Wednesday, February 8, 2012

God willing and da creek don't rise...




The first two pictures are looking down the road in both directions.  I think I have the only section of road that is still above water.  The next picture is looking over at my neighbors new bulkhead.  It's usually 3 ft above the water.  The last picture is where my wharves used to be..well they still are there but you can't see them anymore.

If you look close in pic.#3 you will see Harry the Heron.  I saw him fly down by my camp and tried to sneak out to get a pic but he was faster than I was and flew off.

87 comments:

Carol said...

NOAA just posted their 8 AM observed water level and it's 6 ft now. It wasn't suppose to get there until midnight tonight. I hope it's just cresting early and not going to continue to rise.

Carol said...

Well..NOAA just moved the crest up to 6.5 feet. Hmmmm. I knew it was already over 6 ft. And water is in now in my carport area. I need boots. Can't believe I don't have any boots out here.

My surrogate husband..neighbor..took his truck to work this morning. He drove thru about 18 inches of water. The road follows the river and one mishap and you're in the river. He's been out here a long time and knows that road like the back on his hand. The road makes many curves and turns and I have trouble following it when it's high and dry.

Neighbor said he was getting water into his truck early this morning and the water's come up several inches since he left.

I just talked to him and he said in case he couldn't get a boat to bring him home..he was going to buy some waders to walk back. He's a brave one... or dumb..whichever. I told him that while he's at Walmart..pick me up some boots.

I hope he makes it back. I don't want to be on the island alone. I do have the Magster but she's not crazy about water.

When the water gets high..there are usually boats that will ferry people to and from the camps/homes out here.

And I also asked my neighbor to go feed the cats. I had completely forgotten about them. They are kinda chunky so I'm sure I'm not the only one in that hood that feeds them.

jan said...

It is easy to see why people have their houses on "stilts." Wow! I hope the river has crested. I guess there is still some danger of gators. What about snakes?

jan said...

I read the comments on the previous post before posting my last comment - then read your comments on this post. I hope your neighbor gets back too. What about all those houses on stilts - are those folks there only in summer?

jan said...

Who comes and ferries you to the mainland? Is there a mainland?

jan said...

Waiting for this day to be over. I don't think I slept well last night and I have 2 more appts to go before I can come home and crash.

Carol said...

I haven't gone to the "mainland" Jan.. since Monday. There is an occasional big truck that comes thru. I could get a ride out to the road.. past the flooded area but then I wouldn't have a vehicle out there. The road in front of my place is high and dry and right now my camp is 6 ft above the water level.. at the lowest point.

There are many people who have their homes out here. There are approximately 150-160 homes/camps here.

My neighbor on one side lives out here. Another friend..who is a nurse.. but recently retired.. has his home about 12 places down. He left his vehicle on the outside. He usually has at least one boat out but he put them up for the winter.

All the places out here are on stilts. They have to be. You can't live on water without being on stilts. Even then..if the river gets high enough..you go under. Three times..my place came close. I can handle 11.2 feet before it would get into the lowest part of my camp.

I just looked up the historic crests and since I've had the camp..there was an 11.2..and three over 10 ft floods..two of those over 10 ft floods were storm surges from Hurricane Rita and Ike. I didn't live here for any of them.

The 11.2 ft flood was in 2008. I remember that one. I had my nurse friend pick me up in his boat from a road across the river. He bought me out here so I could move things from the lower parts of the camp to the higher. I thought for sure that some of the camp would go under.

My friend dropped me off and went to his place to work on things. I was very afraid that something might happen to him and he wouldn't come back to get me. It was late in the afternoon. He was wading in chest deep water with live electric sockets. He's kinda fool hardy.

I tried to call my friend and he didn't answer. I was starting to panic. I saw a Sheriff's Dept boat go by and waved them down. They drove their big boat right up to my front deck and I climbed over the rail and got in. When the water is that high..it's raging and I wouldn't dare stay out here in those conditions.

When we passed my friend's place I saw he was still alive so I had them drop me off there and he took me back to my vehicle.

I've been very lucky since I bought the camp. My house is only 1.7 miles from the camp and since I've lived there..1978..there have been 2 horrible floods in the area. Both were in the 1980s. I'm sure both put water in this camp. Even my house was on a island back then and it's on a hwy.

I do have flood insurance on this place that fortunately I've never had to use. I heard recently that people who dropped it or didn't have any..now can't get it. Fema is no longer insuring places out here. Maybe it's places that have frequently flooded..I'm not sure.

Carol said...

Modern Family is a new episode tonight.

Coreen said...

Has the weather service determined when the cresting will or has it occurred?...

