GET READY!!!

Seems that the National Weather Service has predicted that we are going to have a very mild winter!!!! And considering their record on predicting the weather......BUY A SNOW PLOW, STOCK UP ON SALT BAGS, AND GET THE SNOW SHOVEL OUT OF THE SHED NOW!!!!!!

These are the people who said that this year would be one of the WORST hurricane seasons ever!!!! They even added like 4 names of hurricanes to be prepared. AND WE DIDN'T GET EVEN ONE HURRICANE!!!!! Not one!!!! Everytime they predict something, it goes the opposite way!

Mother Nature doesn't like people second guessing her!!!!! Don't they know that yet???? Well, my friends, believe the weather service if you will..... But I'm buying salt for ice this week, and I already pulled my snow shovel from the shed and put it in the closet in the house.

I'm not saying I don't wish they were being truthful, but with their record ... I'm still going to be prepared! GIGGLE

Ok better pic of the little trees

HAPPY YULE

Merlin wants to wish all of you a happy Yule, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!!!! Of course, since I took the picture, all he wants to do is bite my face off!!!

But Hay, what are pets for if you can't torture them???? GIGGLE

Heeheehheeeee

I'm very happy to report that I was the FIRST in the neighborhood to put up their outside lights. LOL

I had them up for about 4 days before I lighted them..... And I watched, no one even had any lights up!

So last night I lit the lights, and kept them on for the whole night..... And this afternoon, I saw all the neighbors surrying to put their stuff up. GIGGLE I LIKE BEING FIRST. LOL

It's almost as if they were all waiting for someone to do it first, before they did it. And I was the one, now I'm sure the whole place will be lighted up in a few days!!!!

Taking night pictures suck!

I wanted to give you a good picture of my outside lights, but it's hard to do that at night, and during the day you can't see much.

But, this is what I did this year.

I kept the outside very understated. Just lights on the two tree's along with some red Christmas balls, and the lighted bluish snow flakes on the arbor. I could have done more, but sometimes a little is good enough. I may add some white lights to the door way, but I'm pretty sure I like it how it is now.

I didn't want to go overboard. Oh, and I have candles (not real ones) in every window of the house, just a tiny extra touch.

I'm pretty happy with it, and seems that others are too..... Since I've had cars riding past and stopping to look all evening. GIGGLE. Thank you, I think it's pretty too!

Getting closer!!!

Getting closer, but not quite there. Everything I could wrap by stuffing in a box..... is done. The rest can wait a few days till I recover from the first mess!!!! LOL

WHINE

Now all I have to do is wrap all thoes frigging gifts and put them under the tree I really hate wrapping!!!!!!!! Maybe if I do just a few each day, it woun't hurt as much?? You think!!!!

TADAHHHHH!!!!!!

Ugh, I'm ready

Ok, I'm ready to do the Christmas thingie. I had my son go out and bring the tree in last night. I only use artificial ones, since I can bring myself to kill a living tree for my entertainment.... That's just wrong!

I bought all new decorations this year. Lovely balls in jewel tones. Pinks, blues, purples.... Very pretty. Plus some of my old favorites, like my mermaids and such.

So He brought the box in last night, but It's still in the box....Even though I really had to fight myself to prevent myself from putting it up! GIGGLE But I didn't, and I feel very proud of that. LOL

I also brought the big tote full of Christmas decorations in. It's sitting on the kitchen table. I did wash the tree skirt, it was all wrinkled, and smelled of being in the shed, but after it was dry I put it right back in the box.

As you can tell, I'm trying to control myself!!!! BUT IT'S HARD!!!!

I'm going to Eileens for Thanksgiving dinner, and when I get home...THE TREE WILL GO UP! GIGGLE I'm going to have to hold off doing the outside, it's raining like a bitch here, and I'm not up to standing in the rain and putting lights up.

But I did connect all the outside extendsion cords like a week ago, so all I really have to do is hang, and plug in. (I had to chop down my zebra grass for the winter, so I figure, why not! And put the cords out while I was at it.)

my enthusiasm?? Well, it's still lacking, I'm forcing myself to do the tree and such....Because I know that once it's up.... I'll feel the holiday. It always happens that way. I need to see it all up, and decorated, and all of a sudden I'm humming giggle bells!!!!!

Frost

searching for what is lost,
in the forest of my thoughts.
truth or lies what I sought,
at least that's what I thought.

Down the path dark and shaded.
smell of earth and leaves.
past the dead, always hated,
where the roots. the earth has heaved

deep into the darkened woods,
searching for what is lost.
this is where I've always stood
leaves cloaked in life's frost.

CHRISTMAS CLOSET HAVOC!!!!!

Ohhhhh GROAN!!!! I looked into my closet today, and I think I had a stroke!!! This picture is just a small part of a walk in closet stuffed to the gills with Christmas presents!!!!!

I HATE WRAPPING GIFTS!!!! HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE!!!!! It makes my butt fall asleep, and my legs go numb, and my back ache!!!!!

