Bob's Corner

Summary of Life GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a dust-buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

(1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fibre, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD

1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1 -- You believe in Santa Claus.
2 -- You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3 -- You are Santa Claus.
4 -- You look like Santa Claus.

SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 17 success is . . having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is . . having money.
At age 50 success is .. . . having money.
At age 70 success is . .. having a driver license.
At age 75 success is . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.

Try to forget the troubles that pass your way; BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day. Have a wonderful day with many smiles Age does not protect you from love; but love, to some extent, protects you from age.

MEC Conference

MEC was a time of learning with good friends....

Emily (new friend) Li-Lin

Emily and Allen

Norma (taking notes) Laurie (listening, or at least I hope she is listening and not sucking on her thumb)

Cristina (listening) Li-Lin (working on a wiki)

Bob's Corner

FORMS ARE GOING FAST- SIGN UP TODAY!
Becoming Illegal (Actual letter from an Iowa resident and sent to his senator)
The Honorable Tom Harkin
DC , 20510
Dear Senator Harkin,
As a native Iowan and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you.
My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it out.
Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.
Additionally, as an illegal alien I could begin using the local emergency room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped paying premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost $10,000 a year.
Another benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my daughter would receive preferential treatment relative to her law school applications, as well as 'in-state' tuition rates for many colleges throughout the United States for my son.
Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me of the burden of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college age children driving my car.
If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.
Your Loyal Constituent,
Donald Ruppert
Burlington , IA
Get your Forms (NOW)!! Call your Internal Revenue Service 1-800-289-1040.
Please pass this on to your friends so they can save on this great offer.

Orange Blossoms and Pollen

Orange Blossoms...Norma's favorite spring smell.

Fortunately Norma is not allergic to desert pollen!!

Bob's Corner....

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats:
The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run. I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm. For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required. The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door: TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.

(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they: (1) eat less, (2) don't ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4) normally come when called,(5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don't hang out with drug-using people, (7) don't smoke or drink, (8) don't want to wear your clothes, (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children .

Friends and Puppies

My best friend has a new puppy, a Carder Dog. If you look closely you can see that it is keeping a close eye on Shilo, the matriarch of the house!

Spring is HERE!!

It's official...summer is here. It is about 86* today and all of our flowers and trees are very excited about the prospect of warmer weather. We are eagerly awaiting our orange blossoms, which should be out in about a week. Maybe this year we will get some oranges.

In addition to the bird feeder that dad made for us, we also maintain a hummingbird feeder. We have identified at least four different species of hummingbird; as well as several species of small red and yellow birds.

However, we are most impressed with the large, golden desert hummingbird that always hangs out near our feeder.

Oil painting from Bob's youth

Bob and Robin brought this large oil painting down for Bob.

If you look hard you can see a young cub up a tree above the mother bear who is standing on the shore.

It was painted in the mid 50's by an old man who befriended Bob when we was quite young.

He was an artist of some note, in Central Washington. The scene is a place called Mt. Index located near Stevens Pass in central Washington.

This same artist painted several other watercolors of the homestead where Bob grew up.

What do you do when it's nice weather....

Ok, so it really hasn't been snowing lately. In fact the weather has been so warm that we have found projects to do around the house.

Painting the door....bright yellow....

(our inspirtation came from a Morrocan art book)

Putting up tile numbers......

....weeding the yard.

By the way, notice the birdhouse my dad made for us...the birds are most grateful!!

Snow

You may not believe it but we do get snow from time to time.... I have the pictures to prove it!

Family visits

Bob and Robin got to come down for the Gem Show. Of course we all spent some time watching movies.....although Bob C could not get away from Sissy.

Robin and I enjoyed shopping. She helped me find this vase for the large wall in the dining room.

She and I also did a bit of shopping in Bisbee. I got a vintage dress ($6), vintage shoes and matching purse ($16). What a deal!!

Bob and Robin were able to come down in time for the Gem Show. We got to shop, drive, explore new places...and of course...watch movies. Bob couldn't get away from Sissy though.