This and That

Where has the time gone??

2011-11-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Wow,

I was just cruising around the internet and realized that I have not blogged in 4 months! A lot has happened in that time.

1) I moved from Hope to Sandpoint.

2) The Ivey's and I are building a house together! The foundation is done and the floor is being poured this week (yes, it is a concrete floor).

3) Several grandchildren (and adults) in my family have had birthdays. Today Jordan is 11, Owen has recently turned 3, Zoe had her birthday during our family reunion (she is now 5), Megan also had her 1st birthday during our family reunion, Bill Gillice had his birthday (#64??) on July 4th (also during the family reunion), My mom (Bea) will have hers in just two more days (she will be 77), brother Tom had his in Oct, as did his daughter Lillianna, and also my niece McKenzie turned 19! and my nephew Jessie (#32?), my son James had his 35th birthday in Sept, his wife Desta also had her birthday in August (I'm not sure which one, and she probably would just as soon I not tell), ...in short time is passing and we are all getting older.

4) I am working every Friday and the first three weekends of each month. I work for home health and hospice in Libby Montana, about a 90 mile trip. I, of course, stay in Libby when I am working. I love the job and my co-workers.

5) My health is improving steadily! Whoo hoo, I just went to the doctor for a yearly physical, and he was amazed at how I have been able to get off of the 26 pills per day (21 different prescriptions) and am looking, feeling and acting much healthier. He made the statement that he wished he could take credit for it. LOL. [Anyone wanting information on how to improve their health and well being, just send me an email. I would love to share more].

6) I have started a family genealogy blog...but then got stalled due to both computers (PC and laptop) dying on me. BUT I have now bought a new iMac and am gradually beginning to add that back into my routine. If you haven't seen this blog, you can visit it at www.Archibald-Tolman-Collingwood.blogspot.com

So as you can see, my life is very busy and full. Now onto chit-chat...

Today it is snowy. We got 3 inches overnight with more expected over the next few days. So early this am I shoveled my car out and skidded my way to Les Schwab where I stood, second in line for 45 minutes for them to put studded tires on my car, it took them 7 minutes. Then I drove home without skidding! Earlier this week I took the car in and had the heater fixed, oil changed and a new battery put in. Now I am set for the winter! I hope

Living in N. Idaho [and working in N. Montana] is very different than any other place I have lived. In Tennessee it was hot and muggy. In California it was hot and dry. In Oregon it was warm in summer and cold in winter but a very different type of cold. Here in Idaho it is wet and cold, and snowy. This morning I felt like I was going to turn into a frozen yogurt (fat free of course) and it was only 32 degrees F. Either the moisture makes it feel colder or I am needing my thyroid medication again! [Anyone know of any herbs or vitamins that help the thyroid?]

So now you are caught up on my "happenings", let me know what is happening with you. You can contact me by email (cgillice@gmail.com) by telephone (406-334-0155) or snail mail (350 N. Division, Sandpoint, ID). I would love to hear from friends and family!

We never really appreciate what we have until it is gone. You are all gone from my daily life, and I appreciate and miss you more than ever. Let's not let time disappear without keeping in touch.

The Fourth of July, 2011

2011-07-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July

Today is the Fourth of July. It is a day of celebration, a day to celebrate family, friends, and our freedom(s). On this day we may go to a parade, or we may have a family barbecue, or we may fish, swim, boat, ski and play. Today is a day for celebrating the freedoms for which our ancestors fought and died. The freedoms which we so often take for granted.

Our ancestors lived without those freedoms that we assume are our birth-given rights. The freedom to worship when and where and how we want. Even, the freedom to not worship at all. The freedom to say what is on our minds, even when we make fools of ourselves. It is our right to express every thought, whether it is good, bad or stupid. It is our thoughts, our opinions; and in America no one has the right to take them away from us. At least not yet, not until we allow them to be taken from us.

Today we will eat anything we want, as much as we want, and when we want. Our ancestors did not always have that freedom. They went without many times, so that we- their grandchildren, can have those things that they lacked. Would they be pleased to see us fat and slovenly? Would they even be able to believe that their descendants have the freedom to walk into a grocery store and buy foods grown from around the world? And not just have the freedom to buy them, but the ability to earn enough money to do so? We today have those things that they did not even dream were possible.

Yet today, do we appreciate these things, these blessings in our lives? Most of us do not. We expect there to always be stores overflowing with foods. We expect to have the excess money not just to buy those things that we need, but also the many things that we want. Has there ever been a time in America when the average citizen had the ability to indulge most of his extravagant wants?

How did we get to this place of bounty? What did it cost us?

Most of us were born into it. Most of us don't even realize that it has been and might again become a world of lack rather than abundance. We have clothes, not only to keep us warm, but to make us stylish. We have food, not only to keep us alive, but to make us a country of fat people. We have freedom of speech, so that we not only say those things that are important but we actually say a lot of those things that are not necessary to say. We speak without thinking, just because we can.

We in America have become the most self-indulgent, self-serving nation on the earth today. And yet, we are still the best, for although many of us do not appreciate the gift that we have, it is non-the-less a gift. Our freedom is a blessing never seen before in history. We have a nation that has never been matched, and may never be again.

But like all gifts, it can be taken away. Our ancestors fought and won the Revolutionary War in 1776. Our ancestors again fought and won a war with England in 1812. We won our freedom twice from the mother country. We have fought within our own continent. We have gone to war in the name of freedom in other countries. Many have paid the price for our continuing freedoms today. But do we understand and appreciate what we have?

Today is the day to celebrate this gift of freedom. But what will tomorrow bring? Are we doing those necessary things to hold onto our freedom? Some seem to think that the majority of Americans do not have the wisdom to self-govern. Is this because they see us over-indulging, with no regard for the consequences of our decisions, our actions? Are we really unable to govern ourselves as our forefathers intended? Is America in need of a dictator to save us from ourselves?

There are those who seem to advocate this approach, and it seems that there are those who are happy to comply, to let someone else tell us what we need, what we want, what we should and should not say, do, and be. Will Americans let someone take our freedoms away? Do we not realize that a self-governing people must actually govern themselves? What must we do to stay a free nation under God?

It is my philosophy that we need to raise our children so that they will be God controlled, not man controlled. Our children start out being parent-controlled. We attempted to teach them to be self-controlled, and from there they must make their own decision to be God controlled. I think America could once again thrive, if our children could, at least, become self-controlled.

Those who founded our country were men of self-control. They desired that which we have. They did, and would again fight to make this a nation that is free to self-govern. To be a self governing nation, we must be a self-governing people. Do you have the ability to govern your self? Do you have self-control? Maybe this is the place for each of us to start in our never-ending journey to stay a free nation. Let us each strengthen our own self-control. For a nation of people who are in control of themselves, is a free nation of which to be proud.

I pray that I can be one of those self-governing citizens. I pray that I will continue to live in a nation that is governed by other self-governing citizens. I pray for this nation, this home of the free and land of the brave. Long live America.

