CalicoKitty

Sam is such a cutie. Those kids look so happy. It makes me feel even sadder for their cousins.

RE Jeremy's fountain pen and apropos of nothing...I was watching a mystery show where the victim was murdered by having a fountain pen shoved into his head. I guess Jeremy is demonstrating a different way of using a pen to "kill the conversation". (or brain cells)

I had never heard of Crumbl until a couple of weeks ago. My neighbor invited me over for dinner, as they had some friends from out of town. Turns out, they were a young couple that were getting ready to open their own Crumbl franchise in N Dakota. The young man had been flying all over the country helping and advising owners get their stores open, and now he was opening his own. I learned a lot about how they make and decorate, and it was very interesting. There is not one around here, but I understand they are extremely popular.

I am so sorry for the key loss stories. This is the exact reason I changed my locks to code locks. Now I do not have to carry any keys (my car has a fob instead of a key). The code locks are easy to install and program. You can give someone their own code (like a housekeeper, for instance), and then change or remove that code when you want. If you need someone to into your house--like a neighbor who will feed the cat--you can give them the code over the phone instead of a physical key. You can even get a code lock that has wifi, but I have never used that feature. The ability to "rekey" just by changing the code is one of the best features. At my old house I had Schlage code locks, and the builder put Kwikset on my new house. They cost more at first, but I figure I have saved a lot not having to have someone rekey my locks. I just do it myself. I don't have to worry about someone having my key, or finding my lost key. I think it is much more secure. They do run on batteries, but they are very easy to change out. I will never go back to keyed locks again.

I just had the same type of message from Amazon. Apparently, my package had to be returned, and I'm getting a refund. Now I just need to figure out which package it was.

In Moscow, you go to McDonalds because they are known to have the best and cleanest bathrooms. Actually, all the McDonalds in Moscow are beautiful. And extremely clean. There was someone mopping the floor and someone washing tables constantly. But they do have Western style, clean, bathrooms.

I might understand if she was using the air fryer lid for the instant pot, but fish would get mushy with all the steam with the regular lid. I "steam" fish in the oven wrapped in a foil packet, and it takes such a short time. And easy cleanup.

That could be. I actually taught with a woman who had trouble getting her family organized in the morning, so she had her kids get dressed for school the night before and sleep in their clothes. But, besides the Duggars, that is the only person I have ever heard of that did this.

I'm a little surprised she knows about pajamas at all, given her family history. Or did only the girls have to sleep in street clothes.

Maybe they could find a drainage culvert and "swim" in.

They are finally getting some containment on our fire. I have heard that they are hoping to get it under control by the end of August. I don't think it will be totally out until the first snowfall, however. The fire fighters are doing an amazing job. So far, I have only heard about 8 structures lost, which is amazing. The air quality here is in the dangerous zone, and people are encouraged to stay inside. It is overcast, and looks like a dreary winter day---except it is really smoke in the air, and it is in the 90's. We are getting thunder and some rain in the afternoons this week. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy, so it will be interesting. I hope there is not enough rain for flooding. I am glad I bought a large air purifier. It is coming in very handy.

For years, my mother put paper plates on top of her regular plates so she didn't have to wash dishes. She would get the super cheap ones at Costco. Once in a while, for a quick microwave hot dog, sandwich, or a piece of pizza it makes sense, but not every.single.meal. For years. They would get soggy, and it would be hard to eat things like spaghetti or anything with any moisture. You kind of ended up with cheap paper plate paper in your food. She would stack her plates in the cupboard with a paper plate on each one, all ready to go. She had a dishwasher, too. Alyssa may think this is a cool idea, just like my mom. I use my dishwasher when I get a full load. I like eating on real dishes for most things.

There was a period of time when she appeared to be "tomato staked" to her parents, and I always wondered if this had to do with a guy she might like. I don't remember that we ever discovered what the problem was.

So the M's are basically all alone in this mess. Josh gets the attention of his wife, and the kids don't get the attention of their mother. Nice.

Actually, only the toys with extra-long tails or are extra squishy get stuck in the Roomba. Mine actually pushes all the "lost toys" out from under the couch and the bed. Every now and then a toy will get "eaten" and I have to rescue the robot. But really, not very often. If they toys are big enough, they just get pushed around, and then you can find them again. I am always surprised to find out how many cat toys ended up under the couch.

I have a question. Does Gothard teach that a spouse is more important than a child? Is a wife supposed to support her husband, even if it means not caring for her children? Just looking from the outside, I get the impression that the children are of less importance as people. Numbers matter, but not individual children. If this is the case, I can see Anna sticking with Josh, even if it is not the best situation for her children. But then, I don't understand this line of thinking at all.

My Roomba does very will around chair legs and other furniture. I do have to be sure to keep computer cords up out of the way, but it does do a good job around the dining table and chairs. I have mostly hard floor, but it does a good job on carpet and area rugs, also. It just keeps going. My big cat thinks it is a big toy and just sits there while it comes toward her. The smaller cat doesn't seem to mind it, either. When I was unpacking during my move, I had a framed picture standing against the wall. Rumba bumped the picture, and it went flat across the top. The Roomba traveled all over the house with the picture on top of it. My cats haven't tried to ride it, however.

