JustaKrusen/ Mrsjustakrusen

Halloween is a time when we can become something we are not. We can pretend to be evil, or a princess, an object  or a cartoon figure.

As a child it was kinda fun because we did not go to stores and buy costumes, we did not have money to do that. So my mom would make things for us.

As my own child became Halloween ready, quite often the costume was home made. It became a challenge to figure out what I was capable of making , and have it be something that Jeff would be able to wear…

And now..as a grandmother, as an older person who tends to try to step back or hover above life.. I see Halloween is not a day… for some it is every time they leave their home. At church this week it was a new sermon series and the pastor handed out plain white masks to all of us. The sermon has seeped into me deeply, because it dealt with what mask do we hide behind from God..but to take it further… what mask do we hide ourselves from others.

That is a pretty tough question. Sometimes I will make a facial expression at home and Mark will say he wished he had a picture of it because he would send it to where I work and let them see the REAL me. I laugh when he says that, because I think—or I  thought I was pretty open. But as I look at the mask from church- which I have in the car on the middle headrest in the back seat…. ( so every time I look in the rear view mirror I am reminded of it)—I wonder about who I am real with and who I am not. Who is real with me, and who is an act.

Further more… what do people really expect of each other  when they ask   “How are you?” We often say “fine and you?” but are we really fine? And did they really want to know?

I love this free clip art image of an alien being a little boy. For me, I would definitely want the little boy to be the real thing and not the alien.

Yet how many of us are aliens in our own way?

Life and its bumps and turns , life makes us into being who we are, but more so making us only a part of who we are. And for me, I know some of the bumps and bruises of life have made me become more private in my thoughts. I have become less outgoing, and less real at times. As a child, as a teen..I was always criticized for talking too much..now I am a woman of few words most of the time.

When we get shot down, when we get lied to, when we get hurt…we get a pretty big collection of masks to hide behind.

Through it all.. as I look at the mask in my car..I realize there are many costumes/ masks that cover up  parts of me, parts  I have put to sleep. Some things I care not to remember— ( but a song or a place may awaken them) and some that have knocked me down a few pegs . The mask… the sermon…. has made me think.. Who am I ? and Who are you?

Love to all, be safe… Cindy alias Mrs Justa (or whomever I am !)

Ya know it is so strange when life feels like it is ripping you off. But we need to be not so quick to make that assumption. there are situations when it is easy to assume ripping off and than make them prove they are not. (Kinda like the being guilty and proving your innocence)

We have had 2 episodes with a tire retailer in the past year when we felt we needed to buy 2 snow tires and both times they said NOPE you Must but 4. Now the ripped off mentality thinks… “AHH HAAA yeah..cuz you get more money if I buy 4!!! RIP OFF”>>> but in reality— there are a number of law suits across the country where a tire service center was sued when a person was injured in an accident after getting 2 instead of 4 new tires. And dang 4 tires is a choice that is EXPENSIVE!!

Last year we tried to sell 4 mounted snow tires- with hub caps, with the tire sensors for low air pressure. People came out—and left because they were not the same brand for all 4. Here we thought your cheep sons of guns—you bastards… and really in looking back now—these people were being smart… But I was thinking then they were trying to rip us off… this one guy came out and offered us $$ for 2 but said he would take 4… ( because 2 of the tires were older)… another dude—we drove the tires to his home 28 miles away , only to have him look, and in a rich, stuck on himself tone..he said..”Oh man Cin… why didn’t you tell me they weren’t the same… I do not want them” Again ..in my mind I was being ripped off…. and now foolishly—I realize we should only get 4 tires at once, and not 2 at a time.

I have had the ripped off experience in other situations too.. How about when you go car shopping… there are some sleazy sales people out there…or camper shopping… or electronics shopping… basically shopping in general!. Where the sales people try to make you believe the item was made JUST FOR YOU… or they have you sit in it and say you look good in it…. or when we were looking for this house we bought… the sale person had us check it out and than conveniently came in and had us discuss our potential sale while sitting in the living room… so it felt like we were in our home. Dude!! the camper guy did the same thing!!! Over many years , as I look back… yikess… We bought the house, we bought the camper, we bought into the camp site membership and we bought the car… and in the end it was good choices… but there was a time when the sales people opened their mouths—I was already thinking RIP OFF ARTISTS>> So be careful  out there- do not get suckered into the first deal ( like we have LOL) and remember—it is okay to say “let us take the night and think about it” Sales people HATE that… Love to all, Mrs Justa, alias sucker for a deal… Cindy…

I just got done making Rice Krispy treats for a retirement party tomorrow. I forgot how sticky they were… but alas – they are cooling in the fridge—than it is the cutting through them.. If I remember correctly they get pretty hard.

