On a breezy, sunny day, 65 degrees and likely to be the warmest day of the autumn season, I got out there and took apart the greenhouse, with deep regret.  In spite of temps in the teens lately, things in there were still alive and growing; Only the Lonely Nicotiana, now in the house, and some ripe tomatoes, with vines still producing blossoms and setting fruit.  The greenhouse was the best idea I'd had in a long time, but it would not survive the winter under the roof where snow and ice slide off and crash to the ground.  I am going to put it back up, covering up the chicken house and yard, on the west side of the house, where snow and ice have never fallen, just melted and flowed into the rain barrel.  This will save it and will give the chicken a sheltered location to live in for the winter. 

So I got the greenhouse completely dismantled and put away all the things that I had stored in it (amazing number of things), dragged all the parts to the west side, and began to put up the header.  That's when I realized I would have to put the header up using a ladder.  I simply do not have the upper body strength that a man would have.  When I really lean into the job of screwing in the screws, the whole ladder raises away from the wall and it just doesn't work out.  So that is where I'm at now.  I get so frustrated with my limitations. 

Since I have stopped drinking milk for the past two months, I realize that I have gastric distress now, and I may need to take ranitidine or some other acid reducer.  I also want to eat more cruciferae vegetables that have all the calcium you need in them, and in an easily available form for the body to assimilate.  I still have one glass of milk left in my regimen, as I love milk.  I used to drink at least two quarts a day.  So going down to 8 oz. is quite a drop, and my stomach certainly feels it. 

But the most aggravating thing of all to me is listening to the pundits on TV talking about the election, and how McCain is gaining on Obama now.  It is hard for me to believe that the Republicans are so stubborn that they would vote for four more years of the same.  I doubt our country will stand much longer if we don't get a change from what we've had.  I will be calling friends and family to make sure everyone votes, but I will be very discouraged if Barack doesn't get elected this time.  My deep disgust with the way things are now IS possibly the reason for my gastric distress, in fact.  Well, I can't do much more than I have done, and will continue to do whatever I can, but I feel very discouraged today, after listening to the pundits this morning.  Maybe Keith Olberman can cheer me up this evening.

I found this today on the Center for Media and Democracy website's weekly email to subscribers.  At least there's a place to go to if we are subjected to voter suppression tactics on Nov. 4.

The Weekly Spin, October 29, 2008 Citizen Journalists Protecting the 2008 Election Source: New York Times, October 27, 2008 The New York Times notes, "There are at least two wikis intended to let voters collaborate to collect examples of problems with voting, whether exceptionally long lines or more direct actions meant to scare off voters -- the Voter Suppression Wiki and SourceWatch's Election Protection Wiki. Since 2006, the Video the Vote project has sent out volunteers to monitor voting around the country, and this year the group expects to dispatch at least 2,300 volunteers with cameras in all 50 states to videotape potential trouble spots. ... The ultimate home for much of this content could be the video-sharing giant YouTube, which has created a channel, Video Your Vote, in collaboration with PBS, to encourage submissions. ... While his organization is partnering with YouTube (and received 300 cameras as part of the Video Your Vote project), [project founder Ian] Inaba says he sees their missions as different. 'YouTube is there to generate content, to generate eyeballs,' he said. 'We came at this from more of an election protection framework. We want voters to oversee the election process - it requires citizen oversight.'"

I am wondering about that election!  It seems so obvious that the people want Barack Obama for their next President.  So why does McCain keep saying he's got him just where he wants him?  Is the election rigged?  Will Democrats come out to vote?  Or will the screwed-up voting machines work to the Republicans' advantage?  Will people be turned away for no good reason?  Could even I be turned away because of some minor clerical error?  I see the Alaskan senator, convicted of 7 counts, can still run for office, but can't vote for himself.  This is truly a messed-up voting situation.  My personal beliefs are that you should not be able to run for office if you've been convicted of a crime, but felons should be allowed to vote.  So this country has gotten things just opposite of what they should be, in my opinion.  But the potential for having the election stolen again remains the most worrisome thing, to me.  After all the hopes for change, will it all be ruined on Election Day?

I woke up Monday morning to about 2" of the white stuff all over, and for some reason, it makes me so happy, even worshipful, to see the first snowfall, even though we've been dreading it for awhile now.  But we all experience that first rush of joy.  After all, it's only frozen moisture.  It is still here today, but warmer temps are coming in a few days. 