But you gotta do what you gotta do. Right after Thanksgiving I'll put up the tree, and then I have to wrap, decorate, and label all those fucking gifts, and GET THEM OUT OF MY CLOSET!!!! THIS IS GOING TO TAKE DAYS!!!!!!

I love shopping for the gifts, but boy do I miss the old fashioned stores where you bought the stuff, and took it down stairs and they wrapped it all for you!!! Any one but me remember that??? It was so easy, and they looked a hell of a lot better then if I did them. So what if it cost you, it was never much, just a dollar or two, but IT WAS WORTH IT!!!!

I tried to bribe my girlfriend Barb into doing it, but she would only do it if I brought everything over to her house, and packing it all up, and riding up there wasn't worth the trouble.

Doesn't anyone want to wrap my gifts for me!!!!! I give you cookie!!!!!!!

Colors, and what they do

Red – This is the ideal color to draw attention to yourself. Wear red if you’re going on an audition, showing off your creative work, or want to set yourself apart from the crowd. Avoid this color if you’re suffering from nervousness.

Orange – A fusion of passionate red and optimistic yellow, orange represents unity. Wear this color when you are trying to promote harmony among warring colleagues or relatives. Stay away from this color when you want to distinguish yourself from others.

Yellow – The brighter the shade of yellow, the cheerier it seems. Mellow, earthy tones convey stability and steadiness. Wear this color when you want to promote clarity; it’s ideal for making decisions. Avoid yellow when you’re tired, as it is draining.

Green – Green is the color of growth and development. Therefore, it’s an ideal shade to wear when taking classes and acquiring skills. It’s also good to motivate people to get out of a rut. Because it is stimulating, you should avoid it when you’re feeling restless.

Blue – Blue is associated with introspection and tranquility. This color helps people loosen up and speak their minds, so it’s ideal for promoting communication. Stay away from blue, though, when you are depressed, because it can compound your depression.

Purple – This regal color is associated with regality and spirituality. It’s an ideal shade to wear when you’re seeking your life’s purpose. Avoid purple when you are having trouble putting your plans into action, because it inhibits practicality.

Pink – Soothing and nurturing, pink is a great color for putting people at ease. This color also dissipates anger, so it’s a great choice when you want to kiss and make up. Avoid pink if you want to be seen as decisive and bold, however, as it conveys softness.

Gray – Gray invokes balance and safety, and should be worn when things are spiraling out of control. You should also sport this color when you want to avoid the chopping block. Stay away from gray when you are seeking a promotion or want to be noticed.



Brown – Whenever you feel scared or insecure, wear brown. This grounding color has an effect that is most comforting. Wear it when you want others to put their faith in you. Avoid brown, however, when you are in a rut or dealing with stubborn people.

Black – Black conveys a sense of depth and strength that is most formidable. Wear this color when you want to command authority or exude mystery. Stay away from black, however, if people question your motives or if you want to be treated as an equal.

White – Nothing inspires trust like the color white. Wear this color when you want to appear detailed, efficient and faultless. Keep away from white when you want to convey a relaxed, easygoing image. White can also promote anxiety, so use it carefully.

Metallics – Shiny colors like gold, bronze, copper and silver inspire creativity. There are no better colors to wear when you are engaged in an artistic project of some kind. Metallics make people critical and discerning, so avoid them if you’re feeling sensitive.

Arrrrrhhhhhhh turkey day is coming!!!!!

The holidays always catch me unprepared. I'm just getting over Halloween, and taking the decorations down, and WHAM, Thanksgiving hits me broadside. Didn't even see it coming....Well, at least I thought I had weeks and weeks before it came.

Lumping all the holidays in 3 short months, sucks! I had to go over my schedule to plan all this crap. But finally I made up my mind.

Thanksgiving: My sister Eileen
Christmas: My daughter Jamie
Easter: My house....At least for the kids.

I have to admit looking forward to Christmas, or Yule as we call it. That's always fun. All the pretty lights and tree, and of course gifts.

I found something for my Aunt Harriet, at last. I have a crystal Kitty cat that I'm sending her. I thought of it because we had been talking about her old cat...Forget the name, but she actually used to dress him up all the time. And the cat actually had his own dolly!!! So cute. So, I thought the crystal cat would be good for her.

All my shopping is done now. Though I'm sure when I go to wrap everything I'm going to find that I either bought too much, or too little. If I ever get the energy up to wrap it all, I'm sure I'll find out. Giggle

Weather men are dumb?

Well, here's another "Duhhhhh" by the weatherman. Supposed to be HUGE storm tonight. Said 80 mph winds, ect. But it's just raining. Just rain, some wind, but not hard winds, and rain.

I don't know why I bother watching the weather alerts, because so far this year, they have been 0=0. They even added like 4 names for hurricanes because this was supposed to be a horrible year for them, and..... NOTHING! Hay, not complaining about the weather, just the people who report it!!!

It's like Mother Nature is having a blast fucking with them, and their ability to predict what's coming. Something that I think is great fun! LOL

But just in case they had been right, I did my storm thingie.

I filled the bath tub to the brim with water...... If the elec goes out it's drinking water, and flushing water, and cooking water.

