3 Paws Saloon Attic

lil-wolfie · Guru

Hi! How are you?

valkricry · Guru

Hi Wolfie,

I had to laugh at myself. Misread what you wrote as "....and pot all planted," and thought ,"Really? You planted pot???" lol

Things here are going ok. About 4 more weeks of school and then off for 3 months. I'm looking forwards to the down time, but my wallet s screaming NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Just can't win when it comes to finances I guess.

lil-wolfie · Guru

i stopped the pot thing years ago..lmao..

yeah finances are a constant companion these days..especially when it comes to whats needed.at least,we're not without..i've been working on learning how to do a better job of spending money on whats needed,how and when..mainly when it comes to food items.like when i don't have to buy certain items.then the more of other items i can buy.then i move on to other items.im finally getting stocked up on foods that'll be there 2-3 months.allowing my to spend money else where.

valkricry · Guru

I hear you, Wolfie, it can be a real juggling act sometimes. Especially when it comes to things like food. There's 'needed' food, because - well without food we die. lol But then there's 'want' food. You may want steak, but you don't NEED steak. I mean you do want to eat tomorrow too, don't you? Then you start adding in the sundries we need, like toothpaste, toilet paper, etc. It really adds up.

Well, on the bright side, there'll be no fights over my estate once I'm gone. Unless they want to divey up the bills! lol

Fergie · Senior Member

I see we are all in the same boat when it comes to money. Fortunately, the only monthly bills we have are power, and the house insurance.

Friday before last was international literacy day. The scholars at Shen's school had to dress up as a character from the book they were reading. Shenay went as a vampire. LOL. (You should have seen the parade of little "Princesses" as they exited school.) She was given four thickish volumes on a teenage vampire, which she has been reading diligently. I was asked to read them first, to see if they were suitable for her. Anyhoo, Shen is now 'hooked'. I am sooo glad! I think reading is of primary importance.

I am now into sewing for Shen again. All the sets of clothes I made for her had to be passed on to those less fortunate. I can't believe the rate at which she is growing. I have had to find patterns for size 36in hips. Gosh! She is going to be a big girl. Nicky says I must go through my cupboard to see what I can pass on to Shen. LOL.

lil-wolfie · Guru

i had been doing things on the internet as usual.reading this n that.then it started.i guess that was between 7:00pm and 7:15pm.then it went off and stayed of between 7:30pm and 7:45pm..and that was within 3 minutes of receiving a tornado alert phone call,(thunder call) from the locale tv station..mom had received the call when i was outside.so i didn't get the needed info needed.and because of that,we failed to take the needed safety steps for our safety.other words,we didn't take cover.what gets me,is there were no strong winds,and we didn't hear any thing that could be a tornado or what ever..but yet i was already taking the needed steps for light and other things by the time we started having light issues.and had very little to do,after the lights went out,and stayed out.we finally went to bed for the night.between 10pm and midnight.and that happened on friday,april 29th

staurday april 30th
i made the needed phone calls to the electric company and phone company,seeing how we lost both.one of my niece's came and got my mom,so she can stay with her.seeing how she has electric and ac.i stayed put(home).and did diff things around the home and yard,that don't require electric.and took my time doing things.and between the time i got up in the morning and by noon,i learned it was a tornado.so i set out to locate a generator,and found one.so i was able to save the food in the fridge n freezer..had to make a 36 mile round trip to get gas for it.then i did more stuff around the house.by this time,i had already used a car lighter to recharge every thing that needed it.cell phone,nook color(tablet)among other items.

Sunday may 1st.
phone line finally got repaired.a tree had fallen,in which it took out one of those phone boxes thats seen on the side of the road.pluss i now have a phone jack in my bedroom now.in which i have a phone plugged into it for when the electric is off.i had to get more gas for the generator.so i got some pic's of the damage done.got back home,and did a handful of things that needed doing.then kicked back and read ,the survivors some,then i stopped reading and put it down,around 9:25pm.then at 9:30pm the electric comes back on.:D im so happy now.i went out,and unplugged the fridge from the generator n shut it down.then went back in,and plugged the fridge n freezer back into the outlet,and then walked around,and enjoyed the lights being on.called mom at 9:45 to let her know their back on.

monday may 2nd
got up and got coffee started.
left the house around 7am and got mom,and brought her home.now we're happy campers once again.

valkricry · Guru

Oh my! I've never noticed what beautiful eyes Shen has, Fergie! Quite - stunning.