Gillice-Stanley-Ivey Family Reunion in Quotes

2011-07-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

All of the Gillice, Stanley and Ivey families have come together for a week of food, fun and frantic activity! We have been having a great time. Bill and Kathleen Gillice, Cathy Jo Gillice, James, Desta and their kids Zoe and Owen Gillice are here with Josh, Jen, Jordan, Belen, Rebekah and Megan Ivey and last but definitely not least, JoAnne, Vic (Butler) and Tre Stanley. We have been together for 3 + days, and so far everyone is still talking to everyone else! (haha) Grandpa Brit and grandma Beth Ivey have also been here some of the time and will be visiting on and off this week. Yesterday we had a large family photo taken of everyone. It took a couple of hours and much moving around but I think that we should have some good ones in there somewhere. I got my picture taken with all 7 of my grandkids. It will be a couple of weeks before we see the proofs and make a decision on which ones to buy. Today many of us went to our local LDS branch/church, and since it is the first Sunday of the month is was 'Fast and Testimony' meeting. On the first Sunday of each month we fast from Saturday night until dinner on Sunday night (we then give the money saved on those meals as a fast offering to our church to be used to feed those in need), and during our church service, individuals who want to do so, stand up and share their testimony. Usually I take notes when we have speakers but on Fast Sunday it is harder to take notes...although as I sat in our pew, surrounded by many of my children and grandchildren, I did attempt to take notes. (Note: it also helps me to stay focused as my ADD mind tends to wander otherwise). Well, today as I was taking notes my granddaugher Jordan Ivey, took my pen and paper and started to write her own notes. It started like this: I wrote: "Live by Hope-do not be pessimistic..." (quote by) Doug Fluckiger, branch president. Jordan wrote all of the following: "I'm going fishing." by Josh Ivey "Be comfortable and happy." by Jennifer Ivey "Be crying and poopy." by Megan Ivey "Be glamorous and serious." by Belen Ivey "Eat all of the goodies." by Rebekah Ivey "Let's go swimming naked. Just joking." by JoAnne Stanley "Let's go play pool." by Tre Stanley "Aaah, I touched a slug!" by Zoe Gillice "Raw, I'm a dinosaur." by Owen Gillice "The reason why Marshmallows are called Marshmallows is because they are from Mars." by Vic Butler (Mr. Stanley) "Time to go to bed." by Desta Gillice "Everybody charge! We can't let Uncle Stinkypants get away." by Jordan Ivey "Uncle Stinkypants" is on his way..." James Gillice (this is to be sung to the tune of James' song Love is on it's way) "Yes, you can have that sweety". Cathy Jo Gillice "Oh Bill, stop that!" by Kathleen Gillice "Let's light up some fireworks." Papa (Bill Gillice) The End All I can say is that Jordan seems to have found the essence of each person in our family. What a hoot! I hope no one is offended by her "image" of each person in their (fictional) quote. I personally found this very enlightening and humorous. So back to the family reunion for me. Cathy

The Memory Eater story written by Cathy Jo Gillice

2011-06-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Memory Eaters 2

WC 4241

The warm sun smiled on my face as I strolled along the teeming sidewalk. Everyone that I passed was a stranger, but I didn’t care. I had moved here for that very reason. I came to escape my friends and family, to escape those who knew more about me than I knew about myself. This new town, these new people, they did not know about the holes in my past, the holes left by the memory eater.

As I approached Mom’s Café, I waved to my new friend sitting at the table in front.

“Hey Tami, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

“No, I just got here. I’m so glad we could meet for lunch today.”

“Me too.”

We ordered our lunch. I got my usual oriental chicken salad and she ordered a hamburger and fries. I never will understand how some people can eat anything they want and stay slim. I had met Tami the week before when I started working in the Dr. Dahle’s office. Tami was the nurse and I was the new receptionist. It was the first time we have gotten together away from the office and I hoped that we would become more than co-workers. I found it hard to make new friends, especially after the memory eater procedure.

Tami was a talker, so I had no problem with the conversation, until she started asking me questions that I couldn’t answer.

“So Connie, what brought you to Eugene?”

I could feel the blood drain from my face. I gulped. I opened my mouth to answer but no words came.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” She looked puzzled.

“No. I just swallowed something the wrong way, that’s all.” I tried to cover my reaction.

“I moved here because…um, well because I have always felt a strong desire to live in Eugene. It’s a college town and I always thought it would be a fun place to live.” I improvised.

I actually had wanted to live in Eugene for a long time, but I couldn’t remember why I had felt that way or even for how long. But how did you explain that to someone who hasn’t had her memory erased?

“Oh, well you’ll like it here. There are lots of things to do in this town. And of course if you want to take classes there are loads of those around here too.” Tami chuckled, “Probably more things to do in this town than you’ll ever want or need to know.”

She proceeded to tell me about the art classes that she took in the evenings last semester, and how her brother was a full time student, majoring in psychology. I listened politely but tried not to make too many comments. I have always found that if you show too much interest in other people’s lives then they feel obligated to show an equal interest in yours. I just wasn’t ready to have anyone find out about my memory problems.

I didn’t think that my memory eater procedure would affect my job or anything else important, I just wasn’t used to having these small ‘black holes’ in my head. I hadn’t figured out how to work around the gaps in my memory yet.

That Saturday afternoon we walked downtown, enjoying the sunshine and blossoms. We parted with the promise to get together for dinner on Tuesday night. And of course, we would see each other at work on Monday.

I have been told that I asked to have my memory erased. They said that I was depressed after my divorce. I suppose it was true, but I really couldn’t swear to it. The truth is I can’t remember being married, or even in love. It sounds strange I know. If I was depressed, I’m not anymore.

Now I have a new life. I have moved to a new town, started a new job, and I am making new friends. I’m happy, or least I will be happy once I am settled in to all this ‘newness’. I suppose it beats having a broken heart. I really don’t remember.

The next few weeks flew by as I adjusted to my job and began to make friends. Then one day, what I feared, happened. I was driving down a one way street, I think it was 6^th St. and suddenly I saw a house. Of course, I had never really seen it before. But somehow my heart remembered that house, even though my brain didn’t.

Have I seen this house before? I wondered, I feel like it should be my house.

The house had everything I ever wanted in a house. It had a large wrap-around porch with an overhanging roof, and a white railing around it. It also had a large window that looked over the flower garden that was in full bloom.

This is my garden. I could imagine the garden soil drying on my hands. I could envision the autumn trees turning gold and red. This house is meant to be mine.

I pulled my car to the side of the road and put my head on the steering wheel. I waited for the dizziness to pass. Did I actually know this house? Had I been here before?

My fear of the ‘black holes’ in my brain, returned. What other things might I have forgotten? I wiped the tears from my cheeks as I realized, I would always be tormented by the missing memories. I would never be free from the moments of panic that come with any awareness of those forgotten memories.

After a few minutes I continued the drive home. I immediately telephoned my mother, a first since I had left my hometown. My family had signed a confidentiality agreement before the procedure. It was one of the requirements. I was always nervous that she would tell me something from my past that I didn’t want to know.

“Hi mom,” I said when she answered the phone. “It’s me, Connie. I just wanted to call and see how you and dad are doing.”

“Oh honey, it is so good to hear your voice.” I could hear the tears, and my guilt began to grow.

“How is your new job? Do you like Eugene? When are you coming home to visit?” She bombarded me.

“Mom, everything is going well. I just wanted to call and see how you’re doing. How are you?” I asked, not really knowing what to say, but wanting to make a connection with someone from my past.

“Dad and I are fine, but we miss you Connie.”

“I know mom. But you knew I had to get away for awhile. It won’t be forever mom, I promise,” I reassured her.

I let her gabber on about my sisters and their boyfriends, and my dad’s golf game, and Auntie Jo’s new Rottweiler puppy. Finally after about 15 minutes I told her I had to go.

Just as I was about to hang up, mom pleaded, “Connie, honey please reconsider going to a MESS meeting. It would help you cope with the changes in your life. Please promise me that you’ll go to one.”

“Okay, I promise mom, just one meeting,” I regretted my promise even as I made it.

The next Friday night I drove myself across town to attend MESS. Memory Eaters Support System meetings are held in many cities now, since the M.E. procedure became the new “prosac”. M. E. is a non-pharmaceutical means to treat depression , PTSS and other mental and emotional disorders. No side effects, they say. But if that’s true, why are there so many people attending these MESS meetings?

I drove my new hybrid-Toyota, the one that I got in the divorce settlement; the divorce that I couldn’t remember. As I pulled into the parking lot of the old church building I noted that there were about 30 cars.

“I hope that there is a prayer meeting next door,” I mumbled to myself. Crowds weren’t my thing.

As I walked through the door, I heard a familiar voice saying, “Hi, my name is Tami, and I had my memory eaten.” I stopped in my tracks. It was Tami, the nurse that I worked with in Dr. Dahle’s office. I’d had no idea that she had also had her memory erased. She seemed so happy, so normal.