Thank the goddess I have a gas stove, so no electricity needed for cooking or even for heat. Lighting the oven (even when the electronic ignition isn't working because the elec is out, you can still light it with a match!) and opening the door, is pretty heat efficient when it's cold or raining. I HATE cooking with gas, but love the fact that I can cook and heat if it's ever nessary. Which, so far, except for once when my heater failed, was never needed.

I also have a fireplace in my bedroom, that burns these gel things. No venting needed, and gives off pretty good heat. So I'm covered.

I have a whole drawer of candles, and more around the rooms (smell pretty) so lighting isn't a problem. I'm ready for whatever comes. Giggle Oh and since I smoke, lots of lighters.

I have a friend who got candles for emergency's, but forgot something to light them with. LOL Candles aren't any good without a lighter or matches, they found this out fast. LOL Now they keep a pack of lighters in the house, just in case.

Plus thinking of little things, like a hand worked can opener instead of an electric one, is thinking ahead. Trying to open a can to eat with a knife doesn't work too good. GIGGLE And I always keep my dry good pantry well stocked with soups, can's of tuna and chicken, and lots of pasta. Lasts forever and great to eat!

Thinking of X-mas!!! GAGK!!!!!

See, I picked up these little artificial tree's a few years ago at Big Lots.

Those planters in front of my house, in spring I plant flowers, in the fall Mum's, and when the Mum's die, I put the little fake tree's in the planter! For now, till after Thanksgiving...They are just tree's, but when I start decorating for Christmas, they become little Christmas tree's!

So today I went out and bought little red and gold Christmas balls (from the dollar store or course! Best place for cheap decorated!!!!) And some gold garland. I already have the Christmas lights I use every year, so that's not a problem.

And after thanksgiving I will decorate the tree's so they look pretty!!! Then I have the lights on a timer, and so the tree's will light up from dusk to dawn.

Pretty, pretty, pretty. GIGGLE

ROCKS

I spent a couple of hours at Matt's school today, waiting for him to get out of class..... And I took pictures of rocks. Yeh, I know, weird right? But I LOVE ROCKS!!! I have a connection to them, ever since I was little. They call to me. Most of the time asking for me to take them home.

OK, you know I'm weird, why are you surprised?

They do call to me! I swear it. And I have to pick them up, and take them home. I just do. I have rocks all over the house, different sizes etc.

(Now I happend to mention the rocks to my girlfriend Barb, the only one of my friends who's NOT a witch.... and the first thing she said was "how many did you take home?" WOW does she know me!!!!)

But this time, I just wanted to take some pictures of a field of rocks at the school. I'm going to use the pictures for my desktop. Nice. I like it.

And of course I brought one home. It's a biggie, and pretty, and I like it....So there!

While we're on the subject......

The Jersey Devil, the supposed mythical creature of the New Jersey Pinelands, has haunted New Jersey and the surrounding areas for the past 260 years. This entity has been seen by over 2,000 witnesses over this period. It has terrorized towns and caused factories and schools to close down, yet many people believe that the Jersey Devil is a legend, a mythical beast, that originated from the folklore of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Others disagree with this point of view. The following text will show there is evidence to support the existence of an animal or supernatural bring known as the Jersey Devil. The evidence consists of the stories of the Jersey Devil's origin, the sightings of it, and finally, the theories on it.

There are many different versions of the birth of the Jersey Devil. One of the most popular legends says a Mrs. Shrouds of Leeds Point, NJ made a wish that if she ever had another child, she want it to be a devil. Her next child was born misshapen and deformed. She sheltered it in the house, so the curious couldn't see him. On stormy night, the child flapped it's arms, which turned into wings, and escaped out the chimney and was never seen by the family again. A Mrs. Bowen of Leeds point said, "The Jersey Devil was born in the Shrouds house at Leeds Point." 1 Another story that also placed the birth at Leeds Point said that a young girl fell in love with a British soldier during the Revolutionary War. The people of Leeds Point cursed her. When she gave birth, she had a devil. Some people believe the birth of the devil was punishment for the mistreatment of a minister by the Leeds folk.


Another story placed the birth in Estelville, NJ. Mrs. Leeds, of Estelville, finding out she was pregnant with her 13th child, shouted,"I hope it's a devil". She got her wish. The child wad born with horns, a tail, wings, and a horse-like head. The creature revisited Mrs. Leeds everyday. She stood at her door and told it to leave. After awhile, the creature got the hint and never returned.

Burlington, NJ, also claims to be the birthplace of the Jersey Devil. In 1735, Mother Leeds was in labor on a stormy night. Gathered around her were her friends. Mother Leeds was supposedly a witch and the child's father was the devil himself. The child was born normal, but then changed form. It changed from a normal baby to a creature with hooves, a horses head, bat wings and a forked tail. It beat everyone present and flew up the chimney. It circled the villages and headed toward the pines. In 1740 a clergy exercised the devil for 100 years and it wasn't seen again until 1890.

There are many other versions of the legend. The legends say it was the 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, or 13th child, It was born normal or deformed, and the mother confined it to the cellar or the attic. Although there are many discrepancies in all of these stories, there are 3 pieces of evidence that tie all of the legends of the Jersey Devil's origin together.