So glad all ended well for you, Wolfie. For Christmas I got myself and my daughter those emergency flashlight/radios. These can be hand cranked or solar recharged, and (supposedly can also recharge your phone - haven't tried that feature.) Fortunately we don't seem to lose power often or for long periods of time, but one never knows.

This might be a rather long post, so you might want to get something to drink.

My mother has always said, "to dream of the dead is to hear from the living, " meaning you would receive unexpected contact from someone. In this case, it certainly seems to hold true.

I know I've mentioned having a younger sister who passed away on 10/19/2014, and it was around her my dreams seemed to focus. I do believe that I also mentioned we were never 'close', but I don't think I ever mentioned the 4 children she abandoned back in 1991. At least I think it was '91. The twins were only about a year old, the older sister maybe 3, and her son (their half-brother) around the age of 8. I had never even seen a picture of the girls, but I knew they existed.

Like I said, we weren't close and the particulars of exactly what possessed her to give the children up is shrouded in mystery. She flatly refused to discuss it with anyone. She had delivered them to their father and had left them. That simple. Never even tried to make contact over the years. Not a call or a card or anything. The boy was given to my father's custody, in his teens he went to live with one of my brothers. He too had lost all contact with his sisters. So the three girls grew up never knowing their mother or her family.

Quite recently, the twins called me! They hadn't even known I existed, until they had talked to the Pastor of the church my sister had attended and had done her service. She gave them my contact info. Of course, they were also looking for their brother. Although I, and my brother had stayed in touch with my nephew, he is NOT the greatest of communicators. He may or may not return your call/ have the same number, etc. And even though we're friends on Facebook, I knew he hadn't been active since last year sometime. Still.... I decided to leave him a message on FB with one of the twin's phone number. This morning it was official! He had called her!

I can't help but wonder, what are the odds? Over a year after presiding over her funeral, the Pastor still had my info on hand. Charlotte had called at a time of day, I would normally be at work, but was home sick. After months of not being on FB, Jason decides to log in... That's an awful lot of coincidences, isn't it? It feels almost orchestrated, like the Cosmos said, "OK, look, it's time."

lil-wolfie · Guru

well val,it looks like things might be getting at least a lil for you and everyone else in your family..i hope things work out for the better for all of you.

valkricry · Guru

Finally on summer break. Felt as if it would never get here!

About all I've done so far is sleep and work on graphics for Loss Mine. Although tomorrow I should get my tucus in gear and clean. The floors could really stand a scrubbing and I'm pretty sure I heard a dust bunny hiss at me.

The nieces and I are planning to meet in June. It's all kind of weird and exciting at the same time. Thoughts flick through my mind that one normally doesn't have about 'family'; will they like me? Will I like them? Will it be just incredibly awkward? Will I have the answers they seek? Guess, I'll find out...

lil-wolfie · Guru

i had cooked and canned 8 pints of beans n ham may 17th of this year..now there's only 2 left..:P..and that was 2LB'S of beans and how ever much ham i decided to go with.well today,im going with 4LB'S of bean and a bunch of ham.and i'll be going with 1 quart jars this time.takes up less shelve space this way.i had also canned 4 1/2 jars of chicken broth on april 20th of this year.it still looks good.

we got lots of rain inside of 2 days.now the ground is saturated.but garden is doing better.mom was in the hospital for almost a week.inflammation or something in the lungs.but doing better and she be home now..

valkricry · Guru

I'm sorry to hear your Mom was in the hospital, Wolfie, but glad to hear she's home again.

I can't decide whether it's allergies or a cold I've picked up, but the last few days it's been 'sniffle, sneeze..cough' with some hacking thrown in, and zero energy. Well, at least I'm not missing any work because of it.