I made pumpkin nut bars yesterday.  It bothers me when a recipe such as this calls for less than 1 can of pumpkin.  What am I supposed to do with the leftovers in the can?  I suppose it can go to the chicken, or be made into another batch of the same thing.

                                  Pumpkin Nut Bars

Combine all this in a big bowl and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  One cup of flour; one cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup liquid shortening; 3/4 cup canned pumpkin; 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 tsp. soda; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. vanilla; 2 eggs; and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.  Beat together for 1-2 minutes and spread in a greased 13 x 9" pan.  Bake at 350 deg. for 20-25 minutes.  Frosting:  2 oz. cream cheese, softened; 1/4 cup soft butter; 1/2 tsp. vanilla; 1 cup powdered sugar.  Beat together and spread on cooled bars. 

Went to lunch with my daughter; we were the only patrons in the diner, which had been completely full only an hour before...we commiserated with the waittress and cook, had them laughing at our own stories of waiting on people and they said we made their day, just cheering them up.  After lunch, we went to the liquor store and got liquored up (for the holidays).  I bought the usual gin and vodka, but didn't see the spiced rum until too late.  Then we went to the meat market, but didn't see anything there we wanted.  Got gas, $2.79 a gal. and home, to bed.  I am truly sick, probably caught a cold somewhere along the way, with all my many encounters with human beings lately.  But I am also aching and sore.  So I soaked in a warm epsom salts bath, drank decaf chai tea, and took many cold medications. 

I was asleep by 7:00, but got up later to view Sat. Night Live, to see what sketch they would have about Sarah Palin.  They had a truly classic one with "President Bush," "Sarah" and "John McCain."  It was the funniest one ever.  They even had an appearance by "Todd Palin" in a snowmobile suit, having run down and dragged McCain in to be "endorsed" by Pres. Bush.  So funny and so true.  Only 9 days until election day!

And I feel pretty good today, I mean, better than yesterday.  I went outdoors with Pepper and we went for a walk, her favorite thing.  It is supposed to SNOW today, the wind is picking up, and the raindrops feel harder than usual, with almost a tinkling sound.  I stayed outside for awhile then, picking up things and pampering my chicken with shovels of dirt full of worms, her favorite thing.  Then, with firm resolve, I marched right up that shaky ladder and just stapled that last bit of plastic that was hanging there undone, up into the peak of the porch roof.  It might not be the job I dreamed of, but it is up there and solidly in place.  Rearranged the remaining boxes of "stuff" in the porch, and I can finish dealing with that, some other day.  At least it's down on the floor. 

We're back in the house now, having had lunch of chicken stew, listening to the sounds of approaching winter, and feeling closer than ever to getting things done around here.  But the forecast for the coming week shows 50 deg. temps coming, and there will still be time for firewood-making, and applying the underlayment insulation to the back side of the house.  After that, it's cleaning out the garage, and picking things up that need putting away or throwing away.  Taking the rest of the day off, I am.    

It rained all day yesterday and most of the night, was still drizzling this morning.  I couldn't sleep, read until I got a headache, which is still with me.  About 1:30 a.m., a lot of howling out there.  I opened the window and listened to a serenade by coyotes for a couple of minutes; sounded like a lot of them getting closer.  Worried briefly about my chicken.  But nah...

I am groggy today, dizzy and tired, of course.  My daughter wants me to go to lunch with her today.  I suppose I will, even though it will be an effort to do anything.  I still have my headache, so will take meds.  John should be half way through his race by now.  I have no ambition to do anything.  It has finally or temporarily stopped raining, but the temperature is falling.  It is supposed to become bitterly cold tonight.  My daughter-in-law mailed a link to the wedding photographer, who has put all the wedding pictures up for view, and to order them if we want to have any.  Things sure are done differently these days.  I spent the whole afternoon yesterday viewing the hundreds of pictures online.  I became depressed, don't know why.  I think it must be because I am old, and looking at pictures of myself and all those I know IS depressing.  It's because I have seen people become old in my lifetime, and there's only one way out of here. 

So I'll go to lunch with my daughter, take in a store or two, get more gas to last me another week, and hopefully, the sun will come out again sometime, and I'll feel better soon.

