BAKERWOMAN

Monday, November 28, 2005

LEFTOVERS

Well, the Thanksgiving Holiday is over. It's usually my favorite time but this year was a little harder. I took a stupid pain pill in the morning (I don't like to take drugs) and got through just fine until after dinner cleanup when the damn thing wore off. I had to hit the couch with a heating pad and take another stupid pill! The bad thing is the timing. I'm sure that all of us have had one family member who never helps with cleanup. I felt like a real rat.

When I was a kid, my cousin Dinah was the one who always disappeared at dishwashing time. When we were at Uncle Joe's camp, the kids were supposed to wash all the dishes. Of course, instead of just going ahead and doing them, we would spend an hour looking for Dinah first while the dishes hardened and then work twice as hard getting them clean. Dinah grew up to be a wonderful adult and two years ago, I finally asked where she hid. She told me there was a hollow tree that she used to be able to shinny into and we would walk right by her everytime.

The camp was primitive and full of bats but it was on its own island and we had wonderful times there. We caught a lot of fish which we required to eat and we played a lot of poker with matchsticks. There was no running water and no electricity but we thought it was heaven. I wonder what today's kids would think of an outhouse? Our bathtub was the lake. We drank warm Kool-Aid and hot cocoa with evaporated milk and thought it was great.

It was originally a hunting camp on a hill until a damn was built. Otherwise, my relatives could have never afforded an island.

The biggest secret us kids never told our parents was the time we found Uncle Joe's nudist magazine. I guess that was the porno of the times. We memorized the photos of people playing tennis, mowing the lawns and sitting on front porches in the nude. Especially disgusting was a really fat old woman out sunning on her porch. I can still see it in my mind! Ugh!

Anyway, camp remains one of my favorite childhood memories.

Friday, November 25, 2005

POTTY TRAINING

I realize that when my children were little, we did everything wrong. Breast feeding was considered barbaric and we had an age schedule to use for weening and potty training. Weening was done at eight months (how stupid is that!) so you had to listen to your infant cry all night for three of four nights. Potty training started at 18 months. If your child wasn't potty trained by two, you were considered a bad mom and your child was considered slightly backwards.

Parents today do a much better job at these two things. They actually pay attention to the child's development without any stupid schedules!

This does bring up a really funny story, though.

We had friends and all our children over for a cookout. My oldest grandson was about a year and a half and had not started potty training yet. His older cousin had a little broom and mop to use in her playhouse. Z was running around in the nude (all babies' favorite attire). He had his cousin's mop and would tinkle just a tiny bit and then mop it up off the cement. He did this all afternoon. We would have put a diaper on him but it was hysterical! Now, I could be wrong, but it seems a little boy with the control to shut it off, could probably have been potty trained pretty easily at that point.

Anyway, my friend mentions this story quite frequently, so I hope everyone enjoys it.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

NOT MUCH NEW

My friend took Mom and me gambling at the Res on Friday night. Mom played mostly pennies and won a few bucks. She was so thrilled. We ate at the buffet which was actually reasonably decent for a change. We had a great time.

Hubby just went back to work after a week's vacation. He used the time to do all the chores and yardwork that has been building up. What a crappy way to use vacation time.

The weekend was great for me. Grandkids came over both days and Sunday we baked pies and Christmas cookies. It's the most fun I've had with the oldest grandson for some time.

I guess we are staying home for Thanksgiving. I wanted to go to my youngest daughter's house because we haven't had Thanksgiving with them for about 10 years. I asked for the day off and then found out that Hubby had to work. That really sucks. We did get to go there for Christmas last year and it was wonderful. It's hard when they live four to five hours away. It's a killer for me to ride very far and I hate having those babies on the highway with idiot drivers at holiday times.

My leg is better but still won't bend. It also got locked in extension a couple of weeks ago. The surgeon says that he may have to go back in after it has healed for a year to clean things up. It will be arthroscopic so it shouldn't be too bad. I wish it could be done sooner, though, because I think I would have less pain (maybe not, though).

Anyway, this is all pretty boring so goodbye.