In the pics where the road is under water...is that where the road is lowest (level with) to the river...

it looks like the houses are on one side of the road a bit farther from the river or am I not seeing it...

how far from your home is the flooded area in the pics...

Carol said...

The river is up in my yard in the back and under the camp but my front yard in much higher. The road out in front of my camp is the highest on the road. It's the first time I realized that since I'm not usually out here when the water is rising.

The road goes underwater about a block in each direction. It's not hard to follow the road where there are houses/camps along the side but after ya pass them..the road just follows the river and it looks like it's just part of the river. I couldn't get pics of that area.

It should be close to crest at this time but it's not predicted to go down much below that until some time next week. I hope they are wrong about that.

Hydrologic prediction for my river

Carol said...

The area where my camp is has all the houses on the river side. They were once all camps and you bought the camp but had to rent the property.

Before I bought my camp..I heard a rumor that the corp that owned the property was soon to start selling the property to whoever owned the camp.

I'd been dreaming of having a camp out here on the river for as long as I can remember. Kind of a little kid dream. Right after I started working at the jail..I finally decided to go for it. I had paid off all my major debts.

I started looking and found this place. When I bought it..it was a real eyesore except for that room with the high ceiling. The only thing nice about that room was the high wooden ceiling. I had to gut the rest of it.

I bought the place for 20 thou and put about 4 times that in it..including the property. It still needs work. It's not your kind of place Coreen but it's perfect for me and it's paid for.

When I croak..if I don't have to sell it to pay for a NH first..I would like to leave it to someone like me..who has an inner little kid.

Carol said...

I kinda think that maybe God gave me this little flood as a forced vacation. She tried breaking my ankle and hand..that didn't work so she was forced to try something else.

The flood is not bad enough to cause any serious problems..just keep me trapped here.

My nurse friend from down the road came by today to visit and he said being stuck out here made him feel like Tom Sawyer. He was enjoying the adventure. I was feeling pretty much the same way.

Carol said...

But I broke one of Ivy's rules..not enough toilet paper. I only have 4 rolls left so I'm down to trying to use just a few squares..when that will do. I do have lots of paper towels.

Coreen said...

Carol, it is clear that your home
is a bit of paradise for you and that is all that matters...I would never think to compare anyone's home to anothers...

I thought the pics were interesting
as they showed how very close the river is to the road & looking at the map, compared it to my weather overmap that I check for your areas weather when you say its bad & saw how the road meanders
along the river...you are right not for me, I am not a water person, though I would suspect that
when the river is calm, it is very peaceful to just sit alongside it...well except for the reptile
inhabitants...

You have to understand that I could never be comfortable or get used to seeing allys & ssss..not a chance...

Hope the river has crested & it starts dropping soon...be safe...

Coreen said...

Also a Seinfeld episode...not a square to spare!!....fall back
kleenex....I always have lots of boxes of Kleenex around...

jan said...

I think you are right Carol about God telling you that you need a vacation. Do you have a septic tank out there?

jan said...

I think we all have our dream places to live. Mine is where I am within walking distance to all the things I need, like groceries. When I was a little girl we lived on main street of a small town, across from the grocery and the drug store. I would not live in the country.

Carol said...

Coreen..I seldom ever need kleenex so I don't usually buy it. I had a 12 pack of TP but used most of it over the weekend and Monday to blow my nose. That's why I'm low.

Carol said...

I'm in the country Jan..but only about 4 miles from Wally World.

Carol said...

Jan..yesterday you asked if I had enough food. I think in my last life I was poor or I may have lived during the depression because I always have enough food.

You look in my frig and it looks like a family with pack of hungry boys lives here. I could be held up here for quite a while before I'd run out of food.

Well..if we were cut out from the mainland for too long..Maggie wouldn't have her usual homemade food with chicken..ground chuck.. fresh squash and whole grain pasta. She's have to settle for something like steak..baby back ribs.. frozen broccoli and pasta but she'd still eat well.

Now..I will miss my baby spring greens for salad. I'll be out of that by the week's end.

Carol said...

Since I found this website..I check in every day. All voters should do the same. It should be required reading. The site is called Republic Report and it is dedicated to investigating how money corrupts democracy.

Republic Report

There are several new stories today about how our lawmakers are selling their votes for personal gain. I just can't believe this is legal.

Carol said...

Jan..do you remember when we took nutrition back in college. One of the things that stuck with me from that course..and actually many things did.. is that with vitamins..too much was as detrimental as too little. The symptoms of hypo and hypervitaminosis were very much the same..remember that?

What I've learned over the years..backed by my intuition..which is almost as good..made me think that we are all a lot better off eating the foods high in good nutrients than using any supplements. I guess that is actually a no brainer if ya think about it.

