Kat'z Meow

Ouch!

2011-12-03T09:00:00.001-08:00

For the last year I’ve been blogging about economic struggles that I believe will only get worse for some time to come. I to continue to encourage frugality, learning how to be self-sufficient by getting back into baking, canning, gardening. It is important to keep our vision clear about the truth of where our economy is headed and not keep our heads in the sand – in denial – about the fragility of our situation here in the U.S.

For the last few years the alarm bells were being rung only by a few, usually considered conspiracy theorists. Today we hear the chime getting louder with mainstream media joining in. I used to blog about this several times a month, but it has gotten so prevalent that I can’t even keep track of all the gloomy economic news. Not a day goes by where I don’t see or hear about the fall of the Euro or the decline of the dollar.

I’m not afraid or worried though. Our family has worked hard over the last two years to get out of debt. We have been gardening, canning, and learning how to bake. Those are skills that most of us have lost (or never had) since the by-gone days of our grandmothers. I can proudly say I can make a great loaf of bread from scratch; in an oven, not a bread maker. I can make great soup out of dried beans. I have a wonderful recipe for butternut squash soup that my daughter and I concocted. It is truly a comfort food recipe. I even cut my husband’s hair now.

However, it seems we can’t get away from dismal news. Yeah, the unemployment figures fell below 9% for a change (though I believe that it simply means people “fell” off the unemployment rolls because their benefits expired). I was tweeted a link to an article in the Business Insider by Joe Weisenthal, 12/3/2011, just this morning about a continued decline in the housing market. This one really hits home because we have a rental business with many houses in our portfolio. Michelle Meyer, the well-known housing analyst for Bank of America’s mortgage lenders, says it's "far from over" and that prices still have another 7% to decline. This is due to the huge inventory of homes in foreclosure with more to come.

Ouch!

So, I’ll tighten the belt more so we can be positioned for success for years to come, regardless of the markets and overall economic outlook. I’ll make a bigger garden next spring and figure out how to make a better whole wheat loaf of bread. I’ll work on buying only things I need and of good value that truly contribute to our home; cutting out the frivolous spending.

I needed to lose weight anyway.

Are You Kidding Me!

2011-10-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

The big recession ended in 2009, right? Ask anyone on the street and see if they agree. I read a CNS News article this last week where the Democratic National Committee Chair (DNC) said that “…anyone can see the economy is improving.”

Are you kidding me?

Robert Kiyosaki, the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and other titles, is even warning of a possible economic collapse. I heard an interview with him the other day where he said the situation is dire and estimates about a 20% chance of collapse. Sure we’ve handled dire economic struggles in the past and survived, but the issue is that we are so much more “global” now with technology, that even if we were doing ok, the economic downfall of other nations affects us now. Add in that we are NOT OK, well we all are feeling it. High unemployment, rising taxes, higher food prices, home foreclosures, and more.

1. The 2010 census shows the housing bust is the worst since the Great Depression, with home ownership falling to 65.1% last year. (AP article on 10/6/2011 by Hope Yen)

2. The Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, says that the “World is facing the worst financial crisis since at least the 1930’s ‘if not ever.'” (The Telegraph article on 10/6/2011 by James Krikup)

3. Moody’s cut the rating on 12 UK financial institutions this last week. (CNBC article on 10/7/2011 by Antonia van de Velde)

4. Credit rater Fitch downgrades Italy and Spain – again. (Reuters article, 10/8/2011)

5. Per person debt is now $44,980 up higher in the last 2 1/2 years than that from all presidents combined. (CNSNews.com article 10/5/2011 by Terence Jeffrey)

6. Bank managers surveyed don’t believe home prices will recover before the year 2020. (CNBC article 10/1/2011 by Karina Frayter.)

7. The Biggest quarterly drop in the stock market since the 2008 financial crisis.

Anyone still think we’re in recovery??

New York, Tomato Soup, and Berries

2011-10-02T09:32:00.001-07:00

What do New York City, Tomatoes and berries have in common? I can think of a few things off the top of my head like: each have a “seedier” part, and some people like them, some don’t. But what I really had in mind was that they are all things my husband and I enjoyed this last week.

New York City

Why is New York City called “The Big Apple” anyway. I didn’t see a single apple tree growing – anywhere. I had to find out so I turned to my favorite source of information: Wikipedia. It turns out that a writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, John J. Fitz Gerald, coined it in the 20’s and continued to use it repeatedly in articles. Other writers joined in over time and, there you have it. (See the Wikipedia article on it here).

I managed to find a great airfare sale and got tickets for New York for $450 round trip for both of us. We had visited back in 1999 and James had always wanted to go back. So, when the sale popped up, I snagged it. I really needed a break from a busy work schedule, so the short trip was just what I needed. We spent the first day with a car and headed south into New Jersey to visit the beaches.

We picked Sandy Hook to visit and weren’t disappointed. What an amazing place. It has the oldest working lighthouse in the United States. It also used to be a huge fort that protected the waters going into New York. The spit of land is very strategic as it juts into the lower New York Bay. All boats pass it as they head into the large city. There were quite a few bunkers, guns, and buildings all still intact. There is still a row of large officer homes, most in disrepair, that face the west and have lovely views of the water and beach. Some of the homes and buildings are now museums. We climbed up to the top of the lighthouse and even with a muggy, grey day, we had great views of Staten Island and Brooklyn which was directly north. You could faintly see Manhattan beyond that. Sandy Hook is part of a large park system called Gateway National Recreation area that is one of the largest on the East Coast. It covers three separate large areas of Brooklyn, Staten Island and Sandy Hook which contain a total of eleven parks. The vast bay separates all three areas.

The following day we took a shuttle into New York and found our hotel. We spent the next few days riding the “Hop on Hop Off” bus and catching the history and memorable areas of the city. We visited Times Square the most. We found out that advertisers are required to keep those signs lit up 24x7. There are serious consequences if they don’t stay lit, fines and repeat offenses can result in the ads being booted off the famous square.

Tomato Soup

My garden has been producing a LOT of tomatoes. Even with giving many away, I have way too many to eat, so I made home made tomato soup. Now that is a comfort food. Sautee some onions, garlic, add in a lot of chopped tomatoes, broth, basil (also from my garden), simmer, add in some cream and then blend up in the blender. As Rachael Ray says “Yummo!”

I still have more tomatoes, so I think I’ll make some spaghetti sauce next.

Berries

I live near a walking path that is rarely used and is LOADED with blackberries (with no sprays or intervention by man). We picked some about two weeks ago and made a home made cobbler. It was hot out of the oven and oh so tasty! I’ve decided that I need a lot more so I can make some jam. That sounds like a great way to store up fresh, organic preserves that will last the winter. I’ll probably do that today.

So I’m prepping for winter by getting myself rested on a nice vacation, putting up my tomatoes, picking berries, and oh yes, I almost forgot – I bought two big sweaters in New York.

Fall – bring it on.

I Told You So

2011-08-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

The news is so bad these last few weeks, I struggle with where to start. Some have poo-pooed my warnings and urgings to prepare and store for what I believed was sure-to-come financial upheaval. Since I started blogging about this in November of 2010, gold is now up from $1375 to now hitting $1700 an ounce. Silver was just under $28 an ounce and is now bumping $40.

Food supplies are in danger due to drought and natural disasters, not only in the U.S., but in other parts of the world where we get some of our foods. I was in Walmart the other day and was shocked to see multiple signs around the produce department stating that the supply was impacted due to drought conditions and prices certainly reflected that. The prices were over double what I normally see for Walmart produce.

Our country’s credit rating was dropped by Standard and Poor’s and more credit rating agencies are threatening to drop their ratings as well. The chairman of the Chinese rating agency, that has also downgraded the U.S., says that the world is discarding the U.S. dollar. Standard and Poor’s says it may even downgrade the dollar further! The stock market is melting on the awful downgrade news. All the while, former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan says there isn’t a problem because we can always print more money. Guess where that will take us? Straight to inflation, or possibly even hyperinflation. That sounds like a good move – NOT.

So if you’ve been paying attention to the news and politics at all in the last few months, you should have shaken yourself out of any apathy that might have been resident in you and started to think about your future. Take this as a huge wake-up knock on the head to get out of debt before interest rates rise. Buy extra food and save up money and even some silver or gold to help you weather the probable downturn our country’s financial “machine”. The machine isn’t working so well and it looks like it is going to break. I personally don’t believe the “machine” is repairable with our existing Congress and their inability to cut our deficit and spending by any significant amount.

Wake up. Smell the coffee. Things are not same-old-same-old anymore. The landscape is changing right in front of our eyes.

Image: scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s All Greek to Me

2011-06-24T10:59:00.002-07:00

Greece’s economy has been floundering for quite some time and as the government scrambles to stay afloat, the citizens are protesting those moves in sometimes violent uprisings. What’s scary is the impact this all has outside of Greece. In a Reuters article (6/24/2011), “European banks and insurers are scrambling” and “stocks continued to decline and credit default swaps for Greece, Italy and Portugal widened on the renewed concerns about a potential default. The Euro also declined against the US dollar for the third straight day.”

James Neuger (6/22/2011) of Bloomberg writes that, “…European leaders’ failure to tame a crisis that is entering its 21st month and has world leaders growing anxious over the prospect of a new financial tsunami as they shake off the effects of the last one.” He quotes Andrew Balls, the head of Pacific Investment Management Company European portfolio management, “The 256 billion euros in aid committed to Greece, Ireland and Portugal have done little more than buy time against a looming default.” He goes on to say, “If you quarantine Greece, Ireland, and Portugal, take these countries out of the market, have them do their adjustments, then you can buy time for Spain, buy time for banks to recapitalize.”

Greece’s Papandreou and his new government is trying hard to restructure the spending and bring in austerity measures. The people don’t like it. Protesters line the streets and police are called out to break up the mobs with tear gas. Neuger writes about “Reform Fatigue” that is now in the streets; support of these floundering economies is fading as well. Some see a split coming for the euro. The split is between the wealthier northern countries and the poorer ones of the south. It is now being reported that Italy is facing serious financial difficulties after supposedly healing up from economic wounds in 2009 and 2010. Moody’s is threatening to downgrade Italy’s credit rating. A USA Today article (6/24/2011) says that this “Italy’s financial system has come under further scrutiny on fears of contagion from the Greek crisis.” The article states that, “The move comes after Moody’s put Italy’s public debt on review for possible downgrade over concerns about low growth and high public debt, which is around 120% of GDP is one of the biggest in Europe.”

It seems that, in today’s global economy, the impacts of one country stumbling are significant. The investments of banks all over the world which hold the debt of these governments become unstable. Countries that are stronger and hold investments in many of these powerful banks have to throw their good money after bad. Everyone suffers. An article from TheTrumpet.com (6/22/2011) noted Jean-Claude Juncker, head of Eurogroup – the eurozone’s finance minister, said, “…that the Greece crisis could affect Italy and Belgium, saying that “We’re playing with fire.”” The article went on to state that “The crisis could now be spreading beyond Europe’s most vulnerable nations. If it continues, even France’s credit worthiness could be in danger.”

So what does this upheaval in European economies mean to us? The U.S. is not far behind. We’ve been warned about our credit rating. We have no money left. We spend more than we bring in. Our debt is unsustainable. When (and I do hope it happens) they do initiate the necessary spending cuts needed to get our budget under control, I suspect we’ll see protesters, not unlike what is happening in Europe, hit the streets. People like the idea of fixing our budget woes but hate it when those cuts hit them. The alarming thing is that many cities have had to cut police and fire in order to meet their budgets. That means the cities may have trouble keeping up with the potential issues that could arise.
What do you do? Here are just a few things to think about:

Pay off your own personal debt so you don’t get caught up in any interest rate hikes that are likely to come. Live within your means.
Become independent: don’t rely on government hand outs in any way shape or form – they likely will go away
Be prepared for higher taxes, even on your 401k’s (yes, our government has even talked of that)
Be prepared for angry citizens who don’t like the cuts that will be required

I know I haven’t even come close to covering everything you should do to steel yourself for the economic upheaval I believe is coming our way. These are just a few things to think about.
Feel free to comment on other good ideas.

And They Said the Recession Was Over…

2011-06-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

I remember hearing reports in 2010 that the recession was officially over in 2009. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), an independent group of economists, reported that the recession started in December of 2007 and ended in June of 2009. Well, I didn’t buy it. Things still looked pretty bad to me. My gas cost more, my food cost more, many friends and acquaintances were losing jobs and homes. And it hasn’t seemed to get any better. In fact, since 2009, my food bill has gone up for staples like milk, eggs, sugar, and fresh produce.

A May 25th article in Bloomberg by Alan Bjerga and Leslie Patton explain that U.S food-price inflation may top the government’s forecast because higher prices for meat, dairy and energy hit large corporations like Nestle, the largest food company in the world, McDonald'’s and Whole Foods (the world’s largest natural foods grocer).

Another Bloomberg article on June 8, 2011 by Sungwoo Park said “Gold May Gain as Rallies in Corn, Oil Fan Concern Inflation May Accelerate.”

The Daily Caller posted an article by Neil Munro (June 8, 2011) with the headline, “Federal Data Shows Troubling Unemployment, Underemployment Trends.” That article states that, “Less than half of African-American men now have full-time jobs, and less than half of all white men will have full-time jobs in 2018…”

A recent CNN poll was written about in the left-wing site Huffington Post (June 6, 2011) by James Sunshine, stating that nearly half of all Americans believe we are nearing a great depression.

Time Magazine’s June 8th cover story: “What Recovery? The Five Myths About the U.S. Economy.”

Myth 1: This is a temporary blip, and then it’s full steam ahead
Myth 2: WE can buy our way out of all this (Kat’s note: QE/stimulus packages don’t work)
Myth 3: The private sector will make it all better
Myth 4: We’ll pack up and move for new jobs
Myth 5: Entrepreneurs are the foundation of the economy (Kat’s note: our current Administration’s policies have made entrepreneurship a complicated and difficult. This suppresses that inherent entrepreneurial spirit that has long been the back-bone of the U.S. economy.)

So are you better off now than you were 2 years ago in 2009 when the recession ended?

Missing in Action

2011-05-27T10:38:00.001-07:00

To my five faithful followers, I want to extend an apology for not blogging for weeks. I’ve succumbed to job stress, illness, and then took a vacation; all of which contributed to the lack of time and/or energy to post anything.

That said, I have not stopped scouring articles and commentaries for important information about the state of our great country. The news has not gotten better. However, I am pleased that the price of gas has gone down a few cents. I’m not optimistic about the long-term likelihood of that continuing though in that we are just now heading into summer when prices typically shoot up as requirements for special mixes for gasoline come into play. I’ve had to adjust my budget for our road trip coming up in October (we’re driving down to the famous national parks in Utah).

Our family has been working hard to set ourselves up for success in this economy with the weakening dollar. We’re stocking up our pantry so it won’t bite the budget quite so hard as these prices start shooting up. We’ve all heard and seen the news; I’ve even blogged many of the articles about skyrocketing prices on sugar, coffee, corn, grains, and more. I’ve already noticed a huge increase in my typical grocery bill for staples like eggs, milk, cheese, and produce. I imagine fresh foods will go up dramatically just because of crop failures due to these massive storm systems that have wiped out the mid-west. I know many crops in Mexico and the southern states got hit with uncharacteristic freezes and cold weather which means fruit is impacted as well.

So, when there’s a sale on anything, stock-up. Instead of buying one or two cans, buy four or five. Consider starting a small garden this summer and plant vegetables like lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and beans. I’m looking forward to having my own organic garden this year, even with my tiny yard.

I also suggest checking out the Grocery Outlet and Summit Grocery (see their website here http://10lbsormore.com/) where you can get great deals on canned goods, but be sure to check the expiration dates. I always look for dates that are over a year out; two or more years is even better. Remember that highly acidic foods do expire much faster, so don’t expect to find a lot of expirations out more than a year.

One thing you have to do and is very important - rotate your foods so you don’t end up with expired foods. A cupboard full of expired foods is just a waste of money. However, there are some foods that I don’t worry about expiration quite so much; things like boxed macaroni and cheese, popcorn, or pasta noodles. If they’re a couple of weeks or even a few months past, I don’t worry about it. We’ve eaten them anyway and are still alive and well. Our family has adopted a “hot shelf” where we place items that are either recently expired or soon to expire. That is our go-to shelf first when planning meals.

One other thing you may want to consider is getting a freezer. You can find them cheaply on Craigslist if you want to go the used route. I was able to get a great deal on fresh chicken breasts, ground turkey and more and because we had the freezer I could stock up. We’ve also invested in a vacuum packaging machine which adds extra life to our frozen foods. Instead of chicken lasting only a couple of months in the freezer in their original packaging material, the vacuum packaging machine means I can safely keep my foods for up to a year.

Stocking up means some peace of mind for my budget. It also means that I am not making very many trips to the store just to prepare a meal. We now have plenty of food to choose from on any given day.

Stock up and save!

Image: xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The End of America?

2011-04-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal’ Market Watch site posted an article by Brent Arends (April 25, 2011) that stated the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has set a date for when China will overtake the U.S. as the most powerful economy in the world. They give us 5 years.

The article says, “According to the IMF forecast, whoever is elected U.S. president next year — Obama? Mitt Romney? Donald Trump? — will be the last to preside over the world’s largest economy. “

Their analysis looks at the “purchasing power parities” which compares what we, the people, actually earn and what is spent in our respective economies.

Ten years ago our economy was three times larger than China’s. No more. The Journal quotes an unnamed European strategist as saying, “We are witnessing the end of America’s economic hegemony” [dominance].

The article is a real eye opener and I hope you read it: “IMF bombshell: Age of America nears end.”

Another brain shattering commentary, which is worth the hour long investment, is the “End of America” which was created by Porter Stansberry who has correctly predicted the collapse of other companies and banks. Read the Market Watch’s summary of this video and a link to the video here. Get your beverage and your popcorn ready, it is a long video and it is pretty much just a listening event since there are no pictures; it’s like a very long PowerPoint slideshow, but compelling all the same.

Big question: what do we do? Will our lives be affected? What will this change for us?

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Thieves Make off with….Produce?

2011-04-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

A new kind of thievery is making headlines this last week – large scale produce heists. Bad weather has contributed sharply to rising costs in produce all around the globe and the unsavory element have added produce to their list of things to steal. With tomatoes anywhere from $2.50 to $4.00 a pound now, apparently the highly prized veggie (or is it a fruit?) caught the eyes of thieves in Florida.

A highly sophisticated group watched produce distribution and showed up with refrigerated tractors at the pick-up point. They also made off with over $48,000 worth of meat. In all the heist was worth over $300,000!

Read the full New York Times article by William Neuman (April 14, 2011).

Going Back to the Gold Standard?

2011-04-15T07:46:00.001-07:00

Utah is the first state to now accept something other than the U.S. Dollar as legal tender according to ABCNews.com writer Huma Khan (April 14, 2011). Huma states that “More than a dozen other states are considering similar measures, and are expected to follow Utah's example. The move, proponents say, is caused by declining faith in the U.S. monetary system and concern about rising inflation.”

Back in January I posted a blog article (see here) about other states that were studying the options of using gold and silver instead of the U.S. Dollar. It looks like the dollar has certainly lost its luster. However, Utah isn’t saying that people would literally purchase items with gold or silver, rather that the Federal Reserve would have to make the dollar redeemable in gold.

The ABC news article quotes Lawrence H. White, a professor from George Mason University: “State lawmakers are "concerned about the future of the dollar, worried that [worse] inflation is coming," White said. "People need to have an alternative if the dollar melts down."

The article goes on to share that in February, J.P. Morgan Chase said it would allow people to use gold as collateral for their home mortgages.

I would suggest that if inflation continues as it has been (look at your gas and food bills of late), it will be cheaper to pay off your mortgages in the devalued dollar rather than purchase gold to pay off your house. That’s not to say you might not want to invest in some, possibly picking up some excellent returns on that investment along the way; or use it as a hedge, or insurance to protect your hard earned wages in something other than the falling dollar.

Oh where, oh where has my nest egg gone? Oh where, oh where can it be?

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Deposits on Luxury Bomb Shelter Soars

2011-04-01T09:34:00.001-07:00

The Japan earthquake has rattled enough people that deposits on a Nebraska luxury bomb shelter has skyrocketed. A www.MailOnline.co.uk reporter wrote an article about these high-end shelters Going underground? Sales of spaces in U.S. doomsday bunker soar 1000% after Japan quake reawakens nuclear fallout fears. The article has an April 1 date, so I felt I had to do a little bit more checking to make sure this wasn’t some elaborate joke which I was anticipating. Much to my surprise, these bunkers do exist – in Nebraska. What a fun bunch of reading I’ve had this morning! Here’s what I found out.

Robert Vicino heads a company which is selling space in these bunkers to provide safety for the end of the world 2012 scenario. Vivos’s website “The Underground Shelter Network for Long-Term Survival of Future Catastrophes” allows interested parties to sign up to be a member (free). Only co-owners can use the shelters when the pending catastrophe arrives. They even have a countdown clock on one of their pages that shows, as of my writing this on April 1, only 629 Days, 15 Hours, 38 Minutes left for civilization as we know it. They have several videos and eerie music that starts up on several of their pages.

How do you get to be a co-owner? Their website states, “Vivos then selects the best candidates for co-ownership of each shelter from the current pool of active members. We first look for those individuals who may best contribute to each Vivos shelter community, providing the greatest chance of long-term survival of the entire group. Each co-ownership candidate is reviewed based on a number of criteria.

As final candidates are selected, they are extended an invitation to purchase an interest in a specific Vivos shelter closest to their home area. Those selected candidates are then provided a reservation agreement to reserve their space in a specific Vivos shelter.”

Photos of the shelter show a very modern-looking facility, complete with medical facilities, common rooms and even a jail. The shelter is designed to withstand a 50 megaton blast and hold enough provisions to last 950 people for 1 year. The layout allows for approximately 100 square feet per person. Let’s hope you like the other 949 people you are holed up with! It is unclear to me if these shelters are actually completed or if they’re still selling space to raise the money to build these. By their own countdown clock, if they’re not done, they are clearly running out of time.

Take a peek at some of the pictures from the article here. Enjoy (I’d put them on the blog but then I’d be violating copyright laws.)

Stock Up!

2011-04-01T08:38:00.001-07:00

By now, most of you should have been hearing about price increases that I’ve warned about for nearly six months on this blog. Every day the news on inflation and price increases gets louder and more dire. Please don’t sit back and do nothing. Stock up your pantry when there are sales and use coupons to keep costs down.

Even the CEO of Walmart came out and warned of "inflation this week. Jane O’Donnel from USAToday (March 31, 2011) wrote: “U.S. consumers face "serious" inflation in the months ahead for clothing, food and other products, the head of Wal-Mart's U.S. operations warned Wednesday.” “…inflation is "going to be serious," Wal-Mart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during a meeting with USA TODAY's editorial board. "We're seeing cost increases starting to come through at a pretty rapid rate."

Bloomberg’s (March 31, 2011) Nicholas Larkin wrote an article Food Commodities Rise Seen Swamping Consumers with Inflation. In it he says, “Coffee, sugar and cocoa prices will rise five- to 10-fold by 2014 because of shortages that will mean consumers getting “swamped” by food-price inflation…” He quotes Aaron Smith of Superfund Financial who said ““There’s a tremendous shortage of food, there’s a tremendous shortage of arable land,” Smith said in interview in London. “Any kind of food products are going to increase.”

Note that the article states five to ten fold. That’s not 5 % – 10%, that’s 500% to 1,000%! So if coffee or sugar costs $10, and it raises five fold, it is now $50.

