Jesse Lee, WOW how excited I was when your mom called and told me that was what they were naming you. I couldn’t believe it, the first grandchild named after me. The spelling needed to be different so a little boy would be ok with being named after his grandmother. I remember the day you were born how it felt to hold you the first time. All the other grandmothers and grandfathers were there but for just a few moments it was just you and me in the world. "Thank you for those moments.”

I am not sure where the years have gone but they have been so enjoyable watching you grow into the strong young man you are. But I miss that cute smile of a 5 year old, the questions and boy did you have questions. The little scraps we had to put a Bugs Bunny band aid on, trying to catch you when you decided you were not going to be. “Thank you for those moments” Grade school, middle school, high school and then collage, who would have ever thought you would be in collage at 16 be please with yourself on this one.

And now you belong to the US Army….but your only 17 how can that be. Ever wonder why a grandmother always start with ‘But he’s only XX” when talking about the things a grandchild does. The Army has no idea what a great young man they have just gotten, as with many families whose men and women have chosen to join the military we have such mixed feeling. Pride oh yes I am very proud of you, I brag about you all the time and what a great kin you are. Deep inside is the worry and fear of what you’ll get into and see while serving your country. So many before you still carry the scares of war some you can see some you cannot. This world is so unsettled right now but it part of life I think.

I support you 100% in your decision to join the Army and I know how excited you are to be part of the Special Forces. But you just have to except how close to tears I get when I talk to you about your decision that is not going to change. If you could take 1 grandmothers tear and break it down you would find so much love, caring, pride, worry, encouragement, and the want to keep that little 5 year old boy 5 for ever. We both know that is impossible so Jesse I will watch for that smile that always gives a quick look at the little boy I miss so much as I watch you walk though life challenges still growing, learning and teaching I am so proud of you and love you so very much. “Thank you for those moments”

Love

Your Grandmother Jessie LeAnn

6/20/09

HAPPY SUNDAY!

Things are normal here in Oregon, rain then sun then rain then wind then rain LOLO.  

Got my new bedroom set delivered about 2 weeks ago so now that means changing the window dressings, the throw rugs, ever notices when a women buys 1 thing new it ends up being mult things new. Like you can’t buy a dress with out the shoes to match and god forbid you don’t have a purse to match the new shoes and then the earrings, you get the idea. I decided to get the bedroom done done done, I have started something in every room but not one room is complete.

My spring flowers are so tall and getting ready to bloom that can’t be right, and I think next weekend we change our clocks a head. March that is like 3 months already into this year before you know it will be Christmas again, I can’t believe I just said that. I will be 62 this year and wanted to retire by the end of this year but I don’t think that will happen with the way things are in the world. But I am just thankful to have a good job and good pay when so many don’t and are losing their homes. My heart goes out to them, I hear people say things I think are wrong like well they took on those payments and they had to have that house stuff like that. Well like me I brought this house knowing I had a good job and could afford it but if I lost my job I would have to sale my home. I disagree when people say things that are so hurt full. We make decision based on our jobs, savings and when those are pulled out from under you it is very hard to stay afloat. I am not impressed with what our Pres is doing but it is a wait and see.

My daughter and her best friends and the two little ones are coming down next Friday for the day I am very excited to see them. I always enjoy there company and the time we have. I have the day off so I am also getting a bid on a heat pump for the house.

I got a Gazelle this past week and trying to see how that works out with my knees. Those who have read my blog for a while I am sure notice the scale for weight loss has gone the wrong way the past couple months so I need to get that stopped and get it headed in the right direction again. Boy weight is a never ending battle. It sure goes on faster and easier than taking it off. I will always be a plus size but I need to take off 50 lbs and it sure giving me a fight.  Have a wonderful week and SPRING is just a few weeks away.

