Now, where is that insurance agents phone number? Kayla!!!!!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
My home is my Castle or my Prison?
When we purchased our home, it was in the days when buying a home was the biggest and best investment a couple would ever make. Our home is on a corner, it has 12 lots with it, there are no other houses on this block, it’s on a paved road, 6 or so miles, outside the city limits.
Our little community offers the elementary school, up to the 6th grade, a farmers COOP, volunteer fire department, and a farm machine repair business.
We bought the house in the fall of 1986 and the purchase price was under, 20,000. This was a fantastic deal, especially, for a young couple raising four children. Other families with kids the same ages lived here. All four of ours, found best friends in the community. They started Kindergarten together and ended up graduating High School together.
This is one of those areas where about the only noise, was that of the children playing, with occasional freight trains blowing by on the tracks just east of my home. During the wheat harvest, the truck traffic increased quite a bit at the COOP. It WAS nice.
Fast Forward to 2011. My Oh My, how our little world has changed.
The Trains never cease. One after another. The higher fuel goes, the more freight trains are running up and down those tracks. All hours of the day or night, whistles blowing. They are required to blow five times for each road crossing. Sometimes I count that whistle instead of Sheep on those nights that sleep does not come easy!
The COOP, is much busier, since the main crops are no long wheat. Corn, Wheat, Feed, Cotton, and Soybeans, (which have to kept a certain temp, so 50 amp electric blowers were added), keeps the place hopping year round. Add in to that mix is the anhydrous ammonia tank farm, so legal or not, seems to always be comings and goings down there.
Within the last few years, the Kaw Nation Indian Tribe, felt generous, and paved and repaved the roads into and out of our community, to make it easier for folks to get to their casino, as opposed to going four miles on up the road, then east out of Newkirk. This has added even additional traffic and road noise, as my house sits quite close to the road, or should I say the HIGHWAY, as that is exactly what it has become.
The newly repaved road sees additional traffic from a rock quarry the sits further east of us. These trucks used a state highway for access up until the last few years. Now they run from daybreak until dark, five and sometimes six days per week.
If all of that is not enough, there seems to be very active oil drilling company or Equipment Company, utilizing this road. I have not figured out just what their destination is, but, with that much equipment, extra large loads with pilot cars, they must have started a storage yard on down the road from us.
I can not believe we have yet to see a major pileup. Our speed limit on the road, in the community is 45, but then goes to 55 and let me tell ya, any AMBITIOUS, Sheriff Deputy, or Highway Patrolman, could meet their monthly ticket quota, in a single day. Not that we have any! The truckers know this......
So, in closing, I tell you, our home is not the best investment we will ever make in today’s world. Regardless of how much money we COULD spend updating and even that we have spent, in today’s markets, we will never see a profit.
IF, we ever get out of here, doubtful, it’s paid for, taxes are reasonable, this house would have to be a rental.
No One,( in their right mind), would buy this place to bring up their Children.
Hell, maybe that COOP, needs the space for another storage bin........
Guess this is what the world calls progress
Our little community offers the elementary school, up to the 6th grade, a farmers COOP, volunteer fire department, and a farm machine repair business.
We bought the house in the fall of 1986 and the purchase price was under, 20,000. This was a fantastic deal, especially, for a young couple raising four children. Other families with kids the same ages lived here. All four of ours, found best friends in the community. They started Kindergarten together and ended up graduating High School together.
This is one of those areas where about the only noise, was that of the children playing, with occasional freight trains blowing by on the tracks just east of my home. During the wheat harvest, the truck traffic increased quite a bit at the COOP. It WAS nice.
Fast Forward to 2011. My Oh My, how our little world has changed.
The Trains never cease. One after another. The higher fuel goes, the more freight trains are running up and down those tracks. All hours of the day or night, whistles blowing. They are required to blow five times for each road crossing. Sometimes I count that whistle instead of Sheep on those nights that sleep does not come easy!
The COOP, is much busier, since the main crops are no long wheat. Corn, Wheat, Feed, Cotton, and Soybeans, (which have to kept a certain temp, so 50 amp electric blowers were added), keeps the place hopping year round. Add in to that mix is the anhydrous ammonia tank farm, so legal or not, seems to always be comings and goings down there.
Within the last few years, the Kaw Nation Indian Tribe, felt generous, and paved and repaved the roads into and out of our community, to make it easier for folks to get to their casino, as opposed to going four miles on up the road, then east out of Newkirk. This has added even additional traffic and road noise, as my house sits quite close to the road, or should I say the HIGHWAY, as that is exactly what it has become.
The newly repaved road sees additional traffic from a rock quarry the sits further east of us. These trucks used a state highway for access up until the last few years. Now they run from daybreak until dark, five and sometimes six days per week.
If all of that is not enough, there seems to be very active oil drilling company or Equipment Company, utilizing this road. I have not figured out just what their destination is, but, with that much equipment, extra large loads with pilot cars, they must have started a storage yard on down the road from us.