Hershey has announced a 10% raise in their candy prices, according to CNBC’s Patti Domm (March 31, 2011). In her article Inflation Getting Stringer than a “Whiff” she states, “The threat of inflation is even more worrisome now that oil has crossed above $105 per barrel and looks set to stay high due to unrest in the Middle East. Some commodities have also seen shortages for other reasons and that has combined to drive prices. For instance, cocoa, trading lower Thursday, has been driven higher by civil war in Ivory Coast.”

Not only are prices rising due to our weak dollar (our dollar buys less), but global food shortages due to a variety of factors (drought, natural disasters, etc) add a sizable amount of pressure on prices. We are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to inflation.

So fill up your pantry and don’t forget to donate to your local food banks. There are a lot of people that are going to be needing the help more than ever.

Image: winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Japan Earthquake to shake the U.S. Economy

2011-03-21T19:02:00.001-07:00

The devastation to Japan is unimaginable. Most of us have been riveted to our news sources, seeing horrendous photos of damage and destruction. But one angle some economists are beginning to ascertain are the ramifications of that disaster to us here in the U.S.

I’m not talking about radioactive fallout from the nuclear plants, I’m talking about the economic shake-up it is sure to deliver to our already weak and struggling economy.

John Talton of the Seattle Times (March 21, 2011) wrote an article titled A devastated Japan overwhelms conventional economic expectations where he states, “Exports will slow. Japan will not be the big buyer of U.S. Treasurys it has been in the past, and may indeed be forced to sell some of its holdings to pay for reconstruction.” He goes on to say that “This could have a destabilizing effect on the continuing trade and debt imbalances between America and Asia, and complicate the Federal Reserve's delicate effort to stimulate the economy without seeding dangerous inflation.”

USA Today (March 15, 2011) article Devastation in Japan could affect economies worldwide by By Gary Strauss, Mike Snider, Paul Davidson and Matt Krantz, states that “Already, the turmoil in Japan is affecting U.S. companies, investors and consumers, threatening disruptions in the flow of products and parts used to manufacture everything from Apple iPads to Sony televisions.” The article states that the Toyota plant in Kentucky has begun cutting overtime shifts over concern of supplies from Japan.

We truly are linked to nearly every nation on earth, some more than others. When disaster strikes, in whatever form it takes (terrorism, political/civil unrest, natural disasters, etc) it affects us. We can no longer sit back and watch, but there will certainly be some damage to ourselves.

The world is smaller now than it used to be.

The Big One–Are You Ready?

2011-03-12T08:13:00.001-08:00

The earthquake in Japan is a disaster of epic proportions. One cannot even grasp the magnitude of wreckage that this 8.9 monster is leaving behind. Not only did the earthquake shake and destroy, it brought a friend: Tsunami which did its best to annihilate everything the earthquake did not, in many northern coastal areas.

Of course the news is full of the details of the catastrophe and the ubiquitous follow-on question they all ask, “could it happen here?” Most Pacific Northwest residents are aware of the potential for “The Big One” that has been prophesied by scientists for years, but seeing it unfold before our eyes paints an eerie and dreadful picture that should make us think hard about our comfortable way of life. Our lives can change in an instant.

AP reporter, Jay Alabaster wrote in an article Scenes of Devestation at Heart of Japan Disaster, that “Hundreds of people lined up outside the few still-operating supermarkets in Sendai, stocking up on drinks and instant noodles, knowing it would be a long time before life returns to anything like normal.” He goes on to share, “At an electronics story in the city, workers gave away batteries, flashlights and cell phone chargers. Several dozen people waited patiently outside.”

In watching the devastating file footage for the last two days, one thought came to mind: be prepared. What would I do if a similar event struck our region? How can I plan for the multitude of risks that would face our family? Do we have food and water to last for weeks in case there are food shortages, fuel, and electricity disruptions? Clearly the recommended three day supply will not suffice for the Japanese. I sure don’t want to be waiting in a long line at a grocery store to grab the last loaf of bread and having to make-do with a bag of stale Cheetos.

However, even the most prepared of families can’t mitigate all the possibilities. If your home is totally destroyed and in heap, it would be very difficult to access your water and food supply if it were buried under the rubble. If a Tsunami or lahar swept the entire neighborhood away, then clearly all of the preparation supplies in your home would be gone. So, do you prepare anyway hoping that the worst-case-scenario isn’t what you’ll face? Or, do you assume the worst-case-scenario and give up and not prepare at all?

Please think of this as a wake-up call and prepare your family and prepare FOR your family. Be smart. Be vigilant. Be wise.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

FEMA Stores up on Food?

2011-03-05T09:31:00.001-08:00

We have been puzzled as to the availability of freeze dried foods of late, but we finally might have gotten our answer. Sara Reardon (Feb 1, 2011) wrote for Science Insider and shared what she uncovered. FEMA is buying up food storage for 420 million meals! She writes, “.. the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a request for information (RFI) to vendors last week for 140 million meals ready to eat (MREs) for a projected 7 million survivors in the event of an NMSZ earthquake. Then they pulled the request, saying it was a bureaucratic error.” You can still view it at the link, but it does say “cancelled.”

So, at about $10 per meal, we’re looking at a total of around 1 1/2 billion dollars. That’s a lot of food and a lot of tax payer money.

It looks like this food is in preparation of a possible earthquake in the greater Mississippi area called the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). However, later in her article she mentions talking to USGS officials and puts the purchase for this purpose in question. They said “their 2008 hazard map is still current. The risk, he said, is "small, not negligible, but certainly not what you'd be buying meals for."

So are they, or are they not buying up meals?

Another article in a more obscure site called the Beaufort Observer (a Tea Party publication stated that a major provider of these dehydrated meals has cut off 99% of their dealers and distributors in order to meet the FEMA demand. Now where they got that information, I don’t know, they didn’t cite their resource.

That said, if the above request by the government is still active, though hidden, and if the manufacturers really are scrambling to provide the huge order, then the supply of dehydrated foods to us regular folks would most definitely be impacted.

Kinda makes you go hmm….

Image: xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Let Them Eat Cake!

2011-03-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

This famous quote attributed to Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution showed her ignorance of the plight of the poor and hungry citizenry of France. That astounding obliviousness is looking more like a prevalent reality in our world these days.

The riots in Algiers in January were over food prices and rising unemployment (officially around 14%). An Associated Press (AP) article in Yahoo News on January 6, 2010 stated, “Riots over rising food prices and chronic unemployment spiraled out from Algeria's capital on Thursday, with youths torching government buildings and shouting "Bring us Sugar!” It goes on to say, “It came after price hikes for milk, sugar and flour in recent days, and amid simmering frustration that Algeria's abundant gas-and-oil resources have not translated into broader prosperity.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that inflation is on the rise in Latin America with food prices being the main culprit. Miriam Marcus Reimer writes (2/1/110) in an article in The Street that food prices have helped fuel the unrest in Egypt. She says that “…but food inflation -- a major catalyst to the region's instability and call for change -- is unlikely to go away anytime soon.”

A Miami Herald article by Hannah Allam and Nancy Youssef (3/1/2011) says that Gadhafi is now blocking food and medicine shipments. It states, "Residents reached by phone said pro-Gadhafi forces had set up checkpoints on the city's east and west sides, halting the flow of food and medicine.

"A Zawiya resident who gave only his first name, Tarek, for his own protection, told McClatchy Newspapers by telephone that baby formula and other vital items were in short supply. "

"They're trying to starve us to death," he said.

"Aid workers also reported dismal conditions at Libya's borders, especially among migrant workers stuck at the western border with Tunisia. TV footage from the Libyan-Tunisian border Tuesday showed hundreds of weakened refugees clamoring for handouts of high-energy biscuits from the U.N.'s World Food Program."

Christiane Amanpour reports for ABC This Week (2/28/11), that Gadhafi, in an effort to quell dissension in Libya, is dolling out money to citizens. She reports that “The leader was giving each family 500 dinars, the equivalent of about $450. For most people here, that covers salary for a month or two.” Maybe that’s why Gadhafi swears that his people love him and there isn’t any problem. Christiane interviewed Gadhafi on February 28, 2011 for ABC News, where she captured his words "They love me. All my people with me, they love me," he said. "They will die to protect me, my people."

Oh, really?

Give Me Oil for my Lamp, Keep Me Burning, Burning, Burning…

2011-02-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

Destination Earth cartoon by John Sutherland - 1956

The famous words from a Sunday School song come to mind with an alternative meaning for me these days. With oil prices surging, the impacts to my daily life are high on my list of things to ponder, and it’s not just about gas for my car.

Our lifestyles revolve around oil and there are a lot more consumer items to be considered beyond fuel for our automobiles. The Ranken Energy Corporation website states, “Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each!” But, as many of us know, petroleum is not just used for fuel.” Ranken’s website says that “Petroleum and petroleum by-products are a vital part of our transportation system and our daily lives. Even those who might argue we use bicycles for our personal transportation fail to recognize that parts of the modern bicycle are made from petroleum by-products and fossil fuel energy was likely used to create the frame, wheels, and chain. Click to see a few products made from hydrocarbons. Our modern lives cannot be lived without using products that have been manufactured with fossil fuels (even a toothbrush) and/or were created with energy provided by fossil fuels.”

Ranken Energy Corporation’s list includes things like: aspirin shampoo, wax, toothpaste, crayons, shaving cream, soft contact lenses, fertilizers, anything polyester and nylon, and so much more. Another good list is offered by PBS via a pdf file showing a plethora of products one doesn’t normally think of when contemplating our oil consumption.

So, not only are we seeing prices in corn, cotton, sugar, soy beans, and other food products going up (see many of my earlier posts for details on that), but now many of our other household products.

A February 24th, 2011 New York post article by Paul Tharp titled Crude Crisis Sparks Rapid-fire Price Hikes states, “Consumers should brace for other hikes as they purchase the more than 6,000 daily products derived from petroleum, ranging from gym gear and iPhone cases to fertilizers and lipsticks.” He goes on to say that “Atlas Corp. has raised the price of roofing and exterior building products by 10 percent until June, when they will raise them another 12 percent. Building products are also squeezed by slow sales due to the housing recession.” So that adds up to a total 22% in rate hikes by summer for those building products!

“Analysts believe gas pumps here are in store for at least a 25-cent-a-gallon jump by the weekend. That's due to the sharp 30-cent-a-gallon spike in the past three weeks in wholesale gasoline, which settled here yesterday at $2.7167 a gallon, the first flat day in more than a week.”

An MSNBC article by John Schoen points out that the turmoil in the East will wreak havoc in our wallet. He writes, “Every extra dollar consumers and businesses have to spend on oil takes another little bite out of economic growth.” The article goes on to say, “Oil price hikes also depress economic growth by raising the cost of raw materials made from petroleum — everything from asphalt to plastics. Higher jet fuel prices put pressure on airlines to raise ticket prices. Higher diesel fuel prices drive up the cost of shipping and construction.”

He quotes the Agriculture Department warning: “… that U.S. consumers should brace for rising food costs this year as higher commodity and energy prices make their way to store shelves. Food prices are forecast to rise a sharp 3.5 percent this year — nearly double the overall inflation rate — with most of those increases coming in the second half of the year.”

Well, I’ve seen prices going up already.

And, think about this. The MSNBC article says “That puts the Fed in a difficult position if the U.S. economic recovery begins to stumble under the weight of higher food and energy prices.”

Brace yourselves.

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rising Prices–Common News These Days

2011-02-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

Many of my past posts have shared articles on the likelihood of rising prices. I am alarmed at the rapid increase in similar articles and many in our mainstream media sources like our local Seattle Times.

It is perplexing that not only is the economy struggling, but our world has been rocked with major natural disasters that are impacting many commodities that are key to our consumption: sugar, corn, cotton, soy beans, to name just a few. These disasters add to the rising prices and world-wide food shortages. While I believe we will be able to find our food in ample supply, the costs will go up. Where it will hurt most are those who live in third world countries where citizens already spend a huge portion of their meager incomes on food. Rising prices affect them a lot more than they will here in America.

Seattle Times reporter, Amy Martinez writes in an article titled “Rising Prices Coming Back in Fashion”: The cost of a new wardrobe is expected to rise as much as 10 to 20 percent in the coming months as manufacturers and retailers pass along escalating prices of cotton, rubber and other commodities to customers.” She goes on to say, “Higher prices are expected to be most noticeable in inexpensive clothes and shoes. That's because labor and raw materials account for a big chunk of the price tag — unlike expensive name-brand merchandise in which production costs are a smaller fraction of the final value.”

Another article in Seattle Times reports on rising commodity prices.

And yet another titled “Rising Wholesale Prices spur Inflation Concerns.”

Check out some of my earlier posts to see other articles:

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

IMF Calls for End of Dollar as the World Currency

2011-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

There have been rumblings for quite some time about shoving the U.S. Dollar out of the way as the world currency. Having that unique position has meant that the U.S. economy can continue to operate, even with its massive debt load, when other countries economies have faltered and crashed with less severe debt issues.

A CNNMoney.com , article by Ben Rooney, outlined the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) proposal in their article “IMF Calls for Dollar Alternative” and state that this new plan “could help stabilize the global financial system.” Ben goes on to say that “The goal is to have a reserve asset for central banks that better reflects the global economy since the dollar is vulnerable to swings in the domestic economy and changes in U.S. policy.”

In an effort to show what the U.S. is trying to do to stabilize the dollar, the article quotes the Fed Chairman “Bernanke also urged lawmakers to come up with a "credible plan" to bring down "unsustainable" federal budget deficits.

"We expect that the outlook for the U.S. fiscal position will weigh heavily on the U.S. dollar in the quarters ahead," said Sutton. In the near-term, however, she said "a strengthening growth profile" could help provide "a temporary period of dollar strength."

In February 9th article in Bloomberg, Carolyn Salas and Scott Lanman quote Mark Gertler, aaprofessor of economics at New York University ““There is this tremendous fiscal problem looming, and Congress has to do something about it.”

I’d like to remind everyone to think back just a few short months at the various countries in the European Union. When faced with their huge debt crisis and were forced to cut services, the people took to the streets protesting those cuts. So what is a country to do? It is a stand off; cuts are required to maintain fiscal health, but the masses riot when they don’t get their handouts.

Other countries went a step further (Hungary and Argentina to name only two) have absconded with its citizens retirement accounts in order to tap into a huge source of funds to right their sinking economic ships. The people had no choice. Their retirement money was gone.

It is time to wake-up America. Our way of life as we know it will not remain the same. Are you as prepared for that as you can be?

Is There Really an Economic Crisis?

2011-02-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent article by Porter Stansberry (click for bio). I personally believe we have an economic crisis that is about to get worse over the next few years – and not just in the U.S.

Read on:

An Answer to the Most Popular "End of America" Question

By Porter Stansberry with Braden Copeland

Saturday, February 5, 2011

I've been on the radio a few times in the last month.
Producers are contacting us with interview requests because of our new promotional video, "The End of America."

I imagine most DailyWealth readers have seen this video already. You know the core components of our argument: The debts assumed by the Western democracies will overwhelm their economies and lead to the end of our current dollar-denominated, global currency regime. This has profound implications for Americans' standard of living and our empire's role in the world.
Doing these interviews and taking call-in questions from people around the country reminds me of why we made the video: People suffer from a shocking lack of knowledge about the serious financial problems facing our country. For example, the most popular question is: "When will the crisis begin?"

The question assumes we ought to ignore the collapse of the automakers, the complete destruction of America's investment banks, and the receivership of the world's largest mortgage firms (Fannie and Freddie), and the world's biggest insurance company (AIG)…

The question implies nothing unusual has taken place with housing prices… or in the markets for strategic commodities like lithium, copper, oil, coal, and corn – all of which are soaring in the face of the moribund U.S. economy. The question assumes nothing is going on with the value of our dollar, despite silver trading near $30 and gold trading close to $1,500 – up 100% in only two years.
We respond to the popular question with a question of our own: What will have to happen before you'll say we're in a crisis right now?

How high will gas prices have to get before your neighbors notice something is wrong? How high will gold have to get? Or silver? How many banks will have to go under? How high will unemployment have to rise? How many cities will have to go bankrupt? Where's your threshold? How bad will things have to be before you begin to see what's really happening?

In addition to raising these questions, I've compiled a list of seven key facts that might spring people into taking action to protect themselves. They are the factors I believe MUST lead to the end of the global U.S. dollar standard – what we call "The End of America."

1) The price of gold has gone up 10 years in a row. We can't think of another market that's ever risen for 10 consecutive years. This is a historical anomaly, and it means something has gone badly wrong with the world's reserve currency (the U.S. dollar). Markets, if left to find their own equilibrium, will naturally fluctuate. Gold isn't fluctuating. Its steady move up proves something strange is happening to our money.

2) Our government's deficits are out of control. The government's annual deficits now routinely surpass $1 trillion. The first $1 trillion deficit came in 2008 – and the government explained it away as the consequence of the financial crisis. But we racked up another $1 trillion deficit in 2009 and yet another in 2010.
We'll have another in 2011 and so on. Our national debt has doubled since 2005. We've borrowed more money in the last five years than we had in the entire history of our government until then. This isn't sustainable.

3) The government cannot increase tax revenues enough to cover our spending or repay our debts – ever. Our annual deficits have become completely unlinked to taxes. Total federal income taxes and corporate taxes generate $1.1 trillion a year in revenue, and we still ran a $1.3 trillion federal deficit last year. So even if we increased tax revenues by 100%, we would still have fallen $200 million short. This is totally unsustainable.

4) Special-interest groups – particularly government unions – are looting our Treasury. Self-serving special-interest groups have completely hijacked government spending. We now spend $200 billion a year on federal pensions. We're spending another $450 billion on welfare. This spending, combined with our defense spending ($700 billion), exceeds total federal tax revenue and leaves nothing to pay the $200 billion in interest on our debt, nothing to pay for actual government services (like roads), and nothing to pay towards the inevitable Social Security/Medicare shortfall.

Remember… most voters do not pay taxes. It's politically impossible to reform this interest group-based spending. These people are robbing the Treasury. They will cause our currency and eventually our government itself to collapse.

5) We're printing money just like the banana republics we used to mock. To support the government's runaway spending, the Federal Reserve is now continuously buying government debt. This process was commonly called "monetizing the debt" or, more simply, "printing money."
In addition to the inevitable economic consequences of monetizing debt (massive inflation), there's another, even more serious problem: a lack of confidence in the leadership of the Fed. We would support an audit of the Fed. We would support replacing Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. After all, Bernanke has alternately defended his decision to print massive quantities of new money and denied ever doing it. However, we are certainly aware that as people (rightly) lose confidence in the Fed and in the dollar, there will be serious consequences for our economy.

6) We can't repay our debts. Total debt outstanding in the U.S. currently exceeds $55 trillion. That's $681,165 in debt per U.S. family. There is simply no way to repay (or even maintain) debt of this magnitude using the income of the average American family, which is slightly less than $50,000 per family per year. Interest alone on these debts (based on a 5% rate) would total $34,000 per family every year. Total debt in the U.S. economy is unsustainable and can't be financed without printing vast new sums of money.

7) Shockingly, new debt issuance in the U.S. is soaring, with the lowest-quality debtors borrowing record amounts. Despite all the evidence that the U.S. economy carries far too much debt, both public and private debt issuance soared to new record levels in 2010. Overall, more than $3 trillion in new corporate debt was issued last year – the second record year in a row.
And junk-bond issuance set a new, vastly higher record. In 2010, 509 speculative-grade corporate borrowers sold $287 billion worth of new debt. That compares to the previous record (2009) of $167 billion. Our economy has become so warped by its debt load, it cannot function without ever-larger amounts of debt.

In summary, anyone who carefully looks at these numbers must realize this is not safe and will not last long. That's why I'm telling everyone: Don't ask, "When will the crisis begin?" Instead, ask, "Where can I get the best deal on gold and silver bullion to protect my family's finances?"

Good investing,
Porter Stansberry

P.S. Please carefully think about the facts I list above. Like it or not, these issues are going to affect you and your family in the months and years ahead. Ignoring this problem will not protect you from it.

Image: scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Story of Bottled Water

2011-01-25T22:24:00.000-08:00

Let’s re-examine the bottled water trend and consider using our good ‘ole tap water again. I was raised on tap water and I think I turned out OK.

The Story of Bottled Water

Grocery Stores Trying to Manage Inflation

2011-01-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

I ran across an interesting article in the Seattle Times today where the CEO of SuperValu, the company which operates Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Acme and other chains, says, “"This is going to be a challenging year going forward to manage inflation," Supervalu CEO Craig Herkert told analysts Tuesday. "It's just a fact and we believe these inflationary measures are going to impact consumers."

I’m glad I’ve started to stock up when there are sales. My sister and I are also getting into clipping coupons. There are a lot of savings to be had out there if you carefully watch for sales and then add in coupons. I was amazed that at her last trip to the store, she came home with Health Choice Steamers that she got for only $1 each. She also ended up getting jars of roasted almonds for free! Now, that’s shopping smart!

Technorati Tags: Preparation,food shortage,inflation,hyperinflation,survival,storage,food storage

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Virginia to Study Using Gold Instead of $$?

2011-01-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read an article from www.zerohedge.com from 1/12/2011 that said that the Commonwealth of Virginia introduced a House Resolution (#557) to establish a subcommittee to: “"to study whether the Commonwealth should adopt a currency to serve as an alternative to the currency distributed by the Federal Reserve System in the event of a major breakdown of the Federal Reserve System."

See the full article here.

My shock became greater when I saw that Utah was also examining the use of gold. An article from The Salt Lake Tribune stated, "…requiring government agencies to accept gold for transactions, and creating a parallel monetary policy for intrastate commerce tied to the price of gold.”

It went on to say that, “Under the legislation that has been drafted, Utah residents could mint their own gold or silver coins, a storehouse would be created to stockpile the precious metal and the Utah Defense Force, an arcane state militia that may be called and armed by the governor, would be responsible for securing the inventories.” Wow!

Fun with Food Storage

2011-01-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

I’ve written a lot lately about various events that should get us all interested in in preparing for events out of our control. I personally believe that our economy is likely the biggest critical issue we face that will hit us all in our bank accounts, and soon.

To that end, I believe stocking up our pantries to help us get through a crisis is a good insurance policy to have. I’ve heard several stories of late how people who had stocked up on foods were so very glad they did when faced with a layoff or pay cuts. Add in that there could be natural disasters or even high levels of inflation that would make having extra food around helpful. Now that fuel prices are beginning to rise again, having extra food on hand means it will be easier to shift funds to that expenditure without impacting our budgets too much.

I have been looking into tools, websites, videos, and blogs that deal with the food preparation and found one video from KSL (October 2009) I’d like to share with you to help get us in the mood.

Whether you choose to stock up several weeks or several months, these ladies have a great system set up. You can visit their Food Storage Made Easy website and get lots of ideas. I particularly like their 10 baby steps list.

Anyone Still Need Convincing?

2011-01-09T09:35:00.001-08:00

If anyone out there still isn’t convinced that there is a world-wide currency crisis that will eventually hit us personally in our wallets and possibly move our country towards the solution of a new world currency, must have their heads in the sand.
Here’s just articles since the first of the year:

So what do we do? Do what your grandparents did years ago. Start a large food pantry so you can stock up on items at lower prices today. Buy two tubes of toothpaste instead of 1, buy two bags of sugar instead of just one. Use coupons and get two of some things in order to stock up.
If gasoline prices surge and the budget becomes tight, it will really help if you’ve stocked up on foods and can keep your food budget in line even with rising prices sure to come this next year.
Stock up!