HMMM>.. sometimes the thought is much nicer than the task. But it will be a nice treat for them.

The snow is in the weather forecast, slushy roads a possibility tomorrow, and here I sit trying to convince myself I do not care about the snow coming, but I do.

It is very hard to drive in the deep white stuff at times, it is really pretty once home and safe- to watch it out the window, it is really  tiring to clear the snow for 4 months or more. And yet—it is life as I know it. Life is full of challenges, if I lived somewhere where it never snowed, never changed colors , well I think life would be boring , in a way. Living somewhere with high humidity and HOT temps—naw… not so much.. So this is an okay place to be.

There is a saying that I think of…
There’s No Place Like Home”

Someone asked me where is the best place to live… and after I hemmed and hawed… I had to say.. here is wonderful. Other places are nice to visit, and than give us somewhere to look forward to. We are already talking about returning to OBX next year, oh my goodness, that was so awesome. But to live there year round… hmmm I am not a fan of hurricanes..and where we were—the roads were totally washed out…SO hopefully they will be back to normal by next spring… and we can visit again.

How about the south.. nope— not full time…. maybe a short stent…. the bugs grow bigger there, too hot…. need AC …. sweat…. hurricanes and tornados….

I am tempted to be a snow bird in another 20 years..but by then I will probably not be up for the trip. So I am snowbirding it in my mind… and facing the fact the snow will come, snow will go….and spring will be here in no time !. I guess for me, I feel lucky enough to love where I live, to realize that each season comes and goes, and with it brings challenges and special moments…and that some of the challenges are hard to anticipate—but once here—they are what they are…and than they go….

Enjoy the weather..whatever it may be… I am off to chisel the rice krispie treats out of the pan, and settle down for the night. I hope this finds you in good health, in good spirits. Love to all, Cindy Alias Mrs Justa.

Retirement…. wow… a friend at work.. one of my day time family members ..is retiring this week. She is 8 years older than I am . I remember –what seemed as not so long ago—when retirement was what old people do, it is what is earned from years of working, somehow I believed when I was younger that retirement is something we each are entitled to, a time when there is no more alarm clock, no more worrying about having to drive in through blinding snow storms, and just stay home and relax. I remember  being around retired people and they would pull a wad of money out of their wallet or pocket like it was nothing. As a child it was like the money was just always there for them, because they were older.

Well for me, as the years of working continue and the number worked far exceeds the number left to work…. retirement is not what I had pictured as a youth,   the thought that when one retires there is unending money has come to reality that it does not happen that way. There is a 401 K and there is a retirement plan at work, but it is not like working for the state or federal government,,, where retired  employees  get a percentage of their pay for life… that is nice.
The paths chosen in life have led us to where we are now, and I do not regret where we are ..just wish I knew than what I know now. Growing old seemed like something that would never happen … it was like it was an infinite time away.

This lady, she has a retirement plan that is pretty good, her husband too has one from where he was employed, where he receives quite a bit each month, just because he worked at a place that had a contract for the employees when they get to their golden years.

They have sold their home, they found a condo in Florida ( furnished) for less than 20,000.00..they bought a summer trailer for a camp area up here, and they have downsized to the max. She had garage sales where she sold every single thing she could, and made a nice amount of money from it. I am happy for her.

And we… we will be okay when the day hits. And that day could be 10 years away !…maybe more. It will be different than the illusion, than the vision, than the innocence of youth image of what the future will be like. We will be frugal  we will downsize, we probably will  be comfortable being in our home, and I guess with that outlook, we will appreciate every penny. If we are lucky in our choices , maybe we could be in warmer climates for the coldest months, but if not..we will probably have to sell this place and move into a place where the maintenance is done for us.

I look at the incredible numbers of people turning to retirement each day… it is pretty overwhelming. The future is so uncertain… but we will walk through it one step at a time. I would love to have the extra time to devote to the grandkids, or to volunteer for those in need. Maybe be like a foster grandparent at the hospital. To lead a simple life, cut down our needs and enjoy every second we have left.