As she sat down, I slid into the chair beside her. She looked over at me and her shocked face must have been a reflection of mine. She sheepishly grinned at me. I couldn’t talk but I took her hand in mine and we sat quietly, listening to the next speaker. That evening I realized that we would become close friends. We had so much in common. Both of us had the M.E. procedure. We were survivors of “something” that neither of us had wanted to remember, so here we were, both with holes in our memories.

After that night we spent even more evenings doing things together. We each understood when the other didn’t have the answer to a seemingly normal question. She’d had some kind of trauma that would have ruined her life but she didn’t know what it was and therefore was happy and content, while I had been through a heartbreaking divorce, so I’m told, and now I am happy and content. Except we each have some fears of the unknown in our past. ‘Phantom’ fears they call them.

These meeting were the fertilizer that grew our friendship. I took Tami home with me for Christmas at my parent’s home and she took me to meet her brother at Thanksgiving. We never told anyone else about our M.E. procedures. That was the past. We were learning to live in the present.

We attended MESS every Friday night. Often we would go out to clubs or bars, or to the movies afterwards. I began to make other friends, both from the MESS meetings and other places. But Tami became my BFF.

We almost never talked about our worry about what we had forgotten. Less and less I felt the panic caused by the black holes in my mind. We had one another for support at work, when we were out socializing, and of course we had our MESS meeting. Then one night our lives took a giant step forward.

We were sitting in the MESS meeting when a tall, blonde man stood up to share. I immediately felt flutters in my stomach, and when he sat down next to an equally handsome redhead, Tami whispered to me, “Let’s go talk to those two.”

The four of us went out afterwards. Tami seemed to be interested in the redhead. I was definitely interested in the blonde. This became our routine, every Friday night after MESS Tami and I would go out with Justin and Adam.

Justin opened the door, “Are you girls ready yet?”

Tami grabbed the picnic basket, and I grabbed the blanket as we hurried to greet the guys.

“We’re ready.” I replied as the four of us trooped out to Justin’s red 1965 Mustang convertible. How can you not like a guy with a car like this? His taste in cars is as great as he is. Over the months that the four of us double dated, I noticed that Justin and I had similar tastes. For example, we liked the same cars, I loved his Mustang and he said that when he got a second car it will be a hybrid like mine.

We went fishing and picnicking several times. We once took a day trip to Multnomah Falls and hiked to the top for a picnic. Another time we went fishing up the McKenzie River, also taking a picnic. We even went to the tulip show once. We had so much fun together.

As we drove to the Rhododendron Gardens to share a picnic, Justin and I sat in the front. As we were all four talking and laughing back and forth, Justin turned to me and quietly asked, “Connie, would you like to go out with me?”

I laughed, “I thought I was going out with you right now.”

“I mean would you go out with just me? Not on a double date, but with just me.”

I stopped laughing and looked into his clear, deep blue eyes and answered, “Yes.”

I couldn’t stop a smile from curving my lips as I watched his face break into a giant grin. Alone. He wants to be alone with me. I could barely contain my excitement.

Justin and I dated through the spring and summer, occasionally including Adam and Tami but more often just the two of us. He was so fun to be around. He was considerate, and kind. He was sweet and funny. He was everything a girl could want in a date. I fell in love that summer.

By the fall I didn’t think I could spend a night without his phone calls, or our frequent dates. I loved to be with him. He made me feel special. He made my heart race.

When I told my mom on the phone about my new boyfriend, she sounded hesitant. She must have been worried about my past, the past that I couldn’t remember. She was probably worried that I wasn’t ready to fall in love again.

Truthfully, I don’t remember the first time I fell in love, so I don’t need to get over the past. She just didn’t understand that. I was sure that she would warm to the idea of me having a boyfriend once she met him and realized that he was a wonderful person and that he would never hurt me, not like my ex-husband must have.

When Justin kissed me, my heart raced, my fingers and toes tingled. I longed for more. When we finally went to bed together, it was literally like the first time for me. I had no memory of sex. But it was beautiful. It was if we were made for each other. I didn’t feel clumsy or awkward as I had feared that I would. It was as if we each knew what the other wanted and needed. It was perfect.

Throughout the summer we spent as much time together as we could. I adored him, and he treated me like a princess. So in the fall when I began to suspect that I might be pregnant, I was thrilled. I wanted to spend my life with Justin and to have his babies. My life was perfect.

“Justin, I have something that I need to tell you.” I whispered in his ear as we lay together. He continued to kiss my neck and run his hands down my back and along my thighs. I kissed him again. “Justin, I love you.” It was not the first time that we had spoken of our love.

I hesitated, “Justin, I think I’m pregnant.”

“Connie!” Justin’s face showed his surprise and his pleasure. He smiled as he pulled me closer. “I can’t believe it, a baby. You’ll be a wonderful mother, Connie.” He kissed me deeply. Then abruptly he shouted, “I’m going to be a dad!”

I laughed. We spent the night in a rosy cocoon, sharing our warmth and our happiness and our love.

I called my mom, “I’m engaged, mom.”

“What? To that guy Justin?”

“Yes, of course to Justin.” I huffed at her.

“But…Connie, I …”

“Stop, mom. I don’t want to hear about how you think that I’m not ready, or how you think that I need more time to recover, or how your think it’s too soon.” I rushed to tell her.

“Connie, there’s som…”

“Mom, I don’t want to hear it! Justin and I are getting married, and it doesn’t matter what you say. I love him and he loves me.”

“But, Connie…”

“Mom, I’m pregnant, and I am getting married to Justin. There is nothing that you can say to stop me.” I slammed the phone.

My mother never said another word about it being too soon for me to get married. The next day I talked to her again and she forced herself to keep quiet about any misgivings that she might have had. Crimemanny, she hadn’t even met him yet.

We planned the wedding over the phone, mom and I. It was to be a small intimate wedding with just a few friends and family. I wanted to get married in my parent’s backyard before the leaves had all fallen. Justin and I didn’t see any reason to wait, especially since the baby was coming. So we planned to be married in two weeks.

My Uncle Jessie would perform the ceremony. He has married everyone in our family since he became a minister over the internet; so he would marry Justin and me. I didn’t want a white wedding dress because even though I couldn’t remember it, I had been married before. I just wanted to wear my pale yellow silk dress. The decorations for the reception in my parent’s backyard would be yellow, orange, and brown; all the colors of autumn. The leaves would be turning on the apples trees in the orchard behind the yard.

My Aunt Yvonne would make the small three tiered wedding cake, with artificial white birds on the top instead of a bride and groom. I told her my colors only, I didn’t care about the details, she could decide on those. My mom printed out the invitations on her computer, using a special program that she bought. The basics were covered, that’s all that mattered.

I was excited about the wedding but also beginning to feel the stirrings of morning sickness. The fatigue and nausea were dampening my ability to worry about the details. I only wanted to become Mrs. Justin Overman, nothing else mattered. Justin understood.

We talked about the wedding and our future constantly. We already knew that we each had gone through the M.E. procedure. That had brought us together. Our families were not allowed to speak of the past that we had each erased from our lives, so we felt that it didn’t matter to our future.

While my parents were taking care of the wedding details, Justin and I planned our future. We decided to buy a home, so almost daily we looked at houses. Tami and I would go look at houses during our lunch break, and when we found one that I was interested in then Justin and I would go back that evening. Tami and I looked at more houses than Justin and I did.

Justin was busy working. His friend, Adam was planning to fill in for him at work so that we could take a week for our honeymoon. Although we didn’t have much extra money, it was important to spend some alone time as husband and wife, so we planned a week on the Oregon coast.

A week before the wedding we looked at the house on 6^th St. Tami and I both loved it. It was the house that I had seen that day right after I had moved to Eugene. It still felt like it was meant for me. I loved that house on first site, so I took Justin back to see it. He fell in love with it also. So we returned to the R.E. office and made an offer.

Buying a house seemed straightforward, but when you’ve had a part of your memory eaten, there could be unexpected complications. In our case, we had both been married before, so we each had some credit history with another person that, in my case, I could not remember. We were worried about having credit problems related to our ex-spouses. But when the bank ran a credit check there were no problems. I was so relieved. I wanted that house, and so did Justin.