The first thing that ties the legends together is the name "Leeds". Whether the mothers name was Leeds or the birth place was Leeds Point, all of the stories include the name Leeds. Alfred Heston, the Atlantic County Historian, believes that the devil could be a Leeds or a Shrouds baby. He discovered that a Daniel Leeds opened land in Great Egg Harbor, NJ, in 1699. His family lived in Leeds Point. He also discovered a Samuel Shrouds, Sr. came to Little Egg Harbor, NJ, in 1735 and lived right across the river from the house of Mother Leeds. The 3rd fact ties in the Burlington story with the others stories. Professor Fred MacFadden of Coppin State College, Baltimore, found that a "devil" was mentioned in writings from Burlington as early as 1735. He also indicated that the word Burlington was used to was the word used to names the area from the city of Burlington to the Atlantic Ocean. This means that the name that is now used for the birthplace such as Leeds point or Estelville, could be the same place referred to in the Burlington Legend.

The origins provide some validity to the existence of the Jersey Devil, but the sightings are the most substantial pieces of evidence. The sightings have been divided up into 3 time periods, pre 1909, January 16-23, 1909, and post 1909.

From the pre 1909 era, few documented records of sightings still exist. The ones that do confirm the existence of the devil.

In the early 19th century, Commodore Stephen Decatur, a naval hero, was testing cannon balls on the firing range when he saw a strange creature flying across the sky. He fired and hit the creature but it kept right on flying across the field. Joseph Bonaparte, former king of Spain and brother of Napoleon, saw the Jersey Devil in Bordentown, NJ, between 1816 and 1839 while he was hunting. In 1840-41 many sheep and chickens were killed by a creature with a piercing scream and strange tracks. In 1859-94, the Jersey Devil was seen and numerous times and reportedly carried off anything that moved in Haddonfield, Bridgeton, Smithville, Long Branch, Brigantine, and Leeds Point. W.F. Mayer of New York noticed while visiting the Pine Barrens, most of the locals would not venture out after dark. The devil was sighted by George Saarosy, A prominent business man, at the NJ/NY border. This was the last reported sighting before the turn of the century.

In 1903, Charles Skinner, author of American Myths and Legends, claimed that the legend of the devil had run it's course and that in the new century, NJ would hear no more of the devil. New Jersey rested easy with that thought for 6 years, until the week of January 16-23. 1909. During this week, the devil would leave his tracks all over South Jersey and Philadelphia. He was seen by over 1,000 people. This was his largest appearance ever.

It all started early Sunday morning, January 16, 1909. Thack Cozzens of Woodbury, NJ, saw a flying creature with glowing eyes flying down the street. In Bristol, PA, John Mcowen heard and saw the strange creature on the banks of the canal. Patrol James Sackville fired at the creature as it flew away screaming. E.W. Minister, Postmaster of Bristol, PA, also saw a bird-like creature with a horses head that had a piercing scream. When daylight came, the residents of Bristol found hoof prints in the snow. Two local trappers said they had never seen tracks like those before.

On Monday, the Lowdens of Burlington, NJ, found hoof prints in their yard and around their trash, which was half eaten. Almost every yard in Burlington had these strange hoof prints in them. The prints went up trees, went from roof to roof, disappeared in the middle of the road, and stopped in the middle of open fields. The same tracks were also found in Columbus, Hedding, Kinhora and Rancocas. A hunt was organized to follow the tracks but the dogs wouldn't follow the trail.

On the 19th the Jersey Devil made his longest appearance of the week. At 2:30 am, Mr & Mrs. Nelson Evans of Gloucester were awakened by a strange noise. They watched the devil from their window for 10 minutes. Mr. Evans described the creature they saw:


It was about three feet and half high, with a head like a collie dog and
a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and
its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves.
It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws
on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching.
My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the
window and say, 'Shoo', and it turned around barked at me, and flew away.2
Tuesday afternoon 2 professional hunters tracked the devil for 20 miles in Gloucester. The trail jumped 5 foot fences and went under 8 inch spaces. The hoof prints were found in more parts of South Jersey. A group of observers in Camden, NJ, saw the devil. It barked at them and then took off into the air.

The next day, a Burlington police officer and the Reverend John Pursell of Pemberton saw the Jersey Devil. Rev. Pursell said, "Never saw anything like it before".3 Posses in Haddonfield found tracks that ended abruptly. In Collingswood, NJ, a posse watched the devil fly off toward Moorestown. Near Moorestown, John Smith of Maple Shade saw the devil at the Mount Carmel Cemetery. George Snyder saw the devil right after Mr. Smith and their descriptions were identical. In Riverside, NJ, hoof prints were found on roof tops and also around a dead puppy.