I can not believe we have yet to see a major pileup. Our speed limit on the road, in the community is 45, but then goes to 55 and let me tell ya, any AMBITIOUS, Sheriff Deputy, or Highway Patrolman, could meet their monthly ticket quota, in a single day. Not that we have any! The truckers know this......
So, in closing, I tell you, our home is not the best investment we will ever make in today’s world. Regardless of how much money we COULD spend updating and even that we have spent, in today’s markets, we will never see a profit.
IF, we ever get out of here, doubtful, it’s paid for, taxes are reasonable, this house would have to be a rental.
No One,( in their right mind), would buy this place to bring up their Children.
Hell, maybe that COOP, needs the space for another storage bin........
Guess this is what the world calls progress
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Being a Mom, sure sucks at times.
There are times when keeping your mouth shut is about the hardest way to deal with a given situation. If I should say anything, matters will only get worse. Most definitely a WTF or a dammed if I do and dammed if I don’t, situation.
A Mothers intuition is a curse if you ask me. When you can foresee something coming down the line that will affect one of your children, does one warn them? If you had asked me this question in the past, my answer would immediately be yes. Not so sure of that anymore.
Several times in just the last few years, I chose to share those warnings, only to have them come back and bite me in the ass. Believe me, I hate being right, when the consequences involves one of my Children or Grandchildren, to suffer. This is made even more unbearable, when they realize my warnings were right on target, and then proceed to take it out on me, as though my intuition made it happen. I actually had someone say to me that I jinxed them.
Now what to do? If I say nothing, and, one of them are harmed, would the guilt of not passing on a warning, be more tolerable than what I am feeling right now?
A Mothers intuition is a curse if you ask me. When you can foresee something coming down the line that will affect one of your children, does one warn them? If you had asked me this question in the past, my answer would immediately be yes. Not so sure of that anymore.
Several times in just the last few years, I chose to share those warnings, only to have them come back and bite me in the ass. Believe me, I hate being right, when the consequences involves one of my Children or Grandchildren, to suffer. This is made even more unbearable, when they realize my warnings were right on target, and then proceed to take it out on me, as though my intuition made it happen. I actually had someone say to me that I jinxed them.
Now what to do? If I say nothing, and, one of them are harmed, would the guilt of not passing on a warning, be more tolerable than what I am feeling right now?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Who am I?
For so many years a Mother is known only as Mikes Mom or Michelle's Mom, or JD or Liz's Mom. As a Mom, your Children is all the identification needed. And its all good.
When seated or standing at one of the kids functions, and introductions are made, simply stating whose parent you are, is all that is necessary. An instant understanding between us adults.
Now my Children are all adults, with their own Mom and Dad, identifications. Leaving me with, What?
Yes, I am still a Wife and that identification is there. But, honestly, cooking dinner and washing dirty socks, is not quite as full filling as Motherhood was.
I am also a Daughter, a Sister, and a Grandmother. In all honesty, those roles, are not as fulfilling either.
Granny, Grandma, Heyma, are the terms used by my youngest generation. I don't care what they call me, just with they would call me! I struggle with this identity. Would love to have them over, because they want to spend time with me. Working on a project, or simply just talking or playing is so nice and I truly live for times like that.
However, as these youngster's, enter the tween or teen years, its more of a battle. Walk in the door and head for the computers. The only time I hear Grandma, is when a site or game they are attempting to play, will not load. Or perhaps when they get hungry. Any attempt to distract them does not go well.
Oh, maybe we will just stay out of the house. Run to the store perhaps? No, that leads to the buy me this or buy me that struggles. I have no problems getting them a treat along the lines of a new toy, or reading material, or even candy of some sort. Its the I need new shoes, I don't have any socks, or even once, it was a 99.99 , plush animal bed pillow??? Seriously.
We even went so far as to purchase a game system . A Wii. No interest in that either.
Kids in this age group are so stimulated, that a quiet evening at Grandmas is more like punishment.
So, the Grandma identity, is not going so well.
Not sure where life's twist and turns will guide me next. I do have a need to get re- focused.
That was lost two years ago , with the diagnosis of Cancer. Apparently, I am not going to die. Its time to get off my duff, find myself, and do something.
When seated or standing at one of the kids functions, and introductions are made, simply stating whose parent you are, is all that is necessary. An instant understanding between us adults.
Now my Children are all adults, with their own Mom and Dad, identifications. Leaving me with, What?
Yes, I am still a Wife and that identification is there. But, honestly, cooking dinner and washing dirty socks, is not quite as full filling as Motherhood was.
I am also a Daughter, a Sister, and a Grandmother. In all honesty, those roles, are not as fulfilling either.
Granny, Grandma, Heyma, are the terms used by my youngest generation. I don't care what they call me, just with they would call me! I struggle with this identity. Would love to have them over, because they want to spend time with me. Working on a project, or simply just talking or playing is so nice and I truly live for times like that.
However, as these youngster's, enter the tween or teen years, its more of a battle. Walk in the door and head for the computers. The only time I hear Grandma, is when a site or game they are attempting to play, will not load. Or perhaps when they get hungry. Any attempt to distract them does not go well.
