still can't make a decent pie today, and this is 42 years later, they were probably pretty sad. But the bread is a different story!

We used those large juice cans to bake the bread in and there were about 20 cans! My Aunt Nellie had a large family and going thru 20 loaves of bread each week was pretty normal. It took FOR-EVER to make all that bread.

Every Sunday our family dinner was attended by approximately 15-20 people. Aunt Nellie would drag out the bread, sliced nicely and place it on the table with homemade butter and jam. Everyone would glance at the bread and then at each other. I never could figure out how they knew that was MY week to make the bread! But I suppose it was obvious. The really tough part for me was the looks on everyone's faces when they bit into the sliced bread. Some would cough or start choking and frantically reach for their water! I think this was the first time I ever saw anyone perform the Heimlich Maneuver! It made me want to become a nurse!!

This went on for a year and a half, and sad because no one would ever eat more than one bite of my bread! No one eats it now either!! But one day my Uncle Dave, my mother's brother, called me and asked if it was my week to make bread. When I told him I had just finished the bazillion loaves I had to make before I could have any fun, he asked me if he could have every single loaf! Well, you can imagine my excitement!! Finally, someone actually wanted my bread! I asked Aunt Nellie if that was ok with her and she's said "Oh, YES!" Even that response didn't dampen my spirit! The next day we had no bread for the family dinner and everyone was OK with that too! Looking back they all seemed thrilled!

When Uncle Dave came by to pick up the bread I was so excited I could hardly speak! But finally I asked him why he wanted all of it and he said, as nicely as he could, "Bob, I'm going to the mountains to round up my cattle and your bread is the best thing I've found to throw at the mules to get them to move off the road!"

I probably should have been crushed, and I kind of was, but I was mostly "OK" that someone had finally found a good use for my bread, other than having to eat it! But on the bright side, Aunt Nellie taught me how to make a mean tapioca!

Health Tip Tuesdays ~ Broken Bones, Dislocations and Sprains

I've let this column go because I got very few comments on it. Then again we rarely get any comments on anything! But a few people have said they actually learn something from these posts, so I'll give it another shot.

Today we're gonna talk about broken bones and joint dislocations. First let's clear up some terminology. I don't know why this happens, but alot of people say they have a "fracture" and not a broken bone. I guess that makes it sound worse than it actually is. But a fractured bone is a broken bone and a broken bone is a fractured bone. So whichever you want to call it, it's exactly the same.

If you or someone you know comes across someone who has injured themselves it's important to check for fractures and dislocations. Well, first you need to figure out of they're breathing or not!! Alot of the time you can actually see a fracture because there will probably be some deformity and swelling in that area. If you were there when the accident happened, it's possible you heard the bone break! That's kinda creepy! Sometimes you can see the bones(s) poking thru the skin, and in this case you can be pretty sure the bones are broken! This is called a compound fracture and it's not a pleasant sight. There will probably be alot of bleeding. You'll need to try to stop the bleeding if it doesn't stop on it's own.

If you suspect a fracture, you can ask the patient to move his/her fingers or toes or affected body part, but why?? It's HURTS to do that!! What you want to do with either a fracture, dislocation or sprain/strain (especially with the arm/hand/wrist or leg/ankle/foot or shoulder, check to see if the area is blue or grayish. If it is, that might mean the circulation is compromised and they need help quickly. You CAN gently tickle their finger tips or toes with your fingernails. If they say that feels normal that's a good sign. If not, it could mean there's nerve involvement and they need more help than you can probably give them.


Above are some pictures of dislocations. If there's a dislocation it's usually obvious but not always. Say it's a finger, that finger might be pointing in a direction different from all the other fingers. A dislocated shoulder looks larger than usual and deformed because it's been pulled out of the joint. You can't always be sure, but they just "look" different, but they still hurt ALOT and the patient can't move their arm, so please don't ask them to.

Also, if at all possible, don't ask them to walk if they've hurt their ankle/leg/foot. Not only does that hurt and can cause more damage, it's really ticks them off!! Be aware that a sprain can hurt as much, if not more than a fracture. So it gets a little tricky sometimes.

What can you do? Try to stablize the fracture. You can do this with a stick or board and some tape or strips of cloth. You can use a rolled up newspaper or a magazine folded into a gutter-type splint. This doesn't have to be fancy. Use whatever you have that is stiff and can be gently tied in place. Your goal here should be to immobilize the area and keep it from moving or bouncing around while you're on your way the the ER. The reason for this is, if the bones continue to move everytime the patient moves, it can cause alot of unnecessary internal tissue and vessel damage. Also, put some ice in a bag and place it over the area. Try to put a cloth between the ice and the skin tho. Don't use ice water - it's WAY too cold and can damage the skin.

Most importantly, you need to get them to a place where an x-ray can be taken to see what's going on. Fractures, dislocations and sprains need to be treated. If they're left to heal on their own, there will probably be some loss of function and deformity. You don't want that. Oh, and if your patient has a dislocation and needs a reduction (that means pulling the bone back in place) you might want to leave the room. That's unpleasant to watch!
See? All better! Well....sort of!

Smile ~ it's good for the heart!

Farwell to Ed

Saturday we had Ed's funeral at church. Everyone in his family had something to say, along with his "brothers." Ed was an only child, but he had many friends who he considered his brothers. The funeral was the funniest event I've ever been to. Jennifer gave his life sketch and she brought down the house talking about the "life lessons" they grew up with. One of his daughters and two grandchildren sang a beautiful song. The harmony was unlike any I've heard before. They did themselves proud.