Our kids and spouses seem to have understood the importance of planning for the future, and I am glad they have… for one day, they can live the dream of retirement in  comfort, the way it should be .

I hope you have a plan, that you have had the blocks lined up for the future…. peace to all, Love Mrs Justa..alias Cindy

I posted a video the other night of a song titled “Happiness” and that was all I posted. This is from a sound track to Broadway play “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”

Some may have wondered why I did it, well I did it because the lyrics have held a special part in my heart for years—and I guess I needed to remember them….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happiness is finding a pencil.
Pizza with sausage.
Telling the time.
Happiness is learning to whistle.
Tying your shoe for the very first time.

Happiness is playing the drum in your own school band.
And happiness is walking hand in hand.
Happiness is two kinds of ice cream.
Knowing a secret.
Climbing a tree.
Happiness is five different crayons.
Catching a firefly.
Setting him free.

Happiness is being alone every now and then.
And happiness is coming home again.
Happiness is morning and evening,
Daytime and night time too.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all
That’s loved by you.

Happiness is having a sister.
Sharing a sandwich.
Getting along.
Happiness is singing together when day is through,
And happiness is those who sing with you.
Happiness is morning and evening,
Daytime and nighttime too.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all
That’s loved by you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It reminds me of the simple things in life and that is what happiness is really about. I guess I seem to overlook that at times. Last week I bought 2 scratch off lottery tickets for my birthday, and one was a $100.00 winner… so I went back and bought 10 more and pocketed the 80.00,,, and Mark and I scratched them… another 100.00 winner… whoa.. talk about luck.. SO off to the store… this buying 10 thing is making sense… woo hoo… humming in my mind.. “I’m in the money” when in reality we are still probably thousands   in the hole from all the looser tickets we buy. I thought I was “happy’ and than all ten- zippo—no winner…. Huge bummer… huge temptation for Satan to convince me that if I go right back in and buy another 10 or 20 that I have to have a winner… but instead I stopped, I turned a loosing ticket over and there was a thing about the gamblers hotline—I smiled in a sad sort of way realizing how very addictive this could be…..the “I feel lucky” thoughts- or “I am hot..gotta keep it going..”    but instead I stopped—I took a deep breath, I spoke with Mark..told him there were no winners…… than —   the ignition was turned on and off I drove.

As I was driving down some back village street this song again came into my mind.

“Happiness is morning and evening.. daytime and nighttime too..” yes that is happiness..not some lottery ticket.. ( however if it had been the 1,00.00 a week for life-I might change my tune LOL)….

So this weekend was a non busy weekend, spending the whole weekend with Mark–catching up on stuff around the house, breakfast out, watching the shows we had DVR’ed, sleeping in, going to the gym, cutting coupons, organizing and some thinning out of stuff, read some of a book… no real plan—no real need to be anywhere at any time… just enjoying our home—our life-  for a weekend. It was nice. This was happiness….

Now..off to make dinner… maybe shower early..nestle with the book or watch a movie..who knows…. it will be a quiet- ( and it is REALLY QUIET HERE) an old foggies night with my old foggie husband….Have a good evening, Love to all.. Mrs Justa..alias Cindy…

Happiness….I can not get this song out of my mind. The lyrics are really cool. I am leaving this song to be my post… it says so much..Love Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Reflecting – that is what today is about to me. Today was my birthday, and it is funny how birthdays change in meaning the more I go through them . I remember as a young kid looking forward to my birthday- for no one reason except it was a day it made me feel really special. My parents were very loving parents, and they would never over extend on gifts. First they did not have much money, but secondly my parents were not materialistic type people. Oh sure there would be a cake, candles and ice cream ( only on birthdays did we get cake and ice cream on the same day!!) – and family would sing to me around the table, I would have a moment to make a wish and blow out the candles, and my siblings would always ask what the wish was. There would be gifts, but it was being around family that mattered.

We did not do huge birthday parties- it was a day that was just a time where I felt like it was MY day. I think maybe because on our birthdays the attention was more on us. Other days- there were all 6 kids in a constant rebounding of where the attention went- and often that depended on who was doing something wrong.