It appeared that there was life after M.E. We even stopped going to MESS meetings. We didn’t think that we needed them anymore. We were both over whatever had been in our pasts. We were in love. We were starting a new life together. We were going to have a baby. Live just didn’t get any better.

Two days before the wedding, Justin and I went to my parent’s home in Albany, just an hour or so up Interstate 5. Justin’s parents drove over from Bend. We all met at the Sizzler near the Mall. It was the first time I had met Justin’s parents, and he mine. Everything went well. His mom and dad immediately got along with mine and his accepted me without that awkwardness that might sometimes occur with second marriages. My parents seemed to love Justin right off the bat. Things were looking great.

The day before the wedding Justin and I met Adam and Tami for lunch, and then the guys went to Justin’s motel room to get ready for the rehearsal and dinner, while Tami and I returned to my parent’s house. When we got to the house, my mom was in the kitchen talking with Justin’s mom Cathy, but as we came in the door they stopped talking. They seemed uncomfortable with us in the room. Maybe they didn’t want us to hear what they were talking about. Maybe it was a wedding surprise.

I was glad that they were getting along so well. I looked forward to Justin’s family and mine becoming good friends. After all they would be sharing a grandchild.

Later that night, at the rehearsal dinner, I saw our father’s talking together. They had been waving their arms around as they talked but when Justin and I came into the room, they stopped talking completely. Oh, oh, were our dad’s not getting along? I watched them closely the rest of the evening but never saw anything else that worried me. So maybe it was just my overactive imagination.

My Uncle Jessie patiently walked us through the rehearsal. The yellow, orange, and brown leaves softly floated onto the ground between the folding chairs. My artificial silk flowers perfectly matched the colors of autumn around us. The rehearsal went smoothly, and the dinner was delicious. Kimmel’s Katering, an exclusive catering service owned by a cousin provided the food.

My extended family members and Justin’s seemed to get along well. I was surprised at how comfortable everyone seemed to be. Everything was going perfectly. Justin and I agreed to each go home early to be prepared for the next day. Justin, Adam and a few cousins from both sides went to his hotel for a nightcap before he retired. I went home with Tami, my maid of honor, to my parent’s home for my last night as a single woman. I was getting married in the morning. It would be the only wedding that I would ever remember.

The day dawned bright and sunny; which is not always guaranteed in Oregon. I knew that it was a sign, a blessing on our wedding. The morning sickness that frequently ruined my mornings was not to be that day, thank God. Tami and I spent the morning eating a small breakfast, then doing our hair and nails, finally getting into our dresses and preparing for the 2 pm wedding.

The house was full of people and the usual confusion associated with events of this type. It reminded me of the wedding preparations in “Steel Magnolias”, although there were no birds or gun shots involved. It was just the run of the mill, butterflies-in-your-tummy type of mayhem. It was wonderful.

“I do,” I said as I gazed into Justin’s blue eyes.

“I do,” Justin replied when it was his turn. We smiled.

We kissed when we were told to, and the room erupted in shouts, laughter and clapping. We were man and wife. I had never been so happy in my life. The glow of happiness surrounded us throughout the afternoon and evening as we cut the cake, visited with family and friends, danced and finally had dinner with our guests. Before we left on our honeymoon, our two mothers brought us a box wrapped in wedding paper.

“Don’t open this until tomorrow morning,” they firmly instructed us.

Puzzled, we agreed. We drove away in the Mustang with the top up. The drive to the coast took us under an hour and a half. The winding road making me feel slightly nauseated, whether from carsickness or pregnancy is unknown.

We had a romantic first night as husband and wife, and I woke the next morning and again had no morning sickness. We ate breakfast in our suite, then after a long shower together we dressed and prepared to go sightseeing along the shore.

The Oregon coast can be very windy and cold so I got my coat and prepared to leave when I noticed the gift that our mothers had given to us.

“Justin, let’s open this now,” I suggested.

“Ok.”

We sat closely together on the sofa in our suite. I was excited to see what this mystery gift from our parents might be. Maybe it was something for the new house, or the baby. I held Justin’s hand tightly for a minute, then let go so that I could pick up the package. I made Justin help me take off the bow and we peeled back the paper.

“It looks like a photo album,” I stated the obvious.

As I opened the book, my heart stopped. There on the first page of this photo album was a picture of me and Justin. A wedding photo; Me in a white dress, and Justin in a black tuxedo.

The nausea hit it at the same time as the realization hit. We were married; Again

New blog started but this one will remain...

2011-03-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

I am adding a link to my other/new blog. This one will remain my "letter writing" blog, where I will continue to write newsy and sometimes long blogs to those I want to keep in touch with (you). The new blog is where I am writing my spiritual lessons learned! I will be sharing those spiritual things with any who are interested. Hope you will be interested but if not, that is ok too. I love you all, my friends and family. Unfortunately, I am just too lazy to write that many individual letter so am resorting to writing one letter to all. It does not take away from my love for each of you individually. I will attempt to send short emails to individuals but I am not very good at following through on the emails...I promise to try to do better in the future. Right now I am busy reading, and writing. I am feeling the creative juices flowing and am trying to focus that energy into worthwhile projects. I have about 7 people who follow this blog and I love each one of you. I have a history of losing touch with people, even some who have been so very important to my life, such as you. I do not want to let this happen again so that is my motivation behind blogging. I want to keep in touch with you! If you decide to blog, I would like to be one of your followers, so that I can always know what is happening in your life. I hope some of you might be interested in the new spiritual insight blog and will be willing to add comments and advice for me. Take care. Cathy

Time flies when your having ...well time flies anyway.

2011-02-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I just spent a week away from home, working in Libby again. I love my job but this time I wore myself out. I did not feel how tired I was until the day I got to stay home (yesterday). I was so tired that I ended up staying home last night from the BIG soap box derby at church. There was a potluck but I was just too tired to go. I wanted to go to bed and sleep but didn't because it was way too early, then when bedtime finally got here, I could not fall asleep. Finally, exhausted but awake at midnight, I put in my "Mama Mia!" DVD and that immediatly put me to sleep. I find that now, after watching the movie over a thousand times I will immediatly fall asleep when I turn it on. I still love it, it just relaxes me. I had to run it three times during the night to get any sleep. Each time it goes off I wake up and find I can not fall back to sleep, so I put it on again. I have my laptop on the empty side of my big queen size bed so just sleep right there with it. It is healthier than medications! Today has been a very productive day. I finished up my talk for Relief Society tomorrow. Then I spent a little time with Josh going over my budget for the month. He is handling my money for me now. What a blessing!! Then I did my taxes online and will be getting a refund. At work I had to take a "new" personality type test. It is called the InnerMetrix DISC Index and it measures your behavioral, value and motivational styles. I brought the results home with me so that I could review them. Boy is it right on! It has me pegged, both the good and the bad. Not always nice to see yourself in black and white, but supposedly I will learn about myself and become more productive. I am a little surprised by a few things but mostly not. I will sum it up here and you can tell me if you think it is right. As far as my values and motivation go I am: Very High Aesthetically, meaning I place great importance in finding a good work-life balance, creating more than destroying and artistic self-expression. Low Economic, meaning I am a team player and may put other's needs before self. Very High Individualistic, meaning I demonstrate high independence and project self-confidence. (this one surprised me) Very Low Political, meaning I tend to be non-competitive and demonstrate a higher service orientation. High Altruist, meaning a high desire to help others learn, grow, and develop. Average Regulatory, meaning able to balance and understand the need to have structure and order, but not paralyzed without it. Average Theoretical, meaning able to balance the quest for understanding and knowledge with the practical needs of a situation. I personally think that some of these Values have become learned over the last few years. I am sure that just two years ago I would have looked different on paper. I think that experiences in life can change our values and motivations, at least it we are learning and growing. The other part of the test is the four components of my behavioral style. The four areas are called: 1) Decisive (how I tend to approach problems and make decisions). I have the following words to describe me: Unobstrusive, agreeable, mild, conservative. 2) Interactive (how I tend to interact with others and share opinions): Sociable, enthusiastic, inspiring, poised, charming. One specific trait that they mentioned that I totally agree with is: "You (meaning me) suffer from a fair amount of procrastination when it comes to tasks that require you to work with too many details all by yourself". THAT IT ME! 3) Stabilizing (how you prefer to pace things in your environment): Patient, predictable, passive, complacent, stable.4) Cautious (my preference for established protocol/standards): Cautious, perfectionist, systemic, careful. The thing I did not tell you about this test is that it shows my natural inclinations and also how I try to behave in the work force/around others. The above are me when I am the most comfortable. It shows that I try to exhibit other traits in the group or work setting. Of course don't we all. This test is from the Anthony Robbins Coaching and can be found at http://www.tonyrobbins.com/. My company paid for us to all take this test (I think) but you can try it and see if you can take the test yourself. Josh is here at my little house right now fixing the rod in my clothes closet in my bedroom. It fell down (I probably have too many clothes). He is giving it extra support so I can cram lots of clothes back in there! I have been trying to go thru my clothes and get rid of the ones that are too big but I find that everything is too big except around my stomach. UGH, I hate that I tend to gain and keep fat on my belly. Does anyone have any advice? My arms and legs are losing like crazy...I have the extra, sagging skin to prove it! I have to go finish up my talk for Sacrament tomorrow. Yes, I have to give two talks tomorrow. One in Relief Society and one in Sacrament meeting. I actually love to do the research and put together a talk. I don't mind giving it either...if I don't make a big fool of myself. Well, time to go for today. I am going to try to write more often as I find that writing makes me think and I enjoy thinking...LOL Love you all, Cathy