I have had a Roomba for several years, and I find it to be very helpful. It goes under the bed, and pushes all the cat toys out from under the couch. It picks up dust and pet hair very well. The one I have now has the automatic empty feature, and I'm having some connection issues with that. But the basic, non-internet one is great. I also bought a cheaper brand (ILife), and it works very well, too. The fact that the Roomba goes under furniture to get the hair is really great. I continue to be shocked at how much "stuff" it picks up!

I really think that, if his circumstances had been different, Bin would have actually made something of himself. On their honeymoon in Europe, Bin showed a lot of interest in what he was seeing and experiencing (Jessa, not so much). I think he is actually pretty intelligent, but he has made a life choice (early marriage and family) that will hold him back. I really feel sorry for him.

I'm feeling a bit more calm about the fire this morning. It seems to be staying away from our direction, but the air is very smokey. I spoke to a woman this morning that was allowed to leave her area in the fire's path, and her house is ok, but all the trees are gone. It seems that the fire fighters are doing an admirable job at protecting structures. I heard only one house and one shed was lost yesterday. The forests are just burned sticks, but residences are being protected. The county seems to have an evacuation plan in operation, and it seems to be running smoothly. So now we just have to watch the smoke from all the thousands of acres of forest, and hope that this fire finally gets put out. There are several more named fires burning in the state, so I don't know when we will see clear sky again. But for today, at least, I feel safe at home. This is so much different than the stories I heard from people in the Paradise fire in California a couple of years ago. So far, no one has had to actually flee for their life. The authorities here seem to have a much better plan. Thanks for your good thoughts, and a good day to all.

Our fire is still spreading, with no containment yet. The wind is blowing right now, and, unfortunately, not in a good direction for me. Some neighborhoods were evacuated, but none near me (yet). Still just waiting to hear some news--good or bad. At least I have some plans as to what to do if I have to leave. I'm ready for some good news. The county seems to have evacuation plans in order, and there are pet-friendly and livestock- friendly places set up and ready. They claim to have plenty of supplies, and that gives confidence, too. They keep saying in the paper that they hope for containment by 7/31, but new spots just keep popping up. This is not fun!

Is this ditch for water run-off? What pesticides, chemicals, or farm runoff is in that water?

Are these underfed children strong enough to save themselves if they get in trouble? Those wet clothes have a lot of weight. Does Jill know what, exactly, is under that water? Broken glass, maybe? Large rocks? That just looks so dangerous.

This morning's fire report says that the fire has now officially crossed the border into Nevada. It is heading East, which is good for me. A North turn would not be so good. I'm told that this fire seems to be following the same path of a huge fire in the 80's, and will hopefully not head our way. But it is only about 30 miles away. Surprisingly, only 10 structures have been lost, so that tells you how remote this fire is. Helicopters and planes are passing over frequently, and I think they said about 1200 people are working on it. I'm ready, and have a place to go if I need to get out. Thank you for thinking of me. I will let you know about my brother's book as soon as I know a release date. Thanks for asking.

Yes, there are many different sects that are "Amish". The community I am familiar with is very "old world". They do not have telephones, they do not drive cars (or anything with a motor), they do not have window curtains (too worldly). They do not have electricity. I was in one general store where they rigged up a gas-powered fan. They do not use buttons on their clothing (again, too worldly). The women close their dresses with straight pins up the front--aIways perfectly spaced and perfectly straight. They use hook-and eye-closures if straight pins won't do the job, such as on the men's trousers and shirts. And all women and girls wear dresses and bonnets. Smaller ones out of white net-like fabric at home or in the garden, and big black ones over the white ones when they leave home. It is kind of odd looking to see a baby in arms wearing this huge black bonnet. I guess that is their version of a bow for a girl. All married men grow a long beard. Monday is usually laundry day, and you will see clothes lines full of sheets and clothing at every farm. They farm completely by horse. This particular group is very strict. They are not comparable to the communities that run restaurants or gift shops. There are no billboards advertising "This way to the Amish". Once a year they have a huge auction, which is popular with the town folks, to raise money for their school buildings, and it is quite an event. They have a couple of general stores that local people can go to, a grocery store that I see local cars at, and you will see signs on the fences of families that sell quilts, rugs, or repair harnesses and shoes. And a couple of bakeries. It is certainly not a "tourist stop" community, but people from the towns around will shop at their general stores. I've been going through that community since I was a small child. My mother's family lived in the town nearby. I used to see buggies tied to parking meters in town, but for many years now they have a special lot for their use. Can't park a horse at a meter any more. The grocery store in town always has a buggy or two parked in their lot. If a boy and girl are courting, they must ride in an open buggy. You can have an enclosed buggy, or one with a top, after you are married. They do not have church buildings. Church is held on a rotating basis at each farm, and they wear their "Sunday Best". Sometimes I have seen all the men in their suits in the front yard of a farm along the main road, talking together. The women that I saw were in the house, probably cooking the lunch for the group. I have seen people from this Amish community around town more in the last few years (I usually go to Iowa once a year, but I lived in town as a child). They can now go to the Dairy Queen and McDonalds, which was "forbidden" in years past. But they pretty much stay to themselves and seem to be "good neighbors" with the surrounding towns.