On Thursday, the Jersey Devil was seen by the Black Hawk Social Club. He was also seen by a trolley full of people in Clementon as it circled above them. The witnesses descriptions matched others from the days before. In Trenton, Councilman E.P. Weeden heard the flapping of wings and then found hoof prints outside his door. The prints were also found at the arsenal in Trenton. As the day wore on the Trolleys in Trenton and New Brunswick had armed drivers to ward off attacks. The people in Pitman filled churches. Chickens had been missing all week throughout the Delaware Valley, but when the farmers checked their yards that day, they found their chickens dead, with no marks on them. The West Collingswood Fire Department fired their hose at the devil. The devil retreated at first, but then charged and flew away at the last second.

Later that night, Mrs. Sorbinski of Camden heard a commotion in her yard. She opened the door to see the Jersey Devil standing there with her dog in it's grip. She hit the devil with a broom until it let go of her dog and flew away. She started screaming until her neighbors came over. Two police officers arrived at her house where over 100 people had gathered. The crowd heard a scream coming from Kaigan Hill. The mob ran toward the creature on the hill. The Policed shot at it and the devil flew off into the night. The streets of Camden were empty after this.

On Friday, Camden police officer Louis Strehr saw the Jersey Devil saw the devil drinking from a horses trough. The school in Mt Ephraim was closed because no students came in. Mills and factories in Gloucester and Hainesport had to close because none of the employees came to work. Many New Jersey residents wouldn't leave their houses, even in daylight. Officer Merchant of Blackwood drew a sketch of the creature he saw. His sketch coincided with the descriptions from earlier in the week. Jacob Henderson saw the devil in Salem and described it as having "wings and a tail"4. The devil was only seen once more in 1909 in February.

Since 1909, the Jersey Devil has continued to be sighted by people all over New Jersey. The number of sightings that have been reported to the authorities has dwindled over the years. This could be attributed to the fact that people don't want to be branded as crazy. Even though the number of reported sightings has dropped, there's still a considerable amount of sightings in the post 1909 era.

IN 1927, a cab driver on his way to Salem got a flat tire. He stopped to fix the tire. As he was doing this, creature that stood upright and was covered with hair, landed on the roof of his cab. The creature shook his car violently. He fled the scene, leaving the tire and jack behind. Phillip Smith, who was known as a sober and honest man, saw the devil walking down the street in 1953. The characteristic screams of the Jersey Devil were heard in the woods near Woodstown, NJ, in 1936.

Around 1961, 2 couples were parked in a car in the Pine Barrens. They heard a loud screeching noise outside. Suddenly the roof of the car was smashed in. They fled the scene, but returned later. Again they heard the loud screech. They saw a creature flying along the trees, taking out huge chinks of bark as it went along.

There have been other sightings since 1909, such as the Invasion of Gibbsboro in 1951. The people there saw the devil over a 2 day period. In 1966, a farm was raided and 31 ducks, 3 geese, 4 cats, and 2 dogs were killed. One of the dogs was a large german Shepard which had it's throat ripped out. In 1981, a young couple spotted the devil at Atsion Lake in Atlantic County.

In 1987, in Vineland an aggressive german Shepard was found torn apart and the body gnawed upon. the body was located 25 feet from the chain which had been hooked to him. Around the body were strange tracks that no one could identify.

The sightings and prints are the most substantial evidence that exists. Many of the theories on the Jersey Devil are based upon that evidence. Some theories can be proven invalid, while others seem to provide support for the Jersey Devil's existence.

One theory is that the Jersey Devil is a bird. Mrs. Cassidy of Clayton thought it was an invasion of scrowfoot ducks. The scrowfoot duck is much too small to be mistaken for the devil. Others believe the devil is really a sand hill crane. The crane used to live in South Jersey until it was pushed out by man. The sand hill crane weighs about 12 lbs., is 4 foot high, and a wingspan of 80 inches. It avoids man but if confronted it will fight. It has a loud scream whooping voice that can be heard at a distance. This could account for the screams heard by witnesses. The crane also eats potatoes and corn. This could account for the raids on crops. This theory doesn't explain , however, the killing of live stock. It also doesn't explain why people described the devil as having a horses head, bat wings and tail, all of which the crane doesn't have.

Professor Bralhopf said that" the tracks were made by some prehistoric animal form the Jurassic period"5. He believes the creature survived underground in a cavern. An expert from the Smithsonian Institute had a theory about ancient creatures surviving underground. He said the Jersey Devil was a Pterodactyl. The Academy of Natural Sciences could find no record of any creature, living or extinct, that resembles the Jersey Devil.

Jack E. Boucher, author of Absagami Yesteryear, has a theory in which he believes the devil was a deformed child. He thinks Mrs. Leeds had a disfigured child and kept it locked away in the house. She grew sick and couldn't feed the child anymore. It escaped out of hunger and raided local farms for food. This doesn't take into account the incredible life span of the devil. The child would have been 174 years old in 1909. It also doesn't account for the sightings of the devil flying.

Only a small amount of the sightings and footprints could be hoaxes. The Jersey Devil has been seen by reliable people such as police, government officials, postmasters, businessman, and other people whose "integrity is beyond question."6 As for the hoof prints, even if some were hoaxes, There is still no way to explain most of the tracks, especially the ones on roof tops and tracks that ended abruptly as if the creature took wing.