It's warmish, but drizzling rain under a gray sky.  No leaf blowing today, and there's a dead porcupine on the road, so the dogs will not be allowed out and about either.  They should know better than to mess with a porcupine, but maybe they will have forgotten by now their harsh lesson when they were pups.  Seeing a porcupine and thinking it great fun to harass it, they both came home with strange white things hanging from their mouths.  At first, I thought it was frosty icicles, but when they got close, I realized it was going to be a bad experience.  We had a different vet then, whose partner was not sympathetic to us, at least.  When I picked Pepper up from the vet's, she was snarling furiously in her cage, but stopped when she saw me.  The partner followed me out to my truck, saying there was no such thing as an Australian Shepherd, and that I must have bobbed her tail myself, which was cruelty to animals.  She seemed to be very attentive to my relationship with Pepper, wondering at how loving she was to me.  When I got home, I saw that there were many quills in the roof of Pepper's mouth which had only been snipped off.  I suppose that was all they could do under the circumstances, but I worried that the quills would work their way into her brain and kill her.  Anyway, they didn't, but the whole affair was trying to both of us. 

But John has finally gotten under way to Baraboo, to take part in the 13 mile race (a half marathon).  I've always wanted to spend some time in the Baraboo area, where there are many scenic/historic/cultural  places to visit.

The luncheon held yesterday at the Peking Chinese Restaurant was delicious.  I had the sweet and sour pork with egg drop soup and lots of hot tea.  There were several topics of conversation which alarmed me a little.  A few women live so far out in the country that they claim wolves come right to their door, trying to snatch their dogs.  And one dog put out at 2:30 at night on a run (a lead tied to a cable) was grabbed by a bear.  The owner heard his dog barking incessantly, then squealing in pain.  He rushed out with a broom and beat the bear off, but had to call the vet in the middle of the night for emergency surgery.  The dog is okay now.  Naturally, these women are in favor of killing the animals who are hunting their pets. 

Then, there's the Democrat who insists on voting for McCain/Palin because she likes how Palin talks - that she sounds girlish and silly.  That's my friend who, back in high school, had all of us talking in a falsetto voice, talking silly "valley girl" talk.  Cute then, and lots of laughs, but this is serious time, friend.  I was a little disturbed by all this talk, and probably ingested cholesterol and MSG besides.  I had a bad night, idiotic things running through my troubled brain.  I think I'll stay inside today, do some housework, make soup.... 

Today is Thursday, the day we girls get together for lunch and talking.  We're going Chinese today.  I am still working hard on controlling cholesterol, so I hope I eat wisely today.  Last night, I made spaghetti, it's so good I had to eat twice.  Here's the recipe: 

Cook 1/2 lb. (dry weight) spaghetti in salted water until al dente, drain, toss with a spritz of olive oil to keep the strands from sticking together.  Saute 1 lb. hamburger in a teaspoon of olive oil.  Crumble the hamburger to small pieces as it browns.  Add 1 cup chopped sweet onion; 1 clove garlic, minced; keep frying.  Lower heat.  Add 1 can of spaghetti sauce or 1 small can tomato paste.  Add 2 tsp. vinegar and 2 tsp. white sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. Italian spice.  If necessary, add 1/4 cup water, stir well and turn down heat.  Simmer gently for 5 minutes or so.  Serve over spaghetti, and make garlic toast by buttering bread slices, sprinkling liberally with freshly minced garlic.  Toast in toaster oven. 

Yesterday, John helped me move the chicken house (with the chicken still inside) to the new location.  The day before that, I had spent all afternoon digging a trench outside the porch wall.  I filled it in with gravel and pond pebbles, covered that with plastic sheeting, leaves and straw.  I dug the whole yard level with the edge of the trench and raked all smooth.  I also dug a hole where the rain barrel would sit, and where there is drippage all winter as the snow and ice melts off the roof.  I put a large black plastic pot with the bottom cut out, into the hole, and filled it full with stones.  Then covered it up with dirt level to the surrounding surface.  Next day,  we placed the chicken's house right next to the side room wall and moved her yard up against her doorway, right next to the porch wall.  Out she came, and was very interested in all the new stuff in her yard.  She now has a southern exposure, and I was glad to see she was already in sunshine most of the day.  She will be much more sheltered and yet part of all the goings on around here.  I spent the rest of the day placing rolled-up chicken wire and rocks into the gap between her doorway and cage.  She can hear talking through the walls of the house and now answers with chirring.  So cute, and so much happier. 