It's 11:42 PM here, and believe it or not I've gotten 2 toll free calls!!! Seriously???? Sure, they've been one ringers, but still... I'm going to have to go to confession for some of the thoughts I've been having. furious

That Do not call list is a joke if there ever was one. Sure it's illegal for companies to ring at that hour, but how the heck do you enforce it?

Do you think the garden will produce much this year? Word here is we'll have a hotter than normal summer. I haven't quite figured out what that means as we generally go anywhere from the 80's to 100.

lil-wolfie · Guru

might try seeing a doctor about the sniffle, sneeze,cough and hacking...i don't know about the sniffles..but she had sneezing,coughing and hacking..and it turned out to be inflammation in her lungs, or something of the sort.

we're on the national do not call list...and yes,it's a joke..cause we still get those calls.and to top it off.last one,was to my moms cell phone,and while she was in the hospital..so im thinking of doing a web search to find out,on how to report them..

my garden is doing alright.my black eyes are growing and producing already.my corn,cucumbers,cantaloupe and 3 or 4 tomato is growing slowly..

valkricry · Guru

Had some rain yesterday which cooled things off a might. Might be able to get some decent sleep.

About the only thing growing well around here are the darn weeds. I swear...

Something is going on with the roomie. What ever it is isn't good. At times it's as if he is possessed or something. Don't get me wrong, I don't fear him, but there are times I fear for him, if that makes sense.

His frustration level is almost nil lately. If something doesn't go right, he throws a tantrum like a 2 year old throwing things, being destructive, and making that high pitched whiny screaming they do. Friday he was screaming at his cell because it wouldn't connect to the internet. Ended with a broken phone, because he threw it on the floor rather hard. If I ask a question he gets all defensive. And he is always going to the dark side of the moon with his reasoning, all gloom and doom. Typical teenage drama queen angst. It's been going on for a few weeks now. Not sure what to do about it.

lil-wolfie · Guru

it hasn't rained here,for 2 or 3 days now.i love that part.but the ground is still to wet to mow.

might try talking with a professional about that roommate.on account it sounds like he might have some serious issues of some kind.and what IF he throws a tantrum,or what ever one time to many? you need to think of your safety on that part..but then again,it could be something else.like a tumor on/in his brain...

valkricry · Guru

Thanks for your concern, Wolfie. Last Saturday, he went to visit a friend in another town. I'm getting a bit concerned as I haven't heard a peep since.

lil-wolfie · Guru

well i hope things go well with him..

i was roaming the boards,and came across the Conversions & Ingredient Substitutions,section..im wondering if you mind me posting that info in a diff forum im a member of?

valkricry · Guru

I'm cool with you sharing the info, Wolfie.

lil-wolfie · Guru

great..and thanks.. biggrin

lil-wolfie · Guru

we've been having a tree start falling apart on us.no house damage.and no damage to the lawn furniture.but i deffently been having one heck of a time with it,on getting it trimmed to cut down.then cutting it down.now my chain saw aint running..

valkricry · Guru

Maybe rent a few beavers??? Seriously, I feel your frustration.

lil-wolfie · Guru

id let them beavers live rent free,as long as they took care of the trees we dont want only..lol

valkricry · Guru

lol

Fergie · Senior Member

Hi there from a chilly Highveld in SA. Last night it dropped to 19F, and at the moment (11am) it is 41F outside. At least it is a 'snug' 46F inside, lol. I have eventually deigned to switch on a heater. I tried vacuuming to get the old circulation going, but the effects only lasted a few minutes, *sigh*.

I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but our PC room has very special 'air conditioning'. This happened a few months back. One evening, I was sitting at my PC when a thunderstorm blew up suddenly. I was about to switch everything off when there was a mighty crash - I nearly had to change my diaper! Small splinters of glass erupted from the 4ft x2 window in front of me, simultaneously with a lightening strike/thunder seemingly right outside. On investigation, we found a small round hole more or less in the middle of the pane, the size that a bullet would make. Strangely enough, this is the second 'bullet-hole' to appear in this pane of glass. No bullets have been found (thank goodness), so that can't be the cause. It is a huge mystery to us. Just mentioning why we have got 'air conditioning' in here.

valkricry · Guru

I guess it could be possible that the lightening/thunder somehow struck the pane causing the hole? But twice? That's pushing the odds. I assume you searched the wall opposite the window for a bullet as well. In any case thankfully YOU were not hurt.