The last theory is the most controversial one. Many people believe that the Jersey Devil could be the very essence of evil, embodied. It is said that the devil is an "uncanny harbinger of war"7. and appears before any great conflict. The jersey devil was sighted before the start of the Civil War. It was also seen right before the Spanish American War and WW I. In 1939, before the start of WW II, Mount Holly citizens were awakened by the noise of hooves on their roof tops. The Devil was seen on December 7, 1941, right before Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was also seen right before the vietnam War.

The Jersey Devil's habit of being a forerunner to wars could be because of his possible demonic origins. In 1730, Ben Franklin reported a story about a witchcraft trial near Mt Holly, NJ. One of the origin legends say that Mother Leeds was a witch. The devil's birth could have been a result of a witches curse.

Other facts support the supernatural theory are the reports of the death of the devil. When Commodore Decatur fired a cannon ball at the devil, it went through him and he was unaffected.

In 1909, a track walker on the electric railroad saw the devil fly into the wires above the tracks. There was a violent explosion which melted the track 20 feet in both directions. No body was found and the devil was seen later in perfect health. In 1957, the Department of Conservation found a strange corpse in a burned out area of the pines. It was a partial skeleton, feathers, and hind legs of an unidentifiable creature. The devil was thought to be dead, but reappeared when the people of New Jersey thought that this time his death was real. Each time he is reported dead, he returns. Sometimes this year. The Jersey Devil will be 260 years old. It seems the devil is immortal, which a supernatural being would be. Another thing that supports this theory is the incredible distances the devil could fly in a short period of time. No animal could travel as fast as the devil did in 1909 when he was sighted in South Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York through out the week.

None of these theories can give a definitive answer to what the Jersey Devil was or is, but the sightings prove there is something out there. Whether the Jersey devil is a bird or a demon, is still left ot speculation. The people of New Jersey have definitely seen something out there lurking in the Pine Barrens.

WINDY AND RAIN

The rain started here, down the shore, Sunday afternoon about 11..... And it hasn't stopped yet!!! Constant downpour. It's sooooo soothing....

I left Jamie's early enough that all I had was light rain and drizzle and fog on the ride home. And talking about fog!!! There is something really spooky about riding down a looooong deserted highway thro the pine barrens, with fog!

For you who don't know, the Jersey Pine Barrens are ledgend! The Jersey Devil is supposed to live there. Route 70 is a long, empty highway the runs thro the barrens. Yesterday coming home from visiting Jaime and the kids, it seems I was the ONLY person on the road. It was foggy, rainy, and totally spooky!!!! I kept checking the sides of the road....... No, not for the Jersey devil (well, maybe a little..Giggle) but more for Deer. I was afraid they would cross the road in the fog and I would mush up my car on one of them.

But back to rain. Now that I live here I have no fear of the rain. But I feel sorry for all those folks living in my old house's because for them it means leaking, flooding basements, mold, mildew, sump pumps... And so on. It's so nice to live in a double wide trailer. NO BASEMENT!!!! NO FLOODING, NO MOPPING!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH Sweet relief from moisture.

So now I actually enjoy the rain!! I can sit, all cuddled up with a book, and hear the pattering of the drops, and the whoosh of the wind, and know that I don't have to worry about water. SWEET!!!!!!

But, the wind picked up sometime last night, and at 4:50 am I was woken up by the sound of someone's plastic garbage can making a trip down the road pursued by the wind. GIGGLE HOPE IT'S NOT MINE! Do I care???? Not a bit. You see, whenever it's windy out here, my yard collects about 5 garbage cans!!! Mine don't move, because I have them wedged behind the back porch.... So the wind can blow away, and mine just stay in place. WHY DON'T OTHERS DO THE SAME THING!!!! Who knows why! But my house is at the end of a long road, so everyone's can winds up in my yard!!!!

And to top it off, after the storm I'll place all the extra cans down at the road....This way I figure whoever lost theirs will see them, and come get them...But you know..... It doesn't happen!!! Most of the time they will sit there for weeks!!!! I actually kept one of them, since no one claimed it in two weeks!!!!!

But here it is, waaaaaay too early, and I'm wide awake. There's something about a garbage can slamming down the road, that wakes me up, and keeps me awake. Sounds like someone is trying to break into the house! And it's so fucking quiet where I live, that any weird sound is totally out of place!

Sometimes I wonder where all the people are???? Quiet, quiet, quiet. But, that's cool though. After the yapping, barking, asshole dog by my last house, quiet is WONDERFUL.

But it is STORMING out there. The wind is wild, the rain is pelting down hard, and I'm sitting here writing instead of sleeping...But it's all cool. Without a basement to worry about, let it rain!!!!!

And hay, I figure, concidering it's November, rain is better then snow!!!!!!! And I know that's on the way, but not today!!! GIGGLE

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE

Don't tell me your age; you probably would


tell a falsehood anyway.

But, the Hershey Man will know!

YOUR AGE BY
Chocolate
MATH
This is pretty wild!


DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

It takes less than a minute so work this out as you read. Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!