Peace

Jessie

SUPPER BOWL SUNDAY!!  I betting on the Steelers a team I have liked since the 80’s. I am not into all this like I use to be. There was a time I know all the teams the players and the stats and when super bowl came I used those stats to make my pick for the day. I laugh now at how much I enjoyed the game back then it was also the time I was into cars. I belonged to a couple car clubs over the years, Portland Corvette Club and Mt Hood Ford and Mustangs. That was a time I would show my corvette and was known to wash it even when the water would freeze on it, my kit had toothbrush, q-tips, and tooth picks the little steel brush for the raised white letters on the Eagles tires. MY GOD NO WONDER MY KNEES GAVE OUT!!..lol I often thought since my daughter is so into her truck and president of a truck club that she got some of that from me, she does know how to detail out a truck. 

I see there is a recall on Whitey’s Chile that will put a damper on some of the super bowl parties.

And this peanut butter recall in Jessie’s words if they knew there was an issue and tried to cover it up they should lose everything they have and anyone who lost a love one due to the bad food should get part of whatever the government gets out of the companies. There have been 7 or 8 deaths that have been traced back to the peanut butter.

Did my taxes this past week and they are in so now it’s just sit and wait for the refund. Not a lot but I will be able to pay off a bill and get my new refrigerator to match my new stove and micro wave.  Next will be the dishwasher. That will just leave the flooring to replace and then the kitchen is done.

I voted on the best super bowl commercial last night and I see it was the one that one. I have always like mean Joe Green but I love Budweiser with the dogs and the most beautiful horses. So I voted this year on Bud and they won. Joe Green has won something like 4 or 5 times in a row so time for a new winner.

Peace

Jessie

It’s snowing out but not sticking, I am setting here with my coffee and country music on. Have you ever noticed how music can effect your mood. I love all music was raised in a  musical family and swing between rock and country and the last year have been in my country mode.. There are so many good singers and song out now it’s hard to pick 1 song or 1 singer. Different songs make me think of different family members “Those Muddy Water” brings my brother to mind he was baptize in a river and is very proud of his Pentecost back ground (holy roller) and have ministered gods words to any one who will lesion and a few who didn’t want to. (I say that in a loving way) It’s hard to pic one for Karen my sister it would have to be rock and something hard and loud but in the end a message. Me I have several that take me back depending on my mood. There we are again “Mood” I love rock and something loud on my way to work in the morning to get me awake and moving and coming home easy music to help me to deal with traffic..lolo  I really don’t know much about new rock I am still thinking, Gun and Roses, Aero Smith, Rolling Stones, I have no idea who the groups are now.

The song most of my old drinking friends say remind them of me in my drinking and party days was ‘Straight Tequila Night’ and then “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off”. I have to laugh now but I wonder if I would back then..lol I much rather have the radio on than the TV. I enjoy Jazz when out to a nice dinner you can talk while it is playing with out having to yell over it. What is the song or singer that takes you back with a smile or tears? It would take an whole other blog to just list the love song I like so many out there that are great.

Speaking of singers who ever told Billy Ray Cirrus his hair look good?? Lolol

Friday I took off work and had Christmas with my daughter, since she was in high school we have taken a day just for her and go shopping and have lunch and that is her Christmas. When she was in Hi school she came up with the idea because she realized she would get much more for the same money if we went shopping after Christmas. When the boys were little David stayed home and keep them for us and off we go. This time we went to my grandson High School first and watch him give a presentation and then went to lunch at TGIF’s which neither of us had been to in a year or more then off to the malls. We had a great time and got a lot of great stuff. I only have the one child and I value the time we have together as with her being a busy mom of 2 high school age boys and a husband she doesn't’t have a lot of free time so when it is just her and me I enjoy it very much.

I am still shopping for a bike but not in a hurry because I can say with out any thinking about it I am not a winter bike rider..lolo so it will have to dry up get warmer and stay light later before I plant my fanny on it.

Will I hope this next week is good to you and will catch up with you next Sunday.