I still haven't heard anything about the job. I think I mentioned we lost the elementary schools to a company that's doing plated meals (think TV dinners). All the personnel we had at the elementary level is servers (13 schools), which I had not known. All that means is they can't bid on cashier, baker, or cook positions, unless at one point they had held the title, but they possibly could bump one of our servers off as it would come down to seniority. I'm not sure that makes me feel any better, but it does mean not as many can apply for my position. The saddest part of all is this new company broke with tradition and did not grandfather any of our people in. It seems they had a 'job fair', which none of us heard about, and our people were expected to come apply. I suspicion they want all new so they can pay a lower wage. Now, at this late date, our union is making noises that those were our jobs and they will fight for them. .. Really? Seriously? The time for that was back in June, as soon as we heard about the contractual split. Not a couple of weeks before school starts. Grrrr....

Fergie · Senior Member

Val, the first time it happened - the hole high up on the window, we were sitting at the dining room table. No storm, no car passing (that we heard), just a big bang. Yes, we did examine the wall for bullet holes - nada! The second time, if it was a bullet, it would have whizzed past my left ear, missing me by inches (if I was lucky); yeah, that close. At first I thought it may have something to do with the storm, but what? Surely there would be some other damage..... to the curtain maybe? The window faces onto the street, so the curtains are closed permanently. Also, if it were just a stone lobbed at the window, surely the glass would have shattered - these are like high velocity fractures with only a little chipping around the holes. Sure wish I had someone to explain this enigma to me.

Gosh Val, so it's not only in SA the companies drag their feet, and don't pass on information? Seems like you may be working with a lot of new folks. At least you have a better chance than most. I feel sorry for those that will loose out, and all through somebody's ineptitude. How long before school starts? Is there a snowballs hope that the situation can be remedied before school starts?

valkricry · Guru

Well, I got a letter today telling me I still have my position. Big sigh of relief. School starts the 25th. But we'll probably go back a day or 2 sooner to set up.

Jess asked me if I could help her with a yard sale today. Most of it was her Grandmother's furniture, and basically she needed me to help move it out to the drive (and what ever didn't sell back in). She went dirt cheap on the prices, nothing was over $5! We've had a long standing 'rule', if it's in the sale and you want it you can have it. There were 2 Barrister bookcases, I loved, and I've been wanting some for a long, long time. She let me have both, and even arranged the use of a truck and guys to bring them up!!! Now, just to figure out where to put them! lol

Of course while I was there, there was the usual, "Mom, can you fix/assemble ___" list, and helping guys load stuff into their trucks. You, know I loved it. She thinks she'll want me to come back on Saturday and help finish organizing the garage, and work the sale if there's still stuff.

Fergie · Senior Member

Well, Spring has sprung, right into Summer......86F. Where the heck did the rest of Spring go? No Spring rains yet, but we are praying. Water restrictions are in place as our main water source (for our area), the Vaal Dam is only 35% full.
No watering gardens between 6am and 6pm, unless you have a borehole. And all sorts of water saving tips on site.

I suppose you are well into the swing of things back at work, Val? I hope all is going well.

valkricry · Guru

Oh, Fergie...if you were closer I'd say let's have a cup of coffee and a good cry over work. I don't understand 9/10ths of the stuff going on. Something like 36 - 38 people were let go. The unit where I am use to be like 20 employees and now we aren't even 16, and 5 of those are working out of another school. They cut hours across the board (even managers!). Everyone is expected to do more with less time and manpower. It's crazy.