This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate
(more than once but less than 10)














2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)











3. Add 5









4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator






5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1756 ......
If you haven't, add 1755.









6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.




You should have a three digit number




The first digit of this was your original number
(i..e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).



The next two numbers are

YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

To Iron or not to iron

I IRONED SOMETHING TODAY!!!!!!! LOL I can tell you like.....So what? But you have to know, I haven't picked up an iron in about 25 years. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I HAD ONE!!! And it probably wasn't mine. I used to have a roommate, and it was probably his....Because let me tell you.... It wasn't mine.

How do I do it, well, I check everything before I buy it for wrinkling. I grab a handfuls of the material and squeeeeeeeeeze it..... Really hard! If there is one wrinkle, I just don't buy it. And if something became wrinkled.... I just wet it down and pop it back in the dryer for a few minutes. I also always take my clothing right out of the dryer, and fold or hang it..... I don't let anything sit and wrinkle

See, my Mom was an ironing freak!!!!! She ironed sheets, and underwear!!!!! Yeh, underwear!!!!! Can you imagine that??? AND GUESS WHO DID MOST OF THE IRONING???? You got it me....... So when I grew up, I refused to buy an iron. My hubby took his stuff to the cleaners, and the kids stuff went thu the wrinkle test before I bought them.

But I had found some curtains I had stored away, and they had wrinkled. Now, usually, I would put them in the dryer after dampening...But these had major bead work on they..... So the dryer would have ruined them..... So I used an iron.

Kind of proud of myself. GIGGLE

WINTER POEM

" WINTER "
a poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre







" SHIT IT'S COLD!!!!!!! "

To shed or not to shed...That's a question?

Oh, yawn, today I'm going to hit the shed. It's time to clean it out. I've been waiting for cooler weather, since you get so hot and sweaty pulling junk out of the shed and re-doing it. (at least that's my excuse, and I'm sticking too it...So there!)

I wouldn't even think of it, if it wasn't for the fact the glass windows for my screen doors are out there somewhere.

And with the chilly weather moving in, I have to take out the screens, and put the glass back. The shore area gets really windy in the winter, and leaving just the screens on, brings all kinds of drafts into the house!!!

I'm hoping to find the windows in the front of the shed, but who's fooling who? You know they are going to be allllllll the way in baaaack of the shed. LOL

That's ok, it does need a little re-arranging. And a good cleaning. Besides there's a few things out there that I want to dump on my daughter, so I have to go look for them. SIGH I really don't want to!!!!!!! I HATE CLEANING OUT THE SHED!!!!

Not that it's terribly messy, I try to keep it in order during the year, I like to know I have lots of storage space if I need it. And I never noticed spiders or anything out there...... The shore area doesn't have many spider I've noticed. Unlike PA!!!! Goddess the spiders are huge there!!!! I'm so glad I'm back in NJ.

Well, It's almost 9am (I wait till at least then, but I won't start working till 10am, I don't want to make noise and wake the neighbors..... I'm a good neighbor like that. I know people are sleeping in on Saturday mornings), unlike me...Who gets up at 5:30am no matter what day it is!

I get so impatient some days. My day starts early, why shouldn't others start that early too?

I hate waiting till 9 or 10 for stores to open!!!! By then I'm ready for lunch!!!! LOL But, sleeping late isn't an option. If I don't wake up by myself at the time (witch is usual) at exactly 5:30 my cat, Merlin the miserable, will start scratching at the door and wake me. Sometime I can just yell at him, and then go back to sleep, but most times I'm already up and moving.

Goddess!!!! MY WEEKENDS ARE BORING!!!! Cleaning house, doing yard work, damn, I need a life....Or at least more friends. LOL

Well I'm gonna have another cup of coffee, I'll need that extra boost to get the job done, then I'm out side, moving shit in and out of the shed, till it's nice and neat for the winter. Of course, I'm going to look for those damn Christmas decorations.... Need to move them too the front of the shed so I can reach them in the colder weather. I'll move all the Christmas lights, and outlets and extention cords to the front also, so that after thanksgiving they will be ready, and I can hang my decorations with out hunting around the shed for them!!!!

I know my Mother is taking over my brain today! CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!!! But, some days I'm pretty glad she instilled that CLEAN gene in me. She was right in thinking that everything should have it's place.

But, since most of the time my brain FORGETS where that place is..... Only a small part of her teaching has survived. GIGGLE

What to do with your poor pumpkin?

Halloween's over, and your poor pumpkin is going to be rotting soon.....But never fear, there is something you can do with it..... A yummy thing!

Cut up that poor baby, and then peel the rind off the chunks. (easier to peal the rind when it's cut up in chunk's!) Now place in a large pot, and cover with water, add some salt, and cook till tender. When the fork goes into the chuck with no resistance, it's done.

If you have a food processor, you can add a bit of water and grind away till it's SMOOTH. But if you don't have one, add the pumpkin, little by little, with a tiny bit of water into your blender. Blend till smooth, pour in bowl, and then repeat, till all the pumpkin is smooth and blended.