Monday, November 21, 2005

GRANDPA

Granpa is about busting his buttons with pride (not to mention 50 extra pounds). Our oldest grandson had to write a report about a person who has impacted his life. I too, was very proud until I heard what his first paragraph was about:

When he was learning to talk Grandpa was determined to teach him his first word. The word he wanted to teach was "Booger". Now at the time, we thought it was hysterical. It loses something, though, when you know that my Grandson's whole sixth grade class and the teacher are reading this. The rest of the report was complimentary but I'm sure the first paragraph defined Grandpa in everyone's mind. My grandson's teacher told him that his report was quite funny! Talk about understatement.

Grandpa always used to get a big chuckle over getting the grandkids to do a huge burp at the table! I've sat there saying things like "This is only funny at home. If we do this in front of other people, they will not like us! This is not polite." Talk about being the bad guy!

I guess that boys will be boys and so will men.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

MR. HOSS

Mr. Maudlin's wife passed away. He put her obituary on his blog. Anyone who read's his blog has seen the occasional comments about his wife. I have pictured them together in their apartment with him reading her his blog and comments and have pictured her as a beautiful lady with a wonderful smile on her face as he reads. From his blog, it seems that they had a wonderful marriage.

Even though I have never met Mr. Maudlin, he feels like a friend to me. There are 145 comments on his blog so I thinks everyone else feels the same way. By extension, I'm sure we are all feeling very sad about his wife.
What an incredible thing this is that he has so touched us all with his words.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

LOSING WEIGHT

Well, Mom has only been here three days and I think I'm losing weight already. I will be cooking for a diabetic while she is here. A few years ago, the doctor told my hubby that his blood sugar was high. I immediately bought a carb and calorie counter, a scale, and began to plan and cook according to his dietary needs. I lost 25 lbs and he lost about 60 lbs. The next year when he went back for a recheck, he was told that there must have been a mistake made and his blood sugar was fine. In the meantime, he had given away all of his clothes. Many of them were reasonably new.

Guess what? He started eating normally again and is now buying new larger clothes. Not to say I told you so but "I told him so"!

I keep three sizes in my closet and he always crabbing about me having so many clothes. I have two grown daughters and a granddaughter who is fifteen. We are all about the same height. For the last twenty years, we have swapped clothes as someone gains or loses (except granddaughter doesn't wear what we will). When one of us loses or gains, the others pack up that size and send it down. It is like having a new wardrobe. Besides, it is like tempting fate to say "I am now thin and will stay that way". HA!

I have always envied people who keep their weight down. People don't keep their weight down because of magic metabolisms! They keep their weight down because they have willpower and don't belly up to the trough like the rest of us. The willpower is what I envy and admire. I don't have it.

I am talking about normal people. I would never want anyone I know to try to be as thin as the women I see on TV. Those women are probably ten times more unhealthy than those of us who are fifteen or twenty pounds overweight. Some of them are not even pretty anymore because their faces look like skulls. There has never been anyone more beautiful than Liz Taylor and her weight used to be around 140 pounds.

Anyway, this is probably way too much on the subject.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

MONDAY, MONDAY

Tomorrow my Mom arrives. The doctor cleared her to fly. She's pretty exited and was all packed this morning. Even though she has done this trip many times, this is the first time she's come cross country since she started having so many health problems. She's seventy-six with COPD, asthma and sciatica (sp) so I'm pretty proud she's going to do this! We'll pick her up tomorrow and then she can rest in the car while I have my annual eye exam before starting the drive home.

Two years ago, I had a torn retina-not a big deal-but each year I have to have a check up in the city. The amazing part of the checkup is the dilation of the eye. You older people know what I'm talking about. This is not the kind of dilation as at the optometrist. When these drops kick in, you can see every blood vessel in your eye from the inside. It is a strange feeling.

If you have ever seen any alien movies where they have the huge irises, that is what a person looks like. My older daughter usually takes me. On the way home I have to wear two pairs of eyeshades and keep my eyes closed because the light is so blinding. Last year I stayed at her house until about four hours after the drops before daring to drive home and my son-in-law was still making up wisecracks about the way I looked! He's a pretty serious guy who's not prone to a lot of joking so I really enjoyed the jokes.