Today- many years after those childhood days, was a nice day. Birthdays are now so different, but not in a bad way. We each have basically anything we need, we are not extravagant people, and if something breaks we try to replace it when it happens. So Mark and I have started to just enjoy the day of the birthday, not try to figure what gift to buy, instead we go to a dinner somewhere and wish each other happy birthday- on our special day. It just so happened for me, I was home today, so I looked forward to getting up and shampooing the carpets. I LOVE how it feels when they are done.

Unfortunately my idea of a time for getting up and Indi’s idea of the time to get up were slightly off. As he had a grand mal seizure at 3:15 this morning and was pretty insecure  after his seizure, he had to go out, than whimpered for hours, just wanting to be right next to us . So I had laundry going before 6AM this morning and carpets are all done. Mark and I got to spend the day together. We did a Walmart run.. as I was frantically looking for a bran muffin mix—all I wanted was to make fresh bran muffins. Alas—after going to 4 stores- I settled for an already made one from the bakery. ( HA… growing up I looked forward to cake,((loved the double layer ones…chocolate…ummmmm)  lots of frosting and ice cream!!..and at 58 I am looking forward to bran muffins!!) 

So as the day ends, I am thinking about what a nice day it was, we went to Outback for dinner, and Indi has not had any more seizures… so life is okay for right now… Love to all… I am off to relax a bit before going to bed. Mrs Justa.. alias Cindy

I went to a Memorial Service tonight for the woman at church who had cancer. It was a pretty well attended service, it was amazing how strong her husband is , how well her kids are doing.

I watched how at peace they all are, and when her husband spoke, he told of a couple funny times in their past, and when friends spoke..they talked of her love for life and acceptance that the life she lived was worth it, and how she had accepted her next chapter in her existence. I am glad I went… and as I left I wondered about all the people who have died before, and how they left marks in life…how in some small fashion their souls created etchings in others memories.

Pastor Carl spoke that we are not the skin, the flesh, the bones—it is our souls that make up who we are. Our bodies are temporary- our souls are forever.

I took this photo today , and I did it because it represented to me phases of life. We change continually as we age and go through steps of life.

I saw this stack of leaves as an example  of life’s lessons. All in one place. Green leaves showing the knowledge we do not have yet, colors to show our wisdom and pride, brown to show the experience of living through stages of life, and there are even some that are close to being dust. There is a song I sing called Sand and Dust… and it basically says we come from a speck—we live life—and we become dust in the end.

I truly believe we have reasons for being here, and I wonder what the list has in store for me. I look at myself in the mirror- my eyes show the same person I was 40 years ago..but take a photo and the eyes are a small portion of the real me—the aging me. My hands – I look at them and they are not mine ( in my mind) The skin is becoming wrinkled, there is a lack of elasticity in them—they can not be my hands. These hands are an image of years of experiences, years of wear and tear….And than reality hits, and I am reminded what my hands have experienced. Making crafts, coloring, writing letters, typing thoughts, holding hands, holding my new born baby, making a hug feel snug, brushing hair , massaging, helping out patients who need assistance, tickling a my son’s back when he was a toddler, petting a dog, preparing meals, climbing trees, the list goes on and on. As I looked at these leaves- I feel like the green one… but am more the curling red ones.

These leaves reminded me—as did the service tonight—that we need to take advantage of every single breath we breathe, every minute in the day, and let others know what they mean to you…..before we are more like the leaves without color- with holes—turning to dust. Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Today was a continuation of my dental dilemma. I have never been a fan of going to the dentist, but faithfully go. I have been poked and prodded, drilled and glued, yanked and bridged, crowned and filled..

What gets me is there is never an end. Did you ever notice that when you think you have all the fillings done, than the old ones need replacing, or a tooth chips, or something goes wrong….

Heck when I was 21, I remember how proud I was when the dentist finally finished all the things I needed done. Oh I had root canals, fillings, crowns.. yep- I was given an a- okay… and I paid for it as I went along. A proud moment in time. About 6 months after that proud moment in time- I started to get a tooth ache. I went to the dentist, he said I could not have a tooth ache- everything looked great, but he did some  x rays to just check…. well the x-ray showed why I had pain alright—I had gotten some sort of calcium malabsorbtion thing going on and the roots of my $3.000.00 dental work had turned black and were crumbling… .. So off I went to an oral surgeon, a couple hours later and introduction to “happy gas” and the proud dental work was replaced by stiches in my gums and 3 teeth removed, dug out.