My position/title is baker, but I'm doing pizzas, fries and Boscos. confuse Now, the girl who use to do pizzas had 2 to 3 people helping to tray it up and add the toppings. We now have me. The other girl who did the potatoes had 4 to 5 people helping and we have me. So what these 8 -10 people had 4 plus hours to get the setup done in, I have about 3.5... that's like 120 trays of potatoes and 45 pizzas I do. Then I get to bake them all (oh joy). Now, I have to give credit where it's due; my immediate manager about had a coronary when she found this all out. (Ah, yes one of those things the upper echelon does without consulting those who actually know what goes on. They admitted to me they hadn't given the prep work any thought when deciding I could do it, yet won't do anything to remedy the situation. ) She does the best she can to try and help me, even though she's almost overwhelmed herself. She doesn't 'see' one of our guys sneak over to help me top the pizzas. She doesn't 'see' the fact I have a drink sitting in my work sink (usually a coffee 'smuggled' over to me by another co-worker), or that another couple of co-workers will help get the product out to the floor or into warmers. My favorite expression lately is, "oh since you're headed that way - could you drop this off?" Sometimes I get a stunned look - but they've come to realize they're really helping themselves. By the end of my shift, I am flipping tired, as you can imagine. Well, everyone is...

Water saving tips; one really excellent one I can think of is use the water you cooked vegetables with to water your plants once it's cooled off. It adds lots of nutrients to the soil. The same holds true with left over coffee, and you can also mulch the grounds into the garden for extra 'oomph'. Wash dishes once a day instead of 3. I hope that helps a little bit.

Fergie · Senior Member

Poor Val, you must be worn to a frazzle by the end of the day, both mentally and physically. What a good thing that your boss lady is purposely wearing blinkers, where you are concerned. I know the "big wigs" never consider little things like preparation time. Do they think you wave a magic wand? Jerks!!
Isn't there a possibility that you could find employment at a regular bakery?

If only I had a teleporter... I would be over there in a flash. I could bring my foot massage gadget (foot warmer/massage - Mother's Day present from Nicky) for you to use, And give you a shoulder rub while you poured out your woes and drank coffee. Aah, if only!

Good advice on the water saving tips Val, thanks. Only, my plants aren't going to even smell my veggie water. All water from veggies or pasta gets saved as stock for my dog's food. Dry dog food is a bit above our means, so I make my own. I cook a big pot every third day; veg off-cuts, bone meal from the butcher (we get that free of charge), chicken or meat off-cuts all boiled up together. Then I add a few cups of maize meal, which is relatively cheap here. Okay, Cleo is a bit overweight, but she was like that when we adopted her over a year ago.
If only someone could make me a device to store water from the shower/wash basin that transfers it to the toilet cistern.

valkricry · Guru

Jerome is in a full on mood today, so I'm hiding out in my room, more or less.

Saving water from the wash basin shouldn't be too hard, just place a pot in the sink, instead of going down the drain water collects in it. I suppose the same would work with a shower. If your shower is very large, you could put your potted plants in there with you. Then they get watered as you shower. Keep showers short, like under 5 minutes. Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth. Little things like that can save a lot of water.

Yeah, when I get home from work I'm completely knackered. Feels like I'm coming down with a cold too. All sniffly and sneezy. Just what I need - not.

Fergie · Senior Member

Hope your sniffles were only a bout of hay-fever, Val.

Still only a spit and a spot of rain last Saturday night. They are threatening to bring in water shedding if folks do not reduce their water usage. The "water police" have been handing out fines left, right and center in Johannesburg to people filling swimming pools etc. It makes me so cross that some people have got no savvy, or are just so self-centered. Our country is in crisis, but do they care? Apparently not!

On to a lighter subject......
Last week Nicky, her boyfriend and his son, plus Shenay and the dogs all spent it in Ramsgate. That is a village on the south coast of Natal. They rented a beautiful holiday flat with only an expanse of lawn between the front porch and the Indian Ocean. Apparently they all had a wonderful time. Nicky's only gripe was that she couldn't let her dogs out without them being on a leash - no fences. I am adding a couple of pics which were sent to me.

valkricry · Guru

Sounds like lots are in denial about the water shortage, Fergie. I hope the water shedding doesn't come to pass, but it easily might if they won't listen.