One of the factors in my discomfort with supplements is that they aren't regulated. Years back I was watching some congressional hearings on supplements and what I learned scared me to death. Just about anyone can package a supplement and sell it. I think the biggest regulation is that they aren't suppose to say it will cure anything.

Why I brought this up..I've been readings some of the conclusions from the Iowa Women's Health Study.

"The Iowa Women's Health Study (IWHS), started in 1986, is a cohort of 41,836 postmenopausal women aged 55-69 at baseline" One purpose of the study was to determine to what degree diet and other lifestyle factors influence risk of chronic disease.

They have been reporting some of the findings over the last year. Those reports are warning about the use of vitamin and mineral supplements and that maybe use of some can increase mortality risk.

Carol said...

The study found that..."those who took multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper and especially iron died at higher rates during the course of the study than those who did not take supplements."

Iron has been reported over the years to be associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease and seems to be the most significant reason why premenopausal women have a lower risk of the disease. We bleed.

They originally thought it was the hormones that protected premenopausal women but then found out that hormone supplements after menopause only increase heart disease risk.

Since reading some studies years back..I've felt that iron is very likely a risk factor. Studies have been done that found that routinely donating blood significantly reduced incidence of CV disease in men.

I haven't read that this study showed anything related to beta carotines but I've read that using those supplements in certain situations is more dangerous as compared to eating a diet rich in the nutrients.

I truly believe that eating a diet rich in nutrients is very important for good health but I've been concerned for a while now that taking many supplements can be dangerous..for several reasons. Dang it..we just can't pop a pill to fix what ails us. At least not yet.

Carol said...

The river is about 5 inches higher this AM than it was last night. Neighbor can't even get out and he loses money if he doesn't go to work.

He's out fixing the motor cable on my boat so hopefully he can use it to get back and forth..that is..if he can get his vehicle out later.. if the tide goes down enough.

I think we are at high tide also. No thanks to NOAA for keeping us informed.

The water pump on neighbor's boat is out. Other neighbor had his boats put up. None of us were prepared for this. I came a little closer to being prepared but the cable from my motor to my battery corroded because my auto bilge pump wasn't kicking on when the boat filled with water.

What's weird is that water completely submerged my battery at least a half dozen times and stayed that way for sometimes over a week but when I drained the water down below the posts the sucker still worked. I don't know how a battery that spent that many times and that much time under water can still work. I won't forget the brand of that battery. I got it from Wally World.

Maybe another good thing that will come from this flood is..that I get that cable on my boat fixed??

jan said...

I do not take any supplements, not even calcium. I have bought several boxes of those choc calcium chews and wind up throwing them out after a year. I do eat healthy - plenty of fruits and veggies - nuts (my favorite) and a little meat - usually chicken. I love soups.

jan said...

I read that about iron years ago and so we don't eat any organ meats and I don't any red meat except a hamburger once every 2-3 months.

jan said...

It has been cold hear last few weeks. Our lows have been in 20's and highs in 40's recently. I am fine with that. I just layer every day. It feels warmer in the afternoon as we have lots of sunshine.

How is your water level today Carol?

jan said...

oops! Carol, I just read your last post.

jan said...

We have been watching Meridith Viera's interview with Mimi Alford, the woman who slept with JFK when she was 19. I keep thinking of that saying "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

I have no respect for JFK now. It was bad enough to steal her virginity and innocence although she maintains he did not raper her - he certainly did not tell her beforehand what he had in mind the first time he had sex with her. He just took her to a bedroom and led her to the bed. The worst thing was him asking her to give his staff person a blow job. What a s***. She didn't say "no" at that time but later he asked her to give Teddy (the bro) a blow job and that time she said "no."

Carol said...

Jan..at 19..you know the difference between right and wrong. I wanted to see the interview last night but because I paused Modern Family and took a little while to finish watching it..I missed Rock Center.

I saw a few of her earlier interviews but she didn't mention Kennedy asking her to give anyone a blow job. Even if I might go for a romp with a president..who's cute..when I was young enough to be dumb..I still would have been pissed if asked to do anything for someone else. He treated her like a hooker but she accepted the assignment.

Now a days..it would be considered sexual harassment.

Carol said...

Well..neighbor did fix my motor cable and charged up the battery good. It started right up. It's that new motor I got not too long ago. Remember..the one that my boat man broke before I even got to play with it once?

Even though the water hasn't gone down..neighbor will try to get his truck out. He will then use my boat to get to his truck.

I could catch a ride with neighbor in the boat to his truck..if he gets it out but that's a little too adventurous to go to work. I'd have to wear boots to get to and from the boat..have no vehicle at work..wait to be picked up..ride in a boat before daylight. Do want to do that??? Noooooo. But I might have to if this water stays up for much longer.
It's even suppose to rain again tomorrow and Monday. I'll definitely not go if it's raining.