DANG!.

So many many dental dollars later- I have been told that previous dentists did things half ass ( sorry kids but I am a little ANNOYED) ( They took my money full assed-but did the job half ass!…) A couple weeks ago I went to my dentist- my 3 tooth bridge was wiggling and there was a gross taste from it.

Now ..what to do….. Begin  Mission el-destructo  — destroy that 1600.00 bridge.and guess what was found out…the dentist who did it- did stuff wrong- and that the tooth it was anchored to had the inside rot out….but wait—all is not bad– —there is a  tooth in front- it  has a 567.00 crown on it—we can destruct that and make a 4 tooth temporary bridge, so off with that crown and with a little molding and shaping- a temp bridge is covering the hole in my mouth where the other tooth is rotted out..now I must go see a MD oral surgeon. …..but wait…. the bridge is attached to a back molar—which had a root canal done-and guess what—that dentist really messed that up too..so I need to get that checked by a specialist too……

today was the day for the back tooth , the one that holds the bridge in place…. with the funny looking root canal –yes today was the day to get checked—and this specialist concurred with my dentist—the person who did this root canal did not go all the way down the root- and bacteria has eaten from the bottom of the root that was not drilled out right into the jaw bone area and it has eaten part of the  jaw bone away… .…. so now I have to have both teeth that were the ends holding a permanent bridge in pulled.  And I have to replace the crown on the tooth holding the temp bridge… AND  I have to wait 4-6 months for that to heal and than I have to get 2 –3 implants at 2400.00 buckeroonis a shot !. I can not believe this.

I have no choice. That is what sucks…you go to a dentist, you put your trust in them… and years later you find out they were lousy…… so needless to say ,I am not a happy camper right now. And that is my dental dilemma.  ( And yes—I would like some cheese with my whine !)  Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Maybe it is just me, but what the heck are the “Wall Street Protestors” really trying to prove? Everything seems to be political gimmicks, making things hit the front line media to redirect the focus from real life and real solutions.

I can not believe the hype, the sensationalism that we are exposed to in the name of journalism, and the media making things bigger than they are.

Oh my goodness, let’s look within all the nooks and crannies of our country, and try to see how we can make things better. There were “protestors” interviewed last week, trying to find their stance… the people they interviewed really had no idea what exactly they were trying to achieve, or what the goals of the protest were. They talked in circles, they beat around the bush, some said the expectations were not totally formalized yet. It is all amazing really. It should not be them against us… aren’t we all part of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA>>>

Here I sit, remembering our trip this past spring to the Outer Banks, and how much money it really costs to be away from home for a week. I could think of better things to do, than be in parks, with a bunch of people who are holding up various signs, seemingly attacking the corporations…. attacking the rich… I don’t know about you, but I think the corporations and rich are paying some folks salaries and wages.

Yes we need more jobs- I am totally aware of that, yes we need fair taxing—that would be an area to work on, yes we need to find a way to save the starving people in this country, yes we need to find ways to make this country strong… but I am not thinking a bunch of people , marching for unknown definitive reasons, is really helping anybody.

Sure this country has issues—( seems like most countries have issues) but we need to come together…. stop marching and waving signs, stop wasting time , the time is now for us to not depend on the country to run our lives—but to work together. If the politicians could just stop mud slinging, could just stop looking for parts of others pasts to try to slander them , could stop calling each other names, could actually work on the jobs they were elected to do, and listen to the people –look carefully at every corner in the country, find ways to help one another—I think we would find that the people would rally together to help find solutions. Let’s plant seeds to the future and not throw wrenches in the here and now.

I pray for peace, I pray for sensible actions,I pray that we will find answer.

May your todays and tomorrows  make your yesterdays worthwhile. Love Mrs Justa alias Cindy

I have been working some long hours these last couple of days and by the time I get home- well it is pushing 7:30 or so. When I am getting out late, I do not stop at the gym too… ugg if I did it would be Than last night was a special time… I got home at about 7:45 and than we went to Denny’s for dinner, and headed to bring Jeff a cup of coffee. It was a nice night to take a drive..and anywhere from here is a drive.