I feed her twice a day; bread or cooked spaghetti (just the noodles), a few oats, at least 2 kinds of vegetable, cut up pieces of anything fresh (like fruit), sunflower seeds, and yes, chicken feed.  Her house is covered with 1" styrofoam insulation, 2 tarps and she has a lightbulb on all the time in her house, which is kept several inches deep in straw.  I thought to move her water jug to a new place in her cage, but she grabbed it and threw it aside.  She likes things to be just so, I guess.  I had to refill it and put it where it was. 

Every evening, as I watch the political/economic situation in our country, I always get fired up and think I should blog about it.  But I have been so busy getting ready for winter, there's no time for blogging.  I still have to dismantle the greenhouse from the front of the house and rebuild it over the chicken's quarters.  I have to get my leaf blower up and running and blow all these billions of leaves away, especially from on top of my rock collection.  I haven't quite finished the porch yet, either.  John got up on the shaky extension ladder with a piece of wood that I had measured and created with nails already in most of the way.  His effort was to bang those nails in while holding the piece of wood in the correct place.  Amazing, up there at the peak of the porch, he was able to get 3 out of 4 nails in, but on attempting to get the 4th nail in, the ladder was so shaky, that he had to stop and come down.  He muttered something about a screwy idea, but I don't take it seriously. 

That peak effort is where I was when the ladder I was on completely slid out and down just as I reached that very last place up there.  This was about 6 or 7 years ago, and I was one black and blue, very sore person for a couple of weeks.  How I fell with my arm under the ladder I will never understand, but almost broke it, as the rest of my body landed on top of the ladder.  It's the very worst place to get to on this house. 

John has to leave tomorrow for another marathon run in Baraboo, so I better not try anything too fancy while no one is here to pick up the pieces.  I've been thinking lately of my novel(s) that I need to finish and possibly rewrite after so long away from them.  At least one of them might be worth sending to a publisher.     

It's been last Wednesday since I posted; let me see if I can remember the days since...  On Thursday, I attended, for the first time ever, an Obama rally.  Of course, Barack wasn't there, but Jim Holperin, running for a state senate seat, spoke briefly; he introduced the governor of Iowa, Chad Culver(?), who spoke about the differences between Obama's plans for the country and McCain's.  It was kinda different for me to be politically motivated.

It being held at the public library, I finished the afternoon by picking up a few books to read (not that I needed any more books to read).  When I got home, the house was cold, and subsequently, I discovered that John had once again turned the floor heating system off.  I wish he would quit trying to save money while I freeze. 

I had a doctor's appointment on Friday, but cancelled it.  That should have freed me up to get a lot done around the house, and I believe I emptied the water barrels, which were full, around some cedar trees and hydrangeas, turned the barrels over, and coiled up all the garden hose around the barrels, putting the sump pump inside one of the barrels.  I can't remember what else I did that day, as I seemed to be very tired; maybe it was housework that kept me going.

On Saturday, the turkey I had bought for a large portion of my food  for October was finally thawed in the refrigerator, so I prepared the bird with stuffing and got it into the oven.  I also roasted a butternut squash, made cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries, instant mashed potatoes and gravy made in the pan after the bird was done.  It took hours, of course.  There was one other thing that kept me working in the house, but it was probably just laundry or something mundane like that.  To make sure I don't explode with weight gain, I put my entire turkey dinner on an 8" luncheon plate, muttering "If it doesn't fit, you must a-quit."  I may have gotten away with about 800 calories there, but I ate 2 of these mini meals, plus toast and coffee for breakfast, so that was plenty for me. 

Sunday, I thought I might get out there and finish the porch, but procrastination is hitting me hard these days.  I'm sure it's the cooler weather.  The leaves are falling, falling fast, and you can see the distant tree line all around the house from the top of this hill now.  I live on a round, flattened hilltop in the forest.  I called my son and asked him to bring me a deer this fall.  He need only shoot it and gut it out - I will do all the skinning, butchering, wrapping and freezing of the meat.  He said he would do that for me.  I asked him for pictures of the wedding, but he said he is no ways near getting that done yet. 