Peace

Jessie

Have you ever spent a few hours in a Tea Room?  Yesterday was my first time and it was enjoyable but not my cup of tea (excuse the pun). A friend who I enjoy being with invited me to meet her and another friend there for lunch. It was in a town called Sherwood Oregon and it was in the old town part. It was easy to find but parking was not..lolo I was a few minutes late but not bad. You have to have reservations. It was really nice in side very cute and the dishes and cups were beautiful. White linen table cloths and little gold spoons, and beautiful cups and tea strainers. The gals I was meeting went ahead and ordered for us as they have been there before and know what they wanted. We each got to pick the kind of tea we wonted each got our own large pot.

This is what we got and it was $18.00 each. The seasonal fruit was about 5 red grapes and two slices of orange. I had a pot of  cocanut tea was very nice. This is the link to the Lavender Tea House http://www.lavenderteahouse.com

Lavender Tea

Sweet cream scone served with clotted cream & strawberry jam
Four tea sandwiches
Seasonal fruit
Assortment of mini desserts
Pot of tea

It has been beautiful here the last few days, cold but sunny and I can take the cold when there is sun to go with it. I took my Christmas tree down last night yes last night. I was so beautiful this year I hated to remove it but there comes a time and if I didn’t take it down soon I could of removed the gold stuff and put red hearts on it for Valentines day..lolol

I am ready to do my taxes have everything but my W2’s and I hope I get it soon I want to get them done and over with. I had to pay state last year but I hope not to this year.  I have a full year of interest and tax’s on my home  so that should help.

I am now also on facebook not sure why or if it is for me but my daughter is on it and though I might be able to find some of my old school buddies.

Everyone have a great Sunday and……

Peace

Jessie

2009! Boy did it get here fast. Remember when you were a kid in the 50’s 60’s and so on and those numbers never entered your mind except in the movies.  J 

Our snow is gone and the rain hit so now the flooding and landslides and we have had both. I-5 the main interstate freeway between Mexico and Canada so has a lot a trucks using it was closed for 2day as 20 miles of it were underwater. They thought it would be closed till Monday but it stopped raining for a day and it is now safe to travel. They had the trucks go though first that was an awesome sight on the news as there were so many parked along the highway and in fair grounds up and down the highway there were so many stuck on both end of the flooding and then an hour later they started letting cars go though. December was a crazy month for weather and it’s not normally our worse months Jan and Feb are.

Going to take my Christmas tree down this weekend I really would love to keep it up, as it is really beautiful this year but there comes a time and a cat. Mr. Ming has been really good not even looking at it till the last couple days.

Because I couldn’t get out on Christmas I had my Christmas on the 3ed at my daughters and also my grandson’s 17^th birthday party. It was a nice day and a dry one.

I rejoined weight watchers, yes yes yes AGAIN! I stopped last April I didn’t realize it had been that long ago but gained back 20 pounds so needed to get back on the right track. I like weight watchers because I don’t have to give up anything I like just change how much, when and how often I eat it. So here we go again..lolo

I noticed it was a little lighter last night when I left work, for a while I left for work in the dark and get home in the dark and when it is like that I get a lot less done. It’s like you don’t have any daytime to do anything. I love the longer days when I get home I seem to have more energy.

We have a new pres now and new ideas I hope and pray he not only does what he said he would do but the congress and the senate will back him also. People forget to put as much time in choosing their congressmen and senators as they do the leader of our country because most of what he wants has to pass both of those offices.

Happy New Year!!

Peace

Jessie

I was born in Kansas City Mo and have lived cost to cost and know what snow and ice is. Have chained up many a times. One of the nice things about Oregon and living in the northern part is you don’t get snow and ice or at least not often and not much to brag about. You just drove an hour to Mt Hood and you can have all you want. WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that has ended this past week and coming week. It has snowed every day and some ice every day. This weekend it snow and ice storm mix, now to most that is no big deal if you live where you see lots of both. But keep in mind I am living in a state that doesn’t and so people don’t know how to drive in it and schools close the min the news said the word SNOW. The kids have missed a full week of school and I have to agree getting to work this week and home have been stressful but I just put my car behind an 18wheeler and stayed there as they are driving slow and chained up. It will be a white Christmas and it has been years since that happened, the last good snow storm I remember was 1968 and it reached the top of our cattle fence. 