I was thinking today on my way to and from work, as I watched the sky open up and welcome the day….how I must really be entertaining to passer-byers. As I have mentioned before- when I am working on a song for soloing in church- well I do not want to learn it here… I want to have kind of perfected it somewhat before I sing in front of anyone. So for the past 3 or 4 weeks, every chance I get, I replay and replay the track ..belting it out over and over again. Than the week or 2 before I am signed up  to share a special music with the church, I start practicing in the house.

So today- it was the last day of practicing in the car- and I sang the song over and over again all the way to work. Tonight-I brought the CD in here- and practiced . It is a tough song because of the message. It is a song title “What If”….It is a song that asks the question of what if there is nothing more…but what if there is ….  I am determined to get it ready for Sunday.

I am already getting the nervous anticipation of WINTER.. UGG> this is when the south sounds REALLY good. One of my co-workers is retiring this Friday, and another in 2 weeks. We are looking at the various issues.. and well retirement is gonna be well deserved by the time it gets here for me!.

But reality is on my dashboard— staring right at me…. saying DEAL WITH IT!

Have you ever had things you were anxious about..for no real sensible reason? Well that is me and the anticipation of snow. Once it is here, I find myself calm cool and collected. I do spend a lot of time singing the “Lord’s Prayer” as I grasp the steering wheel, squint to see ahead of me, and go the 30 miles to work. After the first snow fall.. it does get better for me… just gotta get to that point.

I am off for now… kinda pooped again. Peace to all… hugs and wishes for goodnights for you!. Mrs Justa alias Cindy

This weekend was filled with stuff,,and yet I did not get everything done I wanted to, but I guess that is why God made weekends…I will try again next week.

Saturday Mark and I enjoyed the nice weather, we went to breakfast with our friends, and it was a laundry , grocery, clean the house day. We did have a nice day…

And today….I did get to see Jeff, Amanda, Preston and Brandon for a bit today. That was very nice !

They are growing up too quickly. We have had so many things pulling us in life, that we do not see each other as much as we would like to. But I savored every second I was there.

And church was this morning, and the gym. So by the time all was done it was 3:00 when I got home. So I worked on preparations for dinner , have laundry finishing up and do the kitchen floor. Worked on the computer for a bit and about to go and grab a warm coffee and settle down.

This morning after breakfast I had some coffee to finish, and as I sat at the table…I listened to life. ya know what I heard… NOTHING> It is so quiet out here that I was distracted by the ticking of the battery clock in the kitchen. I just sat and listened, looking out the slider and the side door at NOTHING> and knowing that in a few months it will be a total different scene.

It was relaxing, it was peaceful, it was cleansing , it was something I do not do enough of. My goodness, it seems like the minutes fly by, busy here and there… and before ya know it life is in the rear view mirror.  As I twisted,bounced and shook at the gym, I was reminded of a woman at church,  she is a young woman ( maybe in her 40s) , who is losing her fight to cancer. And I thought how much I know she wished she could be doing what I was doing right than, but alas—her days are running through her hands like water in a sift… prayers are coming fast and furious…hoping for a miracle. None of us can predict if she will defy the medical prediction—or if the cancer will be her exit to her eternal life.

She was in church a few months ago and told the congregation she knew she may not make it through, and she is accepting that may be her journey… but for that day and every day she had…she will love them as a blessing.  So to this woman… I pray for her strength, her optimism, her acceptance and appreciation. In the morning silence …I had time to just take time and think of her.

Love to all… Mrs Justa… alias Cindy

I am feeling the unwinding from a very busy week..exhausting..lots on my mind. So here is a weekend, and I am already thinking about a bunch of things I would like to get done over the weekend. So on top of being tired from the week that is past—I am exhausted thinking about the weekend.

So what do I do… well I cyberly travel to Africa again. And go figure—there are these 2 birds hanging out at the edge of a creek or river. Now this is the same water I have seen lions, hippos, rhinos, elephants and alligators at. So now I am worried these sleeping birds are going to be someone’s early morning snack. I keep seeing something swimming under the surface of the water, back and forth.. so naturally I am thinking all I am seeing is the eye of a crocodile or alligator, peering at the birds ..who have not moved at all for the past 6 minutes. I keep hearing a splashing sound.. so once again I am worried for the African creatures. Ugg ohh….there is a big animal that is coming into the scene…. phew- he got a drink and left…

This weekend is supposed to be really nice. I mean awesome nice… like 80 degrees, not humid, … a good weekend to shampoo carpets, I wanna see the grand babies if I can get over there when they are awake, it has been 2 weeks… Gee time flies. We have had different things going on, various appointments, really busy at work, I have a couple sucky dental things going on, ( expensive sucky dental things) I was in SOOO much pain that when the dentist gave me the Novocain I finally felt at peace!.