Shenay looked really happy in her picture. Dang, she's growing like a weed.

Work has gotten a little easier because I finally convinced the DM that I NEED help. It was kind of funny (in a warped way). I wasn't feeling well and he was trying to talk to me about *one more thing* they wanted me to do. I looked up at him and said, "Take this the way I mean it and not how it sounds; I don't feel well so , right now, I could care less about what you want me to do. I'm swamped and it's all I can do to remain standing." He got all concerned then, and said he thought Ron was helping me, I shot back with HOW, he was running all over too. Bright fellow doesn't even remember what they've given poor Ron to do, so I tally off a list, and added that I didn't think either one of us had been able to take a full lunch since I'd been there. He looked at me and said, "we can change that. It's more important that Ron be able to help you between lines." So Ron got a 'new' job, instead of the myriad of things they had him doing, he comes back and pulls racks for me, gets stock or whatever I need, and in the morning when he comes in, he sets his area and comes help me tray the stuff and do the pizzas. So now, there's 2 of us instead of 1 (still a lot less then they use to have - but hey...).

Fergie · Senior Member

Yay Val !! A small victory for you. Better than nothing, eh? At least you should have less stress now. Hope things are running smoother now.

We have had rain for four consecutive nights now. What a welcome relief. Don't know how much has fallen in the catchment areas, but my garden is clapping hands, LOL. I only have to water my seed trays which are under cover. Soon I shall have to transplant the seedlings into my hanging basket, but dang, I can't remember which are chilies and which are capsicums - the seedlings all look the same.

Shenay is burgeoning at such an alarming rate, I just can't keep up. Her measurements I took last month are out of date already. I made her a pair of shorts, but when she tried them on she couldn't get them over her hips. I thought I had made them a size larger than she was....... well, you know what 'thought' did, eh?

I have another puzzle for you Val. Some time ago, Ray planted what I thought was a type of reeds in our under-cover garden. Turns out to be something totally different. One day I noticed a beautiful little flower on it. By the next day, it was curling in on itself. By the third day it had curled up completely. Luckily, I called Ray on the first day to photograph it. I am posting the pic for you to see. Have you any idea what this may be?

valkricry · Guru

Fergie, sorry this took so long but I really had no idea what your flower was. So, I posted it to my timeline and my nephew (and several others) identified it as a Fortnight Lily, also known as an African Lily. Interestingly enough despite the common name, Fortnight lily, this is actually an iris.

Emotionally I have been struggling, I have 2 brothers in hospital with heart attacks, and a close friend also in the hospital. On a happy note: my older brother, Kevin has been moved from the ICU to a regular room.

My friend, Ruthie, was an accidental medicine overdose. She's 75 and had simply forgotten she'd taken her pain med already. Narco (one of the pain meds she takes) will do that to you. It can make you very loopy. At least it looks like she'll be ok.

Fergie · Senior Member

Val, I hope your emotional stress has dissipated, or at least, lessened significantly. I sincerely hope that your brothers and your friend are out of the woods, and well on their respective ways to recovery.

Val, you are a marvel! Thank you so much for finding the name(s) for our flower. Would you believe, since then, I have seen dozens blooming all over the place; in Nicky's garden (she didn't even know it till we saw them), around the parking lot of our CBD, and various other places - crazy, eh? I believe the common name, around here, is African Iris.

I must apologize for MY late reply. I haven't been feeling up to scratch these past few weeks; still not in great condition. I developed what I thought was an abscess in my lower jaw - swollen cheek, fat lower lip, and intense pain. After two lots of antibiotic the swelling subsided. I decided to have the offending tooth extracted. Much to my amazement, there was no residual abscess dangling from the extracted tooth. I have a gum infection! The dentist showed me the ring of infection around the tooth. I have had to stock up on anti-bacterial mouthwashes, etc.

