Monday, December 9, 2013

Short Note

 

The weather has been warmer lately for the most part so we have been getting by but it’s supposed to turn colder again in a couple of days.

The skirting is all in place now and we are just waiting to save enough money to get the repairs to the heating system made. We are just $288.00 short now.

Hubby has been sick with a stomach bug for a few days. I hope he is better before the cold returns. Being sick is bad enough but being sick and cold is the pits.

Please consider a purchase from www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com if you haven’t finished your holiday shopping. The shipping deadline is December 20th.

It’s going to be a lonely Christmas for us this year since our son and his family won’t be able to visit.Friday the 13th is the one year anniversary of hubby’s by-pass surgery. I am so grateful that this Christmas will be better than last because even though we will be cold and lonely, we will be together. If only our love could literally keep us warm, our house would be like an incinerator.

I have been working on an interesting (to me, anyways) new babygate post that I hope to have finished before Christmas but if I don’t get to it before then, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, etc and thank everyone for all of the support, advice and even the criticism.

Please wish us luck in getting the rest of the funds we need so that hopefully we can have a warm Christmas.

bladecatz@mail.com

Blade

Friday, November 8, 2013

Dangerous Situation: UPDATE 2

 

Since my last update, the outdoor temperatures have been warmer for the most part. We only turn on the heat when the indoor temperature drops to 62 degrees or less.

We should be able to get by without heat for a couple of more days but Saturday night the temperature is supposed to drop to 32. Beginning Sunday, the forecast is for our temps to be near or below freezing for six out of seven nights, with daytime highs only in the 40's and 50's.

Sunday night the low is predicted to be 22 degrees. That really worries me.

So far we have $150.00. Getting a repair estimate will cost $190.00 but my husband's cousin, Jerry, who just retired from the HVAC business last year said the repairs would be at least $500.00. If we use the money towards getting an official estimate, then we will have to get the company that gives us the estimate to do the repairs or they keep the money paid for doing the estimate. No free estimates, anymore, at least in this area.

I think the best thing is to keep saving until we have $500.00. Opinions on that decision would be helpful.

On a brighter note, our neighbor and his son-in-law put skirting around the bottom of our house so once we get the HVAC repaired, the cats won't be able to tear the ductwork out again.

Switching gears, does anyone know any good recipes for diabetics that can be repaired cheaply? Like everyone else our SNAP benefits were cut this month. We weren't getting a large amount but it did help. Our food budget is only $43 weekly now which makes fixing nutritious meals which diabetics need difficult. All suggestions welcome.

In closing, please do consider our ink pens when doing your holiday shopping.

Please help if you can. The indoor temperatures we are dealing with can be dangerous. Check the link below for info about the dangers.

http://voices.yahoo.com/baby-its-cold-inside-look-indoor-hypothermia-5163457.html

www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com

Thanks in advance for any help!

bladecatz@mail.com

Blade

 

 

 

 

 

First, for those of you who this post angers my advice is for you to stop reading right now.

It is 6:32am as I write this and the temperature outside is 25 degrees. Inside, it is 55 degrees and we are only able to keep it at that with the thermostat set on 72. Our heat pump has been running constantly since 8pm last night which is likely to cause more problems for us on two fronts: Overworking the HVAC system could cause it to stop working completely and our electric bill is probably going to be outrageous.

We really need to raise money to get the heating system fixed. So far we have $50.00 towards getting an official estimate but hubby has a cousin who used to work in the HVAC business. He said the repairs will probably cost around $500.00. He lives in another area so he can’t actually go under our house and look and prices vary by region but he doesn’t think we can get the job done for less than that.

I know it sounds like begging and I apologize for that but I worry about hubby. I am terrified of him having another heart attack and we are approaching the one year anniversary. We both have health issues but I worry about him more. He tends to kick his covers off during the night and I am afraid he is going to get sick.

Please consider buying a pen if you are able. Suggesting our pens to others is also a great way to help.