The deer around here are bold and they obviously know me well.  Now they have pushed the fence down on one side of the garden, too lazy to jump it anymore.  My chicken is very happy these days, and my next chore, after finishing up the porch, is to move her cage and yard to the side of the house, build a sort of lean-to over her quarters, so I don't have to struggle with new snowfall every day to get into her area.  Last winter was a killer for my back, and I don't want to repeat that. 

So, today (now it's noon), the weather is beautiful, it's over 50 degrees out, and there's the porch to finish......ohhh.

So the past two days, I've been back at the job of closing in the porch, getting ready for winter.  I have so much to do before snowfall, that I found it hard to fall asleep last night.  I always get up and have a bowl of cold cereal when that happens.  But last night, in addition to the cereal, I needed a hot bath and a cup of decaf chai tea to fall asleep. 

The weather dropped back to normal temps for October, so working outdoors got me cold, at least when I came in.  I didn't bother with a fire, but John came and started a fire in the fireplace, so soon I was comfortable.  I had a ring of pain across the bridge of my nose, around to both ears and the back of my head.  I used a heating pad on my head and that helped.  I should be finished, or close to it, by the end of this day.  I do have to go back into town, and get a prescription filled, plus I have an oil-filled space heater on a raincheck that I need to pick up.  I also want to buy (credit card, of course) a small electric frypan and a hand-held mixer.  Both are on sale for $8.88 at Shopko.  I haven't had a mixer for many years and would like one, and the sandwich-sized electric frypan can and will be used for steaming my sinuses, keeping my coffee cup warm (maybe), not to mention grilled cheese sandwiches.  

I have cut down on meat consumption, using meat only in small amounts in all my cooking and making it last for days.  Today, tuna salad, small roasted potatoes with olive oil and salt, and corn that John put up in freezer bags.  I oven-roasted the smallest of the potatoes yesterday and they were heavenly.  I don't usually use words like that to describe potatoes, but home grown is so much better than commercial grown. 

Tonight, the final Presidential debate!  I only hope that people will realize that it is very important to get out there and vote, in spite of Barack's lead in the polls.  It would be terrible if people thought they could stay home and not vote, because he is ahead. 

What a beautiful day for the wedding of my son and his fiancee!  The trees are at peak foliage, and the drive to the wedding was spectacular.  It was held at a big resort deep in the forest, surrounded by sparkling lake waters.  I did not know that I was going to weep like that.  It was so beautiful, and the service was held outdoors in a pavilion.  Right near the end of the ceremony, when all the vows had been made, the minister continued with a solemn demeanor, and asked, "Now my son, do you promise to always respect your mother-in-law?"  The audience roared with laughter at the expression on his face.  Sure, he and his mother-in-law have a very good relationship, with lots of joking around.  My son didn't know they had inserted this question into the end of the ceremony, though, so he was completely surprised.  When they were pronounced man and wife, they kissed, and the music became something like "Turkey in the Straw."  The bride and groom hee-hawed and danced and twirled down the stairs and through the crowd.  So there was laughter and tears both, and it seemed to me that everyone, even the minister, was weeping for joy, and laughing too.

Everyone adjourned into the dining room after a prolonged bout of picture-taking, and enjoyed the food.  The room became stuffy and loud, and my son shouted, "Let's go!"  We all got into our cars and drove to his house for the bonfire party, with a half-barrel of beer, little meatballs, pickles wrapped in cream cheese and bacon(?) and pretzels.  It was very enjoyable.  There were about 24 people in all, friends and relatives.  All the friends were my son's friends, mostly from the years he had spent in the big city.  There were no friends or relatives on her side, except for her immediate family.  Wait, there was one aunt and uncle. 

Well, I am very, very happy for the bride and groom.  I just love her and her family, my son's friends I have known for years and adore them all.  They are the same as family to us.  I left the festivities about 10:00 p.m., being the first to go, since I have quite a drive home, besides.  I wore a long, navy-blue dress with a flounced hem; it had pink leaves on it, was lined, and I wore a pink, puckery, long-sleeved, dressy t-shirt under it, as it had short, flutter sleeves.  I wore ear-rings, a necklace, a bracelet, and 2 rings, all picked out of my mother's jewelry box, and having been given by different family members, black velvet heels with sparklies, and black hose.  I got my hair cut by 3 inches, straight across the back, and trimmed my bangs a bit. 

