A bit of politics--Yikes!

While looking for some information this morning in regards to politics (yikes---but if you've read my blog for long you know I am political) I stumbled on an interesting article I would like to post below.

First though before you read it I would like to voice a few things about picking Presidents.

One---do I always HAVE to vote for one party and never ever afterwards change again? What if I liked the democratic candidate last time but this time I like a republican one? Will I be shot or something by some party police or maybe a neighborhood watch?

Two---do I HAVE to choose my candidate based on one hot button issue only or can I look at all the candidates and their responses to all the issues. Then make my choice based on the one I feel had the most and best ideas to help.

Three---do I HAVE to choose only the one I feel can win? Isn't my vote for someone as President tantamount to saying to my Congress people and Senators "DO IT OR ELSE"? So technically shouldn't my choice be able to accomplish things because the jerks that stand in the way will loose their job?

Four---Should I risk "wasting my vote" by voting for someone that may not win because I want to back a winner? And yes, you do hear people say this out loud often: "I like so and so, but they won't win so I think I will vote for (fill in the blank with a media spotlight person) instead".

Five---do I HAVE to GIVE UP based on the fact that everyone says "it doesn't matter ---no one listens to the American people and the powerful make all the choices". Really----do I HAVE to?

Neither Clinton nor Obama (see following article) are my first choice though I may end up voting for one of them in the long run because of our very very democratic two party system. However I will not waste my super Tuesday vote---I will vote for the person still in the race that I actually like. Do I completely 100% agree with this person? Heck no---but I feel this person has good ideas, votes as they speak, and isn't in bed with the establishment. Wins my respect every time.

This is from pastandprologue.wordpress.com titled "Feminism is dead and Hillary proves it"

I didn’t plan to use my debut post talking about the presidential campaign. Certainly not talking about Hillary Clinton. But as a young woman, I feel that someone has to comment. The headline isn’t misleading or designed to get reads- its real: Feminism is dead and Hillary Clinton proves that. I’ll explain below.

In yesterday’s New York Times
Gloria Steinem felt it necessary to rally the old hens of feminism and pull a sympathy vote for Hillary Clinton. And, she made it happen, the women of New Hampshire turned out in droves to essentially say “pass the ball to the girl”.

It was the perfect storm really the ABC debate was made to look like a pile on of all the boys on to the girl. Then the Clintons went on the offensive, Bill is angry, Hilllary is crying. Finally, she pulls the trifecta: Gloria Steinem comes out of the woodwork to turn the New Hampshire primary into a referendum on sexism. While I don’t think Hillary’s teary moment was fake it clearly did her a favor.

The Steinem article was rife with half truths, about both Hillary and Obama. Steinem wants to claim that Hillary’s play-dates with Benazir Bhutto & other world leaders equal on-the-job training. That’s simply not true, her whirlwind globe trotting as first lady doesn’t equal any more experience than Obama’s internationally based childhood. Her one big initiative during her tenure as first lady, her health care plan was a flop and a give away to insurance companies. If President Bush’s record of astounding failure is what we’re setting the bar at here I suppose the failure of Hillary’s intiative gives her credentials. She wants to claim that Hillary’s slightly longer time in the Senate is enough to overshadow Obama. To me, that isn’t enough to do much more than further ingratiate her into the same old Washington establishment that hurts this country rather than helping it.

She further claims “worry” over Obama’s dependence on the old. That’s a laugh Hillary is literally and figuratively married to the past. And behind her on the podium after both her speeches in Iowa and New Hampshire is the same cast of characters that surrounded her husband in the 1990s. So exactly who is focused on the past here? It seems to me that, its hard to be a change candidate when you’re flanked by the same old people. And the only people you’re talking to are old women. Hillary has made it clear she’s committed to lobbyists or she wouldn’t have given such a prominent position to Penn. How is that a candidate for change? Another candidate from the same old families, in the pocket of the same old companies.

What surprises me is Steinem came to her position as an activist and an agent for change and now she’s supporting the idea that voting for a woman just because she’s a woman is somehow better, as well as our duty to the sisterhood. How is that feminism? Running for president is about being put through the blender - especially when you invite it by going negative and using the Karl Rove playbook as she has. Now it’s too much, because she’s a woman? Now we’re supposed to give her the sympathy vote? How is that not more ammo for the naysayers against feminism, who think we are too weak. How does it advance women if women aren’t allowed to vote for Obama because we feel he brings more to the table, and not vote for Clinton because we feel she doesn’t have the right stuff? What happened to our right of self determination? Blind loyalty to gender or race is just as dangerous as any of the other worries Ms. Steinem voices in her article.