Carol said...

The water came up more today but I still have the little deck area where I have a table that's still above water along with some of the area where I feed my birds. Nice gesture from the universe.

The river circles that area and fills the carport area. To get Maggie out I have to carry her and wade thru about 6 inches of water to the front yard. I won't let her potty in the bird feeding area.

My Huck Finn days are getting a little old.

Carol said...

Did y'all hear about that new's anchor who got bitten in the face by that dog that was rescued from the icy waters? The story said she was an animal lover. She may have been but she didn't know much about dealing with strange dogs. She patted his head a few times and then went down to kiss him on the face. The dog took a chunk out of her face.

The dog was a Argentine Mastiff. It looked like a Pit Bull to me. I love dogs but I wouldn't put my face close to any dog's mouth.

The story said they may end up putting the dog down. They need to put those stupid people down and leave the dog alone.

Carol said...

I cannot believe those idiot politicians are spending all this time and energy fighting this contraceptive issue.

It's reported that 98% of catholic women use contraceptives. What do those idiots want to do...force the religious standards of the Catholic church on their own people and anyone else who works with them?

I really think the whole mess is just a way to distract us from all the serious problems that they don't want to deal with..like the fact that most of them are totally corrupt.

Congress has an all time low approval rating..10%. We need to put them all out of a job.

Carol said...

But ya know..that 98% of Catholic women using contraceptives.. figure they keep reporting sounds a little high. It does report that it is at some point in their lives. It still seems high because I'm sure there are some Catholics women who just don't have sex or are gay. I wonder who collected that data?? Did anyone else think that number was strange?

Carol said...

And something else I've been pondering..they report that there needs to be a law to prohibit Congress from profiting from insider trading. Wouldn't ya think there would already be a law against that?? Isn't it illegal for any of the rest of us to do it?? Silly me! I guess Congress is exempt from the law.

Yep..Serious case of cabin fever.

Carol said...

Can you believe it..Nancy Pelosi is challenging Stephen Colbert to a satire off. It's getting more difficult to tell the politicians from the comedians. At least some of them are doing it on purpose.

Nancy Pelosi Launches 'Stop Colbert' Campaign In Favor Of DISCLOSE Act

jan said...

Carol, I ordered the book by Mimi Alford on my e-reader. It sounds strange to say "nook"

jan said...

Most women I know who are Catholic used birth control.

Carol said...

Well NOAA actually measured the river level at an 8 hour interval instead of waiting 24 hours. The river came down 2 inches and it looks like it may drop a tad faster than the had predicted..only a tad and still too dang slow. It's still predicted to be just under 6 ft on Monday.

We have a 70% chance of rain tomorrow and I'm hoping that turns out to be just a sprinkle. I gotta get outta this place. And I'm almost out of Coke. I'm having an easier time rationing the TP than the Coca Cola.

Carol said...

Good Jan.. you can give us the poop on her affair with JFK. I wonder why she waited so long to write her book. I heard that she only did because she was outed by a couple of other authors first.

Carol said...

With our world already so over populated and the economy in tatters..why are these idiots fighting birth control??

Republicans certainly aren't winning any popularity with women. I'm hard pressed to figure out who they are trying to win popularity with. I still think they are trying to throw this presidential election.

It's so much easier to let Obama do what they want to do anyway and then complain about it.

Rachel Maddow..on her show tonight..pointed out all the things that the Republicans first conceived of.. then Obama later enacted or tried to..then they go after him for doing it.

She included that they were pro bank bailouts..con cap and trade..pro mandates for health insurance and requiring contraceptive in prescription drug coverage. All of these issues were first introduced by prominent Republicans and then a couple of years later they bitched to high heaven when Obama did them. She did a show and tell on it with before and after videos.

It was a lot what Jon Stewart does on his show but she doesn't have and audience to laugh.

jan said...

Sure glad to hear your water level may be going down. i will alert all my native Amer friends to stop with the rain dances.

jan said...

I have read the beginning of the book. She wanted very much for it to be her secret and then it did come out and she has been bothered by reporters. She has 2 daughters and granddaughters and she wants them to know her story - she started this from a letter to her granddaughter. The episode has had a big effect on her life - and not in a good way. She told her 1st husb about it and he swore her to secrecy.

Carol said...

Rachel showed a video from the Conservative Political Action Committee where this Fox News guy.. while bitching about Obama's move on contraception coverage..actually said that Rachel's parents should have used contraception and so should all the rest of the MSNBC people's parents. He got a big laugh. Did anyone attending that conference see the hypocrisy?? I doubt it.

