Dixie & Rascal

Dixie and Rascal are the rat terriers who own Dub and I. They took over our home about 6 years ago . . . and things have never been the same since!

The rat terrier breed of fuzzy faced four-leggers look remarkably like Jack Russell Terriers, but are not directly related. The "Ratter" is much more calm and much less stubborn. They are very easy to train when it's something that they are interested in! Both of our Ratters have a huge vocabulary! When we're outside, they know the difference between "cat", "snake" and "lizard". In the house, if you ask for a toy, they each bring a stuffed animal. If you ask for a bone, they search the corners and bring you bones. When you say ball - they get bouncy balls!

Dixie is the leader of the pack! Poor Rascal is so afraid of getting in trouble with her that he won't go anywhere near her if she's got a bone (which is most of the time). It has gotten so bad that when it's bed time, Rascal will sit in the living room and whine softly until Dub or I come and escort him into the bedroom. Every time Dixie snaps at him, poor Rascal screams like a little girl! Wonder if he'll ever grow up enough to stand up to her and snap back? . . . .

Nope - that'll never happen!

Rascal loves his dog food - - he'll go for treats and snacks, but does well on the dog food we give them. On the other hand, Dixie will only eat the dog food if she is starving! She much prefers whatever Dub is eating. One of her favorites is asparagus. She also likes watermelon, green beans, any kind of pasta, meat, eggs, carrots, french fries and will sit up and beg for iced tea! I think she would eat rocks if Dub was eating them, too! I wonder if that's why her shape so closely resembles that of Miss Piggy?!

Crossing The Borders

If you have not read the new Arizona law on illegal aliens, Google it - right now - and read it. It's only 17 pages. The first few pages deal with the actual issue itself. All the rest explains where the money from the fines will go and other miscellaneous details. The real meat is in the first few pages.

I have seen and read so much being said by so many "talking heads" that I just had to see exactly what this law said. From what I got out of it, all it does is reinforce the Federal laws that are already in place. It does NOT give police permission to stop you simply because you may look or sound foreign. However, if you are speeding and get stopped, they CAN ask for papers at that point and turn you over to the proper immigration authorities if you are in this country without legal authorization.

There are legal procedures for visiting the USA and for becoming a citizen here. Use them! Do it the right way. We welcome those who are willing to put in the effort to go through the proper steps to become a citizen. Sneaking in is not the way to do it.

It seems to me that illegals get here already knowing more about our welfare system than most Americans are aware of! They get subsidized housing, free medical care, free education for their children, free legal representation, free language lessons - all this from the government that I have been paying taxes to for my entire adult life and that won't give me anything for free!

Want to be welcomed by the citizens of America?

• Get a sponsor


• Apply for citizenship


• Learn the language (at least try)


• Don't complain because we do not all speak your language


• Work on the books and pay taxes


• When you break the law, don't complain that your arrest is because of your race

Please tell me what country I can move to where they will give me all of the benefits that illegals get here. When I call a government office I will be able to 'press 1' to talk to someone in my own language. And when I tell that government office that I'm illegal, they will ask me how they can help me!

I'll take a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom cottage, on the beach, on the French Riviera, please!

Contratulations, Arizona - I like your style - and will be planning a vacation there soon!

Surprise!! I'm blogging again, maybe!

Edgar and I have decided to give blogging another try! Maybe!

Yesterday I had some business at a Federal office in another town about an hour away. I had checked very carefully in all of my correspondence with this Federal agency to make sure that I had the time and address right. Also checked for any special rules . . . you know, like No Terrorists Allowed - stuff like that! There were NO rules specified - no dress codes, etc.

After our hour and a half cruise on the Interstate in rush-hour traffic, we arrived at the designated Federal office building. A little unimpressive office in a string of offices. Most of the others were attorneys, CPA's, etc. We're not talking about some huge Federal compound here.

Being country bumpkins, my husband and I took our little Case knives out of our jeans pockets and left them in the car. (Country folks don't go too far without a sharp knife in their pocket.) There were no signs on the door or wall saying what was or wasn't allowed either.

We entered the building and found a receptionists desk, 4 waiting room chairs and a water fountain. At the desk sat a security guard, right hand resting on the butt of his gun. Here's how the conversation went:

WHO ARE YOU?

I gave him my name and introduced my husband.

SIGN IN.

I signed in on the sheet he pointed to.

WHERE'S YOUR CELL PHONE?

I got my phone out of my purse and showed him.

TURN IT OFF!

I smiled and turned it off.

YOU PACKIN'? (he was looking at my husband for this one)

Not knowing what the guy was talking about, hubby told him that he had left his knife in the car.

STAY WHERE YOU ARE!

Huh?

YOU MENTIONED WEAPONS - DON'T MOVE - I HAVE TO SEARCH YOU BOTH FOR WEAPONS!

Okay.

At this point, he got out his magic wand and checked my husband. The wand started screaming as he was checking his back. As hubby tried to explain about the metal from a back surgery, Mr. Security Guard got more and more nervous! Hubby asked for permission to get a card out of his wallet that would explain why his back set the gizmo off. Once that issue was settled, it was my turn.

My body made it through the magic wand test . . . but when he dug through my purse, he found the contraband 10 ounce water bottle (half empty).