Obama speaks to me as a younger voter, not just a woman. He is inspiring, his policy positions are weighty and realistic. He’s asking for post-partisanship. And bringing every one up. He is the 21st century. It’s clear to me he has at least some idea what technology is about, what the issues I face are, and he know’s what it’s like to work through school and to make his own opportunities. His history with drugs, life, and growing up is well documented in an open and honest account. An accounting of the past that no other candidate seems able to muster. Obama is more than a candidate, he is an idea coupled with a movement toward progress. Something Ms. Steinem claimed to stand for previously.

Hillary doesn’t speak to me as near as I can tell she’s only interested in talking to those who are the same as her. Well enough off suburban boomer liberals who’ve sold their ideals own the river for a 401k and a sensible suit. Now, these women have a sense of entitlement about them I find equally off putting behind the bully pulpit or, when they look at you smugly in the office. They wear their war scars on their sleeves “I fought to get you here”. I don’t contest that point and I appreciate it. What I don’t appreciate is hearing those same feminist slogans when your actions support an establishment that consistently sets us back, rather than brings us up. For Steinem, this is apparently “getting more radical with age” to me, they were just voting for themselves which isn’t radical, it’s typical.

What worries me is the cabal of female “leadership” we’ve put forward lately. Condi Rice, Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary? Elizabeth Hassleback of all people is on the list of most powerful women? Why? Because she was on a game show, makes poor conclusions about american politics, and now she’s on the View riding the coattails of Barbara Wawa? Sorry but that makes us look far weaker then a yes vote for Obama. I have a hard time believing I’m supposed to be looking to these people as role models when Condi can’t find a sentence with both hands, Nancy caves faster than a house of cards, and well my thoughts on Hillary are outlined above.

Yes I’m supporting Obama because he has new things to say, new perspectives, authenticity, and gravitas. And if that’s a betrayal to the sisterhood, just call me, one of the boys.

oh my aching bathtub

This summer I wrote about my two side by side outdoor cast iron tubs that my husband and I relax in after a hard days work (the animals also use them as drinking troughs). A nice day and a beer and they are great to go out and soak in and talk and relax.

BUT

last night a HUGE HORRIBLE wind storm knocked two trees across our troughs. No fence was lost during this and luckily no sheep either since they were in that pasture. However, both (yes, both) our troughs were hit and though still usable they will no longer be able to be quite as full since it broke both tubs. Just kind of small area but about 5 or so inches down the side and about 10 inches wide. Kind of like this shape: D but turned 90 degrees. So unfortunately we will be soaking a bit shallower this summer. Bummer. At least we still have them minus their chunks. Could have been worse by far! I have to admit---I thought I might loose my roof last night it was so bad and have my new downstairs paint job ruined so I consider us lucky :-)

Finished (with part 1)

So here is our floor completely finished with 3 coats of "wet look sealer" on it. Pretty nice. I still feel it's just a bit too dark but....I am much happier with it sealed.
You can see it on the one side of the room with the tan sofa on it and the other (slightly more mottle side) of the room gives a different perspective. I had to work so that the windows didn't show in the floor pictures. They are so shiny their like dark mirrors almost. (Dusting may be an annoying issue in the future......)
Overall it's MUCH better than what we had. The sealer is great even though I make dusting comments---so glossy and silky underfoot. Before it always felt, no matter how clean the floor was, that your feet were dirty and you needed to scrub them off before getting into bed. Now, they don't at all. Wonderful. I think I am almost more impressed with the sealer rather than the stain :-D
Now---we are moving all the furniture into that room and are going to finish the other half. We still need to caulk some molding on the ceiling, paint the whole thing, sand and clean off gunk on the floor then we will be ready to stain and seal again. Really this part is the quickest part. It sounds as if it will take a while but the caulking is almost done (just a few spots where so much furniture was stacked from the other room I couldn't get to the spots)and painting will only take a couple hours. The floor clean up will be a few hours too. No big deal. By next week---voila! A whole brand new downstairs. Yeah!
Then of course I need curtains, new headboard, rugs, pictures hahahaaha Never ending!! But at least that's the "funner" part that includes shopping and much less manual labor!!