I am still weepy today, but I understand it.  I'm feeling that my life is complete, my children are married, and my grandson is a grown man now.  I've been walking around in the gathering, warm gloom of a still-beautiful day, with Pepper by my side, taking in the smells and sights of this autumn.  I know the weather will turn soon, and my little work on my house will go on.  Who knows if I will ever finish it?  It won't matter.  It's a material thing, and the important things of love and family are all that really matter. 

I pray that Barack Obama wins the election.  If McCain wins, I believe our country, already teetering on the brink of disaster, will be forever ruined.  Imagine a country of 300+ million people, under the health "care" that McCain  has proposed.  He says that each family will get a $5,000 tax credit, which will go directly to our preferred insurance company to help us buy health insurance.  What is that tax credit?  We may get a $5,000 tax deduction on our tax form, but we will not see any money.  Will the insurance company be satisfied to accept our $5,000 tax deduction?  I doubt it.  I think the insurance companies will want $5,000 cash, don't you?  Where will they get it?  Is John McCain proposing to give $5,000 in cash to our insurance companies?  It will come from our taxes, of course.  What kind of bill is that going to amount to, that we, the taxpayers, are paying the insurance companies? 

Then, imagine the person who is seriously ill and needs a major operation.  The bill is perhaps thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.  John McCain has proposed that we, the taxpayers again, should pay income taxes on any health insurance benefits paid to our health care providers.  What percentage of tax will be applied to those payments that we never see, and have no control over?  Can you imagine anyone choosing to remain in such a system, that completely eliminates any control by the patient, and gives all your money to health insurance providers, health care providers, and the IRS?  You are simply the vehicle by which billions of dollars traverse a circuit that bypasses you completely, while you fund the entire process. 

We will all be going to backwoods country doctors who are not in the system.  Of course, women will soon be having back street abortions anyway, if McCain is able to appoint more neo-conservative judges on the Supreme Court.  So welcome to the new reality-based health care system. 

Next, McCain wants to cut our Social Security benefits in half.  If that happens, I will be out on the street, unable to make ends meet at all or make my tiny mortgage payments.  Of course, he will be hard at it, "winning" the war in Iraq, spending China's money at a fantastic rate.  Sooner or later, China will foreclose on America, own America, and the Corporations, who have individual rights according to the Supreme Court, will have all the available money offshore, where it will be safe from making payments to China.  We will be stuck with all the bills, and we will be working for the Chinese to make the payments.  Sounds like a good plan, if you are one of the 1-2% of the wealthiest people in this country.

Thank God we have Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  Let us all, good Democrats and good Republicans, come together and save our country from a McCain/Palin ticket, elect a decent, intelligent President and Vice President who may still be able to bring us back from the edge of chaos.      

It's cold, then warmer, the sun shines and it's beautiful, the clouds appear and spatter, drizzle rain for minutes or hours.  Many of the leaves near the house are still green, but there are a lot of fallen, brightly colored leaves as well.  Hopefully, autumn will last for a longer time this year.  We have often been kicked in the rear with a snowfall in early October, just to keep us humble. 

John went to Munising, Michigan to run in a 15 mile marathon, and did very well this time, but I believe he is more sore than usual.  Now his brakes are out and he is having to work on them under a tarp, lying on a piece of cardboard, in the drizzling rain. 

My work in the garden, digging potatoes, harvesting everything (except the rest of the cabbages), plus all the yardwork and organizing I did, had me so sore that I could barely walk into the house afterwards.  It's my left foot that aches so badly.  Maybe I have plantar fasciitis(sp?) or maybe my back is so screwed up now that it affects my foot as well.  I haven't done anything more on the porch for two days because of soreness, but I am feeling much better.  I guess this is what old age does to a person; you just have to slow down and rest in between doing things. 

I made an autumnal soup yesterday, using veggies I harvested the day before or two days ago.  I used hamburger as the meat base, browning that in the pot with onions and carrots, then adding water (only 6 cups this time) and all the veggies, like cauliflower buds, tiny zucchinis, small potatoes, tomatoes and patty pan squash.  Also added orzo, spices, and at the end, some couscous.  It was delicious, but upon my first taste, I realized that it contained much rendered beef fat from the hamburger.  So I had to put it all in the refrigerator and let the fat congeal at the surface of the soup.  Sure enough, there was soon formed a 1/4" layer of cholesterol right there on the top.  I scooped it all off with a spoon and am now resigned to eating the "healthy" version of soup. 