Hubby said that he would sell all of his pens, including some that haven’t been added to the site yet for $1000.00. The value of the pens on the site plus the ones that haven’t been added yet is over $1400.00. That would be a good deal for someone who owns a gift shop.

I know the pictures on the pen site aren’t that great so if anyone would like to see a larger picture just email me from the link at the bottom of the post or email us from the link at www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com and state which pen you would like to see. I will email pictures or post pictures here; just state your preference.

Selling pens really is our only option to raise the funds we need. I know some people have suggested that I monetize (show ads) on the blog and that I could earn $200.00 monthly but even though I write the content for this blog, the blogger account belongs to someone else and they don’t want to set up the ads.

Please help if you can. The indoor temperatures we are dealing with can be dangerous. Check the link below for info about the dangers.

http://voices.yahoo.com/baby-its-cold-inside-look-indoor-hypothermia-5163457.html

www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com

Thanks in advance for any help!

bladecatz@mail.com

Blade

Hubby and I both suffer from multiple medical conditions and coupled with the coming cold, we are in a dangerous situation. According to this article http://voices.yahoo.com/baby-its-cold-inside-look-indoor-hypothermia-5163457.html, hypothermia is a very real possibility.

We have had a few nights recently with temperatures in the lower 30's. Our indoor temperature dropped into the 50's. One night next week, a low of 28 degrees is predicted.

Most regular readers here, know that we have had issues with our heating and air system for the past couple of years. Our ductwork needs to be replaced because feral cats ripped holes in it. The cats go under our house because we have no skirting around the bottom of it, tear holes in the ducts and crawl inside of them to get warm.

A neighbor has been patching the holes in the ductwork up for us as needed but it's to the point now that patching is not going to work because the holes are too large.

If we are able to get the ducting fixed we won't have to worry about the cats tearing it out again because our neighbor has some tin to skirt the bottom of the house but the repairs to the ducts need to be done first.

I have called all of the agencies in our area to see if we can get some assistance but haven't had any luck. We may be able to get a LIHEAP payment to the electric company to help with our electric bill but nothing is available to help with heating system repairs.

When we first had this problem, our son paid to have it fixed and the cost was $350. His family is having financial problems now and can't help this time. We can't even get a current estimate because the HVAC companies don't offer them for free and we can't pay for it. The cost of an estimate ranges from $150 to $225 which will be deducted from the repair bill.

I am asking anyone who can afford it to please consider making a purchase from http://www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com/ and/or suggest our pens to anyone you know who might be interested. Hubby has made some really nice ones that are available now if you haven’t looked lately. He also may be able to customize a pen if you are interested in a particular color scheme or material,

Selling pens is really our only hope of raising the money to get the repairs done.

I am really worried that hubby will get sick due to the cold or have another heart attack.

Any help would be deeply appreciated.

With truly heartfelt gratitude in advance,

bladecatz@mail.comular

Blade

Sunday, October 20, 2013

The Black List

 

No, I am not talking about the hit NBC drama although I do like the show. I am referring to the list of contributors to Sarah PAC.

I was really surprised by the identities of some of those who have made donations and I have chosen not to support the celebrities and businesses whose names appear on the list.

The list makes for rather interesting reading and can be found at the following link:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?sort=A&cmte=C00458588&cycle=2010&Page=1

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Holiday Season is fast approaching and Hubby's Handcrafted Ink Pens has added a variety of beautiful and unique pens like the one below. Hubby’s pens make wonderful gifts and you would be helping my husband and I, a disabled couple with multiple medical problems.

Hubby can also possibly do custom pens if there is a particular color scheme, style or material that interests you. If you would like to discuss a custom pen, you can email me at the link below or directly from the pen website.

Please click the hyperlink above or this link to visit our pen website: http://www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com/

 

 

green%20gats

Thanks for your consideration and if you would, please share the link to our pens.

bladecatz@mail.com

 

Blade

Friday, September 27, 2013

Police Chief: “George Zimmerman May Be A Threat To Public Safety.”

 

George Zimmerman.

Just seeing or hearing his name, makes my blood boil. How much can one man get away with?