Yesterday in Woodburn was the memorial for our police officer who lost his life in the bombing of one of our banks (see blog below) today will be the one for the state officer who lost his life.  They have arrested a man and his son for this bombing.  http://www.kptv.com/news/18318666/detail.html

Due to weather I have not gotten my Christmas shopping done, but told my daughter if it snows I will stay home and have a late one with them. There are only 33 miles from me but on ice that can be a long 33 miles. I will miss a wonderful dinner that my daughter does but maybe if I am lucky she will keep me some leftovers..lol

I did a Christmas letter this year to put into my cards, how do people make them so interesting and funny? I was lucky I got 1 page and hope it doesn’t put anyone to sleep when they read it. Do you do a Christmas letter? If so how do you make it so interesting? Maybe I need to keep a journal all year and take from that.

I wish you all a safe and wonderful Christmas and may 2009 be very good to you.

PEACE!

Jessie

This weekend in my town of Woodburn Oregon, someone put a bomb at one of the banks. This action killed two police officers and one left in critical condition at OHSU in Portland Oregon.

This loss to the families and Woodburn of these two men cannot be measured or put into words. My heart goes out the families of all 3 of these men who were married and had kids.  

WOODBURN, Ore. - Hundreds of law officers spent Saturday looking for clues, interviewing potential witnesses, and gathering what evidence they could in connection with the bombing inside a Woodburn bank.

A manager at the West Coast Bank branch on Highway 215, just east of I-5, found that bomb late Friday afternoon, in the bushes outside the bank. This followed a bomb scare which had occurred earlier in the day at another bank, which is right next door.  After the bank employee found the device, police came back, and for some reason, took the bomb inside the bank, where it exploded.

The blast killed William Hakim, a senior state trooper and explosives technician; and also killed Woodburn Police Captain Tom Tennant. Both Tennant and Hakim were 51 years old. The critically injured victim was Woodburn Police Chief Scott Russell. He was taken to OHSU Hospital in Portland.

Hakim is survived by a wife, a 16-year old son and 18-year old daughter, the State Police said. Tennant was a 28-year veteran of the Woodburn force with a wife and children ages 24, 22 and 17.

Asked why officers took the bomb into the bank, Lt. Gregg Hastings, spokesman for the Oregon State Police, said Saturday: "That we don't know."

But with a bomber apparently on the loose, authorities had more pressing things to worry about. They had no suspects and no motive in Friday's bombing.

"That person is dangerous and needs to be found as soon as possible," Hastings said. Federal authorities said they were offering a $35,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.  That reward could grow; the Oregon State Police Officers Association is taking donations to add to the reward total. To donate to that reward fund, call 503-393-6535. And the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has set up a Hotline to gather information. Anyone with any information about the bombing, possible suspects or any information which may be pertinent is asked to call that ATF Hotline at 1-800-800-3855.The explosion around 5:30 p.m. Friday followed a bomb threat call to a nearby Wells Fargo branch bank. The State Police said Saturday that investigators found "a suspicious object" that turned out to be harmless.
But the police said their investigation led next door to the West Coast Bank, where the bomb was found.

Bank President and CEO Robert Sznewajs said the bank manager found the device Friday in a survey of the grounds undertaken after an employee got a call about the Wells Fargo incident and law enforcement officers had made a check.

Hastings declined to describe the bomb in detail but indicated it was powerful. The inside of the bank was extensively damaged, state police said, and a female employee was treated at Salem Hospital and released. Another bank employee was uninjured.