Now you have choices. Put the pureed pumpkin in a saucepan, and you can add:

Chicken stock, or
vegetable stock

Don't add Beef stock, the flavor will be totally off.

then add any or all of the following, to your taste:

chopped onions
mushrooms
carrots
celery
hot pepper flakes
southwest seasoning
salt and pepper

and simmer for about a 1/2 hour to blend the flavors.

Then add some half and half or heavy cream...... Just as much or as little as you want, and continue simmering for another 15 minutes

DONE!!! Pour into bowl, and eat!!!! You can add a dollop of sour cream on the top.

HOT PUMPKIN SOUP. Not only yummy (trust me on this guys, I know your saying yuckkkkkkk, but you have to try it!) but full of vitamins and stuff for your good health!!!!!

Ditty by my Daughter

Late at night, the moon above..the leaves are dancing with your heart,
the creapy creaping feeling slows as you approach that closet door...hold your breadth,
don't close your eyes, or the creature within will give you a great big surprise. Shhh now don't say a word, just back away from that closet door. The monster feeds late at night..what ever your do..keep on your lights.
Jamie Neiva

Tasty Human Heart

Did you ever just want to reach in, and pull out someone heart and eat it!!!!! Aggggggghhhhhh I know it sounds gross, but yesterday I sat staring at this thin preppie boy toy, and thought about doing it!!!!

I need new glasses, it's been like 4 years since my last trip to the eye doctor, and I had noticed changes..... My eyesight actually seemed to be getting better!!!! (by the way, they did get better! Who knew!) Could that be???? Well, they say we get better with age, but I didn't expect it to mean our eyes! So off I went to pearl vision.

Got there at 9 am, eye exam took 15 minutes. The rest of the time 2 1/2 hours was spent ARGUING with that preppie JERK!!!

Now here's the thing. I wear bi-focals. The reading part of my glasses are not magnifying....It's almost regular glass with a tiny prescription. I can read just fine without glasses, but they do sharpen it a tad, and make reading (something I do almost constantly!) easier, and less eye strain.

But the problem is with the computer. When I work on the computer I have to keep my head tilted back to see out of the bottom of the glasses........ That means I constantly have a stiff neck, and face. The face part is because I lean on my face using my finger to lift the glasses, so that the reading part is at a level that I can see the computer.

YES I KNOW....GET A HIGHER CHAIR. But I DON'T WANT TOO!!! I really love my comphy soft chair, and it doesn't adjust, besides being a regular chair, and not one of those rolling, skinny computer chairs........

So my idea.... GET TWO PAIRS OF GLASSES. See the logic. One for driving, and one separate pair for reading...Instead of the pain in the ass bi-focals. Makes total sense doesn't it? A little inconvenient changing glasses, but to stop my neck and head aching....Well worth it!

But the preppie idiot didn't see it!!!!! Insisted on trying to talk me into these new bi-focals...... Progressive (now I've had progressive glasses, had to change them after 3 months when I kept getting sea sick from them, seems a lot of people cant adjust to them, and I'm one of them)

You see, I'm not a wimp. When I know what I want, I WANT IT! I'm not asking ANYONE'S opinion. This is what I want, now BUG OFF!!!! But he wouldn't bug off, keep typing my order....... Real slow......So he could keep taking.

But I managed to stay pleasant (amazing feat for me, let me tell you!) and kept to my guns, a GOT WHAT I WANTED!!!! But it took 2 1/2 hours!!!!!!! All this time I'm picturing putting my fist thru his chest and pulling out his still beating heart and EATING IT!!!

There is a point where being a good sales rep is STUPID!!!! I bought 2 PAIRS OF GLASSES...... Instead of the ONE PAIR he wanted me to get..... I spent MORE MONEY!!!! GET IT, MORE MONEY TO GET WHAT I WANTED. So why was he fighting me so much?????? Who the fuck knows.

I think those young punks sometimes think they have to lead us "OLD LADIES" because we so old and helpless, and confused.....BOY, DID HE PICK THE WRONG OLD LADY!!!!!!!

But as a side note, I woke up this morning with NO STIFF NECK!!! For the first time in years, I didn't strain my neck and head to see the computer!!! I can sit comfortably, and see the whole computer with my reading glasses, no need to tilt my head, or use my hands to hold the glasses up! So, in retrospect, It was well worth it, the thinking of killing part, to get what I want, and give my neck and face a rest!!!!! Yipppiiieeeeeee.

Oh, and BOTH my glasses are now TINTED! I'm dysletic,(know this is spelled wrong) and Studies show that reading is easer with a light tint (brown) on your glasses. I used to have them tinted all the time, but the last few years I had clear, and really noticed a BAD difference.

Reading was harder, my eye strain was much, much more, after reading for a while and I looked up...Everything was blurred, and it took a while to get my sight clear again (I used to wear sunglasses while reading to stop this)....... So I went back to tinted. And I've already noticed that I can read much easier, and my eyes feel totally relaxed!!!! Not quite a fashion statement, but I read lots more then I go out to party's, so the tinting stays! (He didn't argue about the tinting...just the seperate glasses.....the guy was a total nerd!!!!!!)