10 Things Your Grandparents Know About Money

2011-01-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

My dad sent me an email with the above title that was from an article over two years ago on www.thestreet.com. Even though it is old in terms of internet news, the message still fits.

10 Things Your Grandparents Know About Money (That You Don't)

By Jeffrey Strain 05/08/08 - 11:22 AM EDT

The U.S. may not technically be in a recession. After all, the U.S. Commerce Department says the economy grew at a 0.6% pace in the first quarter.

But most people look at things more like legendary investor Warren Buffett, who defined a recession as when "people are doing less well than they were three months, six months or eight months earlier."

For most economists it is no longer whether there is going to be a recession, but what type of recession it is going to be: short recessions like the one from 1990 to 1991 and the one from March to November 2001, or something like the Great Depression.

No matter which it ends up being, one of the best places to look for sound advice is from those people who have survived the worst of economic times - namely your grandparents.

Here are 10 ideas you may want to take from them:

10. Frugality Is Not a Bad Word

There was a time when a person who was frugal was looked upon with esteem rather than someone without the means to buy more. Many people seem to equate frugality with "cheapness," but that couldn't be further from the truth. Being frugal is simply getting the most out of what you have and purchase, and not purchasing things that you really don't need.

While your grandparents learned frugality during the hard times, many of them continued to practice it even when times got better, which helped them build wealth. Learning to be frugal could help a lot of people who haven't learned to live within their means.

9. Use What You Have

In a consumer society, whatever problem you may have can always be solved by buying something else. If something breaks, go out and buy a new one. If something isn't exactly right, go buy something that is. In your grandparents' time, when something broke, they first took a look to see if it could be fixed.

If it couldn't be fixed, before it ended up in the trash can, they would consider whether it could still be useful for something else. There is no reason to go out and spend money on something new if you can get the same thing accomplished with the things that you already have.

8. Doing It Yourself Is the Way to Go

When it comes to fixing things, the first people that your grandparents looked at were themselves. Instead of calling someone to fix something that broke, they fixed it on their own most of the time.

In a society where we now hire people to do most basic repair and maintenance, it's important to remember that most repairs aren't nearly as difficult as they may appear and that you can do much of it on your own with a how-to book and patience.

7. Things Have More Than One Use

People tend to buy stuff with a specific purpose in mind and use it exclusively for that intended purpose. What your grandparents knew is that most things can have multiple uses throughout their useful life. That T-shirt can become a night shirt when the collar gets worn and can't be worn outside, and then a painting shirt when it starts to get holes and eventually rags when the holes get too big.

6. Debt Is to Be Avoided

In the age of credit cards, where spending what you don't have now is encouraged left and right, it's hard to believe there was a time when people actually believed that debt was to be avoided, but those are the words that your grandparents lived by. If they didn't have the money, then they would simply need to figure out a different plan on how to get what they needed. It might be borrowing it from a friend, saving up money or finding something that could be used instead. Going into debt to get it accomplished was not an option.

5. Save for Rainy Days

As many people are finding out, rainy days eventually come. Your grandparents were well aware of this and specifically put aside money for these rainy days. It's now what is commonly referred to as an emergency fund and something that comes in quite handy when your financial plans don't go exactly as you imagined they would.

4. Used Can Be Just as Good as New

This concept isn't completely foreign even to today's generation. The notion that buying a quality two- to three-year-old car has become basic mainstream financial advice when it comes to car ownership. Your grandparents knew that just because something happened to be pre-owned doesn't make it something to be dismissed as unworthy. They also know that this concept doesn't stop with cars and can be expanded to almost any other area where a second-hand market is available.

3. Functional Trumps Fashion:

When it comes to making purchases, your grandparents knew that it wasn't what the device looked like, but what it could do that mattered. It was much more important to buy something that did what needed to be done regardless of what it actually looked like. That Rolex may look great, but it doesn't tell time any better than a standard watch bought at the local discount store. Learning to buy for function rather than looks is a great way to save money.

2. Bargains Are to Be Sought-After

When it was time to purchase something, your grandparents didn't just go out an get it that day. They took the time to look for a bargain. That meant doing research and waiting until the price was right rather than pulling out a credit card and buying it even when they didn't have the money. Bargains take planning and time to find, but when they are found, you know you have gotten a great deal.

1. Homemade Cookies Are Delicious

In a society where everything is pre-made and sold for convenience, it may be hard to remember the last time you had a meal made from scratch. What your grandparents knew was that not only is it less expensive to cook this way, the resulting meal is also a lot more delicious. Think of it this way; would you ever consider trading in a plate of your grandmother's homemade cookies for any store bought brand?

While the way that your grandparents handled money may seem unsophisticated with all the financial tools that are available today, the basics of living below their means, saving for a rainy day, getting an education and investing in their future are values that a lot of people could financially benefit from today.

The Euro has a 1 in 5 Chance of Survival

2010-12-31T12:42:00.001-08:00

We've all heard of the chaos in Europe. Several countries are in economic crisis and required cuts have citizens rioting in the streets. The climate becomes very dangerous when the people demand the handouts they are accustomed to and yet the government can no longer afford to keep them up.

A December 31, 2010 Reuters article predicts that the Euro only has a 1 in 5 chance of surviving the next ten years. It quotes CEBR Chief Executive Douglas McWilliams who says, “"I suspect that what will break up the euro will be the failure of most of the countries to take the tough medicine necessary to make their economies competitive over the longer term.”

It is not just the U.S. Dollar at risk here…

If You Have It - It Has Been on a Truck

2010-12-22T16:45:00.001-08:00

If You Have It - It Has Been on a Truck. I heard that saying years ago and now found some information that actually shows some of the details that actually might support that claim. My research this week took me to the American Trucking Association website where I learned some very interesting facts that also made me go hmmm....

Did you know:

That the The U.S. trucking industry is comprised of more than 214,000 for-hire carriers and more than 276,000 private carriers, 95.9 percent with fewer than 20 trucks?
More than 80 percent of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities?
In 2006, the trucking industry hauled 10.7 billion tons of freight, or over 69 percent of total U.S. freight tonnage. Rail was the next busiest mode moving 13.3 percent of the nation’s freight tonnage.

What would happen if the trucks in America are slowed down, or worse yet, stopped entirely even for a short span of a week or two? What if those small trucking businesses that represent a large percentage of the trucks, can't afford to stay in business? That would leave us with only a franction of our existing trucking companies bearing the brunt of ALL of the trucking requirements! Not so good.

The American Trucking Association website had a file available called "When Trucks Stop, America Stops" (downloadable Adobe pdf file) that outlined some pretty amazing scenarios for our economy, food supply, manufacturing, banking, and even just plain retail, should a disaster, either economic or natural, disrupt the trucking industry. I highly recommend reading it. They state "The unimpeded flow of trucks is critical to the safety and well-being of all Americans. However, it is entirely possible that well-intended public officials may instinctively halt or severely restrict truck traffic in response to an incident of national or regional significance."

I took it a step further. What would happen when these small business owners can no longer afford the fuel to keep the trucks running? What happens if/when inflation hits and fuel prices rise to such an extent they can no longer operate?

In 2008 when fuel prices skyrocketed, there were wide-spread concerns about independent truckers going out of business because they simply couldn't operate when diesel was bumping $4.00 a gallon. (see WKRG article here). CBS reported that Truckers even converged on Washington D.C. to protest record high gas prices in April of 2008. A 2008 article in the Orlando Sentinel stated, "Consumers may not realize it, but the rising price of diesel is hitting their wallets, too, as the prices of groceries, clothes and other goods are tied to transportation costs.

"Everything that you see in the supermarket has to travel by truck," said Clayton Boyce, spokesman for the American Trucking Associations. "Everything you see in the mall has to travel by truck."

We probably all remember the fuel surcharges that airlines began to impose on travelers, later to be exchanged for permanent baggage fees, in order to maintain profitability.

Did you know that even safe drinking water is at the mercy of the trucking industry? The American Trucking Association's article goes on to say, "According to the Chlorine Institute, most water treatment facilities receive chlorine in cylinders (150 pounds and one ton cylinders) that are delivered by motor carriers. On average, trucks deliver purification chemicals to water supply plants every seven to 14 days. Without

these chemicals, water cannot be purified and made safe for drinking. Without truck deliveries of purification chemicals, water supply plants will run out of drinkable water in 14 to 28 days."

Also think about who will deliver:

Fuel to the airlines what will also ship mail, manufactured good, and supplies
Medical supplies, medicine to hospitals and pharmacies
Waste removal - garbage
ATM's - a typical bank replenishes its ATMs via armored truck delivery every two to three days

The conclusion of the American Trucking Association's report was that "As demonstrated by the analysis of just a few key industries, restricting or shutting down all truck operations in response to a natural disaster, elevated threat level, terrorist attack, or pandemic will have a swift and devastating impact on the food, health care, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors." (I notice that they don't mention any kind of economic disaster, like inflationary fuel prices that potentially eliminate many small trucking businesses.)

So what happens if truckers can't afford to stay in business? What if they can't afford to fill their trucks with fuel and deliver the 70% of America's goods? What if there is a disaster and trucks are forced to stop due to federal, state, or local edicts? Are you prepared for empty grocery shelves? Or ATM's that don't have money to dispense? Your prescriptions available at the pharmacy? Or if gas stations that haven't been able to get a delivery of fuel in for days or even weeks?

Do you have your "insurance policy" of emergency preparedness in place? Do you have a supply of food and water? Have you thought of making sure you have enough cash on hand to last for several weeks? Have you considered what you would do if you couldn't buy anything at the store for weeks on end? Are you at the mercy of trucks?

Image: Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Food Prices are Starting to Spike

2010-12-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

From an article today in the Seattle P.I. (Syndicated from the San Francisco Chronicle)

Food prices rise sharply -- and there's more to come
By STACY FINZ
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
For the first time since 2008, inflation is hitting consumers in the stomach.
Grocery prices grew by more than 1 1/2 times the overall rate of inflation this year, outpaced only by costs of transportation and medical care, according to numbers released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Economists predict that this is only the beginning. Fueled by the higher costs of wheat, sugar, corn, soybeans and energy, shoppers could see as much as a 4 percent increase at the supermarket checkout next year.
"I noticed just this month that my grocery bill for the same old stuff - cereal, eggs, milk, orange juice, peanut butter, bread - spiked $25," said Sue Perry, deputy editor of ShopSmart magazine, a nonprofit publication from Consumer Reports. "It was a bit of sticker shock."
But it makes sense. Since November 2009, meat, poultry, fish and eggs have surged 5.8 percent in price. Dairy and related products have gone up 3.8 percent; fats and oils, 3 percent; and sugar and sweets, 1.2 percent.
While overall inflation nationwide was 1.1 percent, grocery prices went up 1.7 percent nationally and 1.3 percent in the Bay Area, said Todd Johnson, an economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics office in San Francisco. "The largest effects on grocery prices here over the last month were tomatoes, followed by eggs, fish and seafood."
There's more. Read the whole article here: http://www.seattlepi.com/food/431969_foodprices16.html

Buy Now!!

2010-12-19T11:22:00.013-08:00

Just a quick heads up on things you should probably buy up now if you can because prices are going up:

Food items made of sugar, wheat, corn, and soybeans. Articles here where experts are warning of rising food prices. San Francisco Chronicle states that "Grocery prices grew by more than 1 1/2 times the overall rate of inflation this year," and go on to say that experts predict that is only the beginning. Here's another article specifically about sugar prices. Bloomberg quoted the Wall Street Journal back in October that General Mills, Kraft and others are raising their prices on cereals due to rising prices in grain; another article talked about corn as the "other gold" that was going up.
Clothing. Cleveland.com reports on higher cotton prices. The article states, "The problem is a classic supply and demand imbalance, with the price of cotton rising almost 80 percent since July and prices expected to remain high. "World cotton production is unlikely to catch up with consumption for at least two years," Sharon Johnson, senior cotton analyst with the First Capital Group, said in an e-mail." Another article in CNNMoney says "Attention T-shirt fans: Bag those deep discounts now because come January, stores could have you paying more for your favorite clothing." They say that Cotton prices have nearly doubled this year, and have hit almost 15-year high. This as a result of multiple factors in the Asian cotton producers sector that has resulted in a problem with global supply.

What do you do? Buy up some food items in bulk now before the prices shoot up too high. Store them in your cupboards so your grocery bill doesn't get out of hand later. Focus on things like sugarSo go buy up the t-shirts, jeans, socks, and underwear now. It looks like we'll see those prices start to shoot up right after the first of the year. If you have children, buy jeans and shirts in several sizes so you're good to go for the year. Hit those after-Christmas sales hard and you'll be able to keep your budget in line even though these prices shoot up.Happy shopping!Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

CNBC in 2006 - No One Believed

2010-12-16T06:00:00.004-08:00

on CNBC Peter Schiff predicted our economic woes back in 2006 and even talked of the mortgage meltdown. Again he talked in December 2006 on Fox News. On each show other guests, who were experts, disagreed with him, argued with him, and one even made a bet with him! Peter, I hope you collected on your bet.

Ben Stein, you remember him (he's on lots of commercials) said that the sub-prime mortgage issue was only a "tiny" problem. Peter Schiff fired back saying that "this will be an enormous credit crunch." The others continued to argue.

Guess who was right? If you can't see the video below click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I0QN-FYkpw

The Weather Outside is Frightful...Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2010-12-12T11:00:00.001-08:00

The Puget Sound area has been warned. The Seattle Times had an article on December 3rd: "Prepare for a cold, windy La Niña winter, officials warn". The article states "Seattle and the Pacific Northwest should brace for a colder and wetter than average winter due to the the effect of La Niña." That's only one of several similar articles I have read in the last several months with the warning. Well we have seen both the snow and tons of rain so far. There are flood warnings for the Puget Sound for this second weekend in December. And, we were lucky to also have our first snow storm before Thanksgiving this year. That was a rare and beautiful occurrence. Our temperatures even dropped to the teens.

Well, I absolutely LOVE snow. I find myself in the minority among my co-workers. Most of my colleagues shudder when our highly-paid-and-frequently-inaccurate meteorologists predict snow in our area. People go nuts. Our freeways turn into parking lots and TV reporters stand on street corners all over the area showing snow in the lamp light and showing how deep it is in Monroe, North Bend, Washougal, or Olalla. The schools close, libraries close, furniture stores close, and people rush to leave work early. The radio and TV become minute-by-minute relayers of the closures. I don't know if the insanity comes from the fact we don't get enough of the white stuff in a typical year for anyone to keep snow gear in their cars and learn how to drive in the stuff, or if it is because the terrain is so hilly and our DOT doesn't have a lot of snow removal equipment (so very rarely needed). Regardless, the situation gets dire around here.

But I love it. I love the quiet sound of the snow falling at night. Sometimes you can almost hear it. I love the crisp crunch of snow under my feet. I love the sound of kids, off of school, playing in the snow; laughing, shouting, throwing snowballs and making forts and snowmen. It's a spectacular.

I'm also very glad we have prepared for the accompanying power outages and inability to make it to the store when the roads freeze over or they are closed due to flooding issues.

Here's some ideas of things to do to prepare for the wintery weather we're predicted to have (compiled from a variety of sources (East Pierce Fire & Rescue Newsletter, Seattle Times, and Red Cross). I won't re-create the must-have lists that you can find all over the internet, but here's a few other things to keep in mind:

1. Keep your car fueled up. There were many stories of cars running out of gas during the November snow storm as they sat in their cars in traffic. Keep blankets and some snack bars in your car in case you get stuck.
2. If using a generator or other heat source make sure it is properly vented so fumes don't build up.
3. Keep food, water and cash on hand to last at least 3 days minimum (FEMA and Red Cross recommendation). However, I don't think 3 days is enough for around here. I would recommend that everyone have 7 to 10 days minimum given that there are times when power outages last much longer than 3 days. If you are in an area with widespread outages, the cash machines and cash registers may not work, so having cash on hand is important to purchase items as you run out.
4. Keep a first aid kit fully stocked.
5. I heard suggested that those little headlamp LED lights are very useful for power outages so you can still use your hands instead of holding bulky flashlights or lanterns.
6. Make sure you have your prescriptions and other medications on hand to last for the duration of an outage.

Other useful sites:

Check out the Red Cross site here
Disaster Preparedness Fact Sheet (from King County) - great source of what to do when disaster strikes for things like: how to find drinking water, what to do in the event of an earthquake, how to deal with hypothermia, etc.

Stay safe! Stay warm! Be full! Have fun!

A B C D QE2

2010-12-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

A B C D QE2

In my recent weeks of researching what is happening to our economy I heard the term QE2 bandied about. My first thoughts were that they were talking about the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth 2. But clearly that wasn't the case - it's too old to garner that much attention. In my cluelessness I decided to check it out. I also asked a few people at work and was surprised at how little we all knew about it. What is QE and what is QE2? Since it is a #2, obviously it has been done before. Well, here's what I found out.

QE is an acronym for "Quantitative Easing". What in the heck is that? According to the Wikipedia, one of my favorite sites, "Quantitative easing (QE) is a monetary policy used by some central banks to increase the supply of money by increasing the excess reserves of the banking system, generally through buying of the central government's own bonds to stabilize or raise their prices and thereby lower long-term interest rates. This policy is usually invoked when the normal methods to control the money supply have failed, e.g. the bank interest rate, discount rate and/or interbank interest rate are either at, or close to, zero."

Well that's alarming. It sounds like it is a "Hail Mary" kind of move to me.

Wikipedia goes on to say ""Quantitative" refers to the fact that a specific quantity of money is being created; "easing" refers to reducing the pressure on banks."

A September 28, 2010 article in the BBC News website says "Lower interest rates encourage people to spend, not save. But when interest rates can go no lower, a central bank's only option is to pump money into the economy directly. That is quantitative easing (QE)." Later in the article it states, "The way the central bank does this is by buying assets - usually financial assets such as government and corporate bonds - using money it has simply created out of thin air." We sometimes hear this being referred to as "printing money" which of course in this digital age is not actually necessary. No actual printing presses, ink or paper are harmed during this delicate process.

The underlying premise is that with more money out there the banks will be more likely to lend, credit easier to get and people and businesses more likely to spend with the end result of stimulating the economy.

Hmmm...I wish I could just add a couple of zeros to my bank account and use it to pay off my house, buy a new car, or lavish Christmas gifts! Oh wait. I can't. That would be fraud; or theft. Too bad, so sad.

Well QE2 was announced a few weeks ago, so that means there must have been a QE1. I had a harder time finding definitive info on that but it looks like that occurred in late 2008 and into 2009. I guess that didn't work, so they decided to try again. which will be done over the next six months and put about $600 billion more dollars into play.

Many countries were not happy about the Federal Reserve Bank announcement. Weeks before it was official, there were a flurry of warnings that this would cause a currency war (I'll blog on that another time) and started loud international murmurings. (UK, Brazil, China, France, Germany, China).

I've even been reading articles by economic experts who don't think this will work. I've attached links to a few for your reading enjoyment.

Keith McCullough in CNN article
Campbell Harvey in The Street
Jeff Nielsen in The Street
Paul Farrell in MarketWatch

What do you think?

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Could We Lose Our Private Retirement Plans?

2010-12-03T17:00:00.002-08:00

This has not widely been reported on, but Bloomberg has an article by Zolton Simon reporting on an ultimatum that Hungary has given its citizens: move your private-pension fund assets to the state or lose your state pension.

That's a huge deal for citizens in Hungary. They either let the state take it or they lose 70% of their own retirement funds!

Argentina also confiscated pension funds in 2001 to help cover its massive debt.

Did you know that there are those in the U.S. Congress that have actually had discussions on our private 401k plans? CNBC reported in 2008 titled "Will Democrats Tinker With Mutual Funds, 401k Plans?" The topic has been on the table even before President Obama took office!

Remember that 401k's defer taxes that our government needs so very badly.

Look at the Gold Rush by China!

2010-12-03T12:01:00.006-08:00

An interesting article in the Financial Times website pointed out that China has been buying up gold. The article by Leslie Hook states, "Gold imports into China have soared this year, turning the country, already the largest bullion miner, into a major overseas buyer for the first time in recent memory.

"The surge, which comes as Chinese investors look for insurance against rising inflation and currency appreciation, puts Beijing on track to overtake India as the world’s largest consumer of gold and a significant force in global gold prices." (My emphasis.)

I wondered why gold had gone up and actually hit over $1400 an ounce today!

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why Prepare?

2010-12-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

I love to travel. I got the bug back in 2001 when my mother, sister and I visited Italy. While it wasn't my first international trip, it was my first real glimpse at how other people live. Up to that time, my only other international travels had been to Canada and touristy Caribbean hot-spots via a cruise which really didn't give me the true flavor of a different culture. One thing that I noticed is that, here in the U.S, everything is super sized. Huge grocery stores, huge refrigerators, big houses, big yards, big cars, and generally just lots of stuff. The Europeans go to the market multiple times a week, many even on a daily basis. The majority don't have big homes. They do not have the Costco to stock up in mass quantities, at least that I saw.

Gone are the days where much of our population was more self-sufficient: growing our own food, cooking, canning, hunting, building, and sewing. For most of us those only stories from the days of our grandparents and great-grandparents.

Let me pose to you a question: what would you do if you could not get groceries at the grocery store for a week? What about if you couldn't get groceries for two weeks? Four? What if you couldn't afford the food once you got there?

What types of situations might make this an issue?

1. Natural Disasters - the Red Cross, FEMA, and other entities all recommend having a minimum of three days supply of food, first aid, water, light, and more. We never know when an earthquake, flood, storm, or other disaster might deprive us of the ability to head to the store. In my opinion 3 days is very short sighted. Just days ago we had a uncharacteric snow storm here in the Puget Sound, with temperatures hitting the low teens. People all over the area had power outages lasting more than 3 days! I remember the "Inaugural Day Storm" on January 20, 1993, where over 600,000 people lost power; some in outlying areas didn't get power back for weeks. (My boss at the time lived out past Black Diamond and didn't get her power back on for nearly 2 weeks.)

2. Inflation/hyperinflation - I won't pick Zimbabwe or even Germany's Weimar republic as examples of hyperinflation. Germany's situation occurred after WWI, and Zimbabwe is a third world country. I'll pick a country with more relevance: Argentina. Argentina is not a third world country; at the beginning of the 20th century it was one of the richest countries in the world. It is one of the G-20 major economies and is currently considered an upper-income country. In 2001 Argentina's economy melted down (not for the first time either). Government statistics show their current inflation rate at over 10% but many private analysts tag it more than 15% . According to an article in the BBC News, "A deep recession foreshadowed economic collapse in 2001. This left more than half the population living in poverty and triggered unrest." Internet site http://www.tradingeconomics.com/ has a charting tool that spans multiple years. It shows that in 2001 inflation spiked to over 40%! (See attached chart). Can you afford even a year with everything 40% higher? I can't.

3. Food Shortages - http://www.dailyfinance.com/ has an article, that is not even a year old, by Bruce Watson where he quotes popular investor Jim Rogers. Jim says "a severe food shortage is on its way." Jim spoke with CNBC in an article by Antonia Oprita, and said "Sometimes [sic] in the next few years we're going to have very serious shortages of food everywhere in the world and prices are going to go through the roof." WorldNetDaily's website has an article that states there may even be a government cover-up of a world food shortage. The article goes on to say that, "Stores have only an average of 72 hours of inventory on hand and very few families are capable of producing their own food, so even a temporary shortage of food supplies could be catastrophic." This statement recalls to me news footage of empty grocery store shelves hours before a hurricane or storm is scheduled to hit the gulf coast region. We've seen the footage where everyone heads for the store for food, water, batteries, beer, and whatever else they can grab that is left.