Working again

2011-01-30T23:17:00.001-08:00

Hi all, Well, here I am in Libby again. I am justing finishing up another week-end of being on call. It has been a good week-end with just enough patient visits so I'm not bored but not too much to do. The weather is COLD here (after we had a few days of the weather getting almost warm, around freezing or just above). Now it is down in the teens. Tomorrow morning I will be heading home, going over and through the mountain pass...hopefully it will be plowed by the time I head home. I saw on her blog that Jen's girls were out playing in the yard yesterday and realized that they were only about 10 feet from a moose! That could be a very dangerous situation! They were smart enough to hurry inside before the moose decided that he did not like having them around. The area where we live also has bears (not active at this time of year) and deer, and other wild life roaming around. If you can visit their blog site you will see the view of the lake from their deck. It is beautiful and everything is covered with snow right now. I will try to get a copy of the picture to post. I love to watch TV when I am staying here in the "dorm" room. I miss the news and some of my old favorite shows. But I know it does not hurt me to miss out on TV. In fact I actually enjoy getting the whole season at once and watching all the episodes in the correct sequence without commercials. I get more done without the TV on at home too. I have been experiencing menopause symtoms for over a decade now and lately have had two new symptoms added. The ones I have had for years are "hot flashes, insomnia, grumpiness, fatigue, mental/memory problems", but the two new one are "night sweats" and a really weird one "cold flashes". Has anyone out there had cold flashes? It is not cold just from the hot flash ending or from the moisture of night sweats...It is more like my bones get totally chilled and I cannot get warm no matter how close I stand near the heater. My skin will get warm from the heater but my bones stay very chilled! Weird. Will this menopause never end??? I think I have put in my fair share of time and misery! Does anyone have a suggestion for a food supplement or vitamin or herbal remedy? I will not take anymore prescription medications. I have gone through months of misery getting off all of the medications that I have been taking for the last decade or more. So far my blood pressure and other ailments have remained stable. Losing weight is the key, I'm sure. My doctor is keeping tabs on me and is pleased with my health at this point. I am still working on improving my health with an improved diet and increased exercise. I will be going in for another round of lab work in Feb. I am reading a book named "Dr. A's habits of health" that is really great. I may start sharing what it is teaching me in future blogs. My new motto is "To become what I want to be I have to be what I want to become". I say this to myself many times a day, sometimes many times an hour. I have very far to go but at least I am headed in the right direction (I hope). I have been working on my family genealogy alot lately. I am determined to write a book with not just the facts, such as date of birth, etc...but also I want to include information about the person, his/her interests, accomplishments, personal writing/journaling, stories written by others about a person. I would like to make each person become a real person to his/her descendent (us). I have not had anyone send me any information that I have asked for...so if YOU don't get your information in the book it will not be because I haven't tried. Please send me written information and personal stories...to my address: 43 Bass Lane, Hope, ID 83836. I have been starting to print out completed pages (families) but I still have a lot of documenting to do. If you have your birth certificate or the birth or death certificate of someone in the family, would you please send me a copy. I would like to document each person's information. I use US census information to determine families and approximate ages of family members. But I can only get census information that is over 70 years old. I need modern information and I can not get some of it myself. I need people to send me their information. You may not realize it but I can not ask for a copy of just anyone's birth certificate. Now that my kids are grown I don't think I can get their's either. Mom could you send me a copy of dad's death certificate. I do not need originals, just a copy. Today I was talking with a patient and spouse about how they play cards with their friends and it made me think of all the times I used to play card with my girlfriends in Bend. I miss the times we used to get together. Wish I could get together with you guys for a good night of eating and playing games. Maybe sometime this year. I have a long list of people and places I want to go see this year. I have some old friends that I have not seen in decades and some that I have not seen in almost a year. I want to see you all! I am also determined to go see my children and grandchildren in Utah and California also. I am missing so much of their lives and it is frustrating that I can not see them more often. My Zoe and Owen do not even know me. It breaks my heart. And Tre is probably taller than me now! Well, I have been rambling for too long now, so will go see if I can fall asleep yet. I need to get up early and get on the road home. Talk to you all later. Love Cathy

New pictures to share with you all...

2011-01-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends and Family, I am stressing the F's because that is the latest letter than my granddaughter Rebekah has learned how to recognise by sight and sound. She is wanting to learn to read so we are spending lots of time on each letter, learning it's name, it's sound and many words that start with that letter. I will post a picture of our collage when we finish it. I am enjoying living so near my granddaughters! We have a beautiful view of the (frozen) lake and also at night we can see the lights on Switzer ski resort across the lake. WOW, it is so awesome. I hear tomorrow we will be getting a big snow storm too. Today it is really cold (~12 degrees) and icy with old snow on the ground. Josh and Fern have had a "construction guy" putting in their new wood burning stove into their house all day today. I am not sure if he is done or not, I should give them a call or walk over and see if it is done. Although I will admit that I am tired and sleepy right now so may just wait until tomorrow. I have almost finished cleaning the old house. I ran out of rug shampoo so need to go back to finish up the floors. I have a few cleaning supplies still there also. But will be done soon. Now with the snow coming I may be slowed down again. I am also so sore that I can hardly move. My arms, shoulders, neck and upper back are really stiff and painful. I took a hot bath with Epson salts this am and it may have helped some but the tightness and stiffness is increasing again. It may just be the Fibromyalgia flaring up from the cold, wet weather also. **I want you opinion. I was talking to a friend from church the other day and she told me that she thinks that I was mis-named. She thinks that I am a Jillian. What do you all think? I like the name but seem a little old to be changing my name at this time. I guess maybe I could use it as my pen-name when I finally write a book or two. I have been doing lots of genealogy research. I just discovered that I am first cousin 9 X removed from Benjamin Franklin. There are also other names I will share later. I am trying to get all of the information that I can so I can get it into book form. If any family has anything to tell me or add, please just zip off an email to me at cgillice@gmail.com. Or you can also go to http://www.ancestry.com/ where I have two family lines going. One, the Archibald line, is just my direct line to Theodore Turley, and the second one is the Gillice line, where I am trying to get everything put on it. So if you are a relative of mine please get your information to me. I spend lots of time doing my genealogy and I love it. It makes me realize that I am as American as apple pie, and Michael Jackson! I am attaching some a new picture of me. Please also visit my facebook to see the new pic's I am posting there. Talk to you all later....I may just go take a nap now (and some aspirin too). Love you all, Cathy Jo

Life goes on..and on...and on... (LOL)