My cholesterol this last time was 249, down from 255.  It is supposed to be, ideally, below 100.  So I am going to make a very serious effort to lower it on my own, as shown by the above progress.  The results could save my life, and I can't abide the terrible side effects of the medications the doctor wants me to take.  I hate those statin drugs. 

But last night, I woke in a panic, feeling very depressed and anxious.  I believe it may be the pre-wedding jitters, and I'm only the mother of the groom.  I have my outfit to wear all lined up, but haven't tried on the whole thing yet.  I should do that today, since it is raining out again, and I don't really need to go shopping for food until I go in to pay the light bill tomorrow.  I also believe I am depressed about the national economic crisis.  I do business with at least two of the ones that need to be bailed out.  You'd think my regular monthly payments would be enough to keep them afloat...

So McCain doesn't want to debate or talk about real issues?  He just wants to focus on personal attacks against his opponent?  I'm glad that Barack Obama is going to strike back at McCain for his involvement in the Keating Five debacle.  I was never satisfied with the "justice" that was obtained back then, and all we hear about these days is how we don't need to be pointing fingers of blame.  Hell yes, we should be blaming somebody for all these giant rip-offs of the American people.  Why isn't "white collar crime," which is far more serious and costs everyone much more, punishable, and why aren't we hearing about getting the money back to those who were ripped off? 

But enough of that.  I got up and ate something, read a chapter of my book "Two Years Before the Mast" by Richard Henry Dana.  Then finally, fell asleep, feeling much better about things.   

I think it was Howard Fineman who got me laughing with his analogy of Sarah Palin being like the wolverine who rushes out to attack the pant leg of a passerby.  I am still trying to remember if Palin ever called Biden "Joe" except for the zinger she used, "There you go again, Joe."  Sort of like, you have to invite the vampire in before he can bite you.  She was very well rehearsed and stuck to her talking points like glue. 

She IS Bush/Cheney, in a more attractive package.  I got the feeling that she, like Bush/Cheney, can hardly wait to increase the powers of the President/Vice President and become dictators.  And how about deciding NOT to answer questions that would show honestly what the differences are between Obama and McCain?  Especially when McCain has been the deregulator all these years.  That's right, change the subject.  I now believe that her answers to Katie Couric's questions (or non-answers) were deliberate.  This woman is not stupid.  She's very much in charge, and you can go to hell with your questions.  And that's how she and McCain plan to run the country, too. 

The Vice-Presidential Debate is tonight.  Palin has been under so much criticism all this time, that I'm afraid that she will do well tonight, just to befuddle the media pundits.  I lay in bed last night, trying to think how I would have answered some of the questions that have been put to her.  Reviewing my answers, I can say that I must be fairly well educated about the Supreme Court, and I am just Joe Sixpack.  I certainly could have bent somebody's ear for at least an hour! 

I am therefore going to keep a sharp eye out tonight, looking for some sort of device tucked into that hairball on the back of her head.  I suspect she will need coaching from an invisible source.  I remember when W. debated Kerry, he had a small oblong thing visible on his back, that stuck out enough to be seen through his jacket.  I doubt it could have been his cell phone, since it was so high up on his back. 

I think Sarah is a small-town girl who made good in her home state of Alaska.  She and her family are probably going through hell right now because of her being picked by McCain.  I cringe when I hear some of the nasty comments about her, but it can't be helped.  I laugh along with everyone else.  It reminds me of the fun we had with Harriet Myers and Dan Quayle. 

But back at the shack here, yesterday began as a rainy, windy day, but my daughter and I planned a picnic lunch at the cemetery.  I forgot my half of the food, and she forgot the silverware, so we decided not to eat there.  We walked around in the cold wind, with the sun beginning to take over.  My son's headstone had moss or lichens growing out of the indentations that made up his name and dates, so we found twigs and cleaned that up.  My father's headstone was turned slightly and we found it to be free of any attachment to the base.  Someone must have hit it with a vehicle.  That will have to be cemented back in.  It's been 32 years since my son died, 27 since my father's passing.  My mother's ashes are still in a cardboard box in a drawer, but I have the urn standing on the kitchen table to remind me to do something soon about her inurnment.  It's going on 4 years since she died, and not quite a month since her dog, Daphne, passed away.   