Below is a 6+ minute video from the National Inflation Association (http://www.inflation.us/) that outlines some of their theories on food shortages in our grocery stores. They believe that not only are food shortages an issue, but firmly believe we will see hyperinflation within a few short years due to the U.S. economic condition.

On the bright side, we CAN do things to prepare and be ready. If nothing happens and life goes on, same-old-same-old, then we simply use up the resources we've gathered. Nothing lost; peace of mind gained.

How Much is a Trillion?

2010-11-26T09:17:00.001-08:00

It seems a week doesn't go by when I don't hear of someone warning us that the U.S. debt is out of control and unmanageable, even for our "wealthy" country. I saw an article on CNBC's website that quoted an editorial from the Washington Post. Sheila Bair, the chair of the FDIC thinks the "Next Debt Crisis May Start in Washington".

The U.S. debt is now estimated at about 14 trillion dollars. How much is 14 trillion? According to website http://100777.com/node/455, "The U.S. government spends more than the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Australia, China and Spain combined. If you laid one dollar bills end to end, you could make a chain that stretches from earth to the moon and back again 200 times before you ran out of dollar bills! One trillion dollars would stretch nearly from the earth to the sun. It would take a military jet flying at the speed of sound, reeling out a roll of dollar bills behind it, 14 years before it reeled out one trillion dollar bills."

There are several great videos out there, but attached is my favorite that helps put this into perspective. Keep in mind that 1 trillion is less than 1/10th of our nations debt!

Just some stuff for you to chew on.

That Didn't Take Long - What Does it Mean?

2010-11-24T16:00:00.018-08:00

The U.S. Dollar is the "world currency", and is the currency oil is traded with; has been for many many decades. It is estimated that China has about $1 Trillion dollars in reserves in order to purchase oil and other commodities that trade in U.S. Dollars. Russia is likely in a similar position. If these countries don't need the dollar to purchase oil and commodities, they will dump it, and fast. That potentially means a glut of dollars surging into circulation that lower it in value quickly.

Because the U.S. continues to print our money (fiat currency - not linked to any standard since the early 70's), China, Russia, and several other countries have threatened and even encouraged others to drop the dollar as the world currency. There has been talk of using a "basket" of currencies that include the Yuan (China), the Yen (Japan), and the Euro (though the Euro is also experiencing a lot of trouble due to several Euro-nations huge in huge debt crisis).

What does that mean? It means that the U.S. will no longer be able to sell our supply of U.S. treasuries to pay for our its deficit spending. Of course, QE2 had the Fed creating the money and then using that money to buy their own treasuries! I still haven't figured out the math on that one. Either way, we have no way of paying our debt or paying the interest on our debt.

So what does THAT mean? It means that they'll have to raise interest rates to gather the money back in. They'll also have to print even MORE money so they can make the interest payments on our national debt. Bottom line: INFLATION! Some experts believe it may even lead to hyperinflation.

What does THAT MEAN? That means we need to prepare so we can still function when bread costs $10 a loaf (or more?), gas is $10 a gallon, and your monthly grocery bill triples or quadruples.

So what am I suggesting? Stock up.

Why am I saying this now?

On November 23rd, in the China Daily News, there was an article that China and Russia have decided to renounce the US dollar and resort to using their own currencies for bilateral trade. While it is not a wholesale quitting of the dollar from a world-wide perspective, it is two of the more powerful countries making their first HUGE step towards the eventual destruction of the U.S. Dollar, which I believe will have a domino effect on other countries holding U.S. dollars.

Here's just some examples of what I've noticed lately about rising prices. In some cases these increases haven't hit the consumer yet, but they will once the companies can no longer sustain the losses:

Sugar prices already rising over 70% this year alone
General Mills and Kraft to raise prices due to grain price increases
Rising Corn prices
Cotton going up

Where is the U.S. Dollar Headed?

2010-11-23T16:00:00.009-08:00

Things have really changed in the U.S. economy since 2007. The real estate we've held has dropped dramatically, cutting into our networth in the hundreds of thousands. I am thankful for a good job that pays me well, but I don't even begin to assume that I'll have that forever. I've seen some amazingly talented workers get laid off in the last 2 years. I've watched them struggle to find jobs, make mortgage payments, and many have filed bankruptcy or simply lost their homes. We've all heard the stories. The lines at the food banks get longer each week while our country's leaders borrow more in a misguided effort to stimulate the economy. Most of us know that with our own household budgets, you cut spending when you can't meet your bills; borrowing more simply leads to a bigger fall in the end.

So what do we do? Do we sit back and passively wait to see what the Federal Reserve and the White House comes up with to try to save our economy? Or, do we do some legwork of our own to find out what history can tell us about other countries that have struggled similarly? How did the people survive when their monetary system crashed? How can we personally avoid adding to the problem and actually become part of the solution?

Just some questions and thoughts that have been on my mind lately. I'll post more with links to some research I've done of late. I know that this is not a popular subject. We all would like life to go on as it has for decades. I just really don't think that is going to be the case. I think the next 10 years is going to look dramatically different than the last 10 and I want to be as ready for it as I can possibly be.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Barcelona

2010-09-14T00:09:00.001-07:00

We spent three days in Barcelona touring the main sights like La Sagrada Familia, the "Cathedral" and Park Guell. The architecture of the buildings are a beautiful blend of the old and the modern. The shopping in Barcelona was some of the best.

The main promenade, Las Ramblas, is about a mile of shops and street performers. We must have walked up and down that street a dozen times. Some of the street performers were very unique and would have huge crowds around them. There were angels, Atlas with the world on his shoulders, unknown characters, ogres, headless chefs, magicians, and artists. Every time we went down the street there was always something new.

We did try out these GoCars which were like two-seated mopeds that toured us around to famous sights. That didn't go over so well though. The one we had had a messed up GPS which meant we couldn't follow the route so we went back to get it fixed. It also had trouble starting. Once we got going we found that whichever one of us was following the other had to breathe the nasty exhaust of the other. We originally had reserved a full day, but one hour turned out to be more than enough.

The famous La Sagrada Familia, which started construction in the 1800's with Antoni Gaudi as the architect, was mind blowing. I have no way of describing the grandeur of the still unfinished church. It is likely to take another 50 years to finish. Gaudi died at the age of 76 after being hit by a tram. He knew he would never see it finished but said "God has all the time in the world".

Sent from my iPod

Bye Bye Les Baux

2010-09-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we visited the Pont du Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct, and then on to Nimes. There we took about an hour whirlwind tour in a mini train that showed us the main sights in the city: the Roman arena, an ancient temple, and more. We walked around a bit, found a self service laundry, so made a beeline back to out car for our laundry bags so we could finally get some fresh clothes.

We decided to hurry back to Les Baux in order to catch the sunset on the town, hopeful for amazing photos. We were not disappointed. The town glowed.

The town, emptied of the day trippers, felt like it was ours alone as we wandered the empty stone streets. Our new suite was beautiful, had it's own terrace, and was very unique; very pleasant for our last night. We watched the stars from our terrace and drank in the night.

It did not rain.

After our breakfast, we took one last shopping trek through town before heading out. We drove East of Avignon to see some caves, but they were closed for a two hour lunch break which put us off schedule for exploring Avignon, so we left and headed for our last bit of sightseeing in France.

We toured the Papal Palace, the nearby gardens and two churches. We have found that the old churches have some great art: frescoes, paintings, sculptures, carvings, and more, so we try to wander into most we see. One in particular had a mass starting in one of the side chapels and they were singing so sweetly. There were two nuns dressed in pure white singing alternatively with one man. It was so simple, clear, and reverent. We stayed for quite a while listening to song after song.

After a nice leisurely dinner we headed to our hotel for an early night. We had a 6:00 am train to catch to Barcelona.

Sent from my iPod

Les Baux II

2010-09-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

We have lost track of the days. I just know I have so many days at this location and so many at that and them it is time to go. However, I believe that it was the 7th, the night after the big storm, when we toured the chateau. WOW. The size of the castle had been huge and had survived multiple drives over the centuries. The views from various high points overlooking the valley, on all sides, were incredible. They had actual working trebuchet, a large version of a catapult, a battering ram, and the smaller catapult. It was extremely windy and nearly blew me sideways a couple of times! James figures it was gusting at least 40 MPH. There were dozens of very steep stairs that were worn with 6 inch divots carved out of the stone. We were exhausted afterwards and knew we would feel it in the legs later. One section was newly discovered in the 90's, and went way down lower than they thought the structure went and was full of more rooms and storage and cisterns.

After several hours of climbing and crawling all over the chateau, we headed off to Arles. Arles had several Roman ruins from the first century, including an arena. The wind was still very brisk and we were ticketed out, so we didn't actually stay more than about 2 to 3 hours and then headed back to Les Baux for a quiet dinner.

We pick a small restaurant, one of only about 4 to choose from. We ate indoors since it was a little too cool out. During dinner we were treated to a lightning show off in the distance, though there was no accompanying thunder. Our skies were starry and beautiful while the storm raged on the horizon. We did get some video and I did manage to catch one strike with my camera - which tool many tries.

Later in our room we threw open the window and watched for a long time before turning in. It was beautiful. James woke me up around 1:00 to say the storm had hit us, the 2nd night in a row! It was louder and more violent than before! We struggled go sleep. I did manage to doze off until...

Our entire bathroom turned into a shower. Water poured from three light fixtures and streamed down the walls and poured out (it had a raised floor up off the side of our room with a sliding glass door) into our bedroom. Unfortunately the power was out. Unfortunately, I needed to use the restroom. Unfortunately, I could not wait, so I ended up having a midnight frigid shower! We were afraid the ceiling would cave in, so I handed James everything out of bathroom, makeup bags, towels, hair stuff, tooth brushes, and the like. James figured a couple of gallons per minute poured into the bathroom. Anything on one side of the bed was soaked in minutes. We quickly packed up everything in case we had to flee the room and then laid back down and just waited. We could tell the storm was starting to move off and again I managed to doze off until...

James woke me up again and said our bedroom roof was leaking right onto his head. I turned my iTouch into a flashlight (yes, there's an app for that) for the second time that night and we located several leaks in our room, with the biggest being right over our heads. We grabbed the recently rescued towels and used those where our pillows had been and scooted down low in the bed to avoid the drips and finally fell asleep around 3:00 a.m.

Well the roof didn't cave in. We did survive, and the sun was actually shining when we unfolded ourselves out of our fetal positions.

Our B&B hostess, Ute was horrified of our ordeal and the mess and moved us to the suite for tonight. So while we have this strange story, we also have her nicest room for our last night in the magical Les Baux.

Sent from my iPod

Les Baux

2010-09-08T04:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Les Baux after we left Cassis, though we did stop at Aix de Provence for about two hours. Les Baux is magical to me. There is nothing like it. It is a tiny town carved out of the mountainside with origins and ruins dating back to the 12th century.

Clouds had started to gather by the time we arrived; around six. After checking into our B&B, we ate dinner and wandered the now nearly vacant town (all the day trippers had left). The cobbled streets are very narrow and wind upward toasted the ruins of an old chateau that housed the barons or lords that were in power. The town was attacked several times in it's history due to it's excellent location atop a high hill as well as for limestone, bauxite and fertile green valleys it controlled.

We brought our tiny car into town after seven when it is allowed, and brought our bags in as you do not want to risk ruining them by bumping them along the uneven stones. James is very intrigued by how people built and modernized such medieval buildings.

A huge storm rolled in our first night and we were awakened by monstrously loud claps of thunder and blinding flashes of lightening. It went on and off for several hours making it hard to sleep. We could hear the deluge and saw the damage it made the next day when we visited nearby St Remy to try to do laundry. Many stores were mopping out and closed, including the one laundromat. We decided to try again the next day.

I will write more about Les Baux again when I have more time, but I will tease you by saying we didn't get much sleep the next night either.

Moving on to the French Hills of Provence

2010-09-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

James got a little burned yesterday. I think he needed a couple of additional applications of sunscreen. He very proud of his international burn, and men says he "planned it".

We moved from our regular room to the suite for one night- sigh... very nice. We usually try to have one splurge night somewhere in the trip, and this is where it fit in.

We have gotten quite hot and tended to sweat more than we are used to, so whenever we found a cool breeze we would put our hands on our hips and make it look like we were having an animated argument. In reality we typically would be trying to decide in what flavor of gelato to try next, or what in the world to buy Ricky for a gift.

Yesterday there was some kind of regatta race in the little bay. There were 1, 2, & 4 person slender boats with the long oars that raced out to a large buoy and back for several laps. It seemed there were 2 separate races. Other than that the town was MUCH quitter on Sunday than it was on Saturday. The waterfront marina area with all the restaurants and shops was a throng of people.

We leave Cassis later today, but not until we take a boat ride along the rugged coastline first. This area has fjiord-like fingers if rocks jutting out into the sea that they call Calanques. We want to explore them some today.

Later we will head on to Les Baux, a tiny hill town that is very romantic and sill be our home base while we check out other towns and sights like Nimes, and the famous aqueduct called Pont du Gard.

I hope to finally get photos uploaded sometime during this portion of our trip.

Talk to you all soon!

Sent from my iPod

Cassis Part Deaux

2010-09-05T01:06:00.000-07:00

My last blog post got sent in mid-sentence the mention my iTouch came into wireless range.

What I had been saying was that I did buy one pair of sandals in Venice. However, I was disappointed almost the minute I walked out the door because they looked so ordinary. Ordinary won't cut it. So the search was still on.

I found my "bling blings" in St Tropez where they have a noted style made famous by a leather artisan. They are called St Tropeziennes. They are like nothing I have ever had for sure.

Today we have rented chaises on the beach and will do nothing.

Sent from my iPod

Cassis

2010-09-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

We rented our car in Nice and them headed for Grasse where I had some fragrance on order. Back in 2006, when Mandy and I were there, we crafted our own fragrances. I really liked Mandy's, so I ordered a bottle for myself. They had the day mixed up, so we had to kill some time while they made it up. We found the old town and toured Fragonard, a several hundred year old fragrance company which has been in the same family the entire time.

After going back and getting my perfume, we headed on to St Tropez. We watched massive yachts go in and out of the harbor while eating lunch. After some shopping, we were off to Cassis. I had heard of this harrowing cliffside road called Road de Cretes that had amazing views of the Mediterranean. We found the road and photos will not do it justice.

Cassis is a small fishing village that has become a destination for vacationers in the 20 years or so. James thinks it is romantic. We walked the marina area to find just the right spot for dinner, then sat near the water to watch the stars come out and a few fishermen cast their lines. I agree with James that it is very romantic.

Tomorrow is just a lazy day on the beach, shopping, and a boat ride.

Oh, I have to mention that I bought what I call my "bling bling" shoes. You have go buy shoes In Europe. I bought a pair in
Sent from my iPod

2010-09-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

It has been quite warm each day; probably in the 80's. Monaco was quite an experience with the 100+ foot yachts, the exotic cars, and the very wealthy people coming out of shops like Chanel, Gucci, Ferragamo, Bruno Magli, and the like. I made sure to give them lots of elbow room on the sidewalk so they wouldn't be sullied. When we were at the marina one young woman (probably in her early 20's) had three or four Helpers carrying about five or six garment bags, each with several hangers, plus probably another dozen or more shopping bags, onto a huge yacht. Everyone took their shoes off before boarding the boat.

Today we rent a car and head off to Grasse to pick up fragrance I ordered, then St Tropez for lunch, then on to Cassis for the next 2 days.

Sent from my iPod

Monaco

2010-09-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am sitting at a tiny cafe here in Monaco just killing time while James tries his hand at the casino, Monte Carlo. It is probably in the upper 80's in the direct sun. This email will send once I am again in my hotel with the free wireless service, so don't be confused if you start calculating times and time zones.

I figure I have probably gained a pound or two, even with the heavy walking (we avg about 7 miles a day).
I am doing salads for lunch now. Darn.

Tomorrow we rent a car and head off for St Tropez and then on to Cassis, a small fishing village on the coast.

James is really loving these high-end, classier towns.

Sent from my iPod

Monaco today

2010-09-03T01:29:00.000-07:00

Today we head off to Monaco. James is really liking Nice; the ambiance is oh so fine.

Sent from my iPod

Finishing Venice - on to Nice

2010-09-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

September 2st was our last full day in Venice. We had a leisurely day getting lost in the alleys; we made a point of hitting spots we hadn't explored before. We found several churches we had not looked in. They were beautiful. One in particular had the most amazing paintings on the entire ceiling; it actually looked 3D.

Marco, the owner of our B&B, was back for our last breakfast. This is the fourth time I have stayed there. I love his place. It is the best value to be found in Venice.

After a quick last minute shopping and bank machine dash, we checked out and headed to the airport for out flight to Nice. Now we start the French Riviera portion of our trip. We will meander Nice today and check out Monaco on Sept 2nd.

After arriving in Nice, we took the bus to our hotel and checked in. We were pleasantly surprised by the room. It was very modem with its updates and the bed doesn't feel hard!

We walked the beach boardwalk for a few hours then had dinner. we did find the "old town" which was a labyrinth of tight streets filled with shops. dinner was wonderful, better than any other so far.

Tomorrow we head off to Monaco.

Sent from my iPod

Finishing up Venice

2010-09-01T01:38:00.000-07:00

We are about six days into our trip and we are already exhausted. We are walking an average of about 7 miles a day. I also managed to get an infection in one of my toes right from the start so have been pouring some antiseptic on my toe several times a day to try to get that shut down.

Paris weather was spotty and cool, with some rain on most days, but not bad. One day we did the hop-on-hop-off bus that gave us a good tour of the major sites like the Louvre, Arc de Triomph, Champ d Elysees (not sure of the spelling here), and the like. It was good considering it was cold and rainy for most of that day.

On Monday, at least I think it was Monday, we went on to Venice. Venice was bluster the first day, but was pleasant. Jackie and Dale leave on their cruise from here and only had one full day in Venice, so we let them pick what they wanted to do. We mostly toured around looking for the best shopping deals. Today, I think it is Wednesday, we are on our own now and we will take the day a little slower. I want to visit the churches, some museums, and pick up a few gifts. Tonight will be drinks in Piazza San Marco with the bands trying to out play each other. I love that. Tonight is all about romance.

On Thursday we head off to Nice and the South of France. I am excited to show James the cool stuff that Mandy and I found when we were there in 2006. It should be warm and beautiful.

Next time I will try to post some pictures.

Ciao!

Once in a Lifetime Pounds

2010-08-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

We are down to less than 3 days before we head off to Europe - again. We love traveling Europe. I wish I could live in Europe. We love to experience the food, the history, architecture, the food and the various cultures that are so very different than life here in the U.S. And did I mention the food?

Here is some advice on a more obscure preparation activity: weight gain. Yes, you read that right. I'm saving my pounds available to gain for France, Italy, and Spain! The pounds gained in those countries surely are better than pounds gained here. I can gain poundage here - anytime. Any weight gain resulting from a European trip is truly special. Each pound gained is a once-in-a-lifetime pound. They are pounds I will never ever experience anywhere else. With that philosophy in mind, it becomes very important to not gain any weight pre-trip that might minimize the actual trip poundage total available. In fact, I recommend losing pounds just so you have poundage to gain in exotic locales. When faced with excellent food choices pre-trip, I remind myself of the possibilities for truly exceptional pounds awaiting me just a few days away. It definitely makes my food choices so much easier!

Cancer Diagnosis - 1 Year Later

2010-08-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

August 20th marked the one year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. As the anniversary date approached, I found myself becoming emotional; I really wanted to say something to my family members who helped me through the hard times. So, I had a BBQ dinner and asked them all over to join me. After dinner I read a letter to them all expressing my thankfulness for their part in my life this last year.

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Sometimes, though not often, I am at a loss for words. This is not one of those times. Here around me, I have the most important people on earth – to me. Each of you holds a special place in my heart, some of you for more years than others, but no less special. I can’t imagine life without any single one of you.

These last 12 months have been tough and stressful. I’ve had 4 surgeries, about 24 x-rays, 43 radiation treatments, 212 doctor appointments, one missed Utah vacation, a new job that started out very ugly, two new managers, and 1 birthday. But wait, that’s not all! I’ve had good stuff too, here’s naming a few of them: two new granddaughters, a fixed foot, a missing 15 lbs, a birthday, 2 new managers, a new healthier body, and a great vacation with the love of my life to look forward to.

I’ve learned a lot in this last year. I’ve learned how to lean on others, how to cry again, and how to open my heart to help when I need it (only when I need it mind you!). This is the first year in decades that I can remember crying for myself rather than someone else’s troubles. I feel I’ve just begun to realize what is really important in life. It’s not my job, it’s not trying to stay looking young, it’s not how many things I can accomplish while I’m on this earth. It’s about my relationships with all of you.

This is the year that I learned how very much I really needed you James. I can’t imagine how I could have made it through this year without you holding me up. I felt sad for people who don’t have someone like you to help them through something like this. I remember the days and nights where you’d just let me sit on your lap and let me cry. You were so very reassuring to me; your love strong and sure. I was amazed at your willingness to accompany me to MRI’s, surgeries, radiation treatments, and doctor appointments, and then to even sell your car so we could go on a long vacation together. It wasn’t just me that had cancer – WE had cancer. You’re amazing.

Mandy - you were the first person I cried in front of. I remember being at your house sitting on the edge of your bed and actually opening up to you and letting myself cry. You had a lot on your plate, but you still took time to hold me and comfort me. You also presented me with a wonderful little wiggly distraction when I needed it most. Thank you.

Ricky - you were very caring to call me often and just say “I love you”. You do that so well. There’s something about a son looking out for his mom, truly role switch after years of Mom looking out for her son, which I can’t put into words. You were, and are, a constant comfort to me. Thank you.

Dad - your caring words and just knowing you were there watching out for me every day, ready to be helpful in any way you could, was a comfort. While my independent self resisted, inwardly it was nice to know you had my back on anything from taking me to doctors, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping; anything. Thank you.

Linda and Rod – just the effervescent life that emanates from your house: little girls, house decorating, lawn mowing, work, school, and the like; sure helped keep me focused away from dealing with cancer and onto living and being active. You showed me that life can’t stop and Ali and Sierra’s young lives, full of laughter and joy, filled the air around here and blessed me. I know I can just really be me with you guys. I can be sad, happy, or just plain quiet and know I’ll be accepted just the way I am. Linda, the cancer necklace gift was like my charm. I view it as my badge of honor now. Thank you.

Daniel and Rosemary – Thank you for coming into my life these last few years as new family members. You each bring wonderful qualities that I cherish; I feel very blessed to be your mother-in-law. I know I don’t say it enough, but I love you and I am very glad you’re part of my family. You both have brought a lot of fun, humor, laughter, and joy to my life. I hope that as the years progress our relationship can grow stronger and be full of even more blessings.

I found my silver lining through this trial of a year. I found a tiny silver thread, and then felt the tug as I began to pull. The thread of these relationships, with you, became a strong cord that I was able to cling to as a life line. That beautiful piece of silver cord is now interwoven into the tapestry that makes up the picture of my life. Thank you so much for contributing so richly to me.

So this next 12 months is going to be better than the last 12 months. I can feel it. I know I’m starting it out pretty good! I aim to be healthier, less stressed, more available, less overworked, stronger, more prayerful, happier, and more loving, more worshipful, and above all, more thankful.

Thank you everybody. I love you.

*******************

Several family members were not able to make the dinner, but would also like to send out a heartfelt thank you to them as well:

Shirley - you were so very thoughtful in making sure I had some great books to help me navigate the decisions I was facing. You are a very caring and comforting person. You're an amazing woman full of empathy and compassion. Thank you.