2010-12-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry, just being silly with the title. I am just back from working in Libby and staying there for 5 days (in the dorm room they provided for me). I was on call over the weekend and saw a few patients too. I went to see the new Harry Potter movie while in a town with a theater. I enjoyed it and can't wait to see the second part of the last movie. I am in Heron, staying at my old house, trying to get some packing done. I have a hard time doing it alone because I can not decide what to do with each thing, throw it away, pack it or give it away. I know that I need to throw more stuff away. I hope to be done her in the next couple of days. It is the 8th today and although I considered myself moved into the new place on the 1st...I still have stuff to move. I may end up just throwing things into boxes and sorting them in the spring when I have a big yard sale. I really want to be done! I have only spent two nights at the new house so far because of being out of town and packing in Heron. I hate to travel back and forth too much because of how fast the gasoline goes! My mom is moving to Minnesota this coming Sunday. I can not believe how fast the time has gone. Today it is one year since my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. I can not believe that a year has gone by. It just seems like last month. And he has now been gone 9 months! I miss him. I am putting some recent pictures of my grandkids up here so that my friends can see how fast they are growing. I love being a grandma, I just wish I could see the grandkids that live in Utah and California more often. My diet is going great. I weigh less now than I have in many years. I feel better in many ways too. Having too much weight can be very uncomfortable and I like weighing less. It doesn't look like it shows up too much yet but I can feel the difference inside. My clothes are also getting too big also. I love it. I am teaching in Relief Society (women's organization at Church) one Sunday a month and have now be called to work in the nursery also. I remember how much I loved nursery when Belen was in there. I really got to know her well during that time. I wonder if I will still be there when Megan gets old enough. That would be great. I do work a couple of Sundays a month right now though. Josh got his Buck (deer) with a gun this year. He still has a license to go hunting with his bow. Hope he gets another one! I will add his picture with his Buck to this site also. Jen and Josh have been very helpful and made me feel welcome to live in the house on their property (beside them). I am looking forward to a big garden with them, going fishing and swimming off their dock, and kayaking in the lake by the house. Well, I'd best get to packing again, or I'll never be moved out. Love you all, Cathy

Losing weight, and moving to Hope, ID

2010-11-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I have been eating the medifast diet. It is the easiest diet I have ever experienced! It fits my lifestyle. I started about 3 weeks ago (maybe four) and have lost 20 lbs. I feel better, my labs have been great...this is the first time that my triglycerides have ever been in the normal range! All my labs were perfect (except my liver panal is again slightly elevated... my autoimmune liver disease rearing its ugly head?). I am feeling pretty good, although of course age is catching up with me. My fibromyalgia has been causing some aches and pains but it is cold and wet here so that is to be expected. Overall life is looking good. I am in the process of moving from my great old house (that gets pretty cold in winter) to a very small cabin/grandmothers cottage behind Josh and Fern's house in Hope Idaho. I guess the bear can come back here now! It is snowing and the snow is about 12 inches deep or more. My siped tires are doing ok driving on flat hwys as long as I go only about 34 mph. I have already moved everything that is going to the new house except some clothes and food. Everything else in this house is being boxed up and put into storage. In the spring I will have a BIG yard sale!! That should pay for the winter of storage fees. I am still trying to find home for 3 dogs...Sweetie has a new home already. I am relieved to have found her a family that really wanted her and I think will love her. Well, I need to get back to packing so I can make a trip to the new house tomorrow. I am spending tonight in the house in Montana so I can get some packing done and also fax my paperwork into my office tomorrow. I will continue working occassionally in Heron and Noxon and also once a month or so in Libby, at least until I get my bills caught up. Talk to you all later. Cathy

James DID IT !! It is finished !!

2010-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hi to you all. I am attaching a letter from James (my son) about his latest CD. Please read. You can link you bandcamp by using the link I have enclosed. Thanks... http://jamesgillice.bandcamp.com/album/here-nor-there?auto=mp3-320 Greetings friends, family, acquaintances and/or fans...It’s James Gillice here. As you may or may not know, in my spare time I am an independent singer-songwriter. I completely write and produce all of my music by myself. You may even be aware of the fact that I’ve been working on completing my third album for quite a few years now. Well it’s finally done! It is called Here Nor There and it is available to download right now! As you might imagine, I am pretty excited about this. This represents countless hours of work over many years. And now that it’s finished I only want one thing...for as many people as possible to hear and own it. But here’s the problem...it turns out that it is no easy trick in this day and age to get people to even listen to your music, let alone consider parting with their hard earned cash to purchase it. So here’s the deal...I want EVERYONE to own this album! Everyone! If you are reading this, I want this album sitting on YOUR CD shelf, taking up YOUR hard drive space, playing on YOUR iPod, being listened to BY YOU, in whatever way and at whatever time is most convenient to you. That is my greatest desire. I understand that it ridiculous to expect people to pay “full price” for music that they may be only marginally interested in. I certainly don’t do that myself. No one in their right mind would. And so I don’t expect you to either. I know that If I tried to charge (any amount really) for my music, 95% of you will just not be interested, and the music will remain unheard and un-enjoyed. That is just the reality. That is absolutely NOT what I want. Remember, I want EVERYONE to hear and own this album! Here’s where I need your help. As of today I’m making Here Nor There available as a “pay what you want” download. What I need from you is simply for you to GO AND DOWNLOAD IT! That’s it. That’s all I ask. You will be able to pay whatever amount you feel it is worth to you. For many of you that amount might be zero. That’s OK!!! It is completely legitimate and I have no problem with that. Remember, I WANT you to have this more than anything! I’d rather you have it for free than not have it at all. But here’s the other part of it...IF this music IS worth something to you, and you have the financial means to do so, PLEASE pay whatever you feel is a fair amount. No amount is too small or too large. Think of it more as giving a tip than making a purchase. Also, if it just so happens that you DO enjoy this music, there are many other ways you can “pay” for it that have nothing to do with money. Recommend it to a friend...post about it in your blog...post a link on Facebook or MySpace...write a review on iTunes or Amazon...leave a comment at any of those places...there are dozens of things you could do to help without ever paying a dime. The more people that hear about the music the better. But again, the only thing I am truly expecting and asking of you is to PLEASE at least download this album for yourself. That is the minimum “requirement”. Pay if you want, but PLEASE download either way. Please don’t let money be the reason that you don’t own this. Thank you for your time. Happy listening.James -- James Owen Gillice II244 E 900 SPayson, UT 84651(801) 367-7732

WOW, a healthy way to lose weight!!

2010-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends and Family, I know that some of you may share my weight challange, so I want to share what I am learning. There is a company out there that has a medically sound weight loss program that has been tested by the John Hopkins Medical Research team and shown to be healthy and effective. I am so excited about it and wanted to share it with those I love. If you are interested in knowing more go to the website by clicking on the title above. My daughter Fern is the one that discovered it from a friend of their's who has lost a lot of weight using it. Fern has decided to use it (you know, those extra baby pounds, especially after the 4th baby), and also become a coach. I am her second person to sign up (she just started this week as a coach) and plan to possibly become a coach myself later (depending on my energy level). If you do nothing else, check out the client testimonials and the medical research...maybe you know someone who would benefit. This program is not just for someone who needs to lose 10 or 25 lbs but it is really for someone like me who has health problems and needs to lose over 100 lbs. Well enough for now...I am just excited to find this program and wanted to share with those I love. Cathy