I grew up in a family that was never serious. Wisecrack was our middle name. Add to that the fact that my Dad was hard of hearing and you can guess what a get together with my family consists of. My brother two years younger than me still calls me nicknames like "Fatso" (which I'm not), Bubbles and the ilk. My younger brother (seven years) apparently thinks I'm getting really old because he calls me Honey and Sweetheart. My little sister (fifteen years) is more like a daughter but she can wisecrack with the best of us. My Mom really spread us out on our ages.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to these next few weeks. We're going to spend a couple of nights at a local Indian casino and hotel and go to see Chrystal Gayle who must be getting damn near as old as I am.

To quote a friend who came to visit this morning. "Bye, Bye and Buy Bonds".

Friday, November 11, 2005

DAUGHTER NUMBER TWO

This kid (now a woman) has always had what some considered an inappropriate sense of humor. She was my sunshine baby and even though I didn't always understand the humor she could see in everything, she was such a joy. In some ways, she used humor to cover hurt. She has sure turned out to be a great Mom and wonderful human being.

Last night I was depressed and even though she is upset also, she managed to make me laugh. While asking about the progress of my physical therapy, I said my right leg is now a little longer than my left. She coined me a new nickname: "BEVENSTEIN". Isn't it great? I love it. I'll talk to everyone later.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

LIFE IS A RUSH

Well, the season has started! I had my first night of overtime. Things will only get worse from now on. The great news is my bookkeeping is all caught up and in perfect order. Yahoo!

I've had a terrible time sleeping this week. My youngest Grandson seems to be showing some signs of something called Stims (a mild form of autism). I'm hoping the powers that be are dead wrong. I think he is the most beautiful, brightest little guy that you have ever seen! Of course, while we all worry, their stupid insurance company doctors can't squeeze him in for testing until January.

My Mom may not be able to come out. She's retaining water and the doctor thinks she has a spot on her lung. She says she feels well, though, and had a perm today. I'll know tomorrow.

Someone with no driver's license ran a stop sign this morning, hit my oldest daughter and totalled her vehicle. Thank God, she is okay.

I also had a message from a friend of Crusher. He said that Crusher committed suicide. I didn't know Crusher but I am so sorry to think that someone is in such despair that they can't bear to live.

I think tonight I'd better say a few prayers for Crusher and for all of us.

It sure seems like when trouble comes, it comes in large amounts.

Well, I know all this is depressing but I try to keep family in touch with what's going on. Talk to you later.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

MY JOB

When I graduated from High School, there was a job waiting for me at our local bank (I had worked OJT (gratis, of course) at the Bank President's general store/post office after school for my entire senior year). I married the drunk shortly after and four years later realized that I was not going to be able to support the family working at a bank. I then went to work at a Shoe Shop (we made Old Maine Trotters) where I stayed for twelve more years until I met Dave and we moved out here in February of 1981. In preparation for the move, our local high school had sent me some out-of- use text books to brush up on my shorthand, bookkeeping, etc.

I had a terrible time finding a job! I signed up for unemployment because I had been laid off (happened each year for a couple of months) when I moved here. The shoe shop now had work for me so unless I wanted to turn around and drive back 3500 miles, I was out of luck on unemployment. For a person who has always taken care of the whole family, it was unacceptable to me to ask Dave for money. My pride was really bruised.

Anyway, I was checking the unemployment office to see if they had another job interview for me when I noticed that there was a space there that said CETA and a man was sitting there. I'm normally pretty shy but desperation drives us to do strange things. I plopped my butt down, told him who I was, told him I had two children and only $400. and asked what he could do for me. The next Monday I went to work at Magnolia Citrus Association. CETA is now defunct. The deal was that they paid one half of your salary for a year until you could prove yourself to your employer. I will always be sad that they did away with the program and I will always be thanking Mr. Kimball (that was his name) for helping me get my life back together.