Oh, maybe we will just stay out of the house. Run to the store perhaps? No, that leads to the buy me this or buy me that struggles. I have no problems getting them a treat along the lines of a new toy, or reading material, or even candy of some sort. Its the I need new shoes, I don't have any socks, or even once, it was a 99.99 , plush animal bed pillow??? Seriously.
We even went so far as to purchase a game system . A Wii. No interest in that either.
Kids in this age group are so stimulated, that a quiet evening at Grandmas is more like punishment.
So, the Grandma identity, is not going so well.
Not sure where life's twist and turns will guide me next. I do have a need to get re- focused.
That was lost two years ago , with the diagnosis of Cancer. Apparently, I am not going to die. Its time to get off my duff, find myself, and do something.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Ring Ring Ring
So today, AT&T finally got the call. Yep, I disconnected my home telephone service. It took me a year to make that final decision.
Our kids and other family members have used the cell phones almost exclusively for the last few years.
The majority of calls on the home phone were either Robo, calls, where some computer dials up a set of numbers, and delivers a recorded message, politicians, or the wonderful world of CHARITIES, soliciting money.
So I say to you:
If you have massive CREDIT CARD DEBT, the NATIONAL RIFFLE ASSOCIATION, may contact the SUSAN B. COLEMAN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION, who may contact the FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, or even the STATE TROOPERS FOUNDATION, to notify me. IF, all else fails, I am sure the DEMOCRATIC PARTY, knows how to get in touch with us!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Too much or Too much?
On Friday, March 11, 2011 a huge earthquake hit Japan. This resulted in what is becoming the worst disaster that country has ever seen. For the first time,tsunami waves were documented rolling across the countryside, 6 miles inland they rolled. Destroyed everything in site, then rolled back out, taking many lives and property on out to sea.
Now, there is an issue with that countries Nuclear plants. Two of them are in danger of overheating, thus the possibility of a meltdown.
Like 911, I found myself glued to the TV. Watching the images, over and over. Having enough, of the repeated pictures and stories, nothing new was being shown, I finally changed the channel.
There I was greeted by stories of a firestorm, right here in Oklahoma. Many homes throughout our state were lost, close to fifty was one count. My friend lives in one of the areas. I will wait to hear if her place was spared, but , I know, she will be extremely busy regardless, as she works as a insurance office manager.
If this were not enough, the news also greets us with word of yet another massacre in Mexico. It seems this has become a daily occurrence.
So, I ask , are were being forced by the news, in the way of instant coverage, to be desensitized to all the tragedies throughout the world?
Or, are you like me. Its just too much to digest in one sitting?
Now, there is an issue with that countries Nuclear plants. Two of them are in danger of overheating, thus the possibility of a meltdown.
Like 911, I found myself glued to the TV. Watching the images, over and over. Having enough, of the repeated pictures and stories, nothing new was being shown, I finally changed the channel.
There I was greeted by stories of a firestorm, right here in Oklahoma. Many homes throughout our state were lost, close to fifty was one count. My friend lives in one of the areas. I will wait to hear if her place was spared, but , I know, she will be extremely busy regardless, as she works as a insurance office manager.
If this were not enough, the news also greets us with word of yet another massacre in Mexico. It seems this has become a daily occurrence.
So, I ask , are were being forced by the news, in the way of instant coverage, to be desensitized to all the tragedies throughout the world?
Or, are you like me. Its just too much to digest in one sitting?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Spring is in the Air...Finally
So very glad to watch a weather forecast this time of year. Seeing highs of 50's and 60's was only but a dream a few short weeks ago.
I have bulbs to plant, a hedge to take out, and houseplants in serious need of re potting. All it takes for motivation, sunshine.
It was a long, harsh winter. I feel as though parts of me died, similar to last years growth on my rosebush.
Don't misunderstand. I do not grieve. Time comes to claim many hopes and dreams, wishful thinking, regret, unrequited love. I release this freely. Sometimes in life, you realize, its not worth the struggle to keep it all alive.
Have you ever come to a place in your life where your just content being who you are? There will always be those in your lives who are not happy with ones choices, but, think of it this way. Were you put on this earth to be all things to those people? I was not and I have finally realized, no matter how hard you try to please some people, others will continue to be disappointed, and yet others, will never be happy with who you are.
I have bulbs to plant, a hedge to take out, and houseplants in serious need of re potting. All it takes for motivation, sunshine.
It was a long, harsh winter. I feel as though parts of me died, similar to last years growth on my rosebush.
Don't misunderstand. I do not grieve. Time comes to claim many hopes and dreams, wishful thinking, regret, unrequited love. I release this freely. Sometimes in life, you realize, its not worth the struggle to keep it all alive.
Have you ever come to a place in your life where your just content being who you are? There will always be those in your lives who are not happy with ones choices, but, think of it this way. Were you put on this earth to be all things to those people? I was not and I have finally realized, no matter how hard you try to please some people, others will continue to be disappointed, and yet others, will never be happy with who you are.
Yes, I have narrowed down those who will share in my life's journey. The doors are not closed and locked. Others my join me in this hike at any time. My only requirement, acceptance.
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