We've already been asked a number of times about this since we started if others can do it and my answer is: Yes, it is easy. Yes, overall it looks good and Yes, even the most basic of "beginner" home remodeler can handle this project.
As I said---start with your garage floor (which is what I should have done) to kind of "learn" your stain. I think overall it will give that small bit of practice first. The cost is negligible. Every bit of this project is cheap. I have maybe $100 invested in the part I have done. That includes everything from sand paper to scraping tools to a new roller, dye and sealer. Definitely one of the cheaper projects with great impact. If you make your own stain using the link from the other day (or find another site) it would be even cheaper. I would absolutely practice on my garage with home made stain just to make sure it was going to end up being the color I thought it was though.

Thanks Robbyn for the nice comment :-)
By the way I like your new header picture---very attractive and almost the same color as my floor!

Have a great day all.

cement sealing

So as a continuation of our cement staining saga I will explain how we have proceeded from where I left off.

After allowing the floor to dry---some spots took longer than others---we did as the manufacturer suggested and scrubbed the floor with a stiff brush and clear water. Following with a wet vac and sucking up the dirty water. You can supposedly mop up the watery filth---but I don't recommend it. We just happen to own a wet vac but if you didn't it would be well worth renting one (or a floor carpet cleaner if you couldn't find a wet vac to rent).

Now to a couple of issues. I personally like a mottled look however some people would consider it to be not mottled but blotchy. Word use depends on your interpretation of the results I think. Anyway---where it puddled the stain did come out darker. It also was darker and lighter depending on wear patterns of our floor. Since it is a 30+ year old floor it is not in as good of shape as a brand new one and there are more "use areas" than a new one would have. I believe that I could go back with a sprayer and hit the lighter spots again if I wanted to make them a bit closer to the darker ones aka less blotchy. I won't however---as I said I like it. It looks a bit like old leather with all the crazing, color differences and the small (but few) cracks.

Secondly---as I wrote the other day I mixed the stain 50/50 with water. I think if I where to do it again I would start with more water. It was a bit darker than I would have originally chosen (too late to change now though) and it would have been easy enough to do a second coat. However I am not unhappy---just wiser if I ever do it again.

Lastly I have included a few pictures of it being sealed today. These pictures are of the first coat of Behr brand masonry sealer high gloss . I purchased it from home depot --about $24 a gallon and I used about 1/2 for first coat on my 24 x 12 foot room. I will put on at least one more coat but I have to let it dry for 4 hours before hand. The blue you see in the picture goes away as the sealer dries---though I worried a bit at first :-)
For this particular "mottled" floor the high gloss looks better and so each following coat will give it slightly more gloss with a maximum of 4 coats per manufacturer. I will do two--maybe 3 coats. We will see---it just depends on how much gloss comes through with each coat.

Overall it has been a cheap and easy way to finish the floor. Especially if like us you can't have carpet for some reason (ours is allergies but moisture or high traffic use also comes to mind). With a bit of practice and experimenting I think I could get much better at it and maybe achieve slightly more interesting and consistent results. A garage comes to mind as a great place to practice if you were so inclined--- then just cover it up with garage paint when your done :-) No one would be the wiser.

Cement staining ---again

So, after some prep work on our old (old old old) stained, paint dripped on, chipped up, bumpy cement floor----we now have put on our first application of concrete stain. (Shown in these pictures about 2 hours after and still drying)

Our prep work consisted of first using a window scraper blade to scrape off loose paint and carpet tack glue that had been dripped onto or applied to the flooring over the years. Then we hand sanded with some sandpaper and some water to keep down dust. We used a 35 grit paper made for a belt sander and a 50 grit disc made specifically for sanding cement counter tops. This helped to get up the rest of the paint and snap lines from old wall placements and some other oddities that wouldn't come off easily. We also had some cement "drips" that left bumps, so we smoothed them down too. Lastly we patched with cement (not concrete) the holes where we had removed nails from old wall sills and carpet tacking. Then we sanded those flush if they weren't already.