The office manager at Magnolia was almost ready to retire and Boy was she a tyrant. (I suspect she was also a little insane.) One girl worked for her up front and, thank god, I worked in the back office. The only time I had to deal with her was when I did payroll once a week and that was too often. She was very strange in that she would exult in the fact that she could make people cry. She treated the vendors, the growers and the Manager like shit and got away with it because she had been there thirty years. She spent most of her time playing bridge on a sheet of paper while she overloaded everyone else on paperwork. One story about her illustrates her personality quite well: She forgot to put in the new tax loads in January. She discovered this along towards March and said nothing. She went back and refigured everyone's taxes to date and took them all out of one paycheck without telling anyone (including the Manager). Everyone got a pittance and she got away with it. She actually told me once that she had made only one mistake in 32 years and she believed it!

This is how I got my job: The other office person, Arlene, who is my friend went on vacation. In her absence, the girl from the other office was expected to do both jobs. Arlene did a good job training me in just a couple of days. The office Manager was pleasantly surprised and gave me some of her bookkeeping to do. (I won a bookkeeping award in school and was the bookkeeper at the bank.) When Arlene came back, she made her take my old job. I protested but Arlene didn't dare. She was probably relieved not to have to work with the old bat all the time.

To make a long story shorter (Ha!Ha!), the office manager retired that spring and I was offered her job which I accepted. Even though I was competent enough to do things the way she had, I wanted to do better for the company so I spent the next year taking accounting in the evening at our local college.

Back in 1981, things were a lot different at Magnolia. We only processed oranges and our fruit was sold as it was run. It was reasonably easy. Things have sure changed. We are a member of Sunkist, who has gone global, and we merged with our sister house down the road, who specialized in exotic fruit (mandarins, pummelos, and all kinds of grapefruit). We will have over one million cartons this year which is still quite small until you realize that we have about 70% of the Pummelos in this whole area and we have people clamoring to join.

We are a coop, which means everything is owned by the growers. They are charged a capital fund assessment each year and get it back over a five year period. One thing I always tell my girls is that every grower is your boss. Always great them with a smile and respect. Although, Arlene is retired now, I was lucky enough to inherit a well trained girl from our other facility. She is who the growers see when they come in because she always has a smile on her face. Both of my girls are smart as whips but Patty is the one I chose to be in front just because of her lovely attitude.

What people don't realize is that every piece of citrus they consume has been washed, waxed and dried. This is done to keep out decay and to make it pretty. Americans only want pretty fruit which is a shame because fruit with a slight mark has usually been on the tree longer and is oftentimes a better tasting piece of fruit. We now deal in large part with Costco and Walmart who can pretty much dictate whatever they want. They want special packaging, special this and special that and can also just about dictate what they will pay.

This highest returns to growers I have ever seen was in 1982. That's right! While consumers are paying quite a stiff price for produce, growers are going under. Most of the people still making it are those who have no loans on their property. The price of water, chemicals (got to have that perfect piece of fruit), property taxes and harvesting have all tripled, what they receive for their fruit is about the same-an average of $9.00 for forty pounds. Then on top of their costs, it takes about $4.00 a carton to get it through their packinghouse-labor, comp, cartons, supplies, etc. They get back an average of $40. to $50. a bin (about 1000 pounds) and out of that they pay water, chemicals, etc. It's a losing proposition.

I saw this when I worked at the shoe shop. New England used to be full of these factories. There are now very few left due to imports. The same thing is happening now to our growers. There are no restrictions on chemicals in these foreign countries. When the consumer buys imported fruit, it may still be sprayed with DDT. Our farmers fight a losing battle trying to have pretty fruit because today's chemicals while safe, are also not as effective. They cannot compete with countries who still get cheap chemicals and have $2.00 a day labor.

This is the San Joaquin Valley. Twenty years ago, we produced 1/5 of the world's produce. I don't know what the ratio is now but nobody brags about it anymore. All I know is that it makes me sad when I write some of the grower checks-knowing when I look at it that it isn't going to cover their costs for the year.

Well, Hoss, is that enough about where I work? For once, I wish everybody could read this blog and bypass the Australian, South American, Brazilian, Spanish, etc. fruit and buy the American product. It is no more expensive, it is safer and it is an investment in your own country.