Police said late Friday that a Woodburn police officer had died. The State Police said Saturday that one of their bomb technicians had also died at the scene.

Police opened up a large area around the bank Saturday that had been sealed and allowed traffic to move freely on a nearby state highway. They had earlier said there was no evidence of more bombs.

Investigators included state and local authorities as well as officials from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Detectives were still in the bank building on Saturday.

The federal agencies were acting as advisers and hadn't taken over the case, said Marion County Undersheriff Jason Myers.

"At this point, it's still a local-level investigation," he said.

Joe Langley, who pumps gas at a Union 76 station a few blocks away, said the blast sounded like thunder.

"It's just a small bank with nice people working there," he said Saturday. "I don't know why anybody would do this."

Woodburn is about halfway between the Salem and Portland. It has a population of about 21,000 and is home to many blue-collar and agricultural workers in the valley's extensive nursery crops business.

The two bank buildings are near each other in a commercial strip through the center of town.

Can you believe Nov is here???? I will start planning my Thanksgiving dinner this weekend and make sure who will be here and what they are bringing. Funny I have to plan it as it is the same thing every year.lol

We are now into are rainy season, as the weather man said this morning only for the next 6 months or so. I really don’t mind I love the cool air and the sound of rain hitting the roof.  A little thunder and lighting is ok too. I don’t like wind but I think that’s from being from the Midwest and the awful storms we had.

I talk a lot about my grandkids and daughter and also about my brother but not much on my older sister Karen.

As the youngest I always looked up to Karen, she had a mind of her own and walked to the beat of her own drum even when it wasn’t even close to moms and dad’s beat. She was a sick child and we are lucky we still have her. The life style she chose or direction didn’t help her health. Dad always said he pointed all 3 of us kids down the same path, Karen just decided to take a different turn.  She was the one who ran a way several times, didn’t finish school, married young, and ended of a widow way to young. Karen is 5 years older than me and I can still remember the talk we had once when I was a young teen I couldn’t tell you another thing about the talk except the one thing she said. “If you ever do the things I do I will beat you myself” Funny how I remember that. I never did all the stuff Karen did and what little I did I was luckier than her and didn’t get found out. She always did sooner or later either by dad or the police.  I have always felt and dad did to that part of it was because they were so hard on her and not let her do a thing because partly due to her health and they worried she would get sick and part because this was an era where girls just didn’t get to do much.  By the time I came a long healthy and loved to rough house they had lighten up but it was too late for Karen. We moved from a small area outside of KC Mo to LA when I was 9 and Karen was 14 and they gave her a little space you know the saying gave her an inch and she took a mile? I think that came for life with Karen.  Karen and the family had a fallen out that I will not go into but it was when mom and dad both were so ill and dying. We didn’t see her for a few years and when mom died I told the family SHE would be at the funeral and no one would say or do anything but show respect to her as it was her mother also who we had lost. That was in 1995 I did not see her again till 2001 when I went to visit her and I have not seen her since. I call her every month or two and would like to go visit her either this winter or spring as she is in another state so it’s more than just a drive over. I love my sister and have always been the go between her and my brother who have not spoken since 1995. I look back and our lives and wonder why things ended like they did, as it would hurt mom and dad to see the space between her and Mike. But when looking back that space was always there even when we were kids, and I was always in the middle..Lol Karen has settled down, retired and watches her grandkids and great grandkids while their mom and dad’s work.  Funny sometimes it seems like just yesterday we were all running around the zoo in KC and now two are retired and I hope to join them in the next year or so retired also.  So Karen if your reading this I wish I could tell some of the stories that I remember that included me but to protect us both I will not.lolol   LOVE YOU KAREN !!! "IF IT ANT A HARLEY IT ANT A BIKE!!" "CHOP IT AND THEN CHOP IT  AGAIN"

