2016? Already??

Well, heck fire. Sorry I've been away so long; not by choice, I can assure you. Here are some bullet points and a bunch of pictures.

• The mill went on strike in August; I was not allowed to cross the picket line. Was out of work for two weeks while people spit at each other, called each other names, etc. Mill went back to work, but decided they didn't really need the position I held. Now out of work for real. Two weeks later, no work, no benefits.
• Got a job interview; woke up the morning of with strep throat and the entire left side of my head and neck swollen. Didn't get the job.
• Mom is still recovering with her back issues. Dogs are now back home with her; she is getting better and no longer requires 24/7 care. I now go down 2-3 days per week to do her shopping, help her take a shower, etc. 
• Sis's health has taken a sharp nose dive right into the ground. She was diagnosed with heart failure a year ago, but no one offered any treatment or anything. She has had zero medical benefits for the last 6 years, could not afford it once Les had to quit working when he got cancer. I had to start going to work with her so that she could just make it through the day (she was a home health care aide for a private party). She is now on 6 weeks unpaid medical leave, which makes it even more impossible to afford health insurance. I found a policy for her that, with the Obamacare tax thingy, she can afford. She is now seeing a cardiologist who was APPALLED (thank you!) that she has not received any treatment for her condition. She goes in on the 5th for an echocardiogram to see what kind of heart failure she has, then she can be treated for it. She is pretty much 90% bedridden at this point, she can only walk about 10-15 feet at a time before she passes out from lack of oxygen; Les is the worst nursemaid of all time. If I am down at mom's, he never checks on her to see if she needs to eat, or have something to drink, or anything. He thinks she is being lazy because she sleeps so much. I want to hit him in the head with a cast iron skillet.
• I have a job interview on the 6th with the library in Chehalis. I am so excited! It's only part-time, but it has all the benefits that a full-time job offers. Which means MEDICAL! And VISION! My glasses are 20 years old and I just cannot see anymore. Wish me luck!
• Back in August the chicken farm across the road from our home burned to the ground. The firefighters were incredible; with flames reaching heights of up to 150 feet in the air, they managed to keep a 15,000 lb propane tank from exploding, losing a firetruck in the process. They also saved all the homes nearby (including ours). They used helicopters to pull water from our pond in the back, and they used it to keep pumping water on the fire for three full days. 

  

  Pumper truck at the pond

  
  

  

  Fire burns behind mobile home directly across the road

  Most of the pictures I took of the fire itself didn't turn out very well, but you get the idea. The farm had 12 total chicken houses; 8 of them were full with approximately 2,200 chickens in each. They all burned to the ground, no survivors. The fire burned for days. Everyone was extremely lucky. Well, except for the poor chickens. 
• Mom officially retired from the company where she worked due to her back issues. They threw her a little party, and even the mailman came! She was very touched and it meant so much to her.
  
• 
  
• Here are a few random pictures:
  
  
  
  

  

  Our garden turned out quite well this year!

  
  

  

  Lots of lovely onions in the garden

  
  

  

  Prescott Beach turnoff, Hwy 30 south of Rainier, Oregon

  
  

  

  Do you see the stork? Prescott Beach turnoff

Trojan, former nuclear power plant, now a lovely park
South of Rainier, Oregon

Another lovely tree at Trojan

So, that's been my life for the last few months in a nutshell. No time for crafts or anything fun, just an occasional picture or two on the way to or from Mom's. I will have others to post later. I hope to become more regular again as my life (hopefully) begins to even out.

Until next time, TTFN.