Labor Day

[BarbaraRose]

Good morning gals,

The mechanic shop brought my car to me at noon yesterday! My first thought was "I'm outta here!!". I packed up what little I had with me in the motel, checked out, and stopped at Taco Bell for lunch. Then headed for home!

I was SO glad to pull in the driveway! I was really tired! Layed down with the cats for awhile and they were SO happy to see me! They would swat at each other out of jealousy thinking I was spending too much time with the other one!

I accidentally took my ADHD pill last night instead of my depression pill, so I was pretty much wide awake all night! Just got a few hours of sleep here and there, so I am really tired today. I am sure there is a nap in the near future!

I have a few things I want to do today but also want to rest up. I have already washed and cut my hair this morning.

Who ever asked about my car, it actually had no problems at all for the first 5 years I owned it. But just the last year or so, it has had a lot of issues. But is it almost at 100K miles so I guess that is when stuff wears out and needs to be replaced.

Have a good day!

[Bethers]

I'm so glad you're home, Barbie. Did they tell you what happened? That was scary but I'm so glad for good and fast service! Get some well deserved rest.

I just spent an hour on the phone and am not sure they figured out why they were having trouble switching my account over, but it's done and I have a month to see if I want to stay with them or they'll credit this month. It looks like I'm not getting as many bars which makes no sense as they are using the same carrier. Meantime this has been a pita and I'm ready to take a nap myself! But not a nap person so I'll go travel on YouTube.

[Acadianmom]

Barbie, glad you made it home. Having a new vehicle doesn't mean you won't have trouble. I have had to have my car towed twice for the same reason. My car and probably other makes have a fuel module that controls the gas pump. It has gone out twice. If it happens again I might be driving a Honda again. I read on Facebook about the newer models of Coach House motorhomes. Every year they put newer systems in and people have problems with them. I know how to operate the older systems so quit changing things.

Sheila, I served the Butter Masala over rice. You are right, it's much easier to make just using a jar of sauce and not having to buy all the spices needed for Indian food. I looked the company up and it's Maya Kaimal. They make 11 kinds of sauce. Their web site says Whole Foods in Lafayette sells all of them. I don't know that I could eat anything spicier than their mild.

I can only see the alligator's head and it's about a foot long so that means it is only about 3 feet long. He is staying on the other side of the pond. I went to a campout in Florida that was on a river. There was a 12 foot alligator sunning himself on the beach across the river and people were kayaking. Not me! Ever so often I hear about someone getting killed by an alligator in Florida.

I was looking at purses on line so now the internet is shopping for purses for me. They found one on sale for $95, I don't think so.

Martha

[Cudedog]

Barbie, so happy to hear that you are home safe, and are getting some rest.

You deserve a break!!

Anne

[BarbaraRose]

Beth, it was the alternator.

I don't know if I should fix my Jeep up and keep it or sell it for something else? Like Martha said, another car doesn't guarantee no more problems. It is like deciding between the evil you know, versus the evil you don't know.

[Bethers]

And what Martha said is absolutely true. I'm changing so much in how I travel, too and if this trip to SD via car works, I'll probably want to get one of the smaller suv's. Went looking the other day and picked my favorite one but nothing is definite about what I'll be doing yet. Life is definitely an adventure. All said my current car has been good to me so there's always a chance taken when changing.

[BarbaraRose]

Beth, what SUV are you looking at?

[Bethers]

Beth, what SUV are you looking at?

After looking at lots and lots my first choice is the KIA Soul.

[JudyJB]

I've had a good last few days. Partly, that was because I liked Waterton Lakes so much, but also today I visited the buffalo jump near Fort Macleod, Alberta. It is called Head Smashed In and is really worth the trip, even if it is out of your way. My only complaint, and I am going to write a letter to the administrator about this, was that it was 90 degrees out today, and the parking lots for both cars and RVs are down a hill, with about an 800' uphill walk to the building. I was not the only older person red in the face and huffing and puffing for several minutes when I got there. They gave me the business card of the administrator to complain because there was a shuttle, but the museum board defunded it!!! I was OK, though really out of breath, but they are going to have someone have a heart attack and die in such weather. You can drive up in a car and drop someone off, but that does not help those of us who are alone or travel with someone who cannot drive.

The best part of my day was two several minutes chats with an older Peigan man about his childhood and going to a residential school in the early 50s. He was a volunteer at the museum to answer questions, but we got into far more detail than that. (Peigans are part of the Blackfoot confederacy--one of three separate tribes that go under that name, but very separate in his opinion.) He also grew up on his parent's ranch, without running water or electricity, and he told me that when they first got electric lights, his mother was afraid of it and would not use it because it might be dangerous or evil. He said when he first saw the strange poles being put up on the dirt road to the reservation, he was very puzzled as to what they were for. Also talked about going to a Catholic residential school and temporarily losing his native language, but getting it back when he returned home. Can you believe they taught these native kids English, French and Latin, of all things???