Carol said...

Jan..it seems her first husband wasn't too proud of what she did..to swear her to secrecy. Was he the father of her kids? Where is he now?

I think that she could have told her story to her kids and grandkids without a book.

Another question...did the authors who outed her in their books..have all the details of the blow jobs? Probably not. If I were her grandkid..I'd rather not have to picture granny on her knees..even if it is in front of an icon. I'd want to picture a more romantic story.

I kinda think that maybe..money was an issue. There's probably a nice profit in it.. with all the public appearances.

Carol said...

Cardinal Donald Wuerl..Archbishop of Washington..was on Morning Joe this morning. He said the most important thing in the contraceptive issue is. "..the freedom of people all over this country to continue to exercise their faith based convictions" He says that.."this attacks our basic freedom" "This" pertains to the contraceptive issue.

He tried to make the analogy that by the government doing what Obama has ordered it would be the same as if they the government would tell the media what they would have to talk about on their programs each day. Really! Can anyone see an analogy there?

He throws in that his church has been "engaged for hundreds of years in providing education..health care.. community service..care for the needy..the sick..homeless..orphans..the poor and we do that out of our faith conviction"

IMHO..without contraception.. it kinda makes me think that their mission includes making sure there are more needy..homeless...poor. It's a great population to exploit. Don't frown..you can't say that they don't have a reputation for exploiting some of that population..in fact they are infamous for doing it.

Who is buying this dribble??

IMO.. The church seems to want to make it harder for anyone.. who may have their own ideas of what is right for them...to have options other than what the church thinks they should be. They want to dictate behavior but by accusing the government of doing it..they confuse the simple minded people...for one..the Fox News audience. What's that old saying.."best defense is a good offense"

It's just dang crazy.. this contraceptive coverage plan doesn't take away any "religious" freedom. Actually what some morally confused people are wanting is..that we take away options for freedom of "religion". And what surprises me the most is that people who I thought were somewhat rational..can't see that.

Carol said...

Ya have to be mentally slow to buy this Cardinal's BS.

When Mika asked if the church is so opposed to their providing coverage for contraceptive..why don't they offer a 3rd party insurance option.

The Cardinal's answer was something like..that would be like referring people to porn sites because they don't believe in that. He's comparing contraception now to porn.

Really..I'm not making up this stuff..it's on TV.

Joe..et al are so intimidated by this priest. I think they may be Catholics.

Carol said...

Hate to mention this but...it's raining and raining and raining. I think it did all night.

My neighbor came to get my boat this morning. He had on chest waders and a slicker suit. Guys can do that.

I asked him to pick up cokes and TP. I need more than that. I'm rationing my lettuce like I have been doing the TP. I need green stuff with my meals.

I did find a pretty good stash of broccoli flowettes in the freezer.

Yesterday.. I pulled out a frozen chicken and thawed it out. There's meat in my freezer that needs to be cooked.

I baked the chicken..made some stove top stuffing..and broccoli. I sent neighbor home with a plate and even gave Maggie some of the baked chicken and broccoli. The stuffing has onions in it and dogs can't have onions.

I use spinach or squash in her homemade dog food but she's never been exposed to broccoli. Even though the broccoli was smashed into the chicken..she managed to eat all around it. Crazy dog.

Carol said...

Mimi was on the View this morning. Old Babs..and to a lesser extent the other women on the show..really dogged Mimi for writing her book and for including all the sorted details.

I actually felt a little critical of Mimi at first also but after hearing how it sounds..coming from other people's mouths..I changed how I felt.

They blamed Mimi..like Kennedy was her victim. Babs asked if she considered Caroline's feelings. Why is it her job to consider Caroline's feelings? Did Jack consider his kid's or his wife's feelings?? Did he not take any time to ponder whether a 19 year old would keep this a secret forever especially when it's such a lucrative story. Was Jack remembered by the masses as a perfect husband? I'd say..no..no..no.. and no!

I guess Mimi will have to put up with these attitudes but still can laugh all the way to the bank.

Hey..the woman did wait a decent 40 years to reveal her secret. Got to give her some credit for that..dang it.

And I think these women on the View showed their collective asses. I bet old Bab's was just jealous.

jan said...

Carol, I am glad you are more empathetic with Mimi. I am. She said on one of the shows that she would put in the blowjob part and then take it out, etc etc. but finally decided she wanted to be honest about it. I agree, I would not want my grandkids to read that stuff, but I admire Mimi's courage to tell the worst parts.

I started to write "shame on the women on the View" but I think they are playing "Devil's advocate" and asking questions others might be asking.