Stephanie - thank you so much for the wine in the pink cat cancer awareness bottle, and the books. The bottle now sits in my bathroom full of bubble bath. Thank you for coming over to spend some time with me and to help me out. It was thoughtful and very sweet. I look forward to running the 5K with you next year!

Janet - you hopped right in to help even though you live almost 3 hours away. Thank you for loaning me your juicer and showing me the juicing "ropes". Your willingness to drive on down and help out is amazing for a woman with as much on her plate as you have. What a great sister!!

Thank you everyone for your love, comfort, support, encouragement, and prayers.

THE WILD SIDE OF MY BETTER HALF

2010-08-02T18:00:00.015-07:00

I wrote this after my first trip overseas with James. As I prepare for my next trip with him, I had to dig it out and fondly remember what is in store for me.

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I’ve never spent more than 10 days alone, I mean really alone, 24x7, in the company of my husband. Now that wouldn’t be so significant if we were newly married, but we’re talking several decades as husband and wife, not to mention the fact that we knew each other since grade school days. Well, it wasn’t until 2004, after spending 37 days traveling through parts of Europe with him on The Big Trip and wondered exactly who is this man I married?

I guess I’m naïve, though I shouldn’t be surprised. There have been hints it before when we’ve gone on trips. It starts with the countdown. I can attest to that since the original countdown to our wedding and subsequent honeymoon. See, according to him you can’t count the current day and you don’t count the day you leave. So, depending on what time of the day you actually leave, you can shave off two days from the countdown right from the get-go. We’ve even had instances where we’ve been able to lop off almost a whole week. Vacations never got here so fast. I’ve tried to convince him to count how many more “wake-ups” we have before we leave. But apparently that is a flawed calculation technique. Of course this counting method is nowhere to be seen once you’re on vacation. There’s no fun in that. But now that I’m thinking of it, I’m going to try that next time we go somewhere. I can just hear it now:

“Hey Hon! Guess What? We only have 3 days left. You better start packing to go home.”

“What!! We just got here. What are you talking about?”

“Well, you can’t count today, and you can't count (insert miscellaneous and ludicrous logic here) whatever you do, don’t relax!”

Anyway, he’s one of Those people. You know the ones I’m talking about. It’s Those people who set their clock 15 minutes fast so when the alarm clock rings they can sleep in. They drive the rest of Us people - nuts. We know they’re fooling no one, but they blissfully ignore your attempts at logic, happy in their private deceptions. Well, God Bless ‘em.

So my master prevaricator begins his countdown usually weeks, if not months before the actual D-Day. The closer we get the more excited and talkative he becomes. He can’t sleep and he recounts the days just to make sure he hasn’t miscalculated. I’ve gotten emails at work from him with a cryptic “38 more days!!” when, in fact, we won’t leave for another 40. Silly man. He also begins packing days before I’ve even thought to pull out the luggage. Thankfully, prior to “The Big Trip,” he was working so hard to finish a construction project that he had no time to get too imaginative.

I noticed the first sign of distressingly aberrant behavior only a few days into our trip. We had left Frankfurt and were headed towards a small town on the Rhein River, Bacharach. James got downright randy; first a playful bump, then a grab or two, a pinch, and by noon – outright groping. Now I’m great with affection, but when there’s a surprise bout of forced tonsil hockey while in line for a train ticket, I decided I had to take action and headed for a miniscule gift stand some 50 feet away.

But wait, that's not all! Not only was he being frisky, he started up the incessant talking; mostly questions actually.

“I wonder how many boats go up and down the river each day?”

“What do you think would happen if that guy there with the bad rug stuck his head out of the window? We could call him The Rooster! Remember the movie where John Wayne was called Rooster Cogburn?”

And my personal favorite: “I’ll bet this hill is 2000 years old” to which, interestingly enough, someone nearby argued was probably actually 4000 years old and the one next to it was at least 6000.

The whip cream on this particular sundae is his habit of reading aloud all the signs he sees. That is somewhat annoying driving around parts of the city we live in day in, day out, but when you’re in a foreign country, it sounds downright ridiculous. Oh, and did I mention that he has a loud voice? Think about the foreign pronounciations too. It was quite funny - at first.

I thanked my Heavenly Father I had remembered to bring my MP3 player. I left our train compartment to escape for a few moments and dug around in my backpack for it. I stuffed those little ear-bud-headphone-type-things into my offended canals so tight that I was worried I’d have to find an apothecary store and buy tweezers in order to extract them later. Forward thinking that I am, I dug out my German phrase book and began to look for words to help me with that purchase. Hmmm, no tweezers listed. I picked the best alternative I could find and committed it to memory: “haben sie eine zahnstocher?” Or, “do you have a toothpick?” I figured I could stab the spongy part and simply pull them out. Though, I would have to be careful since I had always been told by my parents not to ever put anything smaller than football in my ear; like I’ve listened to that piece of advice given I’d been using ear buds, cotton swabs and shoved various and sundry other things in my ears for years (the eraser end of pencils work well if you’re trying to think). Anyway, if the clerk still couldn’t fathom my request, I decided to resort to mime by pinching my fingers and pantomime a painful eyebrow plucking session. Yeah, that should work. With that dilemma solved, I rejoined the ongoing monologue in our train compartment, activated my player and settled down, ever hopeful of a peaceful journey at last.

Unfortunately, the batteries were dead. I bobbed and weaved with the beat anyway. How was he to know the only tune I was hearing was the thump thump of my own pulse pounding in my ears? I could hear him chattering away to God knows whom.

4, 3, 2, 1...Count Down!

2010-07-30T16:30:00.001-07:00

There are less than 4 weeks until I have the giddy pleasure of leaving the U.S. of A by jetting off to my favorite vacation destination: Europe. My husband of 31 years (as of Wednesday 7/28) and I will be joined by his sister and brother-in-law, Jackie and Dale, and they will be with us for part of our 3 week journey. They will be taking off on a Mediterranean cruise in Venice and then join us again in Barcelona, Spain 10 days later.

Our journey starts with a few days in Paris and then a flight down for several days in Venice. This will be my fourth trip to Venice in 9 years; James's 2nd. It is a favorite of ours. Venice is a fascinating city in a state of what I call elegant decay. The premise of this city in the middle of a bay with no cars is pretty amazing. We love visiting the churches with the incredible art captured within, find hidden piazza's (plazas) as well as just get lost while walking the city alley ways. Oh, and the shopping is amazing.

We have traveled with Jackie and Dale several times before. Let me interject here that it is important to make sure you travel with people you get along with really well. You want to be able to be yourself and voice your opinions on the "what do you want to do today," or "where shall we eat" questions without letting yourself get shut out if there are more opinionated voices in the group. That said, we've traveled with them before and get along fabulously. We are very much looking forward to showing them the joys of traveling in the alluring Europe. We picked a good time of year to go as far as the weather. It is also the tail end of the tourist season, so we'll miss some of the larger crowding typically found in June - August.

We start out in Paris, only for a few short days, and then head on to Venice for 3 days. Jackie and Dale leave on the 2nd day for their cruise. From there James and I head over to the South of France to Nice. We'll do some day trips to Monaco and St. Tropez from there before we rent a car and go to a quaint fishing village of Cassis (see photo). Cassis will be our restful respite after lots of touring and walking. We'll be able to meander the small town and hit the beach. I also hope to take a boat tour of the Calanques, sort of like fjords, that make up the rugged coast line there.

After Cassis we drive up into the mountains in the Provence region. There we'll stay in a tiny, nearly forgotten town of Les Baux. Les Baux has ruins of a 12th century castle that was once a regional seat of power. It was destroyed in 1632 by King Louis XIII. The city is literally carved into the rock that rises up from the valley floor. While staying in Les Baux, we'll do day trips to visit the famous Pont du Gard aquaduct, the city of Nimes, Arles, an other nearby towns.

Our next big leg of the trip is down into Spain. After a quick night in Avignon to catch a 6 a.m. train, we're off to Barcelona. This is where we catch up with Jackie and Dale who will finish up their cruise there. I am very excited to see the Modernisme architecture made famous by Gaudi in the late 19th century, and Gaudi's famous Sagrada Familia, still unfinished (slated for completion in about 50 years).

After Barcelona, we head down to the south of Spain, starting in Granada to see the Alhambra. We've purchased our tickets to that structure in advance at the advice of several travel gurus. After Granada we'll head even farther south and check out Gibraltar. We hope to take the gondola up and then walk down and check out the Apes of Gibraltar. We then spend the night in Tarifa in order to catch an early morning catamaran ride over to Morocco where we have a tour or Tangier arranged. Jackie is very adamant about wanting to ride a camel, which we hear is available on the tour. I may opt to be the photographer and watch the others meander herky jerky around on the smelly, lurching behemoths.

The trip is rounded out with a nice stay at a Marriott resort in Malaga before we head on home. From there I hope we have time to visit one or two of the white villages that dot the Spanish coastal area. I've seen some really nice videos and pictures of the area so I do find myself conflicted about visiting that or laying on a beach. I tend to bypass the beach because one can lay on a beach with closed eyes lots of places around the world, even at home, where I can only see these unique sights one place. Hmmm... which do you think I'll choose?

So that's the trip in a nutshell. You can see the entire itinerary, if you so choose, by visiting TripIt. You do not have to sign up to view the itinerary. As usual, I will also blog as we go. I also hope to post occasionally on Facebook.

Europe Travel Map

2010-07-30T12:02:00.001-07:00

Travel Route

Take a look at our itinerary on the map above as well as check out the details I've made available on TripIt.

Upcoming Trip

2010-07-03T14:09:00.002-07:00

The Weird, Odd and Ugly

2010-05-21T17:54:00.001-07:00

God told her to move into a house - A woman moved into a new home and forged paperwork to show she owned the house because she said "God told her to".

God told him to go naked - When officers responded to complaints of neighbord, Mohamed reportedly explained to the officers that 'America raped him' and that God had told him to walk around naked in order to save his soul.

Bra Removing Contest - A Chinese shopping mall hosted a competition to find out who could unclasp bras the fastest using just one hand. Of course, men were removing the bras off of women.

Dubai's Vending Machine that Dispenses...Gold! - You heard it right. Dubai now has a vending machine dubbed "Gold to Go" where you can purchase gold.

Former French "Heart Throbs" are Beyond Ugly and They Like it! - Now Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff look more like the alien life forms they used to report on Thirty years ago they were the heart-throbs of French television with their own primetime series on science fiction.

One word: WOW

Loose Screw

2010-05-15T16:31:00.002-07:00

What was thought to be a loose screw - is not. My podiatrist decided to take the screw out of my foot thinking it may be loose or catching on ligaments thus causing the inflammation and pain. Well, I went in on Thursday and he took the screw out. I asked him to do it in his office because I had a problem with the idea of paying 10K to go into a hospital for a 45 minute procedure. He numbed me up and the proceeded to remove the screw. It turned out it was not loose, rather very much embedded into the bone. It looks like the screw may have even punched through the bottom of the bone and been causing problems that way. No wonder the bottom of my foot was sore and swollen each time I ran!

So the screw is out and again I am bandaged up and healing. My 5K Susan G. Kogem walk is 3 weeks away. Clearly I won't be running. I'll be lucky to walk the entire way. But I am going to do it!

So, no loose screws here, and I hope to be running again soon.

What Did I Do?!

2010-04-25T11:18:00.003-07:00

Those of you that have been following me the last few months through cancer and subsequent foot surgery to fix some issues, you know that I've been trying hard to overcome those events with a different mind-set. I am proud of myself these last few weeks.

My change of heart has been through a test the last 3 weeks. My foot, while it would ache and swell marginally after a long walk, or when I tried to step it up to run, I would press on. My stamina has increased as well as my daily desire to actually fit in some kind of workout. I can't call it guilt, but rather a knowledge that I would feel better, mentally and physically, once I did. It really works!! I highly recommend it.

Every workout, whether indoors or outside, includes my iTouch, full of music that moves me: great beats, inspirational, motivational, and fast paced. I talk to God during my workouts. I pray for "my babies" (children and grandchildren), my husband, and thoroughly enjoy simply being thankful to God for my health and ability to even do a workout. He is so very faithful. Gone are the days of my lazy workouts where I barely break a sweat, lifting a few 5 or 10 lb weights. I work hard - really hard. It feels really good too.

My foot, though tender, was cooperating in general until about 2 weeks ago. I don't know what happened, but each workout ended with the foot being more sore than usual. It would start to hurt at night when I slept - actually waking me up. Then I tweaked it on Wednesday and felt it give. Now it hurts almost every step of every day. I have rounded up some old pain pills from the surgery and have had to take those to get it quieted down to even sleep. Clearly workouts on the elliptical or treadmill are out of the question. I'm back to only 3 pairs of shoes even fitting. I called and setup an appointment with my foot doctor for Wednesday. I also didn't workout Thursday thru Saturday. It really bothered me to not fit one in. I was very active given some activities planned, but no workout at all had me bummed.

Sunday, I woke up early and decided to try a short .20 mile walk around the neighborhood to see how it would pan out. It didn't. I could barely make it all the way around. Determined, I went into my workout space and decided to craft a workout that would work with my bad foot. I did it! I worked out about 45 minutes using weights, and got creative with my workout ball. Yippee!

I love it that I beat down a very good excuse to not workout and found a way! I feel like I've turned a critical corner in my journey to healthy living.

So, I don't know what I did to my foot. I'm concerned given I need it for a variety of reasons. I'm somewhat worried about the outcome given I have a heavy walking vacation planned for the end of summer. This same thing happened last time I had foot surgery 10 years ago. I ended up needing full reconstructive surgery and bone grafts and 8 months on crutches. I'm praying hard that is not the case again here.

Pray with me.

I'm Going to Whine a Bit Here...

2010-04-05T17:36:00.003-07:00

I was at my favorite Sumner restaurant last month with James and I partook of their $5 wine tasting they have on Wednesday nights, or was it a Thursday nights, I forget. Sorci's is a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant that has great food. The owner is a wine afficianado and loves to have wine tastings and actually has a huge collection to select from, considering the tiny size of the place. So this particular Wednesday, or Thursday, his offering was from his sweeter wine selections. I love sweet wines, so this particular tasting was a go for me.

It was a lovely evening sitting at their antique marble bar (their other 5 tables were full, so we had to sit at the bar that night) enjoying our food and my sweet little tastings. While waiting for our food, I started reading some of the descriptions of the wines that were laying around in various holders there on the bar. One hit me as particularly hilarious. I dug in my purse and grabbed my business card and started scribbling the notation down so I would have it for later blogging. I couldn't pass up the description for the 2007 Catena Malbec.

A sleek, polished style, with alluring mocha and raspberry ganache notes leading the way, backed by dark plum, hoisin sauce and graphite flavors that push through the finish. This has serious weight, but stays focused and driven. (I didn't make up this punctuation - truly.)

What in the heck does that mean?!!?? Graphite? Hoisin sauce? I'm thinking that the vintners were sipping a little too much of the product before creating their little wine-blurb. Answer me this: how does a wine stay focused and driven? What does graphite taste like? Did they throw in some pencils and left over sauce from their lunchtime chinese takeout?

It got me thinking about other descriptors and decided to go do some research. Here are a few of my favorites that I found off of the Wine Library web site.

2006 Perrin Christins Vacqueyras - Very racy, with lots of red and black currant fruit backed by a great graphite spine. Offers nice hints of licorice, spice and iron on the finish. Iron? Graphite spine?

2008 Keller Klaus Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling Trocken - ...On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very pure and seamless, with a rock solid core of fruit, bright acids, superb focus and a classic shape on the very long, racy and laser-like finish. Just a superb bottle in the making.

2005 L'arlot Les Suchots Vosne Romanee - Deep, bright red. Sexy aromas and flavors of bitter cherry, redcurrant, minerals, cocoa powder and flowers. Lush and sweet, with a texture of liquid velvet. Boasts wonderful subtle depth and explosive inner-mouth perfume. A wine of great class and finesse, but also has the strength for a brilliant evolution in bottle. This stains the palate with perfume in a way that just about no pinot made outside Burgundy can imitate. My palate will be stained; oh dear. I wonder if that will ruin me for other wines in the future; though I would like to find out what liquid velvet tastes like.

2006 Chateau Pape Clement - The dense purple-colored 2006 boasts an extraordinary perfume of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, burning embers, and a sensation that can only be described as like walking through a damp forest on a hot, humid day... Lead pencil shavings? Burning embers? Oh, the walk through the forest sounds nice, unless of course, you're near a marsh with skunk cabbage, or you are in close proximity of some rutting elk; then not so much.

I'm sure there's some wine afficiando out there somewhere who could tell me that some of these words are really important. There is probably some secret de-coder ring that other wine nuts know about, telling one exactly what to expect from the wine. But hey, I'm not a wine afficiando. They sound just plain weird to me.

Everything Hurts

2010-03-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

In my inpatient quest to be fit, I've taken up running. I hurt. Every muscle, ligament, and bone from my waist down is in some kind of trauma. My feet hurt (no surprise there). The small of my back hurts - what's with that? My left knee twinges every time I put weight on it; and my legs are sore and feel like they weight 100 lbs each (maybe they do?).

Running so far, feels like a love/hate kind of exercise. Exercise in general is love/hate, but this seems more than normal. I keep dreaming about the day, months out, when I am trim and vigorous and can run several miles without a second thought. This is what keeps me going.

I also found a group on Facebook, called Couch-to-5K or C25K that has links to a site: http://www.coolrunning.com/ where there is loads of info for runners; new runners in particular. The Facebook site has been great with people starting out just like me that can offer support and agonize with me. Pretty cool.

Today during my run, I was listening to my iTouch and a song "I am free to Run" popped on. In a word: perfect.

Springing into Action

2010-03-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

I'm more focused now than I probably have been in...well forever. At least about fitness and health. Oh, I worked out plenty in my younger years, but I sure wasn't as motivated as I am now. Back then it was about being slender and also about the "me" time I could carve out. Now it is about staying cancer free and active so I can run, jump, and play with my kids and grandkids. I want to be full of vitality and not, as I see so many around me, too tired out to engage in anything after a long days work.

My stint with cancer which culminated in 6 weeks of tiresome radiaton and then immediately going into 6 weeks lolly-gaggin' around the house with pins in my feet meant that I had gained weight (again). Within just a few days of having the pins out, I painfully began the walking again, determined to get fit. I had been doing quite well prior to the surgery, but 6 weeks off my feet meant it was slow going for a while. Well it is now 6 weeks later and I can pretty much walk as many miles as before. I have even started to run a little. I can't run far, mostly because my lungs start burning and my legs get heavy, but each week I know I'll do better. The weight coming back off has been slow; or at least it feels slow. But I now I just have to be patient, eat right and keep active and it will slowly come off. I am determined.

I tried golf again the other day. I hadn't done that in years. Even when I did, I stuck mostly with the driving range, getting pretty intimidated when golfing with anyone since it took me a gazillion shots just to make it to the the par 3 hole, the one time I did play on a course. Well, maybe I'll try again. We'll see. I noticed that it worked out my midriff muscles pretty good. I like that idea better than doing sit ups. :)

I am very excited about my upcoming trip in August/September to Europe. The last time I went was in 2008 with James. We visited Romania (spent a week helping with some orphanages) then on to fun in Istanbul, Kusadasi (near the Ephesus ruins), Greek Islands, and finally Athens. This trip will start in Paris, then move to Venice where we'll say goodbye to a couple traveling wtih us (Jackie and Dale). James and I will move on to the South of France to see Nice, Cannes, Monaco, and the Provence region. We meet up again with Jackie and Dale in Barcelona, after they get off their cruise ship, and then head on down to the south of Spain to see Granada, Malaga, Gibraltar, Tarifa, and a day trip to Tangiers, Morocco. All-in-all, a 3 week trip that is sure to be warm, beautiful, full of history and architecture: everything James and I love about traveling.

I have most of our hotel reservations done, the main flights to/from Europe booked, and the only thing that remains are rental car, one hotel, and then some smaller flights and trains between the cities. We typically walk a LOT when we travel, so this getting in shape will be important so we can stay energetic throughout our trip.

I am focused. I am driven. I WILL be healthy. Watch me.

I Have a Weak-End

2010-02-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

I know sounds strange; but I got you to look, didn't I? The weekend is here and I can't even begin to tell you how glad.

Our IT organization is in the middle of a big re-org. We're going through layoffs and many were in the management ranks this year. So now it is the big shuffle (like they don't shuffle all year long for other reasons). The good new is that I have a better manager. Our group was suffering pretty badly with a new management recruit that wasn't working out well. We now have a seasoned manager who seems to be very congenial and lets people hunker down and do their work without throwing wrenches into it every other hour. It's only been two weeks, but so far, so good. He's letting me finally do what I've been trained to do: be autonomous and run my projects. Love it.

I have the pleasure of having Judah spend the night with me. At 1 1/2, he's a bundle of fun. Ricky and Rosie (my son and daughter-in-law) are finally moving into their new home, so having the energetic toddler at Grandma's should be helpful. His vocabulary is growing every day by leaps and bounds. He's a blast to play with. I also got my pretty Kayla for a few hours too. She sure is beautiful at 6 months. I love getting her to belly laugh. What a joy.

I'm up to 2 miles walking! Yeah. I still can't run more than a few steps, bending my feet that much is still painful, but each day it gets better. I suspect I should be able to start in about 2 weeks. That's my hope anyway. I would like to wait until a little nice weather (though last week was awesome).

So, week-end: HERE I COME!

So Far So Good

2010-02-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well 2010 started out challenging but is shaping up nicely, so far. After subjecting myself to foot surgery only 3 days after finishing my last radiation treatment, I ended up being mostly sedentary until about 2 weeks ago. I had pins in toes on BOTH feet. Ugh. What was I thinking? I couldn't drive, and could only hobble about for the entire six weeks wearing these dorky shoe/boots. I was fortunate in that my work let me work from home that entire time. I am very much a home-body, so it didn't bother me at first, but after about 3 weeks I was getting very antsy.

I only have two pairs of shoes I can wear so far, but I can walk. Prior to my surgery, I was doing regular walks; averaging about 2 - 3 miles a day, 5 days a week. I went from that to ZERO in a week. I started up walking again only a few days after the pins were out. I moved slow, but I started. Each day I was able to hobble faster and faster. Now I can go about 1.5 miles before my feet swell up such that my shoes get too tight. In only about 15 days, I'm about 80%. I am hoping to get the flexibility back so I can actually start running. We'll see :)

I am determined to lose the pounds I gained sitting on my duff, so I'm consuming inordinate amounts of vegetables and very lean meats; very low fat, no carbs, and no sugars. Hopefully the weight will come off OK. It sure does get harder the older one gets. I'm determined to keep working on my eating habits and minimizing those that contribute to cancer (sugar is a big no-no).

Regarding the cancer? Well, I have to go back in again in March and have a baseline mammogram. I then visit my oncologist quarterly for this year and probably 1/2 yearly next year. They'll do blood tests to make sure the cancer hasn't spread elsewhere and that I'm still good to go (I'm believing I'm going to be just fine).

I can't express enough how much everyone's support, prayers, cards, phone calls, emails, and hugs have all meant. I don't now how anyone could get through a cancer diagnosis, or any other debilitating disease, without the support of family and friends. I met several while doing radiation - they had no one. My heart goes out to them.

As a result of seeing those lonely souls, I determined to find a way to help them. I don't know quite how I'll find the right vehicle to do that, but I'm going to be searching. My first order of action, now that I can walk, is to contact the cancer center here where I was a patient. I know there are several volunteer groups that work with cancer patients. I hope to get that activity started within the next 60 days. (Goals are a good thing to have.)