Very interesting, and I told him he needed to write this all down in a book for the younger members of the tribe because otherwise they will never know about it. He said a woman friend of him and his wife is an author and is also encouraging him. I told him he HAS to do this!!! I also asked him if he could recommend any of the books in the gift shop, and he said he could not because they were junk, but he gave me the name of one of the men in his tribe who had written a book about the tribe and their origin stories. All in all, I probably spent over an hour listening to him and sharing stories about our childhoods. I told him I was writing things down for my grandkids. He has no grandkids, but I told him he still had to write all that down or at least dictate it to someone!!!

Heading to Drumweller tomorrow. It will be in lower 80s instead of 90 tomorrow! Yea!

[snowball]

Barbie really glad you made it home... a day or two of R & R is probably a good idea then you will be able to get on with all that you have to do... it's always a risk when changing cars just have to weigh all the pro's and con's
Sounds like an interesting visit Judy
One hears of all sorts of stories in regarding wild life... it's always better to be more alert and give them a lot more room than recommended...never know what will spook them...
when I'm back in my trailer and by myself will have to remember those trips on YouTube...
and give them a try
you all have a great day
sheila

[Cudedog]

The best part of my day was two several minutes chats with an older Peigan man about his childhood and going to a residential school in the early 50s. . . (Peigans are part of the Blackfoot confederacy--one of three separate tribes that go under that name, but very separate in his opinion.) . . . Also talked about going to a Catholic residential school and temporarily losing his native language, but getting it back when he returned home. Can you believe they taught these native kids English, French and Latin, of all things???

Very interesting, and I told him he needed to write this all down in a book for the younger members of the tribe because otherwise they will never know about it.

Judy, I find the topic of Native American boarding schools interesting also, and have been reading quite a lot over the last few years regarding the tragedy of Native American children being forcibly removed from their parents and sent to these schools for "assimilation". Both Canada and the U.S. had these schools, up until fairly recently (60's - 70's).

There is quite a lot of information regarding these schools online, and numerous articles as well - I searched on "Native American Boarding Schools" and here is one (of many) articles that came up:

"The History of Native American Boarding Schools Is Even More Complicated than a New Report Reveals"

https://time.com/6177069/american-indian-boarding-schools-history/



Here is an excerpt: "Between 1819 and 1969, the U.S. ran or supported 408 boarding schools, the department found. Students endured “rampant physical, sexual, and emotional abuse,” and the report recorded more than 500 deaths of Native children—a number set to increase as the department’s investigation of this issue continues."

Since many on this forum have also been talking a bit about the difficulty of finding interesting things to watch on tv, and since a documentary I watched a while back fits in quite well with the Native American boarding school topic (and very much else), I would like to suggest an amazing, multi-part, mini-series that was on PBS some years ago that (as I remember) also touched (although very briefly) on the topic of these boarding schools.

This documentary is called "The West", by noted documentarian Ken Burns. I went looking for it, and it seems that it is currently streaming on PBS, but one needs to be a member to view it - I think a basic PBS membership is $5.00/mo. (for a year) or $10.00/mo. for a month (cancel before the end of the month). This documentary alone is well worth the price.

"A chronicle of the turbulent history of one of the most extraordinary landscapes on earth"

I found this documentary extremely moving, fascinating, haunting, and tragic - the end of the series left me in tears.

Despite this, I HIGHLY recommend it:

https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-west/

Also available on Amazon Prime:
https://www.amazon.com/West-Film-Stephen-Presented-Burns/dp/B0D1H65K51/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UVYTFLDXVSQZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.YbcqiMx8jp-WaRef6PKvbdFBIoMnCmoN5W_r5CkwaRABYA8D0zFKxYyNq9UFXWpV8RG4a8oBJ8X0uG2YW0Fo535fXbU5_PxPWXSqmwDzDAeaAbkdG9Y5qkD7D3dNj7s5vAN7-nK-9Aj1Jnih5kL4vvX0OPqdUo1Dj-lGsjR6vXYFI4431eQ3Ty8ulEgyyOIEB0uuUqiynpaAY0ujnqc8gaPBeahIto3VUq_2LkUc1fE.l08buZ_uNQI2HKeDQrxrv11Xd5c0rvrDPTz_8HvbMiU&dib_tag=se&keywords=ken+burns+the+west&qid=1725343918&s=instant-video&sprefix=ken+burns+the+west%2Cinstant-video%2C150&sr=1-1

Take a look - it is well worth anyone's time. I think I will pay so that I can watch it again.

Anne

[Pooker]

Welcome home, Barbie! Hope your black cloud has decided to move on now and the other "stuff" will go smoothly.

Evie