The 1st husb died in the 1990's. He didn't want her to tell anyone because he felt he would be embarrassed by her affair with JFK. he was thinking of himself. In the book she says they had an acrimonious divorce.

jan said...

Your description of your cooking is making me hungry.

jan said...

I could hardly put down the book last night. I read until 11:30. I didn't have to be at work early today.

jan said...

The teen birth rate is the lowest in 40 years. Something is working. I think parents might be more comfortable talking to their kids now. Most parents I know are putting their kids on BC. My youngest son's wife asked me 2 years ago if I thought she should think about BC for my then 17 y/o GD. (she had a steady boyfriend). I said "yes, yes, yes." No one ever told me what they did.

The abstinance program that the Govt put millions of dollars in sure didn't work (according to the research) Yaay.

Carol said...

Jan..if you came across any other interesting things in your book..please share them. I've heard several of her interviews but I'm sure she is leaving some details that are only in her book.

Carol said...

I hope people are paying attention to this BS on contraception from the Catholic church..especially women and young people. It's actually a much bigger issue than just contraception.

The Catholic church has always treated women like second class citizens and it seems that many Republicans/conservatives feel the same way.

The Catholic church has a history that includes a lot of evil. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that many conservatives align themselves with it.

I found research from 2009..the latest I could Google up..where a Harvard prof conducted research indicating that the percentage of young Americans who said they had no religious affiliation moved from what historically had hovered around 5-10% to 30-40%. I can't see that that will improve with what's going on right now.

I was kinda worried this morning when I heard that Obama was going to make an announcement about his decision about coverage for contraceptives. He has such a reputation for trying to do the right thing but when he meets the smallest amount of resistance..he buckles like a limp noodle.

But...I'm cool with what Obama has done with his compromise. He still requires that employers provide contraception..he didn't back down this time. He just gave the church an alternative so that they can feel like the church isn't providing the coverage. It matters not to me how they do it.

Many of the same idiots are still complaining and they will continue to. They won't be happy until they can completely control women's bodies.

Well..I think it is time for women..who have a man in their lives who feels that way.. to let that man know who's really the boss. If they don't choose to do that..they deserve what they get.

Carol said...

Cat got your tongue Coreen?

Coreen said...

Carol you have been stuck in the house too long!!...

Somehow I can't get worked up about the latest political adventure, obama v. the catholic church....

it will be interesting to see how it plays out...as you noted, the so-called compromise is a sham...I suspect the church & catholics will see the same thing, but whether they accept it as a 'win' remains to be seen...

Apparently obama had a majority of the catholic vote back when he was everyone's darling...

Forget all the BC talk...yes catholic women would do what they want about BC regardless of the Sunday or saturday sermons & still 'keep the faith' as they see it...doesn't mean they will
side with obama again...

Amazing that every issue no matter what it is... such deep divisions...the animosity exhibited
by each side gets more & more venomous...

As for mimi?...no interest in
her tale, was originally going to say who would bother to buy her book...but then Jan said she bought it & couldn't stop reading it, goes to show what do I know!!!...as for whoopie
& barbara...they are interested in ratings ONLY...actions all contrived to push that agenda...

Meanwhile has the water level started dropping...you really need
to get out of the house!!!....

Our 'snow event' is being downgraded by the hour...first it was 2-4", now 1-3"...

Coreen said...

And Carol thought you would have had more to consider about the 'mortgages/foreclosure' settlement since I know in the past you were conflicted about helping those that couldn't pay their mtges when others have done so religiously no matter what...

& it is a dilemma that many people
have voiced...again no right answer...but so far none of obama's
'fixes' have done a thing to correct the problem & not enough details to know if the latest version will work...

jan said...

Some of my favorite books are women's autobiographies and biographies. I simply like women's stories.

Carol said...

Jan..stranded or not..I'm interested in the story. Nothing much of interest on TV or the Internet.

jan said...

In Mimi's book, there were 2 other interns in the White house who were probably being "bedded" by JFK, but she did not become aware of this until after she had been involved for some time. Their relationship the last few months was not sexual. She feels they were friends. She had no illusions about the difference in their status and that this was merely an affair.

jan said...

She did not apply for the internship. She had visited the White House and met JFK at the end of her senior year where she had attended a boarding school that Jackie had also attended. She tried to get an interview with Jackie but was turned down, so Jackie's sec'y Letitia Baldridge wrote her and invited her to the White H. and allowed Mimi to interview her about the 1st Lady. At that time she met the pres. in the garden along with some special-needs kids. He talked with her a minute and asked her where she went to school. Shortly after that, she was invited to come to the White House as an intern. She says she never applied for the position.

Carol said...