Now here are a few things I learned about applying the concrete stain. Yes, it stinks and worse---creates some fumes from the acid reacting to the concrete. So, use a mask suited to this and ventilate well---I didn't this time but will next time. I feel as if I have a bit of a catch in my throat from it--not bad but.... I of course was squatted down using the paint brush and pouring it from the bucket so I think I just got a bit more of it in my face since it fumed for just a bit after pouring. I was much more careful after the first couple of pours but will absolutely use a ventilator next time. Good thing the room wasn't large since it is important not to stop or you can get an very specific line that shows where stopping occurs. Notice the line we chose to stop at in the picture. It is where the sleeping part of our room moves into the sitting area so it was a good spot to stop. (We currently have all the bedroom furniture there so we can only do one section at a time).

Also, they say use an all plastic sprayer to apply it. We did not have one and so we used a paint brush to get up near the edges and an old broom to move the stain around with. As long as you keep a wet edge and a bit of puddling (they say wet---but no puddles) it is not a problem. We didn't have problems with the puddles (see some still in the pics where the floor dips) but they did take longer to dry.
Since I was using the Kemico brand---I mix it 50/50 with water for the first application. I can put on another application if I would like to darken it but I think, even after cleaning it when it dries, I will be happy with the strength of the color. We will then neutralize it with baking soda water and then seal it with something for a shiner look.
Overall---it looks "cooler" than I thought it would. I think I will like it and it does look as if the color matches the slate tile used in our hallway, which is good. If for some reason I decided I don't like it---tiles are in our future.
I will post pics after we seal it so you can see the final results. I think though that it is going to be pretty nice considering we started with such a beat up old floor.

Moving Along with some concrete staining

Sorry to be gone for so long. My computer has been fixed for about a week now---but I developed other interests while waiting for it to work again :-)

As you all know we have been/are remodeling our house. I did finally finish my tile work in my kitchen (including the hundreds of cut tiles---each 3/4") except that it is not grouted. I am still sampling and mixing for the correct color---put off at times as other things intrude. Each time I make a new sample board I have to wait at least one day for the tile mortar to set then I grout and wait another two days for the true color to come out. I need to make another sample board (again) of two or three mini tiles so I can try out some more different proportions of color. As soon as I settle on the right (read perfect) grout color---it won't take long to have a finished product. Yes, I am a bit of a screwball as I search for the "exactly" right thing.

Anyway---as we waited for the new computer parts to arrive and for sample boards to dry we have begun work on our bedroom. The ceiling is painted, the walls are almost finished being painted. One wall is missing it's paint since it is a different color and I forgot to buy it when I was at the paint store. Molding is going up and now I am about to stain the cement floor. Our bedroom is a converted open face basement. It was originally a business in the lower part of our house and had partition walls, millions of phone lines and plugs in the ceilings. It even had a very large non removable "NO SMOKING ALLOWED" sign on the old sliding door. All that is now gone---and looking much nicer I might add even in it's not quite finished state.
Anyway---as I said I am about to stain the concrete floor since we will not (because of allergies) use a wall to wall carpet. We could use tile for a slightly fancier look---but it is not in our budget right now and besides we have always liked the look of stained concrete. Long popular in California and Texas---we were exposed to it long before it became so hot through out the rest of the country and have had many "Stained concrete! I can't imagine not covering it up. Are you sure it will look good?" reactions.
Years ago, during a trip to Texas, I forayed into Dallas and bought Kemiko concrete stain in cola (scroll down to see colors) in anticipation of this time. Lately however, I was thinking I might like to add a bit of randomness to the color and, since it is very expensive (because of the danger) to ship acid stain chemicals through the mail---I searched for sites on making my own. The shipping cost can almost double the price since they are considered hazardous chemicals.
Here is one site on concrete staining: my search term was "homemade concrete stain"
There are other links and sites than just that one of course. Hope this helps some others get some ideas and maybe save some money. I will eventually show finished pics---please have patience since I do the work as time and finances are available (I do always finish though!)

Glad to be back---hope everyone is having a good winter.
By the way---it's almost time for PEA PLANTING here!