Now, it seems to me that a person with at least a tad bit of common sense would count himself lucky and strive to be a law abiding citizen after, in my opinion, getting away with murder.

Not George Zimmerman.

Since being acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin, he has been stopped for traffic offenses three times in barely more than two months.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130927/NEWS07/309270050/George-Zimmerman-pulled-over-in-traffic-stop-for-3rd-time

                      (post continued below)

Christmas will be here before we know it. Shop Hubby's Handcrafted Ink Pens for unique handmade gifts at great prices and shipping is always free!

Hubby’s Featured Pen

Jewel Sapphire Blue Mother of Pearl Acrylic Twist Pen

A true work of art, this stunning sapphire blue mother of pearl pen captures the beauty of a gorgeous sapphire gemstone. Anyone who loves sapphires would be thrilled with this pen. This pen and others are available at Hubby’s Handcrafted Ink Pens.

New pens are coming soon!

 

 

sapphire pen

(post continued)

Zimmerman's in-laws have also reported a theft at a home which they own where he is the tenant. Police said the matter is a landlord - tenant dispute and that other people besides Zimmerman may have been staying at the residence.

But the most disturbing incident that Zimmerman has been involved in since his July acquittal is the domestic dispute between him and his estranged wife, Shellie. Allegations were made that George Zimmerman punched his father-in-law in the nose, was carrying a gun and smashed his wife's iPad which she had been using to record the dispute. While he was briefly handcuffed, no charges were filed due to a lack of evidence.

It seems that no matter what George Zimmerman does, he comes out smelling like a rose and it seems like the police are always on his side.

But that may finally be changing. Following the domestic dispute, Lake Mary police Chief Steve Bracknell revealed that in his opinion George Zimmerman may be a threat to public safety.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-09-18/news/os-george-zimmerman-lake-mary-chief-20130918_1_shellie-zimmerman-george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin

I just hope it doesn’t take more innocent people dead by the hand of George Zimmerman to prove that Chief Bracknell is right.

bladecatz@mail.com

Blade

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Blog Changes Are Coming Soon…

 

I have decided to change the format of this blog. There will be still be discussions about anything Palin related but I am going to write posts about other subjects, as well.

I will also be featuring items, such as our handcrafted pens that we have for sale.

Look for new content sometime within the next week.

See you soon!

bladecatz@mail.com

Blade

Thursday, September 5, 2013

I Feel Like Schleprock…

 

Bad luck seems to follow me. I look up every once in awhile almost expecting to see that little dark cloud over my head. You know, the one that used to hang over Badluck Schleprock on the Pebbles and Bamm- Bamm Show.

schlep

I have received so much help in the past that I hate having to ask this but time is running out.

I am overdue for my five year check-up at UNC Cancer Hospital. I have postponed twice already due to all of the problems hubby was having this spring and summer. It's very important that I keep this appointment next week. Since this is my five year check-up, there are some tests that have to be done. After this appointment, if all my tests all come back normal I will only have to go every two years.

Hubby had managed to raise $150.00 to pay for gas, parking at the hospital and to get the oil changed in our car. It hasn't been changed in nearly a year and we can't afford to have it break down since it is our only vehicle. Unfortunately, our bad luck reared it's ugly head again. The car was due for the yearly safety inspection and our tires didn't pass. The cheapest set of tires we could find were $330.00 so we had to use that $150.00 plus some of the money that we were supposed to pay on our monthly bills and the little bit that is left from hubby's pension after household expenses, to get the tires. Now we are behind on our bills and have no money for the trip and the oil change.

My appointment is scheduled for September 11 so there isn't a lot of time.

We would really prefer to sell pens rather than have money donated but at this point any help would be so greatly appreciated.

http://www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com/

bladecatz@mail.com

Blade

Friday, August 30, 2013

Interesting “Conversation” With a Palin Acquaintance

 

A few weeks ago, I wrote the following in the comment thread of an online article regarding a possible Senate run by Sarah Palin. A rather interesting back and forth exchange began following my comment.

That exchange follows. Any typos inside the quotation marks were made in the original thread.