Coreen..I'm angry at everyone who contributed to our financial crisis. I'm the most angry at the financial people who set people up..encouraged them to borrow and buy things they couldn't afford..then packaged up those risky loans up to sell as investments...had them listed as good investments then bet that they would fail. Those people got their bets covered..by us. That was totally a crime and I'm not sure any of them will pay for it. Actually most involved got raises and bonuses thanks to our political leaders..who are also profiting from those crimes.

I'm less..but still..aggravated at people who spent every last dime they had and borrowed more than they could afford..so they could have the best of the best before they earned the right to do that. That was reckless behavior. They also gambled.. but they lost and they did pay the price for it.

Then there are the poor slobs like myself who were very careful..spent less than we could afford..didn't have what those other people had because we wanted to play it safe and be prepared for our old age. We didn't deserve to pay a big price for the recklessness of the first two groups.

I have a hard time getting over losing 5 bucks..and I'll never get over losing what I lost...never.

I know you do have a bias for the second group but they do make up some of your clientele..and even though you may have a soft spot for their woes.. I bet you don't take credit cards for your work..do you?

Carol said...

Yes..I have been held up too long..haven't had much human interaction in a while and I can't find any peace or tranquility looking outside at my river right now.

The blog is my outlet for expressing whatever I'm experiencing at the time. It's sometimes ..boredom..frustration..anger
..depression..imagination.. It's OK by me if no one else is interested.

And anyone else who falls in here is welcome to express whatever they are feeling.

Carol said...

I have some good news and bad news regarding the river. The good news is that the river is headed down and is expected to drop faster than expected. Should be down to 5 feet..just a foot over flood stage.. by Monday. I think I can escape..may even try at a little higher level this weekend. I'm ready to take a risk.

The bad news is that it is suppose to rain almost everyday next week. That may shoot it right back up again.

Carol said...

Thanks Jan for sharing the story. It seems that her experience was part of her destiny. Looking at things in retrospect..I think that everything we experience always is.

jan said...

Carol, I do hope you can escape to get some TP and coca cola.

Am off to bed to read a little more of Mimi's story.

jan said...

As to your comment about "our destiny" I agree. In her book Mimi says she regrets nothing of what happened in her life. I respect that. I feel exactly the same way. We are the culmination of all our experiences. Our experiences in life are what make us who we are. I too regret nothing. Hear Hear Mimi!

jan said...

Keep your powder dry Carol. You and Maggie are in my prayers tonight.

Carol said...

I find that writing helps me determine how I feel about things. It help me to ponder better. When I ponder without writing..I get too easily distracted...too ADD. I have to have more structured pondering.

Writing helps me to evaluate my feelings..and they can often change either while or after I've written something. Like today..when I started off being critical of Mimi. After I wrote about it..then watched others who were also critical..my feelings evolved in a different direction.

Then there's always the possibility of getting some feedback. I do like feedback.

Carol said...

Jan..I got my nurse friend Randal..to get me a loaf of bread. Then my neighbor..who took my boat out to work today.. brought me in cokes and TP. I didn't want to ask too much of either guy. They both have to get their own supplies in.

I'm well coked up right now. And I'm talking about "the real thing"..Coca Cola Classic.

Carol said...

Coreen..not everyone who got screwed in the housing market were people who were reckless. It hit many people who did play by the rules but the games from the first group ran the cost of those houses up way past what they were worth and then when it all came tumbling down they couldn't get out from under them if they wanted or needed to move.

Carol said...

Coreen..I don't have a problem with people when/if they decide to walk away from those huge underwater mortgages either. I think they all ought to leave those lending institutions holding a lot a bags full of over priced houses. Let them eat it.

It's weird that some places..like here in my neck of the swamp/woods..there didn't seem to be a problem with underwater mortgages..even if there are a few underwater camps when the river rises.

Housing prices have pretty much remained the same for a good while. I have a friend who both sold and bought a house just a couple a weeks ago. Both places moved fairly quickly and prices were about the same as they would have been for years.

How is the housing market in the areas where you guys live? Have your places dropped in value?

Carol said...

Just got in from bringing the Magster out and the water has receded..I think that it is lower than predicted by the NOAA chart. I won't find out about that until around 9a when they put up the current 8a river level.

It's off my carport area now. I will try to drive out..well..I'll let one of the boys drive my vehicle out. Both of their vehicles are parked on the outside of the flood area so they will need a lift anyway.

I'm still not comfortable driving thru the high water. Both guys told me about a vehicle they saw yesterday that was nose down..off the road. They thought that it was a fairly new SUV.

There's suppose to be a strong north wind today. That will help. I've seen a strong north wind drop the river a foot in a short period of time. It blows the water out to sea.

jan said...