THAT'S ENOUGH TO BLOW UP THIS WHOLE BLOCK!

Huh?

PUT IT IN YOUR CAR.

Hubby was kind enough to take it out to the car - and Mr. Security Guard actually asked him if he had still left his knife in the car when he came back in!

My appointment time finally came - and the person I was meeting with commented that I had certainly given his guard a very exciting morning! Seems that he had been watching from a camera mounted in the reception/waiting room!

Even with our security issues, the meeting was a success and everything was settled in my favor.

I am so glad to know that Barney Fife found work since leaving Mayberry!

EDGAR AND I WON AN AWARD ! !

Who could have ever guessed? How could we have possibly known? Edgar and I have won our very first ever blogging award from Steve (www.stevedeniesanywrongdoing.blogspot.com) just because we actually enjoy watching him go through his mail!

I'm not sure if that means that we are really wonderful people - or if we just have way too much time on our hands.

This is an honor we don't really deserve . . we take great pleasure in learning how to make Red Plum seem to be as exciting as winning a full year's supply of coffee filters!

Maybe I'll Get A Tattoo!

I'm just about over some of these folks that I see walking around with tattoos from the top of their heads to their toes!

While dining in restaurants, I've lost my appetite because of a woman who had her face covered with what looked like a huge snake skin.

As you walk through the mall there are people who have almost no skin showing at all - because everything is covered in vile, bloody scenes of murder and mayhem.

Somehow the old fashioned heart with MOM written in it has been replaced by a pit bull with fangs dripping blood!

A curvy pinup girl in a one piece bathing suit has turned into a stark naked female flaunting everything she's got.

I think that this is one of the few tattoos that I have seen lately that I would encourage a gentleman to get! It makes me want to meet this guy and have him tell me a good joke.

What do you think?

Stellan Needs Prayers Again!

Please

Pray

For

Stellan!!

Last night Stellan went back into SVT. Jennifer and PC couldn't stop it - the doctor said to get him to the hospital.

He's in the PICU - they intubated him for the first time ever - his kidney's aren't functioning well again - and everyone says this is the worst bout he's ever had.

He did finally come out of SVT, but things are still not right. They could all use some love and lots of prayers.

If you have the time, I know Jennifer would love to hear from anyone with some support. The hours do drag on when you're sitting in the hospital staring at a sick baby! Go to www.mycharmingkids.net and give her something to keep her mind busy.

I know she'll appreciate it!!

Can Sombody Explain This??

I will admit it, I just don't understand what is going on up in Washington, D.C.!!

I thought I understood Mr. Obama to be campaigning for us who are the people of the United States of America. Not the huge conglomerates, Wall Street, auto manufacturers, etc. Just the people who live, love, laugh, cry, work and do our best to be good to one another here in the U.S. of A.

So - President Obama took office. Then the government bailed out financial institutes left and right. The government bailed out banks . . . who still refuse to loan us little folks money! The government bailed out car manufacturers. Then the government paid $4,500.00 for every gas guzzler that people traded in toward buying a new car with better gas mileage. If those people can afford a car payment, they probably aren't in too desperate a financial situation in the first place!

I know one woman who is very seriously considering suicide! Her failing health has forced her to leave her job. She has no health insurance. She is still fighting to qualify for Social Security Disability. It took 4 months for her to receive food stamps. She gets $123.00 a month! Try feeding yourself on $123.00 for a month. At the rate she is going, her savings will run out in seven months. If her SSD does not come through, she will have NO money. There is no immediate family. She was told that her food stamps will increase to $235.00 a month. That's great . . . but with no other income, she cannot pay her power bill, a phone bill, water, etc. She already turned off her cable, gave up her Internet connection (goes to the library and uses their computers), gave away her dog and her cat, takes cold showers - - has done everything to cut costs.

She sees absolutely no way around suicide. How do you tell her that it's going to be okay, because Ford sold so many cars during the Cash for Clunkers campaign? She lives in Washington state. I have contacted a church near her. They have already visited her and are going to work with her. One of their members happens to be an attorney and has promised to handle her SSD case pro bono . . . and he is also going to work as her advocate to attempt to get her any and ALL assistance that she qualifies for.

Had we not "bumped into" one another on the Internet, what might have happened with her? She's 47 years old, alone, not heavily educated, panic stricken and felt that she had absolutely no option open to her. Everywhere she went she was told no, you don't qualify.

She was the "people" that I thought President Obama was campaigning to help. So far all I've seen is huge companies get huge bail-outs and support. The already wealthy executives who led these huge corporations into financial downfall are receiving amazing bonuses! For jobs particularly NOT well done.

I just read in the paper that our older generation will not see a cost of living raise in their Social Security checks this year. First time this has happened since some time in the 1930's! Everything that these people have to pay for has increased in price. And now for most of them, their Social Security money received will actually be less than the year before. Why less? Because most of them are paying for the Part D Prescription coverage that is deducted directly from Social Security before the check is issued - - which is certainly going to increase again this year, just like it has every year!

So, what we're ending up with is our elderly population, who are barely scraping by will be getting LESS "take home pay" . . . yep, the little old ladies who often have to choose between food or their heart medication . . . . while their power bill, water bill, prescriptions, food, clothing, and everything else they NEED increases in price on a daily basis.

Something is wrong with this picture!!