“By the way, Todd is a pimp. The woman he coerced into prostitution wrote a tell all book. He has never denied it and the Palins haven't sued the woman over the allegations. Their silence speaks volumes.”

A person using the Disqus identity “Kansan” responded.

i find your claim extremely difficult to believe, even though I know that Todd is a douchebag. He and Sarah hooked up in their early twenties. They were high school sweethearts.

Just because someone wrote something in a book, doesn't mean it's true.

I've never heard of it. Can you furnish a citation for a legitimate source?”

I replied.

“You can read a very good history of the story at Malia Litman's blog. The story first appeared in the National Enquirer (yeah, I know but they also broke the John Edwards scandal). The name of the book is Boys Will Be Boys: Media, Morality and the Cover-up of the Todd Palin - Shailey Tripp Sex Scandal. The Boys Will Be Boys title came from a remark Sarah made when Herman Cain's dalliances became public. There is an interview in which Sarah admits that Shailey Tripp, who worked as a masseuse in Alaska, gave her a massage. I don't know if you are aware of the speculation that Sarah Palin faked the Trig pregnancy but if you are then you probably know that the speculation began as soon as she got the VP nod. The Shailey Tripp story didn't break until January 2011 yet Sarah claims that the rumors about Trig not being her biological child are Shailey Tripp's fault. Shailey said that the massage that Sarah doesn't deny having received from Shailey took place in March 2008 and that Sarah was not pregnant. Shailey has even shared paperwork that was filled out before the massage and Sarah denied pregnancy. I know the whole thing might seem far-fetched but if you examine the whole story of Trig's birth then it becomes evident that something very strange happened. There are verifiable pictures of Sarah during the period she would have been pregnant in which her belly goes from nearly flat to enormous in a short period of time. There are pictures of her looking huge 5 days before the supposed birth of Trig but she was on an Alaska Airlines flight while supposedly in labor but the flight attendants claim that the stage of her pregnancy was anot apparent. You can search Sarah Palin fake pregnancy and if you aren't aware of the whole story about Trig's birth prepare to be shocked.”

“Kansan” responded.

“I've unfortunately known the Palin family, all dirtbags except for Todd's stepmom, for 25 years.
The conspiratorial "fake pregnancy" story is effing ridiculous, on a par with "pulling Building 7" at the WTC and Kenyan-Muslim.
It obscured the real story.
First of all, Bristol's pregnancy was well known even to her peer group (Mat-Su Valley Girls) even those in Anchorage, long before Sarah's selection by McCain. It followed Trig's birth very, very closely. It would have been damn near impossible for her to get pregnant that quickly after delivering.

She delivered full term.
Palin knew early in her pregnancy that her fetus had Down syndrome. She was famously anti-abortion, though, picketing the Palmer hospital since back in the '80s, so she had a dilemma. She would have had to conceal the abortion.
She is also very self-delusional.
Because she was thin, was very conscious of her appearance and purposely wore loose fitting clothes at the time, her pregnancy was not obvious. Many of her staff were taken quite by surprise when she told them of it.
So she did conceal her condition. She had the poor sense, because she's such a narcissist and attention grabber, to schedule a speaking engagement in Dallas very late in her pregnancy.
Her water broke, just hours before her speech, but she went ahead with it anyway. My speculation is that she was unwilling to miss the opportunity to get into the limelight and consciously or unconsciously, she really didn't want to have to raise a developmentally disabled child. Parkside hospital was a short cab ride away.
She was at great risk of having such a child, given her age. She was in her early forties. The chances of a teenager delivering a child with such a condition are extremely low.
Please note that she already had four widely spaced children, the youngest of whom, Piper, must have been around seven around the time of Trig's birth. The extensive care the child required would have hugely distracted from her political ambitions.
I wonder if she wasn't drunk when she got pregnant, or was just suffering from magical thinking about its likelihood.
After the speech, she waited for a plane to Seattle, flew there, had a couple of hours layover, then proceeded on to Anchorage. I can't recall exactly, but the flight must have taken a good 18 hours.
She was met at the airport by her husband. They drove past three good hospitals (Providence-a Presbyterian facility, Alaska Regional though they might not have done non-emergency deliveries, and Alaska Native Medical Center-since her child would have been 1/16th Yup'ik) all the way for her to deliver in a clinic in Wasilla.
No sane mother who was concerned about her baby's health would have done any of that. It is quite extraordinary that he survived despite her intentional or unintentional efforts. Todd was aware of the situation, so he was in effect a conscious party to the process.
The subject of whether or not she was trying to avoid a miscarriage or a live birth was far too controversial even outside the mainstream media to ever receive publication.”

