CalicoKitty

This is my first 4th of July in my new home in my new state. Fireworks are illegal in this county, and , apparently it is really enforced. No sounds at all tonight, and I will be interested to see what happens tomorrow night on the 4th. I have moved from a city/county in California where fireworks are legal on the 4th, but people set them off starting in mid-June and will continue for at least a month. Many people complain, but the law enforcement will not follow up on fireworks calls. Lots of people and animals are badly effected. Oh, and the gun shots. Always, on the week of the 4th and New Years, idiots fire off shots in the air. One of them went through the roof of my storage unit, and a lot of my stuff was ruined when it rained. I am sitting here tonight enjoying the PEACE AND QUIET that is a new experience for me on the 4th. I love my new home!

When I was little (a long time ago!), when someone ordered coffee in a restaurant, the cream was served in little glass "milk bottles"--probably about 2 TBS or so. I can remember my mom letting me drink the cream out of the cute little bottle. But that was real cream, and not "creamer". I haven't seen one of those little cream bottles for ages.

One of these times something very bad is going to happen. I wonder if their "insurance" covers births in a hospital. Boob has important "Josh" stuff on his mind. No time --and money--to worry about a woman.

Did I read somewhere that this would be a hospital birth, or did I dream that?

Just to say something (anything) positive--it is really nice to see Jinger dressed appropriately for the activity. She is not wearing a long denim skirt, and looks very good in her sports shorts/skirt. (I can't really tell if that is a pair of shorts or a skort). And is wearing the proper shoes and not flip-flops. She has come a long way.

In California public school is "free education". This means you cannot require students to provide any school supplies. Everything is supplied by the school (and lot of supplies are provided out of the teacher's own pockets). But there are no school supply lists. All supplies are given to the students. Schools are funded by taxes, so, I guess anyone can go on the field. (This is the argument a parent actually used when his kid destroyed a textbook----"I pay my taxes, my kid can destroy whatever he wants".) Kids used to come on our playgrounds on weekends, and people used to walk their dogs in the playground field (NOT acceptable). People would bring metal detectors to find lost coins in the sandbox. But now all the schools in our district have fences with locked gates. Especially the high school. I don't think anyone can even get on to the high school campus at all after hours, and I would be very surprised if there aren't cameras that are connected to live security. I wonder what Jill would have done if one of her kids broke a leg while using the equipment (incorrectly). Or been caught by the campus police officer.

I just hope that all this publicity about Amy, and anything that she will say, does not screw up the case against Josh. Like talking so much on social media or to the "news magazines" that his lawyers can complain that he can't get a fair trial.

Maybe he is being called as a witness for the prosecution? He has been radio silent for quite a while. I do feel sorry for all the siblings that are not Josh, and I'm sure they want some conclusion as soon as possible. What a mess. If silence is their decision, I don't blame them.

I don't remember--did he work at the car lot with Josh?

As a Kindergarten teacher, I read several of the Boxcar Children books to my class during story time. I would probably get through the first four or five books in the series during the school year. They always loved them, and would beg for "one more chapter" when it was time to stop. They also loved the original Raggedy Ann and Andy books. Children can get very involved with chapter books before they can read them themselves.

My cat blanket started early tonight. Lily, the black-and-white cat on the bottom, was sleeping on my lap when Flora, the silver-and-white cat, came and sat right on top of her to take a nap. Flora outweighs Lily by at least 4 pounds, but she always seems to be on the top of the pile. Meanwhile, Lily just kept on sleeping (she really isn't too bright!). 20 minutes so far, and no one is moving. I'm trapped under my cats.

Not only bikes in the Big House, but roller skates, too. There were scenes of a kid, maybe Joy, who was rollerskating on the tile kitchen floor while carrying a glass casserole dish. And Giddy's bike has been shown in the pantry at the Big House. I really can't imagine how filthy that house must be.

I just ordered it on Kindle.

I wonder if the swing set post was to show that Jinger is as adept at building and construction as Jessa. Jessa did build that "death trap" shelf over their bed, and she did seem to know how to construct it (she just needs to learn where to hang it). I'm sure both Jessa and Jinger watched someone use power tools, so they know how to use them, too. I do know non-fundy wives that are better at using tools and doing construction things around the house than their husbands are. Maybe it is just not Jeremy's "thing". My dad was so proud of himself when he "fixed" the garage door by realizing that it needed to be plugged in. He was not handy around the house at all--but then neither was my mother. (But boy, could he polish shoes!)

I know in Iowa the Amish must have a licensed teacher. My mother's home town is very near an Old World Amish community, and I have seen the teacher's cars parked by the schools during school hours. And the teachers do wear pants. It a horse-and-buggy community, but they are required to have the teachers in their own schools. That does not mean they don't quit school after the 8th grade, but, up until then, they must have regular, credentialed teachers. So, yes, a much better education than the Rods.

I adopted a kitten that had just been spayed. She had to be spayed again at the age of 2 years. I was told that she was too young the first time, and they missed part of an ovary. That piece grew back, and she went into full heat. My vet said he prefers to wait until 5-6 months to make sure they can get everything.

10 years old. Sad to think he will be married in 8 years.

I would worry about a toddler alone in the bathroom with the door closed. I was going to say she could get into things like bathroom cleaning products, but then I remembered whose house this is. Still, open water in the toilet, climbing on the counter and falling into the tub--there a lot of accidents that could happen alone in the bathroom. I think this whole thing was a set-up.

Tonight's cat blanket. Regular blanket not necessary. They are plenty warm!

Cutco has a lifetime guarantee. I melted a handle on the counter-top oven, and the company sent me a new knife. They also sharpen for free. They are pricy, but they are excellent quality. I think they treat their reps pretty well. I have heard of people getting bonuses and scholarships. I used to get their catalog in the mail, but now if I need a piece or two I just order directly on their website. I hope Gwendlyn does well and enjoys her customers.

I think Agnes is a pretty good name, especially when compared to some of the names I have seen. Agnus is normal, Elyesce (pronounced Elise) not so much. "Old fashioned" names are becoming popular again: Etta, Hazel, Margaret, Ralph, Henry, Fred. Baby Agnes really lucked out in her family.

Ah, Raggedy Ann and Andy. I loved reading the original stories to my classes when I was still teaching. I'm sad that Jessa's kids probably won't be introduced to these wonderful stories.

The white dresses are very cute, and their shoes actually all match!

It's nice to think of family members, but you need to think of the kid that gets the name, too. Having a name will constantly be mispronounced, or people thinking her parents didn't know how to spell, is not a great idea, in my opinion. Spell the name in a way that people can pronounce correctly, and give her two middle names to honor family members. (My mother and all of her siblings had two middle names). But, parents have the right to name their own children what ever they want. In this case, I just don't think it came out as clever as the parents thought it would.