Pardon Me

Thank you to all the well wishers for all the positive comments on my previously mentioned problem. Things are much better around here (well somewhat anyway if you exclude the in laws) however our house was struck by lightening! Whack isn't it!!?? Those freak storms that came through were like summer but worse, more lightening and more thunder. We lost a number of transformers in our area along with phone and cable for a short time. No one is hurt---nothing is really damaged BUT my computer is out after the surge jumped through the cable moden into our router and then of course fried my computer. So please PARDON ME as I have to borrow one until mine is repaired ---which means I only have access while my family is home. Debate as to repair or replacement has slowed the issue so please be patient while "we remodel" hehehehe Hope everyone is well. Good week to you :-D

Your watching my life----(maybe I am watching yours)

So...absent from this blog I have been for a while. Sorry. Our last situation I posted about, though not resolved, is quiet. That I believe is because we live so darn far away :-) Makes it much easier to ignore those that are trying to ignore you hahaha

Remodeling is going on briskly here. Scaffolding for the job of siding repair will show up at the end of this week. Grout samples for my kitchen are being perused and the last of our work downstairs will soon be done including hanging those surround sound speakers I have been storing for 4 years. All of that will leave us with 1 bathroom and some trim work to do basically. Yeah!
We are also deeply tangled in all the things required of a recent job change. Health insurance paperwork, 40lk and pension rollovers and all their choices, life insurance policies (going out on our own) and a myriad of other small but not inconsequential things related to all of this. Yik.

So, since my life is boring and too hectic to mess with right now I leave you with this very very disturbing piece of information I found as a blip in the Time magazine.
It is an organization called Privacy International and they are a human rights group.
Recently they put out their new study of "leading surveillance societies". I am sure most American's will be shocked to know that based on a set of criteria that we rank very low. Right down there with Russia and some other bad boys. O.k---it seems most of the world is becoming a "bad boy" lately, however I can't say I am completely shocked. Just by trying to feel "safer" we are allowing terrorist groups (name any of them) to win. Oh well---I do my letter writer and Senator calling part little as it may be. Anyway---check out that last link. Scroll down and look at all of it since it is very interesting. Quite eye opening to say the least.

And for a quick late add in how about this news from Yahoo about America placing last out of 19 industrialized countries for preventable health care deaths.
Boy---do we need to wrangle in all these Congress people and Senators and get them to do a damn job other than interrogate baseball players about whether or not they are taking steroids.

Wow! Thanks!

Thanks everyone for all the replies and emails in regards to yesterday's post and offer of possibly "low price" irish dexters---- but I can take no more names. Sorry. Obviously many many people are interested and I am sorry I don't have more to sell (especially cheap ;-D hahahaha) I REALLY appreciate the fact that disregarding the price so many of you are willing to jump into my family issues----I know there was an incentive but that could scare off some even though!
I will keep everyone who contacted me in the loop and if we don't receive our check within a fair period of time I will start contacting you on a basis of first contact, first serve.

Thanks again and hope all of you have a super great day and stay warm!

New year---same crap

Oh does that sound like a pessimistic person?
Well, I am not really trying to be but...if you are interested in owning an Irish Dexter keep reading. I warn you though the story is long but it does come to the point of owning an Irish Dexter.

About 6 months ago because of the drought we asked my mother and father in law if they would consider coming and taking our 2 pregnant Irish Dexters and our Irish dexter bull to stay on their 52 acres. See they already had 2 heifers and a bull of their own, and though they didn't really need another bull they were interested in expanding their herd.
I told them, since at the time all our money was being spent on hay, that if there was a female calf born they could keep it as their payment for help because of course I wasn't trying to take advantage of them and I knew that the animals would require transport and time. If by some unfortunate event it was both bull calves we could sell them or eat them and we would compensate them financially because as THEY said: they didn't need any more males.
So, to get to the point they agreed that they would be HAPPY to keep our cows for about a year until the drought broke. Fine. All good right?