So, consequently, I have been doing very little that required any amount of concentration of late. Hopefully, that will change in the near future.

valkricry · Guru

Your dentist couldn't tell the difference between an infected gum and an abscessed tooth??? confuse (Actually, I've no idea if it's easy to or not.) Poor you!

On your flower, the instance of learning something new (usually a word or name) then seeing/hearing it often actually has a name. It's called the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon . How's that for trivia??? lol

Halloween seemed magical to me as both brothers were home from hospital. It doesn't matter that we're miles and miles apart, just knowing they were home made me happy. Although to me it seemed they left Kevin out too soon. He was in the ICU for about a week, then in a regular room maybe 24 hours, then sent home that Saturday. (Later I learned he had signed himself out.) He was home about 4 days and had to be packed off to a residential care facility. Long term medical care. At home hospice wasn't intense enough for his needs, and poor Laurie is in no shape to nurse him 24/7. The doctor is not very hopeful about his recovery. The feeling I get is 6 months,maybe less. I want to be wrong, but seldom am.

With the Cubs winning the World series, my younger brother is over the moon, as are many others. But in his case, it's given him a little added spark. Badly needed since the heart attack.

I'm told Ruth may be coming home soon. Fingers crossed.

valkricry · Guru

My brother, Kevin passed away this morning...

lil-wolfie · Guru

sorry to hear that val..i hope for best for all yall..

Fergie · Senior Member

Our deepest sympathies, Val. Our hearts goes out to you.

valkricry · Guru

Thanks for your condolences.

Have been making arrangements for his cremation. Apparently there are some forms I need to sign, since this is all taking place in another state, they'll be mailed to me, and I'll need to have them notarized.

I was very surprised that because of his size cremation is almost double the cost! It could have been a little cheaper, but Laurie wanted his ashes. Understandable...

Because Laurie is 'only his common law' wife, it's a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo to protect the mortuary from being sued, I guess.

Fergie · Senior Member

There is Always a lot of forms to sign with a cremation; at least here in SA. I have had to deal with two.
Cremation costs go by size/weight? I didn't know that. So, if it were a child, it would be less? And you pay extra if you want the ashes? I didn't know that either. I wonder if it is the same here; never asked.

OMW. if things were done by post here, (or did you mean e-mail) the deal would only go through next year, if you were lucky. I posted a letter to Kimberley (a matter of 4-5 hours away) in January - the lady still hasn't received the letter.

Hope all is done and dusted by now, Val, with only memories remaining.

BTW, if you don't hear from me in a while, don't worry. I am running out of MB fast, also I will be house/baby sitting for Nicky from 20th - 27th of this month, so will be incommunicado. Her (girl) friend is taking her to a game farm, as a birthday present.

valkricry · Guru

I've dealt with cremation before too, Fergie. It's the 'notarized' part that's new to me. With my dad, I dealt with it over the phone, giving oral permission for them to sign my name. But perhaps that was 'legal' due to the fact that there were witnesses there, one of which I was well acquainted with. With my son, well I was there so... yeah.

They did email the forms to me, but are also snail mailing them. Either way, still need to get them notarized. Our postal system is fairly reliable and can be quick.

Cremation cost doesn't exactly go by size/weight. It might even be different from state to state or crematory to crematory - I really don't know. But apparently there is a base price from x pounds up to xxx pounds, and then there is an extra charge for anything over that. In Kevin's case, because of his largeness it took twice as many people to move the body, and I guess it takes longer to turn them into ashes, so fuel costs are like doubled or something. Laurie (his common-law wife) was kind of in shock still at the time, and didn't catch the entire breakdown of the cost. Because Oregon only recognizes her as a 'life partner' she has no legal standing, which is why I have to sign the authorization papers. With the ashes, I'm not sure the cost might be for the container(s) to put them in perhaps. I don't recall being charged for my son or father, and as I said, Laurie was understandably a bit disjointed on her understanding.

Don't worry - you have fun with Shenay.