The house was cold yesterday, and I officially lit the underfloor heating system on October 1.  It will be days before the floor heats up enough, though.  In the meantime, John cleaned out the chimney and started a wood fire, which promptly went out, as the wood is wet.  The weather is so typical for this time of year; pattering rain, with wind and intermittent sunshine.  I still have too much work to do outside, but today, I need to get my bills made out, make soup, clean out the refrigerator, make a shopping list, and think seriously about getting some firewood inside to dry.     

When I was growing up, I was always hearing in school, newspapers, etc. how the Free Enterprise System and Capitalism was the Best in the World, and didn't it seem to be the case?  America became the envy of the world.  Those who were successful rose, and those who were failures fell.

Then came the era of bailouts, beginning with Chrysler, many years ago.  It was mind-boggling, to me, to think that a company, who obviously hadn't been doing something right, should be "bailed out" by the taxpayers, who had also been their customers.  This flew in the face of the very principles of free enterprise.  As time went by, the era of deregulation came on, and the upper management of large companies went completely crazy. 

The progression goes from bad to worse, until we have the present day scenario, with Paulson coming out and basically saying to the Congress and the American people, "We screwed up, we are in a terrible situation, the country could be plunged into a depression, so we are going to stick it to you again, to the tune of $700 billion, and you are going to bend over and take it.  Don't try to ask questions, there will be no oversight, and everything will remain the same for us.  For you and your progeny, not so good.  And we want it TODAY.  No questions, no oversight, no delay."

Barack Obama came out right away with changes to the plan.  I signed up on email to support those changes - protection for homeowners and taxpayers, no golden parachutes for executives who oversee the failures and excesses, and regulations and oversight of the whole process to make sure they follow the rules this time.  I signed on to make sure these changes would be implemented before the people gave them that amount of money, but I was uneasy, not sure WHAT the plan was, or how it would affect us all. 

I'm not sure what exactly John McCain did about the plan - suspending/not suspending his campaign, flying/not flying to Washington to put his country first, canceling/not canceling the debate, taking credit for a new plan/old plan to save the banks, and blaming the bank failures on Barack Obama!  But this is John McCain's pattern of rhetoric and behavior, apparently designed to razzle/dazzle the electorate. 

And the House Republicans, who wisely rejected the plan altogether, in a fiscally responsible mood, and altogether rejected Dick Cheney's attempt to drag them to the poisoned food pile - yes, I thought that was a good thing.  But as a few details of their new plan leaked out, including an insurance plan (other than FDIC insurance?) and Paulson still wanting golden parachutes (unbelievable!), I began to have grave doubts about the new plan. 

Nancy Pelosi was a bright spot on the scene.  Looking sick and tired of the irresponsible rhetoric, she made a speech that went right to the heart of the situation, laying blame for the mess at the feet of the Bush administration, and the deregulation of the industry (McCain's favorite thing, until 2 days ago), and the excesses of the failing banks themselves.  Then a tearful Boener came out and blamed Nancy Pelosi for the rejection of the plan by the very Republicans (many of them) who had created the "new plan!"  Barney Frank made fun of Boener and the others; apparently they got their feelings hurt by Nancy and couldn't go on!  That did it for me.  How can we support a plan made up by a bunch of woosies who are trying like crazy to insert certain "factors" into the new plan that will favor themselves?  In fact, I've been too busy and tired to read the "new plan."  I have too much work to do.  Anyway, it was rejected.  Thank you, Nancy, for telling us the truth.

Then last night, another revelation from Dennis Kosinich, who reminded us all about the way business is supposed to be done in this country, in the free enterprise system.  He was absolutely, 100 percent right!  Let the bad banks, run by greedy evildoers, fail!  Let them go down.  There are other banks!  Help other banks who will take the side of homeowners, who will restore decency and capitalism to our country.  Barack Obama's latest idea (along with many other's) is to raise the FDIC limits to $250,000.  That will definitely help small businesses.  There are a lot of other ways to deal with this problem, and we need to get back on track.  We HAD a wonderful system, the best in the world, and we see now that trickle down-deregulation doesn't work, especially when backed up by bailouts.  If they want trickle down-deregulation, then let them suffer the natural consequences - death by capitalism!  No bailouts!