There was a moment of spirituality when one of the members spoke about the church and the hereafter. He said some important, comforting things about the promises the Lord has made if we do our part. It was comforting to know we'll surely see Ed again.

Then the "brothers" spoke and the hilarity ensued again. It was nice to be able to laugh out loud at such a sad event. But that's the way Mormon funerals are. Not only are they family reunions, but they're pretty happy times for the most part. We shed a few tears but that's OK!

Ed's son, played a drum solo (bongo type) while they lowered the casket at the cemetery. I've never experienced something like that before, but it was really nice and very unusual.

Afterward the Relief Society provided one of their fabulous meals for about 60 people. That is such a nice thing our church does for people. It gives the family a chance to take a deep breath, get nourished and then go home and relax. I'm not sure Patti relaxed much as they were getting ready for a big party so all the "brothers" could sit around and reminisce about Ed. It was really a nice get-together.

Patti went to sleep while the party was still going on, but that was OK too. Everyone understood and they stayed until who knows when! It was a sad but lovely day and Ed would have been thrilled at the tribute held in his honor.

Life Without Ed

We have some unhappy news to report. Early Tuesday morning, September 23, 2008, Ed passed away. As I posted earlier he had been sick with diabetes and an intestinal infection, but we didn't expect him to die. We knew he'd come out of it. But after some hospital time, followed by a few days at home where Patti took such good care of him and got him back on the right track, he got to the point where he could hardly walk, even with help from a walker, Patti and the workers. So Rocky suggested he go back into the hospital for more tests, and after a relatively peaceful night, his body just gave up.

Patti went to see him at 6:30 in the morning on Tuesday on her way to work. She found him unresponsive and not breathing and she alerted the nurses. A team of doctors and nurses tried to resusitate him, but he didn't respond.

For the past few days we've been getting ready for his funeral. It's a surreal experience for sure.

Ed loved Patti and his family and adored his 13 grandchildren. He was a great source of funny stories and some good laughs. He was always in a good mood when we went to see him. We will miss him and are sad he's gone.

We'll see you again one day, Ed!

Memory Lane Mondays ~ The Great American Pastime

In the summer of 1966 I visited Patti and Mother in Minneapolis. Patti worked at Benson Optical and had entered some contest there and unfortunately won! I say unfortunately because the grand prize was 2 baseball tickets to see the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees. Why is this unfortunate? Most red-blooded Americans would kill for these tickets, even today, but Patti and I REALLY don't like baseball. I can't think of anything I like less than baseball. Not sure why, but that's just the way it is.

Mother had to study, so Patti and I went to the game to give her some quiet time. We had no idea what we were in for. The worst part, besides actually going to the game, was we had to go by bus! All the people on the bus were so excited about the game. They were all elderly, as you can imagine. They were probably the age we are now, and we don't consider ourselves elderly, but they sure were! They sang songs and got all giddy about the game. We just stared out the window. We were sad.

We finally arrived at the stadium and as we were were getting off the bus, the bus driver handed us our baseball caps - made of lime green and white striped card stock, slotted for ventilation, and with big letters across the bill that screamed "I CAME BY BUS!" We were horrified and immediately dropped our caps on the ground, accidentally of course, but our fellow passengers rushed up behind us, happily picked up our hats and gave them back to us. Surely we had made some kind of mistake, they said! This happened several times until we finally gave up and as soon as our bus mates were out of sight, we threw the paper caps in the trash.

So there we were, with wonderful box seats between 3rd and 1st bases. The Twins were playing the Yankees. We saw Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantel, Harmon Killebrew, and Bernie Allen. According to baseball aficionados, it doesn't get much better than that, but we were hot and sticky, and it was baseball, and it was just awful.

We endured to the end, and were so happy to get to make the LONG walk back to our bus and GO HOME, only to be thwarted by not being able to get back on the bus because it was locked up tight! Maybe it was the wrong bus, so we kept looking and looking for the bus.....any bus that was open and would get us out of there! Finally after what seemed to be forever, a man asked if he could help and we said "We're ready to go home now!" like a couple of country girls. He looked at us a little strange but happily reported "Oh no! This game is a double header!" We almost burst into tears, but after losing a short but heated argument with the bus driver, we dutifully whirled around and marched back to the stadium. We recoiled when we looked at our seats because the sun was still beating mercilessly down on them, as it had on us for first 4 hours of our day. We were tired, unhappy, hot, unhappy, hungry, unhappy, sunburned, blistered and sad. Did I mention we were unhappy?

So, we looked around for empty seats in the shade. Being able to actually watch the game was not a requirement or a priority with us. We could have cared less. We found quite a few empty seats in a much cooler area of the ballpark and decided to sit there and ride out the misery of the day. We wondered why there were so many empty seats there and quickly discovered we were sitting right behind the chain gang! That's when things started looking up for us! Those guys were so much fun, and we had a good time with them. They were real cute and of course they were all innocent!

Another 4 hours passed and after a fond farewell to our new criminal friends, we were finally able to get on our bus and get outta dodge! What a horrible day. Patti and I always have so much fun together, but nothing was going to save that dreadful day.

Just one of the many reasons we don't like baseball!

Approved by Patti . . .

Ed has been pretty sick the past couple of weeks, to the point he had to be hospitalized. At least this time Patti recognized he really was sick and called EMS. Some years back Ed had chest pain, so Patti dropped him off at a "Doc-in-the-box" urgent care center and then took off to enjoy a lovely meal at McDonalds!!