But there is more pain before the gain…. in the next 2 weeks.. UGGG>…What sucks is this problem is because a different dentist… a lousy dentist… screwed up putting a bridge in, and now I have to try to get everything fixed  for what is wrong.  GRRRR>

Some people really irritate me when they have a Holier than Thou attitude and they are incompetent.

So now you see why I am pooped !. Off to grab a freeze pop, and settle in for the rest of the night. Love to all, mrs justa alias Cindy

What would happen if we all decided to only

buy "MADE IN AMERICA"   Hmmm… would

we be searching high and low for clothing….

we would need to be really diligent on this mission. I say this as I hear a very old china clock – MADE IN AMERICA MANY years ago..as it chimes the 1/2 hr and hr… and it made me think about how hard it is to find American made….

It would mean no more stuff from the Dollar Store… and few things from Walmart….and fewer choices in automobiles.. WE—the USA folks- would need to take some compromises I think. We would need to maybe cut our wages just a bit, so our employers would focus on us and not the folks willing to work for nothing, who make things that are intentionally made to break and be replaced.

My goodness, I drive by places where the American Pride stood tall… and now it is vacant buildings, empty parking lots and foreclosure signs. How could we let this happen?

What if we could become a nation of independence to middle east oil..and what if we could get electronics back here? Oh I remember driving by GE and the parking lots were overcrowded, housing area built just for people who worked there, or Kodak, Xerox, Carrier, the list goes on and on.

When I buy groceries, I do try to stay with American made… and veggies not from Mexico, …clothes and shoes are hard to find..but I will try to do better…. If we wait for the government to help— we will be waiting a long time. We need to push for fair taxes… listen to the politicians… We need to write our congress men and women… we need to be heard. I am sure there are things that are next to impossible to find American made… but if we try… maybe by the time the next generation is adults-there will be a revived  American pride.

Do you remember ever having a relative say…. I may have made that..or I may have been the one who packaged that…. I do… My brother worked at Ford, another worked at Chrysler…. my previous and current husband worked at Kodak…. I worked at a photo lab where other countries mailed their film to us to process!!…. I knew people who worked for Martin Marietta, for GE, for Sylvania,  ….. and there was such a neat feeling to know people who might have been a part of the creation.

Now, for made in America—we have to have a garden!. Oh it is not quite that bad really… but let’s just try to be more conscientious… support local… go to a farmer’s market… buy from the Mennonites or Amish… take advantage of craft fairs….If we work together, and inspire others to work on this… it could be contagious.

I hope you have a great night…. Love to all… Mrs Justa..alias Cindy…(I was made in America !)

I was at Walgreens at lunch time picking up some Ambesol ( yes I have a dental pain that is driving me nuts!!) and this guy was at the photo counter. HE asked if they do passport pictures and was thrilled to hear they did. I was within eye and ear shot of the interaction between the employee and the man… she told him to stand at the screen. As he stood there, I saw he was standing proud, like he was excited for whatever reason he needed that passport.

She said to him..”No sir.. you CAN NOT smile.” That seemed kind of weird to me… he was happy. But the government only wants poker face, somber people photographed on their passport photo. She said “ Your face changes if you are smiling..” So the guy tried to frown, it was really quite amusing watching this whole thing in quick glimpses over to their little area… . He was like a kid trying not to smile when being reprimanded by a parent or teacher. He had this smirk that was taking control, so she stood there waiting for the frown face.

I had gone down another aisle and she said “Okay we have 2 to choose from..” So I guess he became very somber. He said… “Nwo I get it… everyone is miserable at the airport… so we would never be smiling there anyhow..” As I thought about that, I looked around… man there are a bunch of unhappy looking people everywhere it seems.

Mark has a line that I just love… when someone apologized to him for being backed up or slow..if it was Saturday he would say… “That is okay, I do not have to be anywhere until Monday..” It took away some of the stress and actually put a smile on that person.