Recently my husband got a new job and because of this ( and some other good things I can't speak of yet) we need to reduce or even dispose of all our animals. Sad yes but it is for the potential achievement of an 18 year goal coming to fruition so who can turn their back on that right? Right.
Anyway sheep, cows and probably eventually our Guinea hog sow and all our chickens will be going. My goal is total dispersement by the end of the summer of 2008 at the latest--- with some going now to help us finish the remodel of our home for potential sale.
So to get to a point with this long story, we decided to ask the in laws if they would like to buy our whole herd of cows for a substantially reduced price. However....they thought our price was too high AND until we could take our cows back (they needed to keep them until the two calves were weaned they said) they were going to de horn our 3 year old cow (telling us the night before they were to do it---which we stopped) AND they wanted both bull calves by said cows for their payment AND we needed to come quickly and pick up the older bull which they didn't want and so were reducing our already discounted price by more than we paid for him (and they know what we paid for him by the way). In other words, though I tried to avoid all this initially by trying to hash out all the aspects of who would pay for what before they picked them up----they now felt that they had done us SUCH a great favor that we should 1. Give them both calves and 2. sell them both heifers for a very reduced price AND pretty much immediately come and get the bull. They also went on to say that our cows were a major inconvenience and that they were keeping them from taking ANY vacations (but their 3 cows and 4 horses weren't at all I guess). This was as they hung up the phone on my husband.

So, the next day I called them and apologized (trying of course to smooth feelings) for not realizing that the cows were such a hassle. I told them if they had told us we would have made arrangements in a new york minute to have them off and gone.*I offered a number of times to sell the one cow with horns because they did have some hassle with her but they ALWAYS told me NO!*
I then went on to tell them that "hey---I have a buyer who will pay twice and a half what you are offering us but she needs to work out getting them shipped so we can quickly get them off your property" I said that if the shipping fell through that I would just go down my list of other prospects and find each cow a home FAST. So they wouldn't be hassled any longer.
They told me that I had this all wrong and those calves were theirs as payment and I could NOT remove the two females from their property until they said the calves were ready to be weaned.
"I beg to differ---those our my cows and I have the papers" "I will gladly sell them and then you can send me a bill for their care and transport which I will pay and you can use it to buy a new young female Irish dexter to expand your herd with since that was your original goal correct?"
"yes---and we had to put it off to care for your animals. We did that as a favor to you since you are family"
"Well, then surely you don't want either of those two bull calves and this will work out for the better anyway"
"You owe us those two calves"
"Look---I need some money now and I will pay you compensation for your time and trouble---but I AM selling MY cows quickly so take them for the price I offered or I will have a buyer pick them up soon."
"hold on"

Then: "If we pay the price will you send the papers?"
"of course---and you can do what you will with them"
"Fine---I will send you a check and now that you have put the cows between us we are finished"

So. I have (again hahahahha) ruined my husband's relationship with his mother and father. The first time was when I married him. Though they did eventually forgive him after two years when my son, their first grandchild, was born and treated me well after that and I them in return. By the way---don't leave a comment about how I shouldn't feel bad because truthfully I don't.Why? See, my MIL doesn't speak to her only other son either. Why you ask? Because his wife allowed her mother more time with her new child (their first and it took ten years to conceive her because of problems) than my MIL got to spend with the new baby. So after the baby's 5th week (yes you read correctly) of life my mother in law quit speaking to them. The child is now over two. Of course during most of those initial 5 weeks my MIL was "sick" with whatever new ailment she comes up with at the time and she told them not to bring the baby over nor could she come there.
By the way, she also doesn't speak to: Her sister, her brother, her other brother, her mother (and she's now dead), her nieces or nephews, any friend I have ever met (all now long since having done something horrible to her that she can't speak of, nor will she ever speak to them again) and she is hard pressed to "allow" her husband to interact with his family anymore (all of whom she speaks badly off except my FIL's mother). It gets worse year after year after year. It wasn't always this bad---but never was it completely good either. The woman obviously has issues that need to be addressed by drugs AND a shrink.

Anyway---here's the Irish Dexter deal.
IF I do not get the check within three weeks and because I stopped the other sale my buyer falls through and you happen to be somewhere close to East Texas were you could pick up two 3 year old heifers with month old bull calves and a dun colored Irish Dexter bull (2 years old) I will make you the deal of the century. Seriously A Super Deal. Unfortunately I will cut my nose off to spite my face---because of all this no talky talky crap. I would eat the dam things before they will steal them for cheap from me irregardless of the help that I fully acknowledge they gave. We do have other family there so I can get the cows off the property, get the health certificate and move them two houses down to await pickup.
Interested? Get on my contact list at my email address which is alandtc (at---but use the swirly thing) catt.com

And hey! Have a super great New Year's week everyone. Even though we have had this minor "glitch" life is good and we are loved :-)