So now Ed is home and still not feeling well. But last Friday morning Patti really had a scare when she woke up at 4 a.m. and went to check on him. She found Ed on the floor, with his head wedged up against the bed, and he was gasping for air. Patti thought he was dying, so she called EMS and when they came, they fixed him up and he was OK in just a short while.

When he was feeling good enough to talk, he told Patti he had been calling and calling for her. She never heard him for a couple of reasons: one is she's deaf, and the other is she sleeps as far away from the rest of the house as possible, with her door closed and the ceiling fan going full blast! So when Ed got tired of trying to get her attention by yelling, he decided to try a different approach. If only he could get to his gun, he could start blasting away inside the house and get maybe Patti's attention that way. Obviously he never made it, because this is how he ended up on the floor!!

That's Ed....always thinkin'!

Memory Lane Mondays: The Bear that Went to Cloudcroft

When we were kids we made lots of family trips to Ruidoso and some to Cloudcroft. I've wonder why we named this game "The Bear that Went to Cloudcroft" instead of "The Bear that Went to Ruidoso." But that really doesn't matter and doesn't change the game. It's still lame, but we were little kids and we thought we were extraordinary. It was fun to play especially when you consider the alternative.

Daddy didn't tolerate any fighting, noise or fun! for that matter on these trips. So Patti and Rico and I would sit in the back seat and try to stay out of the way of that huge, hairy, muscular arm that was attached to our dad, that would swing over the front seat occasionally trying to make contact with one of us. We spent most of the trip diving for the floorboard in a frantic attempt to avoid "the arm." Rico was quicker than Patti and I, and he always made it to the safety zone before we could. We would try to make a game out of dodging the arm!

Sometimes it was just Rico and me in the back seat because Patti mostly got to ride in the front with Daddy and Mother because she got carsick all the time! It didn't matter to us that she really was carsick. She would throw up almost everytime we'd get in the car. So between dodging the arm and dodging Patti's stomach contents, the trips were always eventful.

Heaven forbid if we ever asked "Are we there yet?" That statement would activate the arm. So to pass the time, we would play "The Bear that Went to Cloudcroft." The rules of the game were simple. The bear would go to the grocery store to buy food for his trip to Cloudcroft, and each of us would take turns adding imaginary food to the bear's imaginary grocery basket. We had our usual additions. I think Patti always added broccoli, I added olives, and Rico would throw in ice cream. This would go on and on until we couldn't think of anything else to add. Looking back, it seems we only went a couple of rounds or so. I guess we weren't very creative.

We were about as creative as this post. I can't think of anything else to say, so I guess that means I've gone from a lame child to a lame adult and now you, dear reader, have to endure our sad, pathetic lives. Hey Patti, have you wondered lately why we have lost most of our readers? Wait a minute - what am I saying?? PATTI doesn't even read this blog!

Memory Lane Monday's ~ Regifting . . . Redefined!

It seems most of my Memory Lane Monday's involve something about my Dad. This one is no different. Daddy was SO HARD to buy something for - like a Christmas gift. We dreaded that day coming because it was absolute agony trying to find something he might like. To make it worse on us, he never liked anything we gave him, and he would make sure we knew that too! I can only think of one or two gifts I gave him that he actually used. One was a plaid shirt.

Daddy was a perfectionist and kept everything he owned, no matter what it was, spotless clean at all times. So I thought a CarVac would be a great idea for him, and so did everyone else. I bought it and wrapped it up really nice for him and put it under the tree. I was so excited thinking I had bought him something he might actually want, or at least not hate!

Christmas came and when he opened his gift, he was not the least bit pleased and proceeded to tell me he already had one. I apologized (although I don't know why) and thought that might be the end of it, as he left with the CarVac tucked safely away under his arm. But nooooo! The next day, he returned with the gift and asked if I had the receipt so he could return it! When I couldn't find the receipt, he asked if I would just buy it back from him. Yes, you heard right. He wanted me to give him the money I'd spent on the CarVac and he would just give it back to me. I agreed thinking I could probably use it around the house, so I gave him the $25.00 it cost me. But that wasn't good enough. He wanted to make sure I also paid him the sales tax!

So now I'm stuck with a CarVac that I paid for twice and only have one CarVac to show for it! I'm not good at math, but this just doesn't seem right!! But in Daddy's defense, he didn't want or like the stupid gift and I didn't either. So I guess it was a draw - other than being out another $25....plus tax!

Merry Christmas to me!

Death of a Legend . . .

Today was a sad day. Our beloved Hall-of-Fame Basketball coach passed away. He had been sick for several years with cardiac problems, but the past three weeks were especially bad for him. Don Haskins was and always will be the biggest celebrity El Paso has ever known. We loved him and he loved El Paso! We were always so proud to have such a great man as part of our community.

Everyone called him "The Bear." When he was scowling, he looked like a bear, and he would prowl the sidelines during each and every basketball game, seemingly unapproachable. Despite how hard he was on his players, they all learned to love him....eventually.


He was INTOLERANT of what he thought were unfair calls by the refs, and trust me, there were many. He would get so angry he would occasionally go after a ref, shaking his rolled up program in the refs face, ending up with a technical. Once he had one technical, he'd almost always get two, then he'd get thrown out of the game! This served one purpose only - to get the crowd and players fired up enough that they'd play their hearts out and win! I don't remember a single game when Coach Haskins was thrown out that we didn't win. Great strategy.