There are plenty of things to be miserable about, but we need to try to find rays of sunshine in everything we do. It is hard, oh believe me, I can attest to that. We go through losses, deaths, broken hearts, disasters….. but it is through the really tough times we seem to handle the issues and come out stronger because of them. It may take years to figure out how… but it will come to us.  Heck Mark read today that before we are 65 we should have AT LEAST  $300,000.00 put aside for medical bills !! Well I do not know about you… but with all the past restarts in my life I was hoping to reach maybe 90 grand before retirement. HA… that financial advisor who made that comment would love me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!So as I look at it that way… in another 10 years, I will probably be one of the unhappy looking people too. Especially if I can not afford medical care, groceries, utilities and living costs… that is a scary thought…hmmmph… no wonder people are frowning more!

Me.. I am going to smile till it hurts…. ( like my mouth does right bow ) Peace to all, save those pennies… Mrs Justa alias Cindy

What is important to you? Someone asked that question and it sounded like a simple one to answer, but if you only had one answer you could give, what would it be.

A question like that opens all kinds of thoughts. Are we talking for the moment ( that the Yankees win!!!) …..or are we talking this month?? well I guess it would be that I find the wisdom to make correct decisions.

Is this a yearly question….that this year bring healthy and happy days… a lifetime… whoa that is scary… what is the one thing important for me in my life… to avoid regrets.. or to live each day as the best I can be…

See it is a heavy question hidden in simplistic clothes.

There are so many things that  mean much to me. Like feeling loved by my husband and family, God,   having people smile, giving to others, singing, having common sense, taking photos, walking in the sand at  the ocean, sitting on a mountain, reading to the grand kids, hugging the grandkids, hearing my son say “I love you”,friends, family, photos from yester-years,  reading a good book, sewing gifts, cleaning, a clean house, feeling like I made a difference . But to take everything apart and choose one thing— it is tough.

I am exhausted, I am about to head to bed. I wonder what you would choose if there was only one thing you could list that is important to you?

Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Do you remember ever doing a MAZE puzzle. The ones where you start in a certain spot and the goal is to get to the finish spot without crossing a line.

Like this one..titlesd “an October Maze.. “

At this time of year… in the country… there are farmers who take their corn fields and make them a maze… Seen the signs… not done one… GULP!

See that would creep me out… have you ever walked into a corn field? Sure they have maze rows to follow- but if I made a wrong turn and found myself feeling surrounded  by corn- I would probably freak out.

Here is what one looks like from up above it, now picture this being 7 foot high corn stalks, brushing against you, hovering over you…. eeeekkkkee ……yep… people would hear me screaming on the west coast if I felt trapped in a Corn Maze! Did you ever see that movie “Children of The Corn” ? Well,, That movie and the movie “The Exorcist” made my heart beat so fast, I made a promise to NEVER go to or do FREAKY things.

Okay… back to the maze …. today I felt like I was living in a maze type game, like in a brain teaser puzzle. We live about 27 miles from the dealer where we bought the car I drive. And last night as I was making a left turn out of the final store I was going to for the weekly groceries and stuff… I turned on my directional and it blinked quite fast. BUMMER>>> I knew that meant I had a blown directional, and a left one is not cool—( unless you live in England and drive on the opposite side of the street. LOL . So this morning we popped the trunk and checked out the back taillight area. You had to untuck parts of the trunk and when you get in there… well it is not as simple as it was last time I changed a taillight bulb.. ( probably 15 years ago !!)… So in we came , onto Google… and searched changing the taillight bulb on a Ford Fusion. Much to my despair… all the tales of woe we found were discouraging… some folks stating it is impossible, others that it is the worse part of this incredibly dependable car… so off I went to the dealer to get it changed. Now to do that, and not chance getting rear ended, I chose that I was going to make the trip on all right hand turns, I made it a game.. like doing a maze, figuring how far I had to go past a destination to make a right and another 2 rights to get to where I needed to go.

The dealer got me right in,and in probably 20 minutes or so , I was on my way… the left clicker  now mimicking the right directional as they were clicking at their slow speed… They could have charged a lot more for labor- but they charged 10.00 Not bad , I thought. So I am a happy camper… car fixed, got to the gym.. ( I love going to the gym !) , got the cleaning done, Washed laundry…. did some paperwork, and still had enough umph to share a moment with you ! BUt now I am dragging my butt to bed…. . Love to all, good night….. enjoy the rest of the weekend, Tomorrow is coming quickly !. Mrs Justa alias Cindy.