Fergie · Senior Member

Val, and all other US readers, hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I arrived home last evening, having survived the house/baby sitting...LOL. Nicky claims to have had a lovely, relaxing time at the game farm. She took plenty of pics of the animals there and had lots of stories to tell. They were awoken every morning at the crack of dawn by a guinea fowl knocking on the front door - demanding to be fed. Bush-buck were eating out of her hand and a meerkat (think you would call it a ground-squirrel) crawled down her blouse and didn't want to come out. So yeah, Nicky was in her element with the animals. They also swam in geothermal pools and drank lots of champagne, LOL.

Shenay and I had a good time together. She was a big help with cooking dinner and hanging up washing. Exams are over and she is confident that she has passed. She will be going to grade 7. Only a week of school left for this year, then the six-week Christmas holidays. Ray will fetch her on Saturday on his way home from work; he starts work on 1 Dec.

valkricry · Guru

Sounds like Nicky had fun on her holiday. aww

High five to Shenay on getting to 7th grade! Where has the time gone?

Thanksgiving was alright. Quiet. I went to my daughter's for an untraditional meal. Instead of turkey, they had pork. No breads or sweets. I didn't care. It was good just to be with her for awhile.

Fergie · Senior Member

It is always good to spend time with our children, eh Val?

Nicky sent me pics of her game farm stay, so thought I would share a couple with you.

There is Nicky with the meerkat on her shoulder; then one of her feeding the buck at the front door of their chalet. There is also one of her stroking a caracal in the rehabilitation center - lucky girl!

lil-wolfie · Guru

staying dry indoors while it's soaking wet outside today.it's been raining since,just before 10pm last night.and it's still raining.we've gotten over 5 1/2 inches of rain now,since the day before thanksgiving..there's what's known as a pump house yard,just to one side of the house.(use to be a well and pump house there and all..it's now looking like a small pond in one area there now..

Fergie · Senior Member

Wolfie, I wish we were having your weather here. It is scorching hot, with not a cloud in the sky - it is 8:20am.
Last Wednesday night we had the most amazing electrical storm. I was riveted to my workroom window for absolute ages, just watching the multiple lightening strikes and waiting for the resounding crashes of thunder. It was the most magical aerial display I have seen since leaving Kimberley in 1994. I love electrical storms - just to witness, not to be out in them.
The next afternoon, we had hail. That lasted all of 5 minutes - only small stones, thank goodness. We haven't had a drop of rain since then, with the oppressive heat (107F), my spinach is wilting and my roses are scorched and drooping.

Well, hubby is off to work - won't see him again till the night of 24th. This year he is approximately 50 miles away. Not so far actually, but the traffic he would have to pass through daily is horrendous with a couple of high accident zones (usually with huge delay times) on the way. His boss has found him an apartment only 15 minutes away from the mall where he is to work. I am sure Shenay and I will have a great time looking after each other, LOL.

valkricry · Guru

We had our first snowfall yesterday - 3 to 5 inches of the white stuff. The trees looked like they were in bloom with snowflakes! It was really quite pretty.

I had a very nice surprise today - the lady that gives me a lift into work gave me a new-to-me winter coat!!! It's really nice with a fur trimmed hood, and it covers my tush too! I almost cried. She was with me last Friday when my coat died (the zipper decided it no longer wanted to hold shut). She knows that when they transfer me back to the main unit (possibly the week of the 12th) I might end up walking and she wanted to be sure I'd be warm. aww

Fergie · Senior Member

How kind/generous of that lady, to give you a winter coat. It sounds really cozy! Walking to work in snow sounds like no fun at all - hope that doesn't happen.

Doesn't school take a break at this time of year? I am glad that I didn't go to school in the US; not taking a break in the festive season would have been devastating to me. December/January break is the longest in our school year, usually about 6 weeks. I never, ever, went to school on my birthday - one of the joys of being born in the first half of January.

Do you think you will be having a white Christmas?

valkricry · Guru

Yes, Fergie, our break will start Dec.22 running through Jan. 5. Funny that you mention snow, as we are in the middle of a winter storm watch. I've heard everything from 7 to 12 inches are possible. And of course our furnace is on the blink. They simply can't get to us before Monday afternoon, but they did send over a space heater - so not too cold here. Been without heat since Thursday.