Peace,

Jess

WELL SO MUCH FOR CAR POOLING AND TAKING A SWIMMING CLASS TO HELP MY LEGS. FOR SOME REASON MY BOSS DECIDED SENIORITY MEANT NOTHING WHEN IT COMES TO SHIFT AND WE ALL GOT CHANGED AND I ENDED UP WITH ONE THAT DOESN'T’T ALLOW ME TO DO EITHER OF THE THINGS ABOVE. REMEMBER WHEN SENIORITY MEANT SOMETHING, LIKE THE BETTER VACATIONS, BETTER SHIFT IT WAS THE WAY THE COMPANY YOU WORKED FOR THANKED YOU FOR YOUR LOYALTIES STAYING WITH THEM. I KNOW THAT IS OLD SCHOOL EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYERS NO LONGER CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER LIKE THEY USE TO AS MUCH AS I HATE THE UNION THERE ARE TIMES I MISS THEM, I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT.  FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS..LOLOLOL

THE TEMP HAS REALLY DROPPED; IT WAS IN THE 40 HERE AND IN THE 30 ALL AROUND ME. I GUESS I BETTER BRING IN MY PLANTS THAT I KEEP INSIDE IN THE WINTER SO I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A SNAP.

I HAVE BINGO TONIGHT NOT A GAME I REALLY LIKE BUT I SET WITH THE BEST PEOPLE AND WHO LAUGH ALL NIGHT. WE HAVE HAD OTHER WALK OVER AND ASK WHAT WE LAUGH AT ALL THE TIME. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR YOU.

I AM STARTING TO LOOK AT BEDROOM SETS; MY LIVING ROOM IS ALMOST PAID FOR AND NEXT IS THE BEDROOM. I AM TRYING TO GET ALL NEW BEFORE I RETIRE AS IT WONT HAPPEN AFTER THAT. NICE TO HAVE NEW AS THE ONE I HAVE IS NICE BUT THE KIDS GAVE IT TO ME WHEN THEY WENT FROM QUEEN TO KING SO IT TOOK ME FROM FULL TO QUEEN WHICH WAS NICE.

WILL ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE FOR WORK, SO YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

PEACE

JESSIE

Hello blog world!! Here we are in Oct, and the weather changed fast. It has rained the last couple days and will for the next few. I even had the fire place going this morning to take the dampness out of the house.  My yard is sure looking greener and growing faster. Speaking of my yard I now have a landscaper. They only charge 9.50$ a week to mow both the front and back and they edge once a month for an extra $6.00 per month. I have a bad knee that I will end up getting a knee replacement on and it was getting harder and harder to keep it up myself and here in the Estates it is really cheap to have it done. Every one keep telling me I was nuts doing it but I really didn’t mind but there comes a time when you have to say ok I give up. lolol now the good parts 1) it is nice to come on and it is done so it looks really nice for the weekend. 2) 3 nice looking guys do it and if I could get them to take off their shirts and use a little oil I would get me a tall drink set in my lawn chair and enjoy very much watching them mow..lololo one mows the front, 1 mows the back and 1 does the edging. I told my daughter they were done before I would had the 50ft drop cord rolled out…

I started deep water excerise class I go twice a week and it has been interesting but enjoyable. I hope it will help my knees. I want to get a bike to ride here in the estates as there isn’t much traffic except for golf cars and I can paddle faster than they go..lolol

The grandkids are back into school so they are really busy with school and after school activities.  Both are doing so well but they grow too fast.

Since I took the transfer to a different office for the company I work for I cut my mileage down from 660 every two week to 380 wow what a difference on the gas bill and I am also car pooling so I only drive 5 days every two weeks so that cuts it to 190 every two weeks what a blessing. The gal I car pool with is very nice and we have a lot in common she is just a year older so we chat all the way.

Have you fallen asleep yet?? LOLO Ok I will give you a break and end this.

Have a wonderful week.

Peach

Jess

Are you ready for a Disaster?