My reply.


“Kansan - Are you saying that you are personally acquainted with the Palin family? If so, then why would you have to guess at Piper's age when Trig was born? Also, though you seem to know the basic story of Sarah's wild ride, (as we who believe she did indeed fake the pregnancy), call her trip from Dallas back to Alaska, you have some of the facts wrong. Todd was with Sarah in Texas so how could he have met her when her plane landed? Speaking of hospitals, Mat-Su Regional was not even certified to handle the birth of twins, much less the premature birth of a Down Syndrome child. I am not saying that Bristol is definitely Trig's mother; just that Sarah isn't.”

“Kansan” answered.

“Yes, I've known them for 25 years. I've never hung out with them.

However I moved from Wasilla the month Bristol was born, four years before Willow and eleven years before Piper was born. Track was a toddler.

I haven't lived in South Central for 21 years.

I was quite familiar with Track and Willow's serious problems with the law, despite my absence.

I owned property in Wasilla and Big Lake until ten years ago and still visit with friends in Wasilla and hear from them every week or so, I'd guess. I intended to go there five weeks ago but had some health problems that kept me at home. I heard from four people in Anchorage yesterday and one today.

I didn't know that Todd was on the plane with Sarah as I'd never seen it mentioned in print. I did know that he drove her to Mat-Su, though.

I've never heard of a clinic that could deliver children that couldn't handle a Down syndrome child and am not aware, if it's true, that Trigg was premature. I don't know why a clinic couldn't handle a child that was at or was close to full term. I just tried to call my sister who is an expert but she's not home nor answering her cell.

What is your source for those assertions?

I've worked in clinics and hospitals. .

I asked you for your source on your claim that Todd was a "pimp." I've never heard of the book nor the author. I'm not going to spend time on research to determine whether or not her account can be trusted but I'm guessing it's probably hogwash.

I couldn't remember what month Trig was born, but guessed it was late March. It was mid-April.

I guessed that Piper was about seven when her little brother was born. I was right.

I knew that Sarah was doing coke probably years before Joe McGinness ever heard of her. My source was in Anchorage where she'd been working but there was a huge amount of coke snorting going on in Wasilla at the time. I knew she had been busted in Dillingham which has never been published.

Your notion that Trig is not Sarah's but may not be Bristol's is really incredibly far fetched. You think Sarah found him under a cabbage leaf?

Women are infertile for at bare minimum three weeks after childbirth though breast feeding can delay that much longer. Bristol delivered Tripp full term, 286 days after Trig was born, less than 41 weeks later. Please do the math and give up this silliness.”

After getting this reply, I did respond to Kansan but he or she offered no further comments. I have searched the thread, which can be found here:

www.nationalmemo.com/poll-sarah-palin-would-face-uphill-battle-in-u-s-senate-race

but I have been unable to find my last comment to Kansan. I guess it may have been lost.

Thoughts on the remarks made by “Kansan”? Do they ring true?

I also want to apologize for my long absence. Hubby and I continue to struggle with medical and financial issues. It is almost time for my visit to the UNC Cancer Hospital and we have been trying to raise money for the trip. So far we have been unsuccessful and the appointment on 9-11 may have to be postponed. If anyone is interested, hubby’s pens are still available.

http://www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com/

Thanks for any help and I am looking forward to reading everyone’s thoughts on “Kansan’s” insight regarding Sarah.

bladecatz@mail.com

Blade