The tributes that have come rolling in are quite impressive, from govenors, to a Who's Who of the sports world. They all talk about Coach Haskin's ground breaking 1966 NCAA Championship win over the University of Kentucky. What made it so historic was Coach started five black players. That was unheard of! But his bravery "changed the face of basketball" for ever. And he changed El Paso forever.

He will be greatly missed.

(As a side note, Coach Haskins laid in repose all day Tuesday, September 9th, at the Haskins Center. I noticed on TV the funeral spray on his casket was gorgeous, and made of red, yellow and green chile peppers and bell peppers. How appropriate is that?!)

Meet my new best friend!

I had a brain-drain a few weeks ago and thought I might enjoy going back to work in an Emergency Room and doing some real nursing, unlike what I've been doing in the schools. After talking to the Director of Emergency Services at Del Sol Medical Center, I was a little overwhelmed at how much things have changed from my wonderful Thomason days. But not to be deterred, I dove into the ER Orientation manual they gave me. It was daunting from the very first page.

The director said Del Sol, which is now a Level II trauma center, would, by next year become a Level IV. That means they'll be able to accept critically injured/ill patients most of the time, but the "good ones" as we call them, will still end up at Thomason, because they're a Level V trauma center (it's a staffing issue). A Level V trauma center is a good place to be if you're in really bad shape.

Del Sol is also putting together a first rate Cardiac unit in their ER. That's when I really panicked! I've never felt really confident with cardiac patients. I've always known WHAT to do for the patient, but never really WHY I did it. That goes all the way back to having a really sad anatomy and physiology class - one that was structured for athletes only, not medical people. We learned things like where the heart was located, that we had a brain, and there are 206 bones in the body. We didn't have to name them, just know how many there were! We also learned that the Good Lord must have been tired when he created the knee because it wasn't a particularly well-constructed joint!! I kid you not!

So that's where my new best friend comes in. We spend ALOT of time together, on the couch. I examine every part of my friend and try to soak up everything I see. It's a one-sided relationship as my new friend just sits there. Ummmm, I apologize...let me introduce you to my new best friend:


My friend is teaching me the anatomy and physiology of the heart with pictures like this:
I know, I know...they look like cartoon drawings, but au contraire! This is one of the most complex and confusing topics I've ever embarked upon! What ever happened to good old TRAUMA! Give me blood and guts and I'm happy! That's what ER's are all about! People with cardiac problems should go to....well, I guess the ER! So I need to smarten up! So give me a few weeks before you have a problem with your heart, or just hope I won't be on duty when you arrive!

My new best friend is beckoning. I must leave you now!

Memory Lane Mondays ~ Applets, Grapelets and Cotlets

Years ago I was at Patti's house during the Christmas holidays when she received a package. It turned out to be our Christmas gift from Daddy. We were too excited to wait to put it under the tree, so we just tore into it like wild animals! In the box were three packages of applets, grapelets and cotlets, one for Patti, one for me and one for our brother, Rico. If you don't know what applets, grapelets and cotlets are, they're a gelatinous candy made from the respective fruits (I think) with nuts added and then rolled in powdered sugar. They're pretty disgusting to be honest.


Then one of us noticed a couple of envelopes, one addressed to me and the other to Rico. I opened mine and in it was a Christmas card and $25.00. We looked for an envelope for Patti but couldn't find it. We searched and searched thru the packaging materials and the trash, but hers was no where to be found.

One of us got the bright idea that maybe Daddy might have included Patti's monetary gift in with Rico's. So yes....we opened Rico's card, only to find a nice note from Daddy to Rico, and $50.00!

It's important to know that at this point I had two kids, and Patti had three. I don't think Rico had any kids. This will make sense shortly.

We wondered if Daddy had made a mistake, and how were we going to figure this out?? Finally we decided I would call Daddy and tell him we had received his candy and money gifts and just casually mention Patti didn't get her card. So I made the call and after thanking him for the gifts, I told Daddy that while we were unpacking the box we noticed an envelope for me and Rico only, and if maybe he had forgotten to include Patti's.

Daddy said no, he hadn't forgotten but he didn't think Patti needed any money because she had "all those kids!!" This is one of those moments when I wish I had a picture of Patti's face to show you! Daddy's mind didn't work like most people.

So Merry Christmas Patti! Hope you really enjoyed those applets, grapelets and cotlets that year!!

Memory Lane Mondays ~ Daddy and his nicknames.

When we talk about Daddy, we probably don't always leave our readers with a very good opinion of him. He was an unusual character who wasn't warm and cuddly, but he provided well for us, and we had many good times with him. It wasn't all bad!

One of his little quirks was to give nicknames to people. Each of us had one and most of our good friends did too. We can't tell you why he chose these names, because there was rarely a reason for the name, except in one case. Here's the list:

Patti was and still is "Doodle Bug." Daddy would sing a little song he made up that was equally ridiculous as the name. It went something like:
Doodle Bug, Doodle Bug, Doodle Bug, Doodle Bug dee-doh
Doh dee oh doh, doh, doh dee oh doh, doh doh doh,
Doh doh dee oh doh, doh doh. (The last line went sort of like "shave and a haircut, two bits!)