Friday, November 04, 2005

SUBJECTS

I never can seem to come up with great Blogging ideas! This morning, I read Ol Hoss and he really has a hot one today. He has invented a bed with a toilet plus it cleans you up and all the food you want is near at hand. I want one!

My daughter has three children which gives her plenty of funny stuff to blog about. She's always had a keen sense of humor and sees funny things where the rest of us do not.

What do I have to blog about? My dog, Buddy, and cracking walnuts. Whoopie! I'm sure that will keep everybody spellbound. I could take about breaking my leg some more but even I am sick of that old chestnut!

My Mom is coming to visit on November 14th until January 4th. I cannot believe how much we had to pay for a plane ticket this year. Talk about highway robbery!

Mom has asthma and COPD. Buddy just got out of the vet's again. Because he has been sick and his hind quarters are shaved, Hubby thinks he should sleep inside. We will keep him confined to the kitchen but I still don't think it's a good idea. I think maybe we'll rig up some kind of safe heater so he can sleep in the garage.

My daughter who gave us Buddy feels terrible. He has become a very valuable dog because of all the investing we have done at the vet's office. I have never been attached to an animal before but Buddy is like us. He's getting older (he's 10) and he's having health problems. We've had him for four years now and he has brought us a lot of joy. So money be damned! He's part of the family and unless he is suffering terribly, we will keep him alive just as long as we can.

By the way, Ol Hoss, this is a depressed area. Divide your estimate of my earnings by 3 and you will approximate what I earn after twenty-four years. This is a farming community and we are a grower owned co-op. Most of our growers are not huge and they don't earn a lot of money as you mentioned in your blog. The nice thing is that we are all in this together and it's like one big family.

I have a great new exercise. I get to kick an exercise ball. The first time I did it at PT was so much fun! Even though I appreciate all they do for me, I didn't realize that I kind of resent being hurt so much. I kicked so hard, I had Steve running all over that damn place. He got to be the sweaty, out of breath guy. My husband is going to start throwing it for me at home. I can hardly wait! It is a lot better than knee bends and lunges!

I used to play softball in grammar school. I always had to play a base, though, because I throw like a girl and couldn't get it there from the outfield. I could run like the wind, though. That came in mighty handy when I was married to the drunk.

I just realized that I was right! I really didn't have anything to blog about and I've put in a lot of monotous crap. Oh well, that's me! Ms. Boring!

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

MICE

We live in the country. The field behind us used to be grape vineyards. They were pulled out and for three years now, the field has lay fallow. It must be a wonderful environment for mice. We have never had the likes of what we have this year.

I hate rodents! Some people think mice are cute. Apparently, these are people who don't mind stinking little mouse turds all over everything. The mice are too numerous to trap this year so we had to resort to D-Con. Supposedly, D-Con has an ingredient that immediatly dries up the mouse so it doesn't smell. That is a bunch of hogwash. We have spent the summer tracking down godawful dead mouse smells.

The other day, I was sitting on our bed and happened to notice one dead in a pair of very nice sandals I have only worn once. He was quite fresh so I thought I would be okay. I have cloroxed them twice, used fabreeze and sneaker spray. I can still smell that odor.

One year when we just had a few mice, one of our friends suggested those sticky traps. I immediately caught a mouse. The poor thing didn't die. I tried to pull it off the trap and pulled one of the feet off. What kind of cruel person could use those things. When I asked the friend, she said I was supposed to push the mousie head down into the sticky stuff so it would smother. Yuck! Back to the D-Con. At least I don't have to watch them die.

We have a ghekko in the house right now. I like those little devils. They eat spiders and you can never find any poopies. I will put him back outside if I can catch him without pulling off his tail. My husband did that last year and when I caught him again, it was quite interesting to see where it had grown back.

I think the worst thing we ever had was a whole summer of ants. They ruined food! They even got into the fridge. Sprays, traps; nothing worked. Later that fall, my daughter cleaned her closet which backs our main cupboard. Lo and Behold! There was her whole basket of Easter candy partially eaten by ants. You talk about an urge to kill!

Anyway, even though we have pests, I am a country girl and I guess I always will be.