Thank you everyone for listening to my fears and helping me through the struggle of last fall. I couldn't have done it without you.

Love Tons,

Kat

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

So my new year has started off strangely. I am still hobbled with pins in both feet due to some surgery I had on the 19th of December. I should be able to get those pins out in about 10 days or so and then maybe start driving. Until then, I'm pretty house-bound. Thankfully my job lets me work from home, so I don't have to take more time off of work. I do, however, have to keep my foot elevated most of the time, which, even though I have it setup so I can, it does make me twist a little oddly and now the small of my back is aching some. Ahh, old age. Here it comes. I will say that James has been fabulous helping me out with my gimpy feet. I don't know what I'd do without him.

My son and his wife are going to find out the gender of their new baby sometime this afternoon. I am excited to hear what it will be. I don't know if I have a preference or not, though I'm leaning towards a girl, only because they already have a sweet little boy, Judah. Either way it will be VERY loved. I can't wait to hold them in my arms. It looks like the due date will be towards the end of May.

My first day back at work has been interesting. From the get-go there have been many fires to put out. I don't know that it could have gone any worse than it did. Oh well. It is just a job, I keep telling myself.

I am really looking forward to getting healthy. I can hardly wait to get walking again (2+ miles a day) and then hopefully actually start to jog too. I'd love to be able to do the June Susan G. Komen 5K. I'm not sure if my feet with be OK with that, but it is a goal I have and hope to meet if my feet will let me. I also am going to look into some kind of volunteering with terminal cancer patients. My journey with cancer has really put them on my heart and I really need to see about doing something on that score.

So, I am really looking forward to 2010!

Happy New Year everyone!

Happy To Be Alive

2009-12-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

I may be kicking myself this time next week; of course, I won’t be able to kick anything given my feet will be in special hard-soled boots/shoes healing up from some much needed surgery. However, there was a method to my madness in scheduling my foot surgery so soon after the culmination of my radiation treatments. I figure that since I will not be very ambulatory, I will be forced to relax, sit on my tukas (yes, it’s a real word) and heal up, in every sense of the word. With two weeks off for the Christmas break, my natural tendency is to fill each day to the brim with post-Christmas shopping, chores, projects, and other things. I tend to return to work after the new year – exhausted. Well, not this year.

I haven’t written much these last several weeks mainly because I’m just trying to keep myself together by taking each day at a time. Wake up at 5:30 a.m., start work from my home office by 6:00 a.m. then take off at 7:30 for my radiation treatment session, then either head back home to work the remainder of the day or head in to the office (Tuesday’s and Thursday’s).

Most visits to the radiation oncology center are uneventful. I go in, change into my hospital gown and wait in the women’s waiting area with several others for my name to be called. I read magazines or occasionally stare at the puzzle table hoping to find the key piece before it’s my turn to burn. At some point, the technician comes and gets me, walking me into this vault-like room with a huge machine with a narrow table in the center. It takes several minutes to position me properly then proceed to take two x-rays (sometimes four). Then the technicians come back in to make some adjustments, then leave again. I lay there with my eyes closed and hear the slamming of the 2 foot thick door. Then comes the whine of the machine being moved into position, pause, and then the high-pitched sound that signifies the start of the radiation beam. After another pause, and the swoosh of the heavy door opening, the technicians enter again and switch a plate over the “eye” of the machine and then they march out again for another blast. I get two 30 second blasts of radiation each day. Once a week they take extra x-rays and a photo and I have a consult with the Radiation Oncologist (the doctor). The last five days were my “boost” days. They attach a special adapter onto the machine that gets the beam nearly right onto the scar area and concentrated right on that spot instead of the larger field of the previous weeks.

I’ve met some amazing women during my 6 ½ weeks there. Some are clearly dying, others, like me, going through a shorter and less invasive treatment plan. I feel very thankful every day that we caught this cancer in its early stages.

My last day of radiation treatment was Tuesday, December 15, 2009. It was to have been Monday the 14th, but on the previous Friday, the machine was broken and it meant I had to tack another day onto my treatment calendar. It was a bummer. I will say that I felt like a kid when I walked out of there on Tuesday. I almost danced a jig on my way out to the car. It felt like a huge weight had lifted off of my shoulders. The daily trips in were certainly a schedule nightmare, but the continual frying of the skin also took its toll. I’m happy to be done. I’m happy to finally be on the mend and hopefully getting my energy back. I’m happy to that my skin can finally heal and stop hurting. I’m happy to have finished before Christmas. I’m just plain happy to be alive.

A dear friend, Brenda Frank, gave me a helium-filled pink breast cancer balloon a few days before I started my treatments. I’ve had it flying from my upstairs banister from day 1. It had been my secret hope that it would remain aloft for the duration of my treatment, kind of like my secret hope to stay up and filled with hope throughout. I wasn’t so sure it would make it this last week as it began to sag and dip down lower and lower. But make it, it did. Even today, two days later, it still flies above my living room proudly. Now I’ve adjusted my goal to see if it will make it until Christmas. Hopeful, I know, but it just might make it; thank you Brenda, for the constant reminder to keep my head up, my hope up, and my chin up.

Yvonne

2009-11-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Yvonne's last day of radiation was Thursday. I've gotten to know Yvonne a bit since we both sit and wait for our turn to burn each day. We sit in our flimsy hospital gowns and chat a few minutes before the attendant comes to take us into the radiation vault. We didn't talk the first few days, but eventually we loosened up and started to get to know each other.

I clearly am one of the lucky ones.

Yvonne is probably in her mid-sixties and it was obvious that she had chemotherapy as her hair was just starting to come back in. I could see the bright red burn from her chest as it crept up past the neckline of her gown. She says it has gotten quite painful of late; blistering and peeling. I'm almost in week 3 and have had zero burning so far - again, lucky. She has had a double mastectomy.

The first conversation we had was when she giggled and bubbled about how her family surprised her with a trip to Maui a month or two back. She had just finished her chemotherapy and was on the mend when a sister offerred to travel with her to visit another sister somewhere in Idaho. Yvonne met her sister at the airport for the quick hop to Idaho and both sisters were there and ushered her to a different flight - to Maui. They spent a week there basking in the tropical breezes, experienced a luau, and generally had a wonderfully relaxing time. Yvonne had never had a trip like that before in her life. I heard Yvonne tell others of her trip time and time again. Clearly it was a highlight of the last few years of her life.

On Tuesday Yvonne came in, clearly down. Her doctor has ordered another round of chemotherapy. She had been so looking forward to being "done" with cancer treatment. Yvonne is still fighting for her life. They don't know if she'll be successful. The cancer has spread to her bones. The day she told me that, I pulled her out of her chair and hugged her. I immediately prayed for her asking God to bless her, comfort her, and heal her. I only had a few seconds because I was being beckoned to my radiation chamber.

I can't stop thinking about Yvonne. She doesn't have anyone close by to help her through this. I need to figure out a way to be there for her. I don't know how yet. But I'll figure something out. I don't even know her last name.

I need to help Yvonne.

Quirks & Phobias

2009-11-04T18:05:00.003-08:00

I do not have an obsessive compulsive disorder, at least that I know of. However, I have noticed that I have two strange habits that, should I submit myself to a therapist, might likely put me in a borderline category. What are yours?

1. Public Restrooms - Even in very familiar surroundings, I find I check, check, and re-check the WOMEN/MEN restroom signs. I think I have a deep rooted fear of going into the wrong bathroom. I got thinking about this yesterday and decided it was due to being dragged into the boys bathroom in 6th grade. Several "girlfriends" couldn't figure out why I never got mad at anyone and decided to step up their efforts by dragging me into the boys bathroom. Needless to say it didn't work. I didn't get mad. I was very exasperated at them and didn't call them friends anymore; that's for sure. It was a stupid prank that I think has me obsessed about checking, double-checking, and triple-checking each and every time I need to use the girls room.

2. Typing - a job I had in college was for Sears. I worked 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. or so typing mail orders into the computer system: data entry. We were "encouraged" to keep our keystrokes above 10,000 per hour (I think). I remember each week we would crowd around the printout that showed our speed, errors, etc. I remember feeling proud one week when I had really progressed and finally hit a 14K mark. I literally typed in my sleep. After that job, typing became second nature. To this day I find myself mentally typing out things all day long: signs, things people speak to me, billboards, scriptures quoted in a sermon, you name it - I type it. Thankfully I "type" pretty fast. Things have gotten better over the years, but even now, almost 30 years later, I still "type". It seems pretty stupid to be 50 years old and still typing out lots of the things I see and hear throughout a day.

3. Fear of heights - I cannot explain it. But I literally have a panic attack when faced with things high up. I'm OK if I drive over a bridge, but if I have to walk - ugh. I panic. I remember when James and I were in Germany by the Neuschwanstein castle, there was a hike and a bridge where one could get fabulous views of the valley and the famous castle. The bridge was wide and very sturdy. It could easily have held a car or three. The problem was that it was steel girders with wooden boards. The drop was easily several hundred feet down. I could see between the tiny slats on the wooden boards. No good. I literally froze. Knowing I'd kick myself for not traversing this famous bridge and likely miss the spectacular view, I walked. I barely made it though. I clung to James for dear life and couldn't even enjoy the view. Thankfully I did manage to get one or two camera shots when I made it to the other side. I remember that someone jostled me and I nearly climbed onto James in abject fear. My heart was racing so fast I thought I'd have a heart attack. Needless to say, I made it. I survived. Oh, and the picture turned out great.

What are your quirks?

Radiation Therapy

2009-11-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

I've made it through 5 days of weekday radiation treatments so far. Only 4 of them have actually been radiation treatments; the first being additional x-rays and positioning efforts. I am going to be doing this every weekday for a minimum of six weeks. My daily appointment is at 8:00 a.m.

I see some of the same people here each day. I am feeling pretty lucky. The two ladies I see look like they have it much worse than I. One is probably doing chemotherapy in conjunction with the radiation therapy as she has very little hair. The other must be suffering from lung cancer as she is on heavy oxygen. Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer for women. They are both quite a bit older than I. While this has been scary, seeing them has made me actually thankful for the situation I am in. It could have been so very much worse. But for the grace of God, go I.

The women's waiting room has lockers, three changing rooms and probably 3 dozen wall cubes for our gowns. I was assigned a cube and given a gown that will be mine for the next 6 weeks. Each day I come in and change into my gown and lock my belongings into a locker. The keys are on elasticized bracelets we wear around. I then wait until they call for me. There are magazines and a table with a puzzle. I suspect a new one will be there by Monday. There were only a few pieces remaining as of 8:00 a.m. Friday. Becuase I have the early morning appointment, I don't have a long enough wait to start working the puzzle. I would imagine that those who have late afternoon appointments get the accumulated schedule issues and have time to tinker with the puzzle.

Once I'm called into my radation room (there are several) they have me lay down and then position me on the table. Both arms go high above my head, where I grasp handles. They take 2 x-rays each day and then proceed with about 15 minutes of other positioning of the machine and actually zap me with the radiation. I swear I can feel it tingle and heat up a little. I don't know if that is just in my head or real. Hard to tell. I've already developed a pinched nerve in my left arm and it hurts like heck to put my arm up there for 20 minutes straight. It's a killer. Hopefully a chiropractic appointment or two can help set that straight.

The doctors and technicians have warned me about the burn my skin is likely to get, so I have armed myself with aloe vera and apply it regularly to help keep my skin intact as best I can. I've also been warned to expect fatigue within another week or two. They don't know what causes the fatigue, but nearly everyone who goes through radiation experiences it. That side affect does bother me. I am concerned about my job. How will I be able to keep working at the break neck speed my job requires? Thankfully my bosses are aware and say they will work with me, but it doesn't assuage my own expectations of myself. I'm prayerfully hoping I can give my own self a break. I need to just take each day at a time.

Each day I try to do something to stay active and not just sit on my butt. So far I've been walking the mall every week day. I manage about 2 miles or so each time. I'm hopeful I can keep that up forever. Once weather gets good again, I can go back to walking my neighborhood or trails here in Sumner. Doctors say that being active means I'll have a 60% better chance of NOT having a recurrance of cancer. That's better than any pill I could take. It makes it VERY worthwhile. I have to do this.

I need to be cancer free. I will survive.

Not Sure I'm Ready

2009-10-18T16:20:00.004-07:00

I had my first visit with Dr. Sanders, a Radiation Oncologist, on Thursday. James and I spent over an hour with him peppering him with questions about the risks of radiation, the methods, and whether or not I would see enough benefit to even undertake the schedule-defying therapy. I had read pros and cons of radiation therapy and had concerns. I really was interested in this new method where they implant a device and set one up with doses over about a week, and then you're done. That sounded like a better option to me compared with daily trips over 6 to 7 weeks. Dr. Sanders was patient and answered every question we had. Unfortunately, the implant device was not suitable for me since the placement of the device would be too close to the surface of my skin and could risk seriously damaging it. If he lowered the dose so keep the skin safe, then the benefits of radiation would be almost nil - not even worth doing.

Radiation therapy reduces my risk of cancer recurrence from residual cells that may be lurking - down to about 5%. Without radiation therapy my risk of some rogue cells that may be lingering, goes up to around 20%. We weren't willing to take a 20% chance of recurrence, so we are opting to go ahead with radiation. My next step was a CT scan of the site so they can properly map out the location. I got marked with ink and taped with little bee-bee's, dotted with two tiny tattoo's, and then scanned. The doctor then prepares a radiation dosage plan which I will start on Monday October 26Th. I go every single day with the exception of weekends and holidays, for 33 sessions. I should finish around mid-December.

This is going to be troublesome with my work schedule. Thankfully my manager will work with me. On the days I work from home, I am freer in when I can go. The days I work in Renton (Tues & Thurs) are much trickier. Turns out they offer radiation only from 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) I did launch my complaint that they should be open longer hours to help accommodate those of us who need to continue to work through the therapy. Ah well. I'll just have to do the best I can.

I have been fully warned of what to expect: sunburn-like symptoms on the site, and fatigue. I would imagine I'll also become exasperated with the schedule as well.

Since just a few days after my last surgery, September 30Th, I've managed to let this cancer thing be waaaay in the background. I have felt great, my energy level has been good, and my job is keeping me very, very busy, and occupied. I've almost forgotten about the cancer. However, these daily trips will likely be an ugly reminder of this ugly disease.

One other really good report here though; my genetic test did come back negative for the two DNA markers that have been found. Yeah! Now my sisters and daughter don't have to worry so much. However, the doctors were quick to point out that those are only two of potentially many markers that are still left to be discovered. I am going to remain an evangelist to the women in my family to check themselves and to have regular mammograms. There is a lot of cancer in our family and I want to make sure we are ALL survivors!

Can I Hold???

2009-10-12T16:15:00.005-07:00

For the last six weeks I have put considerable effort into changing my overall lifestyle: eating, sleeping, activity-level, and more. I want to do everything in my power to keep cancer away from me for the rest of my life. I've been reading book after book on health, exercise, and cancer-fighting foods. Whew, there is a lot to learn. That said, I know I have to be realistic. I know if I did everything I've read, all put together, I'd hardly be able to eat a thing. Assuredly I'd be a vegan, with no dairy, no meats, zero sugar, and mostly just whole fruits and vegetables.

That is not realistic for me. I'd never be able to follow something that strict. I'd be off the wagon in mere days. However, I think I'm getting closer to a general understanding of how I can live a much healthier life. Oh, I didn't do too badly before, but in retrospect, it wasn't too good either. Sure, I tried to stay active, didn't do much red meat, and ate lots of salads, but it wasn't enough. I've had a diet high in processed foods (they're so convenient), and had a secret love of fast food for years. I also love eating out in general.

I've put into practice several key things that I hope I can stick to. I'll admit I'm nervous about being able to stay the course.

1. Regular walking - I've been walking my neighborhood, the river paths, and friends neighborhoods of late. I'll begin walking the SuperMall here as the weather turns. That's one thing friends can do for me: walk me.

2. Juicing - I've been juicing fresh vegetables that are high in antioxidants,

3. Natural herbs and supplements - I've been working with a naturopathic oncologist and have several supplements that are fairly inexpensive that I've added to my daily routing: high dosages of Vitamin D3, green tea powder (add to my juice), Turmeric, among others.

4. General eating - I'm going to turn to whole grains, nuts, and legumes and hormone free chicken and fish. I want to learn to cook fabulous foods, full of flavor, that help me love this new plan.

5. Reduce Sugars - I allow myself a treat every couple of days, not every day. I will also regulate my portion size so I don't over indulge.

6. Fast Food - I made a pact with James that I would only do fast food once a month. Two months down. So far, so good!

7. Push Away - When I do eat out, I'm going to save part of every meal for later as portion sizes are usually way more than I need.

So can I hold to this life-long plan? Can I stay the course. I sure hope so.

Fall is Here

2009-10-04T08:20:00.003-07:00

I love fall; the cooler temperatures, the colors, the early morning fog and the crisp nights. Oh, I love summer, but there's something refreshing about fall too. This fall is no different. I'm through my end-of-summer anxiety of my breast cancer discovery and multiple surgeries and am soon to embark on my final leg of this journey: radiation.

I'm counting my blessings.

1. My emotions have settled down considerably and I'm taking each day as it comes. I find myself looking forward to the holiday season as I should be done with radiation by then too.

2. I'm coming up to being in my lovely home for nearly a year too. I love this neighborhood, my house, being just doors away from my family has been a real blessing as well.

3. My new job is going well. I've been given almost a carte blanche to get the team together and running smoothly. It currently is a non-cohesive team with little to no standard processes regarding their projects as a whole. I am good at setting up standard processes and getting teams working together. This should be good.

4. My grandchildren are so adorable. I love seeing them often. I have toys, a bed for them, and lots of hugs. I am excited to be a part of their lives and not having my kids spread out elsewhere country like so many of my friends. I can't imagine not being an integral part of their lives.

5. My Husband. I can't even comprehend these last few months with out the encouragement and support of James. I am beyond grateful for his love, compassion, and care. He is the best. Thank you Lord for hooking me up with James!

6. My Friends. Friends I haven't talked to in years have rallied around me in support, prayer, and comfort like I never would have expected. I am truly blessed to have so many fabulous friends.

7. My Family. My parents, my siblings, my aunts, cousins, and more have been unbelievably wonderful. I love the cards, the flowers, the calls and emails. Thank you so much.

I'm saving the best for last: Jesus. I can't even articulate what He is in my life: my rock, my salvation, my peace, my joy, my everything. I can't imagine going through this with out Him by my side. People can be great, but having someone way bigger than I in charge and watching over me during my journey is an unspeakable blessing.

There are so many other blessings I haven't written of here. There are only a few (and not in order). But I couldn't let this day pass without listing out a few.

God is good.

Normal?

2009-09-19T07:38:00.003-07:00

I've actually felt normal the last two days. With the optimistic oncologist report on Tuesday, and the beautiful fall weather, things seem to be pretty normal again. Sometimes I even forget about the cancer. I love that.

I've started to feel creative again and the need to try a project or craft has skyrocketed into the forefront of my brain. My fingers are itching to paint something. I don't know how to paint anything really (except I can paint walls pretty good), but I really want to learn how. I'd love to get a large canvas and play with different mediums to see what I could come up with. That could get expensive though. I'll have to figure out how to re-use them if I mess up. I also dreamed up something I want to do in my living room finally. The room goes all the way up into the 2nd floor where the upper floor has a balcony looking down. The walls that are there have a lot of angles and ledges, so I've been somewhat stumped on how to decorate the room. Currently the whole room has drab flat beige painted walls which, in contrast to the beautifully textured kitchen walls, look quite boring.

Yesterday was a 90 minute MRI. It is a good thing I'm not claustrophobic. The MRI should tell the doctor whether the rest of the cancer is localized and can be easily excised with another surgery, or if it is wide-spread and requires a mastectomy. I will get the prognosis on Wednesday when I have my next appointment. I'm hoping for the former followed by the 6 weeks of radiation. It looks like I won't have to have the 5 years of Tamoxifen, which can have some bad side affects, because I can simply stop my hormone creams which will essentially do the same thing. Nice. Though James is concerned for himself about the possibility of me getting all cranky on him.

So, all in all, this week was a good week. Things are looking up. I'm starting to look up and take note of my beautiful life again.

Weight Lifting

2009-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

James and I spent Tuesday afternoon (the 15th) with some new physicians that were recommended to me by two cancer survivors. I decided that two recommendations meant they must be good, and we both wanted a second opinion. The Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center is one of only a few cancer care clinics that combine medical oncology with naturopathic oncology. We met with the medical oncologist first for about an hour and then with the naturopathic doctor for another hour.

As a result of this visit, I've now made a choice to get my care from Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center in Renton. It is a lot better commute, close to my new job location which I'll be going in to at least 2 days a week (I'll be telecommuting the other three days). So convenience was also a factor.

After our first oncologist visit over a week ago, the strong recommendation to have a mastectomy didn't sit well with either of us. Our visit with Dr. Cunningham yesterday was a visit filled with optimism. We both left feeling a weight had lifted off of our shoulders. Barring a bad MRI on Friday, we can still proceed with breast conservation/preservation. Yeah! It will most likely mean I'll have another surgery to remove some more tissue and then commence radiation treatment. Given the family history of cancer on both my maternal and paternal side, they are doing a heredity test if insurance will cover it (it costs $3000). A positive results may mean a long-term care path that is much more watchful and full of even more preventative measures. I don't know what that means yet, but we'll cross that bridge when/if we get there.

I'm also excited to begin the naturopathic remedies given to me. There are a lot of non-medicinal things I can do, eat, and supplements that will work towards keeping me cancer free for years to come. I was happy to hear that many of the things I've been doing were high on their list, so it won't mean a huge life style change; things like eating organic, juicing, high vegetable intake, lean meats, and minimal red meat. It did become apparent I have to step up my exercising though - no surprise. They also recommended supplements that will take into account my low thyroid, fibromyalgia, and the cancer. It felt good to be looking at the big picture instead of just the cancer itself. Next week I'll be getting started on the supplement regime with things like: Ashwaganda, Turmeric, ground flax seeds, green tea, and more.

So, all-in-all, I feel uplifted with this new opinion. I feel a return of hope that I may actually be able to proceed with a more minimally invasive approach.

I can do this.

Naked Vulnerability

2009-09-13T19:27:00.003-07:00

I finally said the words out loud. I'm scared. I was talking with my daughter a day or so ago, and I said it. There's something about the "C" word that spawns this ugly fear. I've known several people who have died and several who are survivors. But the fact that there are non-survivors sponsors the fear. The statistics, though improving over the last 25 years, spawns the fear.

Being brutally honest here, the idea of looking down and seeing a vacant spot where my breasts were doesn't sit well with me. The idea of putting on a cute nightie and having the bodice hang loose and unfilled sounds grotesque. How can I be attractive to my darling husband with a scarred, or two scarred remnants of breasts? How can he possibly be attracted to this misconfigured person? Oh my head knows he loves me, and my heart loves him deeply to the core. But I'm struggling with reconciling the knowledge how how men work and how my husband has cherished me and my body all these years. I don't understand. My sorrow is deep.

But then my darling husband, hoping to cheer me up, said he could only handle a half rack anyway. (He had just watched an Outback Steakhouse commercial touting their ribs). Silly James.

I'm feeling better now.

Mortality Musings

2009-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Finding out I have cancer really opened up a lot of avenues of thought I've never really pursued before. Specifically, I have been re-thinking my priorities. Relationships take a front seat, that's for sure. Even though my cancer is in the early stage (stage 1), it makes the life I do have on this earth very precious. None of us really know how much time we do have. I have found some silver in the lining of my cloud. Finally some things are coming into better focus; things I should have paid more consideration to now have my full attention. Other things are moving into the background at a rapid pace.