Bobbi was and still is "Little Turkey." Daddy told me he chose this name because when I was mad, my rear-end stuck up in the air like a turkey! Of course I never saw that! He sang the following song for me, but I don't think it had anything to do with my nickname:
Gim' big kiss and Piggly Wiggly
Gim' big kiss and Piggly Wiggly
Gim' big kiss and Piggly Wiggly
I don't think the song had a closing line. It could have gone on forever!

Rico was named either "Nifty" or "Ace." I can't answer whatever questions you might have up to this point! I don't remember a song that went with Rico's name. Rico didn't like his nicknames.

David, Rico's best friend was "Moose," or "Moose, you ace." Moose, by the way, was tall and weighed about 110 pounds. Sometimes I wonder if "ace" was a nice way to say something else (like a particular body part), because most of the time, Moose was sort of an "ace."

Ercie, Patti's best friend and next-door neighbor was nicknamed "Reverse," which I guess was a play on the pronunciation of her name ("ursy"). After he came up with this name, he never called her by her real name again!

Ercie had a brother Arnulfo, who already had a nickname from his parents - "Nuco," but Daddy renamed him "Margarine" - pronounced mar-jer-REEN. Remember Nucoa Margarine?? One of Daddy's favorite pasttimes was to turn on the sprinklers whenever Arnulfo/Nuco/Marjereen parked his prized midnight blue '55 Chevy within range and after he had just spent hours washing and waxing it. Nuco probably had some choice names for Daddy, as well!

Daddy had his own nickname - "Hoot." I don't know the story behind that name, but all his friends called him Hoot. Daddy's given name was Percy and he hated it! Our attorney told me Daddy had his name legally changed to Perry in the 1970's. I think he told the IRS it was a typo! I don't think Perry is a whole lot better than Percy!

Our mother wasn't given a nickname, but he had some other choice names for her occasionally. In a strange way, she was spared.

Daddy didn't give the grandkids nicknames, but because Trevor was so curious and would run off with Daddy's tools when he was a little boy, everytime we went to visit Daddy, he would say he had to "Trevorize" the house before we got there!

Yes, Daddy was unusual.

Things I Love About My Big Sister

I feel obliged to respond to Patti's previous blog, but this is an easy one. There are so many great things I love about Patti, this list can't begin to cover everything, but I'll try:

1. Patti is so good at crafts and home decorating, like all the improvements she's made to her house (painting, wallpapering, etc.) They always look so professional to me.

2. Patti is a very kind person, to everyone she knows (unless she's really angry with you, then it's best to just tuck and run!) Usually tho, she goes out of her way to be kind to people.

3. She is so thoughtful of others. I remember the story she told me about accidentally ending up in a first class seat when she was coming home from her trip to Ireland and Scotland. After she was seated and comfortable and thrilled with getting that seat, a man with some kind of physical handicap walked onto the plane. I'm not sure what was wrong with him, but he was struggling. Patti immediately offered him her seat and she ended up sitting in coach for the trans-atlantic flight! That's a LONG flight, and I'm sure the man will be forever grateful to her.

4. She says I'm like a sheep, and she's partially correct. If I like someone and later find out she doesn't like them, then I don't like them anymore, even if they're perfectly fine and wonderful people! Right about now, you're probably asking yourself "How old ARE you two???"

5. I love how she treats my family. We always feel so welcome in her home. It's such a happy place to be.

6. When I came back to El Paso to start nursing school, I was just paralyzed about having to make certain important changes in our lives. So she just took over and said this is the way it's going to be and that's the way it was. She made so many important decisions for me, mostly those involving what to do with the boys while I was in school. I'll never forget that. She took such a heavy weight off my shoulders.

7. Patti babysat my boys during alot during my nursing school years. She took really good care of them but it bothered her alot that Troy wouldn't eat anything except PB&J! I never could have made it through nursing school without all the help I received from Patti and my mom.

8. She's right about the hysterical phone calls. Sometimes all I have to do is say "Hello" and we start laughing to the point we can't talk. I don't know what it is, but I love it. If I have a funny story to tell, it's so much funnier when I tell Patti. But no one else ever gets it.

9. Church is hard for us. Something will happen and all we have to do is glance at each other and it's all over! It's all in the eyes!

10. When we have holidays dinners at her house, they are always lovely and delicious, and on the rare occasion she uses paper plates, they're the prettiest paper plates I've ever seen each and every time. She brings out the paper plates for BBQ's and that's the time to use them.

11. Patti is so gracious and seems to really love it when she gets an unexpected gift. Well, except maybe for the chile dress I bought her. When I saw it, I didn't like it at all either, but in my opinion, it had teacher written all over it!! (figuratively) She was horrified!!

12. She's not afraid to let her anger out and I admire that. She's really good about getting things out in the open and not letting them fester.

13. I think SHE's the one who always looks nice. She's tall and slender and looks so good in everything. She also knows how to put together an outfit with jewelry and accessories so that it looks just great.

14. She exercises by walking almost everyday. I wish I had that kind of discipline. Once she sets her mind to something, it's done.

15. Patti is always improving herself by reading books. I read alot, but she reads 100 times more than I do! Ask her anything about the Holocaust or the Civil War and she'll know the answer. She's very smart and has a wide range of interests.

16. She's the funniest person I know, even when she's trying not to be. She can make me fall apart with just one word sometimes, and her funny stories are MUCH funnier when she tells them! Sometimes we laugh until we can't breathe!

17. I love her self-deprecating style. She acts so dopey sometimes but doesn't realize it and that always makes me smile. And you can tease her mercilessly! Mom was right. We tease her because we love her.