I find that writing helps too. I usually journal when something is bothering me. So if someone read my stuff they would think I am depressed because I seldom write when I am happy/feeling good- except on here. My journals are very private.

jan said...

Carol, so happy for you that water is receding - but also that you have some coca cola.

jan said...

Finished the book last night. I do think Mimi is not completely honest with herself. She was married to 1st husb 26 years and says the 1st 13 were happy and last 13 not happy. But I don't see anything about the 1st 13 to support "happy" She says he made her promise she would not tell anyone about her affair with JFK and that they would never speak of it again. She says at the end, that keeping that kind of secret in a marriage "sours" the marriage. I agree wholeheartedly with that. She told him about the affair when they were engaged and spending a night with his parents. They had just heard that JFK had been killed and she was distraught and hysterical. He didn't understand why and she told him. He was furious. They had not been sexual yet and he came into her room that night and essentially raped her according to her account - this was first time they had sex. What a way to start a marriage!

jan said...

Of course, there was often little to no honesty in marriages during that era. Gender roles were distinct and a woman's place was in the home and caring for the children. So, by society's standards at that time, I suppose she could judge her marriage as happy.

jan said...

After the 1st 13 years of her marriage, and she decided she was happy no longer, she tells about a brief affair she had.

jan said...

The housing market here has been up and down. The prices of houses here in Alb were inflated before the downturn so some people have "underwater" mortgages. I suspect we have one. We are lucky that we live in the University area. I doubt very seriously that if we tried to sell now that we could get what we paid for our house. However, we could rent it and get rent equal to our mortgage. We are happy where we are. We refinanced 2-3 years ago and go our interest down a good bit and are not unhappy with our situation. We will stay in this house until we need to go to a condo or assisted living and then either rent or sell.

jan said...

I don't plan to ever leave here. Too hard to move to another city or state at my age. I like our house and neighborhood, docs and dentist, and the climate here is great. The major thing is I want to live close to 2 sons and their families here. My youngest son may move closer to here someday or maybe not. His dad lives close to him. Because youngest son's wife has multiple sclerosis, they may not move from there - as it is easier on them to live in same town as her family - who are some support. This is probably 1st time in my life I feel very settled in where I live. Interesting.

Carol said...

Jan..thanks again for sharing your book. She was nuts to marry that guy after what happened that night. I think that was a big sign.

It's sad that some people just feel they have to settle. I see many who are in very unhappy marriages but just put up with it.

I guess that's why I've been single..the guys I really liked..somehow didn't work out and the one's who were really interested and pursuing..I didn't like. It's wasn't in my destiny.

I watched my mom's miserable marriage(s) and I just didn't have the energy to deal with that kind of shit. Then my sisters didn't help either.

With a lot of practice..living alone wasn't too bad and for most of those years..I had many different people live with me. Most really needed somewhere to live that didn't cost them much or anything and I wanted to have someone else around.

I also thought it was a good idea to have to learn to give and take. That was my objective when I first got a dog..but then..a dog doesn't demand much give and take.

You remember how you felt when you just had to share a dorm room with me for a short while in grad school. I had been there first and I took over the place and really never let you have much space. You got your own room pretty fast. You later told me it was because I didn't give you any space. Hey..I wasn't used to having such a little space.

I always remembered that and when I let someone move in..I think I actually gave them more control in making household decisions than I took myself. Wasn't very happy about it though but I wanted to be prepared.

Carol said...

I'm sitting here waiting to make my escape and time is a wasting. My nurse friend got a ride out earlier and just got back here. I was going to follow him out when he left again but he's piddling around cleaning his wharf.

My other neighbor I can't get on the phone. I was going to get him to drive my truck out to his vehicle. He said after noon. I just don't know how long after noon he was talking about.

He just called..wish me luck

jan said...

Carol, I do remember our shared dorm space. I don't remember moving out. I know we had some problems living together, but did not remember what they were. I do remember you cooking in our dorm room. I only lived in the dorm one semester and then was not much there.

I shared a house with a group of 3 other women in Austin for a year and then a condo with another woman and her 10 year old daughter for another year. I also shared a dorm room one summer with another friend. Those worked out fairly well. None of them were friends when we moved in together.Maybe that is the key - to not be friends when the sharing of space begins. Ha ha. We were all having to save money.

jan said...

When I was in my late teens and 20's, women were supposed to marry and have kids. We never gave it another thought. I had a lot of fantasies about marriage and they were all unrealistic. I had awful role models for marriage too. I never thought of marriage as an equal partnership - which it should be - before my last marriage. I do believe now that honesty is essential. My mother and dad were not equal partners nor honest in their relationship.

Carol said...

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