I was snuggling next to my six year old niece the other day while watching the NASCAR race. She was trying to pick a new driver to follow (she's bailing on Biffle for some reason) and I offered to share my driver, Denny Hamlin. She liked that idea a lot. During this and other meaningful discussions with her, like what to name a kitten that she wants for Christmas, a thought crossed my mind. What if I knew I only had one year left with her? Ten years? Or only twenty? How would it change me? How would it change my relationship with her and others I love? The magnitude of that thought brought tears to my eyes. Normally I would shake it off and not even consider dwelling on such a morbid thought but this time I let myself. Immediately I teared up. How precious she is to me. How painful it would be for her to experience the loss of a close family member. Now, I plan on being around for dozens and dozens of years to come, but it did bring some poignant thoughts about priorities.

Climbing the corporate ladder - I am realizing my top priority is keeping a good job, not putting myself into a stressful one, or clawing my way through the anxieties of the corporate political game. I've been doing that for years and now I don't care so much. I just need a good, safe, well-paying job - with insurance.

Acquiring Things - Instead of spending thousands on a new couch or wall hanging, or purchasing the newest gadgets or updating our vehicles, the thought of spending that money to go places with my sweet husband and build memories with him are much more to my liking; his too. We both have found that our longer trips of 3 to 6 weeks build some amazing camaraderie and strengthen our bonds of love when we have that uninterrupted time together. Needless to say, we both are really craving that right now.

Time-Wasters - This one is a little harder. I have a lot of things that I do that are time-wasters: internet browsing (it's research, right?) and TV are the big ones. There are a lot of things I like to do that have sat dormant for a long time. I'd love to learn how to paint. I like to cook. I like to write. I need to exercise more. There are so many activities that I've pushed aside for the stupid time-wasters. I really need to get a grip on that and start living my more creative life.

I have always been very goal oriented; writing them down annually, both long-term and short-term goals. This process has been very successful in helping me achieve the things I want to. But I'm considering re-doing my list now that I think I have a much clearer picture of my life in general. Even though I'm not dying, waiting for diagnosis and prognosis for a span of 10 days makes you think about life and death. How would I live different? How should I live different? How would God want me to live? I believe His answer would be the same whether I had 1 week to live or 50 years still to go.

Now I just have to figure out what that is.

Back to Square One

2009-09-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

One of the doctors warned me, saying that this whole process would be a "hurry up and wait" situation. He was right. Now, not only do I have to keep waiting, I have to start over with more tests and the possibility of more surgery. The oncologist I saw yesterday met with his team about my situation (which apparently is not that common) and they are even recommending a full mastectomy now.

I had my follow-up appointment with the surgeon on Thursday September 3rd. The good news is that all of the invasive cancer is gone and none of the lymph nodes were compromised. The troubling part is that the tissue sample did not have "clean margins" where there was good cancer-free edges. It turns out there is another type of cancer in the tissue, albeit a non-invasive type (DCIS). But the sample had a lot of it. So we are now faced with trying to figure out the best course of treatment for that.

James and I left the appointment pretty bummed. We were hearing suggestions to have a mastectomy, more tissue gathering surgery to get clean margins, MRI's, and genetic testing. All this would be minimized if I had just had the bad girl amputated rather than opting for the breast preservation route. The idea of still having the possibility of losing my breast, or both even, is very discouraging. James and I both were pretty frustrated and full of even more questions. By the end of the day we were both just plain tired of talking about it and even thinking about it.

The same "hurry up and wait" doctor also said this was like putting a puzzle together. We have to get as many of the pieces of information as we can in order to find the best course of treatment. We all thought we'd have the information needed by now, but now we need to know more before we can finish this particular puzzle. The oncologist office scheduled and MRI for Friday next week. They need to get a better picture of how much of this other cancer is there and if it wide-spread, in the side, or is it just that small area. Their recommendations will largely be determined by the results of that MRI. Then we can find the right path and start our journey.

People have been great. I've had lots of suggestions, advice, prayers, encouragement, and more. My family has come forward with great love and care as well. My sweet little sister found a pretty pink sapphire breast cancer cure ribbon necklace that I now wear every day close to my heart. Another sister got me a basket for my bike (gotta stay active you know) so I can take my little dog, Trevi, with me on rides. My brother-in-law brought me a DQ Peanut Buster Parfait! Yumm, chocolate and ice cream. What a treat. My niece came and worked in my flower garden. My older sister brought me her juicer and showed me how to juice vegetables for their antioxidant properties, and I now juice lots of stuff and love it. There are so many other wonderful things people have done that I can't even mention them all.

One thing I have discovered, is that James is going through this almost every bit as much as I am. He is with me every step of the way. He has stepped up to this challenge with me like I never thought he would. I cannot imagine not having him with me. He is my sounding board, my shoulder, my pillow, my personal trainer (he makes me get up and be active when I don't want to), my food police (have to eat healthier than ever, right?), my psychiatrist, my retriever, and everything else I could possibly need. He is here and feeling it all the way through step-by-step with me. God sure loved me when he gave me James.

My world is still upside down and I don't know when things will begin to right themselves. It looks like I have a couple more weeks of information gathering to go before we are going to be able to chart the course.

I must work on keeping my chin up. Lord help me.

Bright Spots Here and There

2009-09-05T10:39:00.006-07:00

Little Kayla Joy was born this week, on Tuesday.

She weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and is 19 1/2 inches long. She's beautiful. Daniel couldn't be prouder of his new daughter; he grins from ear to ear and loves holding her. Mandy is recovering and they both are home learning the ropes of being new parents. It was the really bright spot of my week.

On Thursday I had my return visit to the surgeon who peformed my lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy. He had the pathology reports at hand and was able to tell me the results. It was primarily good news, (bright spot) but with some bad news thrown in. They got all the invasive cancer and there were no other remnants in the tissue surrounding the area. So that means I'm at Stage 1 (five stages: stage 0 through 4) - bright spot. The bad news was that they did find DCIS, Ductal carcinoma cancer in the surrounding tissue. DCIS cancer is generally not life threatening and has a 99% cure rate; another bright spot.

However, given that there is this other cancer in the tissue and the hormone receptors in the cancer cells tested out positive, it looks like I may have to have long-term hormonal treatment which can be a variety of different drug treatments that I have to do for anywhere from 1 year to 5 years. We'll also have to keep a very close watch for years to come. Apparently they think my recurrence risk is high. Not bright.

So as I began to research these follow-on treatments, I got pretty discouraged. There are a lot of side effects to be aware of. I started checking into these on Friday and spent part of the morning crying in James' arms. Then I went and cheered myself up by visiting Mandy and holding my new little granddaughter for a few hours. That really helped.

I'll find out more about what is likely to happen on Tuesday morning when I have the appointment with an Oncologist (cancer specialist). I'm hoping for a bright spot.

Weekend Update

2009-08-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been very interesting. Not bad. But not good either.

My new granddaughter, Kayla, is still in the womb. She is now about 4 days overdue. Mandy, as expected, more than ready to be delivered! We're all waiting, not-so-patiently, for Kayla's arrival. So that didn't happen.

My grandson, Judah, got sick while Ricky and Rosie were on vacation in California. They came home early and had to take him to the emergency room on Sunday because he was having trouble breathing. Highline Hospital transported him up to Children's in Seattle. Judah received several treatments to help his breathing throughout the day and they finally let them come home late Sunday night.

My sister, Janet, came down from Bellingham on Sunday and brought her juicer with her. She showed me how to juice vegetables and fruits for high nutritional value and antioxidant juices. My goal is to do that in order to help my healing process and to get as healthy as I possibly can. It was good seeing her, and it was a BIG help.

So Thursday, the day after surgery, was good. I had energy, only moderate pain as long as I didn't move my arm or get bumped. Friday was not so good. I don't know if more drugs were wearing off or what, but I hurt everywhere and had a hard time doing anything. I had hoped to work, but I just couldn't get myself going. So I didn't work at all.

My emotions still kinda go everywhere though they are stablizing. I do have a dilemma facing me though. The day before surgery, I had a job interview for a new position in another group (still under the same VP). They offerred me the job and wanted an answer right away. So the conundrum is do I take it (probably in a safer position should there be downsizing) but starting a new job means stress. I DO NOT want more stress at this juncture. That is one thing I'm reading about - minimize stress. It also is not in a system development area, it is for sustaining systems. I'm very passionate about my current project, even with all of its problems. So what do I do? Go for the safer job, or stick where I'm at? My current situation is 100% virtual so I work from home. The new job is probably only about 40% virtual. I would have to go in. My current group would really work with me through my plethora of dr. appointments; I'm sure the new one would but I would not have built up the relationships to carry me through some of my potential "cloudy" thinking days.

Ahh, what to do. I've been tossing it around; thinking, praying, talking to folks, and am still up in the air. I gave a tentative "yes", but left an out, which I might need.

Decisions.

It's Been One Week

2009-08-27T06:53:00.003-07:00

One week has past since the awful diagnosis.

I had my lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy yesterday and I am happy to report that the preliminary lymph node biopsy came out clear. They send it out right in the middle of the surgery for pathologists to take a look so that the surgeon could remove more if needed, right then and there. There are additional tests they'll be doing on the node as well as the other tissue they removed. I won't have the results on that for about a week or so. From there they'll be able to tell me what stage of cancer I'm in: stages 1 to 4. I am calling on my friends and family to believe this is in stage 1. I believe we caught it early enough. The ongoing care for stage 1 is a much easier road to travel. I am also very glad I did not opt for a full mastectomy.

I made it home by around 2:30. We had to stop for a bite to eat since I hadn't been allowed to eat. I was starved. I spent the afternoon in bed of course. The hospital has a cancer care nurse who supplied James with a bag full of books, pamphlets, and two miniature pillows. I snorted when I saw them and said "what in the heck would I want with those!" Well within a few moments of settling down in bed, I realized exactly what they were for. I needed a tiny pillow to rest between my arm and my side so they wouldn't touch. Smart lady! I've had that little pillow with me ever since; tucked up under my arm, keeping my icy pouch company.

I've been getting flowers, beautiful cards, wonderful emails and notes on FB and this blog. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of friends and family. I am truly thankful for the outpouring. I can't imagine people having to go through the fearful journey alone. I can't imagine it particularly if someone were in the advanced stages where the treatments nearly kill you.

Today I will rest, read and paw through the material I got at the hospital. I haven't decided if I'll try to work tomorrow or not. I think it will largely depend on my pain levels and how tired I get. It is not a busy day, so I may be able to simply catch up on email and work on one small item I've got on my plate. Nothing strenuous of course. I promise!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and comfort.

Hugs!

Say "Bye Bye" to the Shock

2009-08-25T07:43:00.007-07:00

The last 24 hours were better. I think the shock and fear are starting to settle down some. The fear is still there, but more like a stalker waiting in the shadows; annoying and troublesome and something I'm going to have to deal with more permanently at some point. The "restraining order" put out by dozens of people who are praying for me keeps that devilish fear away from my minute-by-minute thoughts.

Tomorrow looms large. My surgery is at 8:00 a.m., though I have to show up at 7:00 for some pre-tests, dye injections, and the like. I hope to be home around 2 or so. I most likely will sleep for the following 24 hours.

The analytical side of me sprang to life yesterday. I called the doctor and had him fax me my pathology report from the biopsy (about 10 days ago). Nearly everything was gobbledy gook to me except for the word cancer, so I hit the internet to find out what they all meant. There are Nottingham grades, Bloom-Richardsom scores, and mitonic rates, and more. Whew. I sure don't know anything yet. I most definitely have to get myself educated. I know I'm sure getting lots of information from family and friends on vitamin, mineral, herbal cures, books to read, websites, doctors, and the like. I hope to read through most of them, digest them, and make sound judgements and decisions on my health armed with all this information.

One thing that has amazed me is the huge outpouring of support, encouragement and prayer from my friends. Some of them are people I haven't talked to in years (I guess I can thank Facebook for that. I have been able to re-connect to dozens and dozens of precious friends from years ago that are now standing with me.) That has turned out to be a big blessing. It has surprised me the ones that respond are many times not the ones I would have expected. It sure helps my heart feel warm. I most certainly do not feel alone.

My family has also really rallied around me. They all come close. I get LOTS of hugs, phone calls, and emails that are warm and full of offers of support. I still don't really know how to let them help yet, hopefully that will come. But I am beyond appreciative of the warmth and love they've extended. I feel very cushioned in their care. I have a great family.

Thank you everyone for being here with me. I love you all.

Roller Coasters

2009-08-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

I've been on an emotional roller coaster: up one minute and down the next, then a huge curve with a spiral loop that turns one upside down. When you get done, you're nauseated and not sure you made the right choice to ride the thing. Unfortunately, I don't have the option of getting off this monstrosity. I'm locked in for a undetermined duration.

I'd been looking forward to church for a few days; thankful I could hear a positive message and get some good prayer warriors surrounding me in agreement. But when it came down to less than an hour to go, I got the butterflies again. My normal private self dreaded seeing people who might know and might ask questions that I was unprepared to answer. It was James' week for 3rd/4th grade Sunday School, so I knew I would be without my brick by my side. I struggled for a bit, but gritted my teeth, tucked my giant Bible under my arm (couldn't find my little one for the life of me) and headed out.

It didn't turn out so bad. I was alone for the first bit, but sat there, with seats saved for my son and his wife, and just took in my church family as the sanctuary transitioned from one service to the next. I listened to the recorded music and closed my eyes, one minute hoping no one would come and accost me, and wishing someone would the next. I'd then berate myself for wanting the attention one minute or berating myself for wanting to hide away in a cocoon of isolation. Very weird emotional swings going on. Seeing my little grandson, Judah, is very good. I forget everything and focus on his sweet little face. He's such a sweet boy. He had on his Seahawks jersey and was sporting a mohawk fashioned out of his white/blonde hair with lots of gel. His little dimpled grin scattered away the darkness within fractions of a second. Judah makes it easy to forget.

The message today was very poignant. It was about slaying the giants facing you. Good word. Afterwards I went forward to Tom and Tedeen Franz (they'd been told by my sister the day before) and they prayed for me. I also spotted one of my dearest friends on earth and knew I had to tell her before she heard 2nd or 3rd hand. That was an emotional time. All the time she was being kind and full of faith for me, she was weeping. I took her into my arms, assuring her that I wasn't kicking the bucket any time soon. She knows, I know, but it was still an emotional time. We prayed together and parted, yet joined together.

One minute I'm full of faith, the next I'm not. One second it's as if nothing has happened, and then I remember and I spiral down. I'll go grab my Bible or encouraging words from a friend and then step-by-step move up again to where I can be positive, alert, and upbeat.

So by the time James found me, wrapped in the arms of my friend, my small Bible in hand (someone had handed it to him - I'd left it from the week before), we all hugged and agreed to battle this together. That's exactly what I know I need to do. I need all of you, agreeing with me, that cancer will not be the end of me; not now, not five years from now, not 20 years from now. Cancer will NOT be my demise.

Here's the Scoop

2009-08-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

So those of you following the last few days know I'm battling breast cancer. My number 1 suggestion to all women is to do your self examinations without fail! My cancer would not have been discovered had I not dogged a lump I felt from back in February. It didn't even show up on my March mammogram or ultrasound. We could all feel it, but it didn't show up as an anomoly for some reason. It kept bugging me though and I kept a tight watch on it. After a few months of feeling it get a little larger and then a day or two of it feeling tender, I finally called the doctor again and made an appointment.

My family practitioner said it did not act or feel like anything more suspicious than a calcium deposit or maybe a clogged duct but for my peace of mind, referred me to a surgeon who might be able to discern if it would be something I should just have excised. That doctor also felt it was probably nothing but offerred to just take it out so I wouldn't have to be bothered any further with the concern. He took it out; it was about the size of a pea. He then sent it over to pathology just as a precaution. Well, you all now know the story. It was cancer. Had it not bugged me, I would have waited until my next annual mammogram (Spring) and it would have had nearly another year to grow and dig its ugly roots into my system. I'd like to think God prodded me to be inpatient with this lump. I'm glad I listened.

So Wednesday, August 26th is the date they go in and take the rest out. I was given the choice of a full masectomy or a lumpectomy. I chose the latter. They'll get any remaining cancer and then some surrounding tissue for samples. They'll also biopsy some lymph nodes under my arm to make sure it hasn't spread into the lymph system. The results of this surgery will determine what stage I'm in and my follow on care. The follow on care could be more surgery, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and who knows what all. I'll keep you posted. I have a LOT of homework to do in order to make informed decisions on how I want to handle this thing.

Really awesome news though: my daughter, Mandy, is due to have Kayla any time now. I'm very jazzed about welcoming my little grandaughter into the world. I can't wait! In the midst of this icky-ness comes a sweet little blessing full of life. Beautiful. Just what I need.

No Pity Please

2009-08-21T18:50:00.005-07:00

Friday started out OK. On Thursday night I managed to sleep and was blissfully unaware of this cancer and its dastardly plan for over 7 hours. It was a great escape from thoughts and emotions. I had Friday off, save one meeting, but knew that one meeting was going to not work, so I handed it off to a co-worker. I took a leap into the unknown and told them. I hadn't thought I'd tell people; thought maybe I'd keep mum on this whole thing throughout. But after almost 24 hours of mulling it over, I've decided that is not a good idea. My natural instinct is to shut off, defend, be tough. I think that is part of my lesson in all this. I need to, and have needed to for years, learn how to let others support me and be there for me. I don't have to be strong 100% of the time. (Man that's tough to admit, gulp.)

I spent some time yesterday (Thursday) with a nurse at the hospital who had years of experience with cancer patients. She said one the best cathartic things I could do would be to write down my thoughts, feelings, experiences. Well, you know I love to write. So, maybe some of you will actually read this and walk through this with me. Maybe not though. I don't think my readership is that large. But I do know that the ones I know and count on as friends, do read it. You're the ones that really matter. So read on over these next few weeks. You're exactly who I want to share all this with. It is not the best writing style, it most certainly is not humorous, and it is pretty raw. You're seeing the real me here.

Those that I've told have been fabulous. "How can I help?" "What can I do?" "I'm here for you!" What does that mean? I don't know how to receive support. I don't know how to receive very well I'm afraid. I do know that I'm pretty scared. With the probability that we did catch this in the early stages, my treatment plan could be short and I'll soon be given the all clear. I'll then spend the next few years saying "I'm 2 years cancer-free!" "Three years..." and so on. But I'll be honest, there's always this cloud about the possibility of it coming back. That's where I'll really need to put my faith and trust in God. I've had several dear friends lost after a few years of being "clear" when it came back with a vengence. That scenario scares me.

I want to have faith. I want to receive support from you all. I just don't really know how at the moment. I do hope you will all be patient with me as I work through all this with God.

I appreciate my friends and family very much. I need you all.

P.S. For my first post on this click here

Learning to Lean

2009-08-20T17:04:00.003-07:00

I don't even know what to say. My mind is all jumbled up with thousands of thoughts and emotions; I don't know where to start. I don't even know if I should start. But I'm going to. I've lived my life as a very independent person, and maybe this is God's test for me to learn how to lean on Him and others.

I learned on Thursday, August 20th, that I have the big C: cancer. Breast Cancer. It's time to get out my pink ribbon pin, pink Susan G. Komen scarf, pink Susan G Komen bag, the works. Fresh in my mind is my last two years of support for breast cancer with the 5K walk and also the 3-Day (volunteering, I most certainly didn't walk the 3 days). This cause has been important to me for several reasons: my mom (survivor), Linda Cobaugh (non-survivor), and Tina Teel (non-survivor). I know of several other women who have fought this battle and won. I too, will be a winner. Watch me.

But until I've won the battle with the cancer, I have to fight the emotional battle. Cancer is a scary word. My emotions have been all over the place. I dreaded my doctor appointment because two of them played phone tag with me all week and both wanted to see me in their offices. Not a good sign; so I was steeling myself for not-so-good news all week. However, when he finally sat me down and said the word, I wasn't sure what my response would be. Oh outwardly I was fine; calm, cool, collected, but my heart stopped, my stomach churned and I think I forgot to breathe. The first few sentences of the doctor's diagnoses were almost like he was in another room far away. It took a few moments for me to get my bearings and start to actually listen. I grabbed my phone, called James and put it on speaker so we both could hear what he was saying. By then my analytical mind took over and I was able to be rational, ask meaningful questions, and understand what he was saying. I did good I thought.

The next few hours were spent making more appointments, filling out pre-operative paperwork, getting oncologist names/numbers, x-rays, blood tests, EKG, and the like. We're going to hit this hard and fast. I'm going to kill this thing. I am a winner.

So, one moment I feel numb and the next I feel scared and ready to cry. I admit it. I feel like I need a good cry. I'm scared I'm going to do it in front of my kids, sister, or husband and they'll get all weird on me. But maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing. I don't know. I really don't know what to do with myself. I don't know how to handle my loved ones reaction to my situation. I don't like attention. But maybe I need it? Again, I don't know.

But, I'm going to beat this. I have an ace up my sleeve: the healing power of God. I believe He's not done with me yet. He doesn't want me sickly or terminal in any way. I am a winner. Watch me survive.

Eat that cancer.

What's in a Name?

2009-07-20T17:30:00.002-07:00

Many of us play electronic games of some kind or another: game consoles like Xbox, Wii, PlayStations, GameCube, and also computer games. To many of us it is critical that we name our avatars something pithy, meaningful, or maybe just plain silly. So the question is, is the avatar your alter ego? Do you go for meaningful and use the same one over and over for every game? Or, depending on the game, do you go for the absurd hoping to shock or at least render your opponents/cohorts dumbstruck as they pick themselves up off the floor (a.k.a.ROFL) after meeting you online for the first time.

I've always loved coming up with these alter ego names, particularly the kind that results in hilarity. I want my opponents to remember me. So what is the secret? Well there are a couple of methods by which you too can develop your character name with that extra special twist.

1. Combine two words, one serious/normal and the other a rude, gross, or just plain ugly sounding word or partial word or two. You can throw a middle initial in there for laughs too. It's OK to even misspell either or all of the words. For example: Stu Wee, Bunwarmus (one of my personal favorites), Phlempit, Towpuss, FabReek, Grass E. Bottom to name a few.

2. Prescription medications are a good place to start, particularly the nasal congestion type. I created one years ago for my daughter: Nostrilla. Nasalcron would be good to - very strong, a robot-like sounding name sure to strike fear into your opponents, though I'd take license with it and add an H between the c and r. Lyrica actually sounds like a princess or beautiful maiden. I recommend staying away from the following: Viagra, Cialis, Penicillin, and other very well-known medicinals that could have you shunned by the gaming world for fear of contracting something deadly.

3. A play on words: Lew Skroos, Juanita Ham, Abbey Seenia, Hammond Eggs, Bill Bored, Alaida Bug, Elle Emmeno, Al Beback, Cole Kutz, Gerri Attrick, and the list goes on. These are easy to create and/or find on the internet.

4. Name Generators - go to an internet site and search on name generators and see what they come up with. You'll find you'll get names like: Clotface, Fingerdoof, Dumbsnark, Inelor... Some name generators are very specific to hill billy, pirate, mystical/fantasy, robot, rude/crude, gothic, and lovey-dovey names. These can be quite fun to play with. Here's a link to try.

So if you're determined to strike out and move away from the expected play on your own name: Carl_7982, or Suzie1986, you too can have an online name that is inventive. You too can strike your gaming friends as a creative individualist ready to wreak mayhem on your opponents; or at least have them ROFL.