18. I wish I could get a picture of her face when she's shocked or doesn't quite believe what you're telling her. Her chin drops straight down, leaving her mouth wide open. It looks so much like Daddy!

19. I don't know anyone, except maybe myself, who loves UTEP football and basketball games like Patti does. We rarely miss a game, even when the team hasn't won in months! Sometimes I think the only reason we go is to hear the National Anthem and the UTEP fight song, but I really think it's mostly just to be together.

20. I've always been a little envious about how talented she in on the piano and organ. I remember how hard she practiced when we were kids and still does. Her talent has served her well.

21. Patti's a wonderful, loving mother and grandmother, and it shows in her kids. They're such good kids and it's obvious they love her as much as she loves them.

22. Most importantly, Patti is always there when I need her, no matter what!

Patti is a great role model for me to look up to. She's a really good person, a hard worker, and a perfectionist, but mostly she's my best friend. I'm the only person in the world who can say Doodle Bug is my sister! How great is that??

Things I Love About My Little Sister

Bobbi complained in a comment that I left her out of my first list of some of the things I love, but actually I was saving her for this post because I could never convey all I love about her in just one line. So here goes, Bob - a list all about YOU!

I love my sister because:

1. She brings me food when I'm sick, like on Wednesday she brought over homemade chicken and rice soup which was
delicious and really hit the spot.

2. She takes the time to wrap birthday gifts and Christmas presents, etc. in gorgeous paper and ribbons, while I sometimes
dont' wrap gifts at all!

3. She has taken such good care of Mother over the years at great sacrifice.

4. She's hilarious and makes me laugh all the time. My family always knows who I'm talking to on the phone because I get
so hysterical and they want to know what's so funny. When I try to tell them, they just look at me strangely and walk away.
They have no sense of humor.

5. She married "The Rock" who I love and respect and is one of the kindest, gentlest, and most generous men I have ever
known.

6. She made our trip to New York a blast, and along with Robyn teased me unmercifully about all the dumb things I
did. But I just think it's funny when she teases me because Mom always told me that when people tease you, it means
they really like you!

7. She gave birth to Trevor, Troy, and Benjamin, all three of whom I really love and also admire for all their
accomplishments. And I love Beth and Ayrel, too!

8. She chose me to go with her to see the Cowboys play at Texas Stadium when she could have chosen any one of her
myriad of friends instead.

9. She always brings me a prize when she goes on vacation somewhere.

10. She's the best shot giver in the world - you can hardly feel anything at all!

11. I have her to sit with in church and we have way too much fun for sitting in church and I HATE it when she's not there!

12. She's always given me a shoulder to cry on - since we outgrew our childhood, anyway!

13. She didn't kill me (although I'm sure she wanted to) when I permed her hair one time and got distracted with somebody
else during the perm. I left on the chemicals much too long and her hair was completely fried and a total disaster!
When I saw it after she had tried to style it, my first comment was "Is THAT your hair??!!" which didn't endear me to her
any further, but she still didn't try to kill me.

14. She helped me so much in finally accepting Kristin's leg problem when, after hearing me feel sorry for myself for
weeks and asking her for the umpteenth time "why me? she looked straight into my eyes and asked me, "Why NOT you?"
That question really turned my attitude around, let me tell you.

15. She put herself through nursing school as a single mom to two very young little boys, which must have been very
difficult.

16. She hosts so many wonderful holiday celebrations in a very classy way, whereas my usual idea of classy is to buy nice
paper plates.

17. She always is well put together with classy clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

18. She gave me a shopping spree at Brighton's although she didn't have to. She bought me a beautiful bright red handbag
that I get so many compliments on! I was so proud to have that purse with me when John and Bethany invited me out to
Cafe Central and I was asked if I would like to use a purse rack. I said sure, although I had no idea what a purse rack was.
It turns out that it's a small wooden rack to place a purse on (thus the name "purse rack") instead of just putting it down
on the floor. They don't have those at the restaurants I frequent (McDonald's). I would have been humiliated if I
had been carrying my not-so glamorous needlepoint purse that I probably bought at Target several years ago.

19. She made shopping for our brother's casket a MEMORABLE experience!

20. She's just Little Turkey, the best sister I could ever have!

Tuesday's Health Tip of the Day ~ Learn CPR!!!

You never know when you'll come across someone who is choking, or not breathing at all. Possibly their heart has even stopped beating. You'll probably be wishing you had taken that CPR class that was being offered! It's never too late. It's easy and almost fun, it costs about $40, and takes only 4 hours to take the class and get your license! Your license is good for two years. You'll learn lots of good information such as one and two person CPR, infant CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver. All you have to do is call Pro-Action at 915-533-3414, or visit their website at http://www.pro-action.org. Knowing CPR is a good thing!

Memory Lane Mondays - Dallas vs. the 49'ers

Back in October, 1993, Rocky was given a trip for two from one of the hospitals to Dallas to see the Cowboys play against the San Francisco 49'ers. He decided he'd stay home and gave the trip to Patti and I. We were THRILLED, as you can imagine. That was when the two teams were rivals and Troy Aikman and Steve Young quarterbacked against each other. We also got to see Emmit Smith and Jerry Rice. It was SO exciting.

We flew to Dallas, but not before promising Mother we wouldn't act like a couple of hayseeds! She's a diehard Cowboy's fan and didn't want to be embarassed by her daughters. I'm sure we broke our promise more than a few times.