The latest poop...I mean scoop

2010-10-10T07:38:00.001-07:00

Hi all, It is Sunday morning and I have a couple of hours before I leave for church so thought I would drop a line to my friends and family. Well, first of all... I finally was approved for social security disability! I signed up over 1 1/2 years ago, and Friday I went before a SS judge and was approved. She made the decision right there. I have no idea how long it takes to finally get a check but at least I know that I will be able to pay the rent in the future. I have not talked about my disability with many people, only my closest friends and family even know. I will not go into details here. In general my disability is the result of many various health issues that have prevented me from more than part-time and occassional work for the last few years. It was determined that I am unable to work 8 hours a day on consecutive days (I've known this for a long time now). It is ok if I work just a little bit, which I have been doing and will continue to do. I just can not handle more than that... I have been picking the "fruits of my labors" in the garden lately, and have very little to show for it. One huge mound of potatoes produced two large potatoes and about 5 little radish sized potatoes. I have about 12 small green tomatoes, one gallon sized bag of broccoli, and a few small beans and pea. I have picked several turnips and a few beets, these I feed my worms and chicken (yes only one chicken). Next year I want to get my veggies in the ground earlier and hope for a longer season. My neighbors had a huge field of corn, that grew taller than my head. Yesterday they were pulling out the stalks, probably for their cow. Anyway, my first year as a gardner in Montana did not go so well. It was my fault because I did not plant early enough and did not spend near the time in the garden that I needed to. I am looking forward to next year. Next week my mom and sister Cheri will be here to visit for a week. I can hardly wait. I am thinking about what things we will do. I would like to take them to Hot Springs, MT for a day. There they have real hot springs where we can soak in the "healing" water. There are several places where we can go. I would also like to take them up to Libby and spend a day. There we will sight see (ie. go see the river, go around the town, eat out, etc). We will probably just stay home a couple days and relax, watch DVD's, and play games. One day we will go visit Jennifer and the kids, maybe go to Sandpoint to shop or go to a movie or the mall. I will have to work a couple of days (which means a couple of hours on two days). I am really looking forward to them being here. Of the 8 kittens, I have 5 left. I have made arrangements to have them all spade and neutered. The local "humane society" (actually a place called "Pets for Life") has a program where I can have all nine cats done in Kalispell, MT for only $25. They told me to be sure to include the 3 kittens that have homes already. I promised to keep the mother cat. I think I might keep one or two kittens (if they are fixed, why not?). The kittens are so cute to watch. They play constantly. I can not step or sit without almost crushing one or more of them. My old cat, Ginger has reappeared. She is skinny and is eating like she is starved (which she probably is). She is staying in my bedroom, away from all the other cat/kittens and seems very happy to just sleep on my bed. My house is now full of litter boxes!!!!!!! The only thing that I hate about cats. Yesterday I had a new entry door put in. No more light around the edges of the door. No more breezes coming in around the door. It is great! Today sometime the man who put in the door will be back to finish the trim around the door and fix my leaking toilet. I am so happy that I found him. He lives in Clark Fork, ID and it turns out that he knows Britt Ivey and Ray Sherman both from my church. In fact he was telling me how the mormon missionaries would not leave him alone! LOL Anyway he is a real nice young man and is willing to help fix different things around here (as I have the money). What a blessing he is! Well, I guess I need to go get prepared for church. I will post again soon. Love Cathy

lions and tigers and bears...oh my!

2010-09-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

What, you say do lion and tigers have to do with Montana? Well, a couple of days ago I saw them right here in Montana. There is a house that I pass by everytime I travel to the east frm Heron. It has sculpted elk, bear,and other animals in front of the building. It looks like an old business of some type because it is very large. It also has big black bars covering all the windows. From the front it appears deserted. But it actually has a family living in it, and they are licensed to rescue wild animals. They have two tigers and I stood only five feet from one of them, with just a chain link fence between us. There was an electric fence there also but it was turned off as I was going to need to climb over it to get in the house. They have a bobcat that runs around the house freely. In talking with the owners I learned that they rescue only carnivores. They told me that they had one bear at this time and they would be keeping her because she is five yars old and very small. They called her a midget bear. They told me about the many bears that they have raised and released into the wild who continue to come back "home" to vsit nightly. Then they showed me pictures on their digital camera taken the evening before, of multiple bears in their yard (that I had just walked through to get to the house). There were about eight black bears of various sizes and one grizzly bear. This house is about 7 miles by road to my house but actually only about 3 miles if the animals crossed the river directly to my side. I had no idea that there was a grizzly so near! We talked for a long time about where they get the animals and what they do with them. They are very interesting people. I hope to talk wth them again someday about the things that they have done with animals. They have a whole wall of windows that face the yard where the bears gather each evening. They will be recieving another wild animal soon...I think they said a bear. They do not take money from the government because then they would not be allowed to release them back into the wild. While they treat them like pets, they do not keep them forever if they are able to live in the wild. The wife told me that of all the wild animals that they have had only one was unteachable...her little dog! Well that is the end of the lions, tigers and bears story [sorry no lions at this time]. Love Cathy PS please excuse typos, as I am not wearing my contacts at this time and cannot see what I am typing...

Quick Request for Family members...

2010-09-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

I am working on our family genealogy. If you want to be included please send me the correct spelling of your full name (maiden also), your birthdate and place of birth including town, county, state. also your parents information and siblings, also include death dates and places of those you know. Please pass this request on to other family members and everyone can send their information to: cgillice@gmail.com . Thanks for your help. If you do not know the information but know how I can get ahold of the person please send me contact information also. Also include information on multiple marriage and children from each marriage. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

New job details...

2010-09-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all, well I started orientation for my job working home health and hospice in Heron & Noxon, MT. I will be case manager for the patients in my area. So far I will have one hospice patient, on Thursday I will be admitting him/her to our services. That will keep me working about 1 hour per week or so. I am looking forward to having this low hour, and low stress job right here in my neighborhood. I will not have to drive 60 or 70 miles to work (one way) once orientation is completed. I will make a little extra money, and I will feel like I am contributing something to the community. I oriented with a nurse from Thompson Falls today. I will be working out of the local medical clinic (10 miles from my house), and probably mostly from my home. I will only need the computer, a fax and a phone most of the time. I will pick up supplies from the clinic office once a week or so. I think that I should be able to handle this caseload. :) The nurse I was with today said that the last 20 people she oriented all quit! She thinks they quit because they were young and there was not much work and the pay is really low. I think that this will be perfect for me! I am really looking forward to this job. It will not be so bad in the winter as going far away would be. The hospital that owns the HH/Hospice dept. that I am working for, is located in Plains, MT which is farther and smaller than Thompson Falls. There is a Les Schwab in Thompson Falls, which is about an hour from my home. There is also a Les Schwab in Sandpoint, ID and in Libby, MT which are about the same distance from my home. I love living out here in the boonies! No one thinks anything of driving 3+ hours to go to a hospital or doctor's office. There are no big towns closer than that. Sandpoint is probably the largest town near me and it is 45 min to an hour away (and in another state). Missoula is 3+ hours away, Libby is only 1.5 hours away. Missoula has the biggest hospital of those towns. Sandpoint has apopulation of 6000 people, while Thompson Falls is probably about 2,000 and Libby is just a few more than that. Sunday in Sacrament we had the best talk from a woman who is 90 years old. She has been a member of our branch longer than anyone else. I cried through her talk, it just really hit me powerfully. I will share it with you all the next time I blog. My grandkids are back in school, at least the two big girls (and Tre in California, of course), Rebekah and Zoe are starting back into pre-school also. Little Megan is so happy and smiley all the time now. No more fussy baby. She is so fat!! All cheeks. Owen's second birthday is coming up soon. Time sure flies!! Well it is time for me to go work on my wood pile (fire wood) before it gets dark out. I have my rabbits for sale, as winter will be hard and I may be working long hours on some days. They need to have their food and water changed at least twice a day during the freezing winter months and I do not want to have to worry about them this winter. The chickens are down to just 2 now and they will be ok. I will be trying to get the kittens placed within the next week or so, then I need to get the mommy cat fixed. My fruit trees are full of crabapples, and pears. I need to get some picked before the bears come back to feast on them. The crabapples are a bright pink and have a tart/sweet taste to them. Yumm. Pears are still a little small. I would like to plant more fruit trees sometime in the future. I have an apple tree in the side yard that I have not even looked at to see if there is any fruit this year. My tomatoe plants are full of green tomatoes which I need to pick before it freezes out. Well talking about these things has made me realize I need to get outside and work!! Talk to you later. Love Cathy