Cool Websites of the Summer

2009-07-07T06:00:00.006-07:00

Here's my pick of more obscure websites I've found that are truly keepers. We all know of YouTube, Facebook, Wikipedia, but check these out!

http://www.passwird.com - daily listings of great deals from DVD's, computers, clothes and more.

www.restaurants.com - I discovered this site from passwird (see above). This is where I got $25 coupons for my local Italian restaurant here for only $2.00! The cost is typically more around $10 for a $25 coupon, but they regularly have sales where they are anywhere from 50% to 80% off. Sign up for updates and don't miss the sales. They have a wide variety of local restaurants; simply input your locale and shop away. You can print the certificates right from your computer.

www.graspr.com - how to videos on a variety of activities: crafts, piano & guitar lessons, cooking, and even workouts.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird - weird news of the week. There's truly some odd news out there. Get ready to be shocked, awed, and generally end up feeling better about yourself after reading about all the stupid things people do.

http://www.fotopedia.com - a wiki for photos. Check some of them out (particularly the Jelly fish). Stunning. Add your own photos.

http://www.komando.com/coolsites - Kim Komando is nationally known for her computer and electronics advice. Her webiste is full of information that has helped me through the years. I've found just the app to help solve whatever issue I'm facing; usually for free. Get those iTunes converted to MP3! Many places on her site do require a subscription, but I've never paid yet. Take a peek.

www.wikihow.com - another user-based how-to site on a wide spectrum of topics: hair styles, cooking, self-help, sewing, and magic tricks, to name a few.

http://www.makeuseof.com - I've linked you to the Kids/Family section of this site which will give you a directory of family oriented appliations or websites that could help you. The main website will give you the directory of all the categories available. I could spend days going through the list. Totally awesome.

What Were They Thinking?

2009-07-03T08:26:00.005-07:00

Some would say we live in a "Bedroom Community". I've heard that term a lot and have wondered what that was. Is it all homes, and no businesses? Does it mean there's no living rooms or kitchens? Or maybe it means there are few, if any apartments? Curious, I looked it up. "Bedroom Community can also be called "Commuter Town." According to www.wisegeek.com, these are communities that are outside of close-in city suburbs (think West Seattle, Bellevue and entire the Eastside) that have largely been absorbed by the cities, these bedroom communities are in suburbs that can actually be called exburbs generally with some retail businesses but no heavy industry or technology. That may put Sumner out of it. Oh well, we are definitely in suburbia.

Well our little neighborhood of 20 or so new homes is pleasant and I love living here. My own little slice of heaven. We have a neighbor who owns about 8 acres and they have a peacock we can hear yelling out "HELP" regularly. There are kids riding bikes everywhere, and we all know what vehicles are regulars. We all watch out for each other and most of us know each other by name. Truly this is a "Leave it to Beaver" place. The homes are nicely situation on small lots with just enough yard to let us all play gardener without too much effort. Mornings are great. I like to wander out into the front yard and enjoy the sun and the peaceful setting. I liked to that is until...

Rory the Rooster makes an entrance. Rory is only one of two roosters (though there may be more, they are young yet) that cock-a-doodle-do in about 30 second intervals throughout the day. It isn't just in the morning; it starts in the morning and goes all day. Kind of like morning sickness. It starts one morning and goes on for a couple of months.

It is unclear why our neighbors decided to raise chickens. Several of us doubt they are pets, though they do run loose in his yard for the most part. There is only one larger rooster remains captive in a strange looking cage. It will be interesting to watch (or listen) and see if the herd, gaggle, or whatever they call a poultry group, will dwindle.

What I find strange is that anyone, with homes in such tight proximity to each other as ours all are, would even consider raising chickens and roosters. Of late, every time I walk by their backyard, one vocal feathered fowl actually pops up onto the top of the fence and crows his territorial expletives at me each time I make my circle of the neighborhood. He could easily make the final leap to freedom. If his owners intend him for the cooker, he may be kicking himself later wishing he'd taken that opportunity.

A big why and as Fitz and Mary from 100.7 The Wolf would say "What! Are you kidding me?"

Funky Gadgets Update

2009-07-01T06:00:00.002-07:00

Here are some interesting items I found that may help some of you with those last-minute birthday or other holiday gifts or for those who are simply hard to buy for.

Frolicat Bolt - Now you can play with your cat without even lifting a finger. Simply setup the Frolicat and walk away and watch your cat go wild.

Pre-chewed pencils - maybe people wouldn't chew on pencils if it already looked like someone else had gotten to them first! On the other hand, does anyone use pencils now days?

Turn air into water - this is a self-cleaning alternative source for fresh water. The ultimate green choice, or maybe not.

Drum Kit T-Shirt - (This one is for you, Daniel)- Are you always drumming on the desk, your knees, or any other surface at the ready? Try this shirt and share your percussive talents more loudly with all of your friends!!

Nothing - For the person who has everything.
Instructions:
step 1 - open the pack
step 2 - experience nothing

Warranty: This product is guaranteed to do absolutely nothing. If something happens, return for a full refund.

Stay in touch with previous gadget posts:
April 2008
May 2008

Don't Look Up!

2009-06-26T07:00:00.002-07:00

Ah memories! I'll never forget the beautiful afternoon walking the cobble stoned byways of Venice with my daughter a few years ago. We were hopelessly, yet very comfortably, lost. Not really a big deal, but we were trying to find a specific church, museum, or piazza for some reason or the other, and we decided to whip out our map of the city. (Maps in Venice are not always useful as some streets/alleys are named and some are not. Sometimes the maps even make it worse.) Either way, we whipped out the map, unfold it to its ungainly size that's almost as wide as the alley we're in, and begin flipping it around this way and that to see if it would help us navigate to the church, museum, or piazza; whatever.

SPLAT! Did I forget to tell you that Venice is overrun with pigeons? Oh yeah. Well Venice is overrun by pigeons. They're everywhere. Most of you have probably seen the ubiquitous Italian travel montages that show tourists besieged by hordes of birds in St. Mark's Square (that's a piazza, by the way), and we found that to only be the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I'll give Venice kudos though for working hard to keep them in check and minimize their damage. It seems that the pigeon poo was degrading the beautiful structures that make Venice so famous. Just a few years ago they banned the street vendors that sold feed to tourists and started fining people for feeding them. I heard they even set up a government program to help the the vendors find other jobs since most relied on their trade as their single source of income. Some had even argued that the "business" had been passed down through the generations.

Anyway back to the mess on my head. The wet muck struck the map, my sweater, and some got on my hands. Yuck. Our search for the museum, church, piazza turned into a search for a restroom to wash (those are hard to find unless you sit in a restaurant and buy something). I remember I had lost my voice and was scarfing cough drops all day and Mandy had to feed me the next few until I could thoroughly scrub all the pigeon poop away.

I had one other run in with bird guano, years ago. My brothers and sisters and I would walk to the local drug store on a trail through some woods (imagine doing that in today's environment?) and one day a bird found my head. Strange what you remember when you're a kid. It kinda reminds me of the old Gary Larsen cartoon showing how birds see the world: people all with targets painted on their heads. Well that was me. I had a friend with me, so I played it cool and simply wiped it off with my hands and carried on. No freaking out for me. Ugh. I think we went down there to buy candy. I've blocked the rest out.

I venture to guess I'll get nailed at least once more in my life time. I think I'll start planning my response now.

P.S. You can read about the day this occurred on my blog from that trip here. Scroll down to my June 7th posting.

P.P.S. The little video is not mine. Unknown copyright.

How do you Treat Your Lawn Ornaments?

2009-06-23T17:00:00.004-07:00

The wind was balmy and the trees swaying in a light breeze. The breeze really helps the 80 degree heat seem very tolerable. Ahh, this is the life. My new backyard is done and I'm sitting in my lounger on the new patio next to my new water feature...

Suddenly I'm awakened by a doorbell and my little dog, Trevi, bounces out of the room barking shrilly, totally ensuring I am fully awakened out of my night time slumber. Darn. It was a good dream. 12:15!! Who on earth would be ringing my doorbell at this hour? I finally get my arms into my robe after about the third try and manage to tie the sash by the time I'm about half way down the stairs. Then the thought hits me. Do I really want to open the door at midnight? Who would be on the other side? Being that James is now working a night job, it's up to me to figure out how I want to handle this perplexing situation. The peephole provides no clues. No one is there. But I do see a Sumner police vehicle outside. Ah, it must be safe I figure, and I open the door. Still no one is there. There are TWO Sumner police vehicles in our little neighborhood. After standing there in my stylish Cat in the Hat pajama pants, Roma T-shirt, and pink robe for a few minutes, the policemen walked around the corner.

Turns out PETLO (People for Ethical Treatment of Lawn Ornaments) struck our neighborhood. Apparently the police received a call from one of the neighbors that someone made off with a lawn ornament. The neighbor gave hot pursuit to the perp while phoning the police. They were there now trying to figure out which house was missing the important artifact. I do have a concrete lion (was originally a headstone a few houses ago for a dear cat) in the backyard. We all traipsed through the house to the back patio where the cops shone their lights all over. Nope, not me. Lions is still in my unfinished backyard near a big pile of dirt. Hmmm... the police thought sure the neighbor had described my house as the target. They made off into the night checking other homes and generally scoping out the area.

I went back to bed very satisfied. Sumner is at the ready for every situation. We scored two police for the lawn ornament crime.

I fell asleep not knowing if the wayward ornament had been found. Was it PETLO? Or, like the Roaming Gnome, did it simply decide Sumner didn't have enough to offer and pack up for an adventure?

Now, back to that dream...

P.S.

Turns out the ornament stolen was a 3' plastic "SLOW CHILDREN" sign/marker that sits on our corner. You've seen them; they look like little yellow crossing guards. While we don't want to admit we have slow children on our block, it has generally been felt that it did present the appropriate cautionary communication to all drivers venturing into our neighborhood. Our police-wanna-be neighbor, that went chasing after the thief, did get a license number, so it is just a matter of time before it is back in its rightful place.

The big question? Why would anyone want to take that sign, thereby admitting they have slow children?

I Get to Go Back!

2009-06-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited at the prospect of hiking through the Utah dessert again this fall. I'm dreaming in reds, browns, golds, and lots of warm sunshine!

I'm posting some of my photos that are from my trip to Utah. Have fun looking!

Utah Desert

The Beautiful Dessert

2009-05-29T06:54:00.006-07:00

My previous blog entry mentioned my next trip to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park. We'll be driving down in our car hoping to take only 2 to 3 days to get there. Once there we'll stay in St. George, Utah and take day trips to the various parks. The drive looks long, but since gas is no longer at $4.50 a gallon, it makes it cheaper than flying.

Our hope is to hike with cameras in hand and capture the real beauty of the area. Neither James nor I have ever seen the Grand Canyon so we are very excited to see this amazing geological formation. I've heard good things about Bryce Canyon as well. I'll try to post pictures or blog as I go if I can.

I really love planning trips. I have several online travel sites that I use regularly and some of you may find of interest in planning out your own summer travels.

1. Driving Costs - calculate your fuel costs: http://www.drivepricing.com

2. Trip Advice - find restaurants, hotels, activities, and tourist hot spots with reviews and occasionally even photos from real people, not travel writers. I've posted many reviews on this site myself: http://www.tripadvisor.com.

3. Find the best seat on an airplane - Seat Guru helps you figure out which seat is the best seat on your airplane. Tired of spending hours in the back with a seat that doesn't recline? Wish you knew where the exit rows were? Check out seating charts for the different airline and airplane configurations in advance at http://www.seatguru.com/

4. Non-US Low Cost Airlines: Trying to find flights in Romania, Greece, Turkey, Spain, or other country and don't know where to start? Try this site for a listing: http://www.discountairfares.com/lcosteur.htm

5. Home Exchange - I've yet to do this, but it has intrigued me. This may be a way to experience a new place without the high costs of a hotel: http://www.homeexchange.com/

6. Travel Questions answered - want to ask other travelers for suggestions or ask about train schedules in Italy? This is my favorite site for European travel by the travelers, for the travelers. Check out the forums where travelers post comments and answer your questions: http://www.slowtrav.com/. I love this site.

7. Maps - you can get directions to almost anywhere via the Michelin map site: http://www.viamichelin.com/

8. Currency Converter - Find out how much this is really costing you: http://www.xe.com

9. Plot Your Trip - build your itinerary, see the maps, and even add in activities which are easily printed out. This site integrates in with many airline and reservation sites and pulls in your flight & hotel information for a complete itinerary. You can share your trip map and itinerary with family and friends. Travelers can add in expenses, perform Mobile updates, and integrate with your calendar. Check it out: http://www.tripit.com.

10. Federal Aviation Administration - get the scoop on travel advisories, laws, regulations BEFORE you go: http://www.faa.gov/passengers/index.cfm

Enjoy your summer travels!

Did I Just Do That?

2009-05-26T17:00:00.001-07:00

I had a vacation just a few short weeks ago and it feels like it was last year already. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly those wonderful memories sail past and away into the fog. It's like being on a speed boat and watching a piece of seaweed or other floating object fade so quickly from view. Thank goodness we have pictures!

I'm already starting to plan a get-away with James in September. We hope to do a driving vacation down to see the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park. I had the opportunity to visit that general area two years ago and was absolutely fascinated. We hiked every day (in the early morning when it was cooler). The terrain is so very different from Washington, but every bit as breath taking with its vibrant reds and browns and dessert beauty. The fall means we'll be blessed with the fall foliage too. I'm very excited about the photo opportunities this trip should present.

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with the family. There was a birthday party for my niece, Alison, who turned 6. I also went to visit my mother in Chehalis. James and I fixed up the bike tires and headed out down the Interurban Trail towards Emerald Downs. We were probably less than a mile away when we decided to switch bikes (mine has a gel seat) and within minutes of James taking over, the tire blew with a huge explosion! We walked the bikes back to the nearest road intersection; probably about 1/2 a mile, and then I waited while James rode all the way back and got the van. We then drove to Emerald Downs and watched several horse races. What a wonderful day in the sunshine.

Ah, but work beckons. Thankfully I have a really short week as Friday is my scheduled day off. I am hopeful for another sunny weekend.

Nothing Pithy Here

2009-04-29T11:33:00.003-07:00

I usually love to write something meaningful or humorous on a regular basis. I have struggled lately to find my creative side to draw from and actually write something, anything, worth reading. I think that means I need a vacation.

I can relate to the stories of writers who would consign themselves to some remote cabin or tropical island for weeks or months at a time in order to clear their brain and find their creative muse. While some may argue my creativeness, or even the notion that I possess the mythical muse (or even have the ability to muse) the idea of prolonged peace and tranquility to get the right side of my brain functioning again is appealing. I think that means I need a vacation.

I've plotted and planned my next adventure for a few years nowL: the big 50th birthday trip with a wonderful friend of many years who also turns 50 right along with me. We picked Hawaii because it was close enough to get to and enjoy in a week or less and yet far enough away to feel like a real vacation. Somehow going to Vancouver, B.C. or Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, or even Disneyland wouldn't cut it. But here I am only about 3 days away and I haven't even packed anything yet. Not typical for me, the quintessential planner/analyzer. I have nothing ready save a tan I've been developing thanks to a local tanning salon. My list of things to do before I go keeps growing each day due to the fact I haven't accomplished the list from the day before. I think that means I need a vacation.

My job has gotten more demanding and less rewarding. My house has gotten dustier and more cluttered. I'm behind on watching my favorite shows. My body aches and hurts for no reason at all [INSERT OLDER-THAN-DIRT JOKES HERE]. I haven't gotten through the game Oblivion yet. And, I still have to figure out how to get my costume ready for my 50th birthday party hubby is putting on for me (not to mention a skit to match my selected persona).

I guess that means I need a vacation.

10! 9! 8!

2009-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in an earlier post, I have a nice relaxing trip to Hawaii all lined up and ready to go. A good friend of mine and I made a deal several years ago that on our 50th birthday we would splurge and buy ourselves a trip somewhere. Well, this is the year and we're actually doing it. So off to Maui we go. We are leaving on Saturday May 2nd, and will be gone exactly one week.

I really need this vacation. Work has been very hectic and my role has me in the hot seat on a regular basis. It is not fun. I need the beach. I need the sun. I need week of doing nothing work related at all. So, I downloaded a countdown clock from the Internet and have been watching the days disappear. Yeah!

But, oh no! My friend, Brenda, reminds me that we should count the same way James does. You can't count the current day, and you don't count the day you leave, so my countdown clock is wrong. Sigh...

It reminded me of a writing assignment I completed about 2 years ago. You should give it a read. It is called "The Wild Side of my Better Half".

So Much To Buy, and So Little Time

2009-04-03T17:00:00.001-07:00

While preparing myself for my next trip to Hawaii, I started reading up on old posts from years ago. I'd forgotten about them but really liked them, so I am re-posting them for your enjoyment.

Consumerism has reached a new level. Until now, I have been unfamiliar with the abundance of travel supplies and accessories available. While making my packing list, I've found a veritable bottomless pit of supplies that each company touts as "must haves" for the savvy traveler. Well, not wanting to be un-savvy I took a peek.

Armed with my debit card, I find I'm faced with the daunting decision of what to purchase. Should I get the "Disposable Tan Towel" that gives me a natural healthy looking tan without the harmful effects of the sun, or the "Soothing Sole Towelettes" that instantly refresh, cleanse, and deodorize? Begging for my hard-earned, but casually spent dollars, are the travelers first aid kit, the special "no-wrinkle" (yeah right) clothing, disposable underwear, travel lights, map readers, motion sickness wrist bands, travel fans, and the inevitable, but very stupid looking, "Cloud-Soft Inflatable Pillow" that "makes all the difference on long flights." (Speaking of those little inflatable pillows, I've seen those; they wrap around your neck like the yoke on an oxen. Though they do appear to be much lighter weight and can be purchased in a variety of colors, they still look pretty funny. My sister wore one when we traveled to Italy in 2001. It was a real struggle to keep my hilarity to myself so as to not to disturb her during her slumber. The pillow did work; she didn't kink her neck, but she did keel over and ended up reclining on the very nice Italian lady next to her. This kindly soul didn't shove Linda out into the aisle even once during the entire 4+ hour trip from Rome to Venice. Who says the locals aren't kind to Americans?

One item reminded me of a conversation some of us had regarding smells on long airline flights. It was the "Personal Air Supply" that "substantially reduces pollutants, dust, smoke...so fresh air is released towards your mouth, nose, and eyes." You get the picture. I think the $125 price tag means I'll be smelling whatever comes my way during the 9+ hour flight.

Here's a few other items that caught my eye (actual name and descriptions used):

* Boroleum - place a tiny dab at the base of each nostril for immediate relief from dry nasal membranes.

* Skeeter Defeater - portable free-standing insect tent that packs easily into its own carrying sack.

* Flipper - Suctions securely to any smooth surface and its unique springloaded hinge allows it to "flip" open and closed, preventing your toothbrush bristles from coming into contact with surface germs (the picture shows your toothbrush suctioned to the bathroom mirror)

* Restop - biodegradable blend of polymers breaks down waste into a sturdy zip top bag and turns it into gel (I'm not kidding)

* Tush Wipes - I'm not going to explain this one

All this has helped me make up my mind. I'm not buying anything, but I will make James sit at the back of the plane.

4/3/2009 Note: I'm not going on this next trip with James though.

Say What?

2009-04-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

We've all heard 'em: popular over-used words, phrases, cliche's, weird pronunciations, or tidbits of nomenclature that we all wish would go away. Here are some that have caught my ear and made me go hmmm...?

1. Again - I've been in meetings day after day (that's my work-life, in a nutshell) and someone will begin a sentence with "Again, I'd like to point out that that database hosting solution requires that we..." and so on. Well, without fail I begin trying to figure out when they had said it before in order to verify the use of the word "again" in their statement. Most of the time they have not been redundant. Clearly the use of the word has become a strange way of starting off a statement.

2. Basically - same as above. In my Information Technology world (IT) I've found that there really are few things that are basic. But hey, maybe that's just me.

3. Monday - pronounced Mon-dee, or Fri-dee, not day. When did that happen? One of our local weathermen uses that pronunciation and it really bugs me. It really doesn't work well with some of the days of the week in particular; it just sound wrong. Try it. Say with me: Satur-dee. See what I mean?

4. In terms of - again, (notice I am using this correctly as the beginning of my statement) this is a case of people finding a not-so-unique way of making a comment. When one thinks about what the phrase really means, it really should go without saying if one has a well thought out statement to make.

5. Right? - I work with a strong contingent of people who regularly finish a sentence with a question by tacking on question "right?" at the end. Depending on the person it may be a result of a couple of things. It could be a not-so-clever way to trying to lead the listeners into agreeing with the tactic or decision. Or, it could simply be an insecure person seeking approval for their comments/statements. I suppose we should also consider that someone has just created the habit and really don't expect everyone to be constantly affirming every other sentence. Goodness knows I've been tempted to interrupt after the end of every such sentence with a loud "YES" or "RIGHT!". Somehow I don't think that would make me very popular, though the possibility exists that I would be invited to fewer meetings which wouldn't be a bad thing after all. I'll have to think on that one more.

In addition to the above more nonsensical words, it seems every year there are new business buzz words and cliches that become popular. I guess I'm a rebel at heart. I purposefully try to stay away from them if I can at all get away with it. I'll never forget a couple of years ago, I couldn't get through one meeting without hearing the phrase "low hanging fruit". I hear it once in a while now, but it is almost gone (good riddance). Hasn't anyone heard that the fruit that is the most available has usually been sprayed with insecticides? Don't eat it!

Is it Just Me?

2009-03-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

OK I admit it. I'm a staunch conservative. I didn't used to be. Back in the mid-80's I fled a legalistic and extreme religious environment and spread my wings and swung over to a fairly liberal mind-set. That phase only last a few years. Once my rebellious anti-everything-I'd-ever-been-trained/taught mode waned, I began to pay attention and really examine the political world around me. I attended town-hall meetings held by my state legislator, I talked with candidates that went door-to-door and even started watching websites for current and wanna-be candidates. I started listening to talk radio and forsaking the typical news outlets which seemed very slanted to me. I worked hard to actually be informed. I didn't want to blindly follow anything anymore.

Well the news of late has really got me in a very defensive mode. I am starting to feel like I need to defend my personal property, my finances; my general way of life seems to be in jeopardy. The dollar is falling, rampant inflation is probably less than a year away (keep printing that money!). What now? What if I lose my up-to-now safe, well paying job? What would we do if our money became nearly worthless? How would we pay our bills? Buy food? Keep a roof over our heads? It seems that a lots of things I've taken as a given, may actually be in jeopardy. I'm turning 50 in about a month and retirement usually isn't far from my mind. Will I now have to work until I'm 70? Will I even have a job? Ah, so much to think about.

Should I buy gold? Silver? I most certainly want to pay off as much debt as possible, no question there. Debt is certainly a bad thing in our world's current situation. I don't' want to be beholden to anyone if I don't have to.

But man, do I still want to travel the world, spoil my grand kids, help out my kids as they start up their new families, be generous with my charitable giving. I really want that new computer monitor, new software, iPod Touch (thanks for the tip JD!), camera accouterments, and more. Oh and my tires need replacing, the yard is a disaster and needs new sod, and I need a new wardrobe. My house still has a lot of painting to be done and curtains to put up. I can see that I have a real struggle in front of me to curb my years of easy spending.

I've been very reticent about posting my thoughts on this; worried that some will see me as a conspiracy theorist or just plain batty with my concerns.

Too bad.

I am out in the open now.