The plane ride was fun because there were other Cowboy fans there, and of course the bus ride from the hotel to the stadium was nothing but Cowboy fans! We could hardly contain ourselves.

From the seat numbers on the tickets, it "appeared" we had pretty good seats, but in reality, they were on the very top row (and that's pretty high at Texas Stadium) and it was hot and humid and sticky. At first we thought it wouldn't be all that bad because our section was shaded with a huge awning, but all that did was become a death trap for the brutally hot Dallas air. There was absolutely NO circulation!!! It was all good tho. Nothing could have spoiled it for us.

You can't imagine the excitement and noise when the teams came onto the field. It was such a rush! To be able to see all those talented and famous football players was almost more than we could handle!

We sat right under the press box and we knew John Madden was announcing the game. We both LOVE John Madden and his silly little drawings. So we probably spent 3/4 of the game trying to look thru the darkened glass to get a look him! Mother would have been so embarassed and ashamed of us!

Seeing the Ring of Honor almost brought tears to my eyes. Bob Lilly (he's my hero), Roger Staubach, Don Meredith, Too Tall Jones - all those great Dallas Cowboys were all honored there. The following week, Tom Landry's name went up. I wish we could have been there for that.

After the game we drove around Dallas and did some shopping. Patti and I both like to buy Christmas ornaments from places we visit, and we both bought these wooden stars, painted like the Texas flag, and were decorated with a rustic wire hanger and raffia. After 15 years, this is still my favorite Christmas ornament! It brings back so many great memories of the fun Patti and I had!!

A few things Bobbi loves . . .

We were going to try to keep this funny and ridiculous, but now that it seems we're running out of things to say, I'll tell you a few things I love! Patti has a huge advantage because she has "all those grandkids!" I DON'T HAVE ANY GRANDKIDS, only grand dogs. Isn't that the most pathetic thing you've ever heard?

1. I love my best friend, Rocky.

2. I love my other best friend, Patti.

3. I love my doggies, Xander and Bo.

4. I love my three boys, Trevor, Troy and Ben.

5. I also love my daughters-in-law, Beth and Ayrel.

6. Alone time is a wonderful thing, but not too much of it.

7. Naps! Hmmmmm, nothing better

8. I love Victoria, British Columbia.

9. Listening to an audiobook is OK, but I'd much rather read a great book. I love the smell and feel of a good book to curl up with on the couch.

10. I love my mom. She is so awesome.

11. All of Patti's grandkids are so fantastic, and I love them all too.

12. Ranier cherries - I can eat them until I'm nauseated! Ask Patti.

13. Accomplishing a craft and actually displaying it. This rarely happens. That's why it's such a treat!

14. Swimming is the best even tho I don't do it as often as I should. It's all about the bathing suit!

15. I love it when I accomplish everything I have on my mental (or paper) list for the day.

16. Making it through all 3 hours of church is hard sometimes, but always worth it.

17. Receiving an unexpected surprise just because someone was thinking about me

18. Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday

19. Driving around town looking at Christmas lights. Also going to Ruidoso during the Christmas season

20. UTEP football and basketball games

21. Jimmy Buffett concerts

22. Sitting on the couch with my feet up, listening to Luciano Pavarotti

23. I love the Fall season.

24. Snow and cold weather

25. The smells of Christmas

26. I love being a nurse, even though I'm not doing the kind of nursing I really love.

Patti: Things I Love

This will be boring, but I just wanted to write about some things I love, so here goes in no particular order:

1. The cool, quiet summer mornings in the west Texas desert. It's so nice to walk
in my neighborhood before it gets too hot.

2. The fact that my darling grandson, Landon, loves to make really good brownies
and I don't have to when he's around, unless I just want to.

3. Brownies.

4. The velvety skin of my new little twin grandsons - Hyrum and Joseph.

5. The smell of babies after a bath with Baby Magic, although I'm not allowed to use it in the twins' bath - "too many harsh and toxic chemicals" Jen says.

6. The relief I feel after giving a talk in church.

7. A long nap.

8. The smell of men's cologne, preferably on the men.

9. The smell of freshly washed laundry.

10. Most of the songs we sing in choir at church.

11. Trees

12. When my husband, Eddie, makes a special trip to Sonic to buy me a blended float.

13. Getting all our kids together, which is getting harder and harder.

14. Not being too shy anymore.

15. Rain

16. Our kids and all the joy they bring: Jennifer Lynn, Robyn Patricia, Kristin Leigh, Erik Edward, and Kimberly Dawn

17. My grandkids and all the joy they bring: - Bethany Renee, Conor Ellis,
Kyla Aurora, Reid Ammon, Landon James, Claire Hannah, John Mahonri, Joseph
Eduardo, Hyrum Jerome, Camilla Hope, Joseph Hyrum, Rheddick Grant, and Keane
Michaelangelo

18. Going to the movies.

19. A wonderful and long book.

20. Every room in the house clean and neat. (A rare occurrence!)

21. Rum Raisin ice cream

22. Rum Raisin ice cream with Coke poured over it like a float!

Tuesday Health Tip of the Day - Tourniquets

We all get cuts and scrapes, but sometimes they're alot worse than usual. Some people think using a tourniquet is the smart thing to do, but it can be really dangerous if you haven't been trained on how to use one. They can cause severe nerve, muscle and tissue damage if left on too long. The rule of thumb is NOT to apply a tourniquet if you don't know how long it's gonna have to be there.