2010-09-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I had a pre-employment physical, which included a Tdap shot (tetnus, diptheria, pertussis). The pertussis is a new vaccine for adults, because of outbreaks of whooping cough around the US. I read that California is having a very high rate of whooping cough right now. Anyway, last night I started having pain in my arm, then during the night I kept waking up because of the pain, and aches in all my muslces, as well as joint pain and stiffness (which I have a lot anyway) and pain in my armpit and worse nausea. I feel like I have the flu. Fortunately I did not have to work today. I start the new job on Monday. I am tired/lethargic, my temperature is 98.6 which is high for me, it usually runs about 97.0. This is just a low grade fever, which they saw happens often with this vaccine. But I feel terrible. I was going to go camping with our church family tonight but I feel bad and it is raining out, so I am not going. I am not getting anything done around the house today either. What a waste of a day. My arms hurt too much to lift things or do anything that requires movement. Ok, thanks for letting me complain. Now on to better things. I brought home three vans full of scrap wood (left from a contractor's job). I have stacked pieces that will be good for projects around here, I have removed nails from pieces that had them, and now I am cutting up big pieces so they will fit in the wood stove. I need about 10 cords of wood for the winter. The church men brought me four loads of firewood, about 1-2 cords. I have been building a cover for my wood pile. I have close to a cord of wood left from last year. I am well on my way to having enough for the winter. They say it is supposed to be a long, hard winter this year. I had a contractor come from the local electric company to evaluate my house to see why it was so cold last year. He determined that all the windows leak A LOT of cold air. They need to be replaced eventually. I have been putting plastic on the inside of my windows, and I will probably put plastic on the outside too, if I can not afford new windows installed. I will be reinbursed by the electric company but I am not sure that it will cover the whole cost...so will have to see. The front door also has big gaps around it. I can see light all the way around. I have advertised on craigslist for someone who can repair/replace the door and frame, on both the back and front doors. He did determine that I have good insulation in the wall and possibly ceiling, but I think that the floor may need insulation also. After advertising on craigslist for a repairman/contractor I got lots of calls & emails. Finally, I got one guy from Clark Fork who called me. He is coming Saturday for me to meet him and get an estimate on each project needed. I also have the name of the people he is working for right now. I need to call them still. I hope that he works out since he is so close to my home. I need to keep working at getting this house ready for winter. The one last thing that needs to be done is I need my wood stove fixed or get a new one. The catalytic converter is broken. Well, my arm can't take anymore typing so I am going to go now. Talk to you all later. Love Cathy

Grow jobs and shrink government - The Boston Globe

2010-08-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Grow jobs and shrink government - The Boston Globe Mitt Romney is right on...read what he had to say in The Boston Globe.

James new song. "Comfort Me"

2010-08-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Comfort Me I really like this new song. It has a new sound to it. Listen and see what you think.

Update from Montana

2010-08-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family... I should be going to bed but I had a long nap today so am not too tired yet. I am talking with an old friend, Susan Covello on facebook while I write this. It is so good to have a long talk with a good friend (even if it is typing, not talking). Susan and I used to talk on the phone for hours everyday. We had 60 ft phone cords so we could clean house at the same time. She promises they will come visit (she and her husband Tim) for a fishing trip. I would love that. I have not been able to go fishing yet ...mostly because I can't afford a fishing license right now. Maybe this payday? I am trying to get paragraphs in my blog. I have spaced and indented this line...has it worked? It has not worked before but James says that it should, so I am trying again. I have been home (no work) for the last 5 days and have gardened, moved a pile of wood (for my wood stove), raked up my back yard, mowed the lawn, washed the car, etc. Today I am tired but tomorrow I am going to work about 4 hours at the restaurant... I will be exhaused after work. But I need to fertilize my garden and berry patch, put up a fence around the goat area, move more wood out of my shed so I can make it into a chicken coop for the winter and a zillion other projects around here. If I did not live out here in the boonies and need to do these things myself I probably wouldn't get any exercise. I am finding that I love to sweat! I just get tired too soon! The things that I listed above will probably take me forever to get done. But at least I have goals and things to do. I just have to get up early while it is cool out. Staying up late like this doesn't help me get up early though...When I work in Libby I have to get up at 5:30 am to get to work by 8:00. Then I don't get home until anywhere from 6 to 7 pm. It makes for a long day. My dogs really miss me when I am gone and go crazy when I get home.

Life goes on...and on...

2010-07-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I have been so busy lately. My job in Libby has been so slow..the census was low so they did not even need me one day a week. This last week end was my weekend to work, so I stayed in Libby from Friday am to Monday pm. The hospital provided me with a room to stay in (they have three rooms in a building across the street that they call the "dorm" rooms). I was on call over the week end. It wasn't too bad since I did not get any calls at night. I saw just a few patients on Saturday and Sunday. I work regular days Friday and Monday. Unfortunately, I was nauseated the whole time, finally vomiting when I got home Monday night. For the last two months I have been nauseated every day. Not all day, but for awhile everyday. It feels like being pregnant! I hate feeling sick! I can't seem to figure out while I am nauseated...it occurs when I have not eaten, it occurs when I have just finished eating, it seems to just occur whenever it wants to. Including Monday night I have only vomited three times in the last two months, but I still hate feeling nauseated. I thought that maybe I was getting car sick. But I am not always in a car. I thought that maybe I was hungry or maybe too full. But it is hard to tell because it occurs randomly. It is not related to my blood sugars (I have checked). I may finally give in and go to the doctor. I am just afraid that he will want me to have some tests and I can not afford that...so I keep hoping it will just go away. I hate going to the doctor! Anyway, enough about gross stuff. I am otherwise doing fine. I got a new rooster. My first rooster attacked me a few weeks ago and really gave me some big bruises on my leg. I hate him, so when the chance came to get a new one, who I am told is very nice, I jumped at it. The first thing he did was fight the old rooster and win!!! Yeah! All of my hens and roosters are free ranging. It is supposed to help keep the bugs down, and it sure does help on the feed bill. My rabbits are fine and the goat is becoming a nuisance, every time she gets loose she eats all my plants and makes a mess on my front porch. Oh, I have a new cat. Her name is Scarlett and she was a stray that had babies at Jennifer's house. After they got rid of the babies they asked me to take her. She is a sweet cat, BUT she is pregnant again. I only had her a week when she suddenly looked BIG. I need to find a low cost clinic to have her spayed. ASAP. One gal at work wants a kitten so that will help a little. Maybe I can talk her into taking all of them:) Well, it is time for me to run some errands in Clark Fork...return tapes/books to the library, buy some milk at the little store, visit Jennifer and pick some raspberries. Oh, the huckleberries are ripe already so I should go picking those also. I am planning to make some jams. Maybe I will make some this afternooon! I just need to find some containers to keep jam in... well got to go, love you all, Cathy

Picture of grandchildren and me

2010-07-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here I am with 5 of my grandchildren. These pictures were taken at Christmas time 2009. My oldest grandson Tre was not there and the youngest granddaughter, Megan was just born on July 2, 2010. Their names starting at the left and going up around me are: Belen, Jordan, Zoe, Rebekah, and Owen. Zoe and Owen are my son James' children and Jordan, Belen and Rebekah (and Megan) are my youngest daughter Jennifer's children. JoAnne is the mother of Tre, who wasn't with us that day.

A Party Forevah! (Part 1)

2010-07-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

Megan Miriam Ivey, here are pictures!

2010-07-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures taken of Megan just shortly after she was born. I think she looks like Rebekah, who looks like Belen. Sorry Jordan...

Heading home today.

2010-07-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it is Saturday 7/3/2010, and I will be heading home today. I have a long drive ahead but I am still not ready to go. I did not sleep well last night so am tired this am. I still need to clean out my car...there are some camping things in there that are not mine, plus Cheri borrowed the car and there are some of her things in there still. I need to get going but just wanted to let everyone know that I am heading back to Montana today. I have to work tomorrow in the restuarant where I occassionally work. Tomorrow will be a big day. The 4th of July parade will be going right past the restaurant and we will probably be very busy! I will post again after I get home and after I see my new granddaughter Megan. Talk to you soon. Love Cathy Jo