Almost all bleeding will stop by simply applying pressure to the wound for several minutes. So, stay calm and try to do this with the cleanest material you can find because you don't want to introduce more bacterial into the wound. You might need to keep changing the "bandage" if it gets soaked with blood.

If the lacerations are visibly large and deep, you probably should see your doctor or maybe just go to the ER, because alot of doctor's offices aren't set up to take care of complicated lacerations.

Even a small cut can become a problem because if it's deep, which you can't always see, it could still involve muscles, nerves and/or tendons and may need stitches.

Minor cuts can usually be taken care of at home. If the edges are clean and come together nicely, you can use a butterfly to bring the edges together again. Butterfly bandaids and maybe some tincture of Benzoin should always be part of a first aid kit. There are lots of new and different first aid products available now, but butterflies and bandaids and a kiss are usually the best!

Oh, and don't forget about the Tetanus shot. If it's been more than 10 years or if it's a particular dirty cut, you're probably gonna need one! Sorry.

Memory Lane Mondays - The Sunshine Club

When we were little kids, Patti, Rico and I had a club. We called it the Sunshine Club, and we met in the basement of our home. I can't remember what went on in the meetings, but I also can't imagine it was of any world-altering importance. I DO remember Rico was usually in charge, and there was a membership fee of five cents each week. The money went into a cigar box. I was pretty young and every now and then I would take the money and buy all the club members (Patti and Rico) popsicles. They would get so mad at me and call me a stealer and a thief. I never thought of it as stealing . . . I really thought I was doing a good thing! After more than 50 years, Patti continued to bring this up at family events, but to her credit, I don't think it's been mentioned for a while now. Thanks, Doodle Bug.

Poll results

The poll of which picture of Patti or Bobbi was the goofiest is now over, and has been removed from the site. But the winning results were reported as: Patti and I being equally goofy looking in our 4th grade pictures, but I (Bobbi) was definitely the cutest! I think it was a good poll. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Patti's quirky and/or boring list

I, Patti, having been tagged by Jennifer, and so as not to be outdone by Bobbi, I hereby publish MY boring/quirky, list:

I love peanuts, especially the roasted kind! I love peanut butter even more, but I hate anything with peanuts or peanut butter as an ingredient, such as in peanut butter cookies.



I am an open book, which isn't too smart sometimes, and I should be more like Bobbi, who keeps everything "close to the chest," as she says.



Speaking of books, my very favorite subject is anything having to do with the Holocaust. I probably have 50 books on that topic and have read every one of them, and some of them twice. My secret dream is to do something brave enough to be included on the list of the Righteous Among the Nations, but it's probably too late for that.


My favorite thing to do is go the movies. However, since so many movies are rated R, I seldom get to do my favorite thing, like the lucky people below.



My favorite smells are the aroma of the barbequeing at the UTEP tailgate parties before the football games mixed with the smell of the cologne of all the guys who are doing the barbequeing at the tailgate parties. Mmmmm!



I hope somebody plays "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes at my funeral which I also hope takes place a very long time from now.


I think there is no one funnier on the planet than my sister. She's funnier than she looks in this picture:

Being tagged is NOT a good thing!

OK, Jennifer tagged me and now I have to write 6 quirky and ridiculous things about myself. That will be difficult because I'm such a dynamic person, but I'll give it a try. I won't be able to tag anyone else because Jen has already done that! I'm sure you're all relieved!

1. I love to put ice in my milk, both plain and chocolate milk.


2. I never put bottles or food containers on the table while we're eating. I always serve them in glasses or dishes. The table looks so much nicer! I learned this from Aunt Nellie over 40 years ago, and it's stuck with me all this time.


3. When I order oatmeal in a restaurant, and I ask them for extra cinnamon, they can never bring me enough......ever! It probably looks as if I've ordered a bowl of cinnamon with a little oatmeal! (the following picture doesn't come close to looking like my oatmeal!)


4. I don't share my thoughts very often. I don't know why I keep things so close to the vest. Patti doesn't understand it either, but she's an open book. Sometimes I wish I were more like her.



5. I'm always on a diet of some kind. Is it working? YOU decide!!



6. When I get a new car I like to see how far I can drive after the gas gauge reads empty and the warning light has come on. I don't know why I do this, but now I know I can go 39 miles on an empty tank in my Thunderbird. I think that's good information!!


Now there - you probably know 6 more things about me that don't matter one bit!

Tuesday's health tip of the day

NOSE BLEEDS! Aren't they just the worst? But unless there's an underlying problem like a clotting disorder and you're taking blood thinning medication, or you've just been popped in the face and have a broken nose, they're pretty easy to manage.

First, clean the blood off your face and hands. You don't want that in your eyes or mouth! Eeewwwwww! Using a small ice pack, all you need to do is apply pressure to the affected nostril. You might also want to tilt your head back or lay down without a pillow for a few minutes. That's really about it. It will stop bleeding shortly and you can usually go about your day. If it starts bleeding again just do the same thing, and if you're not near any ice, use a kleenex and apply pressure until it stops. Simple, huh?

Alot of people put a cool cloth on their foreheads. While there's nothing wrong with doing that, it doesn't do anything for the nose bleed. I guess it just makes them feel better.

In Winter when the weather is dry, it's always a good idea to use an over-the-counter saline spray occasionally to keep the tissue in the nose moist and decrease the chance of bleeding spontaneously.

CAUTION: If you have frequent nose bleeds for no apparent reason, you might want to be evaluated by your friendly family physician.

Good luck!