Newsletter November 2, 2014

I hope everybody had a great week, and that you are enjoying your weekend. I hope that everybody has gotten used to the time change, too. I spent some time running around the house today getting all of the clocks synchronized. Actually, I set my watch to within a half second of the US Navy's atomic clock, and then set everything else based on the watch. But that's just how I roll...

It has been a pretty wild week for those of us who like to watch baseball, and in particular fans of the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. What a world series that was! Came down to a game 7, in KC, and in the end--it was the Giants who prevailed. I was so impressed with the way the Royals battled, and our newspapers have been filled with stories of what gracious hosts the Royals fans were--as told by those from the west coast who went to Missouri to attend the games. I sincerely hope that the Royals are back next year and that they go all the way. It would be so great for the fans!

I spent the last part of the week in a reminiscing mood, thanks to a little road trip I made on Thursday. I went back to my hometown of Wheatland, California, and this time I took my good camera. I think I got lots of really nice photos that show some of my old haunts, and I'm going to be showing a lot of those on the broadcast tonight. I think the photos tend to play a bit better than the videos do, so I hope you don't mind--I am just planning to sort of sit, gab, and show photos. It has been a long time; there is a lot of catching up to do!

And with that, I need to finishing getting ready for the broadcast. So I hope to see you there--6pm, Pacific STANDARD Time...tonight!

Have now finished one week, as in five days, of radiation treatment. Wondering if the upset tummy is a side effect or coming down with something. See the oncologist once each week during the radiation so did tell him about it.

Do you or anyone in your family sew? Simple project?

Wowee--that sure was an exciting end to the baseball season! All the people around here have been going nuts over the way it ended up. They had a big parade in San Francisco, it rained for a lot of the time, people got very wet--and nobody cared! Either that, or it has been so long since water fell from the sky that nobody knew what it was.

We watched it on the tellyvision while eating crackers and spinach dip. So we stayed plenty dry, and it was plenty yummy!

Well, I need to get ready for the StoryTime tonight--I will be reading the story that was written the night that the Dude got the tummy-flu. Thankfully we haven't had any more of that going around the household! So I hope to see you tonight!

			Chatter News
	A Note from the Dude		Chatter News		Prayer Requests		Vaca Blog

Sharoot	Sharoot's featured pictures can be found at the end of each newsletter, under Photos of the Week. She says that since they are located at the end, then "Sharoot's the Caboose!" Today Sharoot shares with us photos of beautiful things found in her garden.

ChatterChopz	CC has spent the last week working hard scanning a whole drawer full (almost 700 of them, so far) of old family photos—some dating back over 80 years. She has had a blast with them, giggling at many and trying to guess who some of the people are. They will soon appear in the "Photo Gallery" portion of our website. Until then you can still enjoy LOTS of pictures from her birthday party. http://chatterchopz.com/Birthday%202014/birthday_2014.html CC wants me to share these previews of the photos she's scanned:

	CC's PawPaw—October 1931	CC and TheDaddyBird (she's 17 days old)


	CC and TDB trying out her new Daddy Saddle	Momma (DotRot) in Kindergarten

*Elsalynda*	Elsalynda's latest column entitled Meet Your Neighbor: John Connor of the Totem Pole Cruise Boat in Waltham, is available online here: http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/article/20141021/News/141029909

We'd love to include more news of VacaChatters. If you have something you'd like to share (something about you or your family) or if you know of exciting news about another chatter that they're just too shy to share, please send it to us! (We won’t run it without that chatter’s permission, however.)


	*CC's Cousin, Addie Jo*	Some of you may remember CC asking for prayers for Addie Jo when she was born VERY early (1 pound, 8 ounces). Well, she has been thriving with very little evidence of complications due to her prematurity. However, for the last year or so she's been having urinary problems including kidney stones (in a TWO year old!!). She had two surgeries this last week and they think she'll not have many problems from here on out. She still needs prayers for her continued recovery. She'll turn 3 tomorrow.

	VacaDude's Brother-in-law, Duke	I would ask for prayers and well-wishes for my brother-in-law Richard "Duke" Paiz, who suffered a stroke last week, and is currently in the hospital in Roseville, CA. He was nearly gone on Friday, but seems to have rallied on Saturday. Duke married my oldest sister Beverly in the late 1950s. Because my parents were at an advanced age when they had me (Mom was 41, dad was 46), and my dad had a massive heart attack when I was three, they made arrangements with Bebe and Duke that they would raise me until I was 18. So Duke was only a couple of heartbeats away from being my dad. As it was, we were very close, and I did a lot of camping and road trips with them. They never did have children of their own.

	*KSBorn*	KSBorn was in regression for lymphoma and breast cancer. It has since returned and she's going for Chemo now. She and her doctors are attacking it vigorously and she needs our prayers. She needs our prayers for healing, for the Lord to guide her doctors, and for the peace and strength as she undergoes the treatment.

	*VacaDude and his cousin, Kevin*	UPDATE: I also wanted to give an update about my cousin Kevin. He has undergone four sessions of chemo, and according to the latest CT scans, it looks like he is showing excellent response to the treatments. Three of the four tumors have shrunk to near nothingness, and the main one has shrunk from 2.1cm to 7mm in diameter. So I thank you for all of the prayers! The treatments have been a horrible struggle for him, so it is very good to see that the effort has been worth it. Frankly, the hardest part seems to be keeping the spirits up, and the attitude positive. So thank you again!!

	*BugGirl*	BugGirl is recovering well. She's still not allowed to drive, though.

	*Marilyn Crabb*	We received this message this week from a long-time Molly watcher: I don't join the online chats but I read the newsletter and was a Molly watcher from the beginning. Last week, I was diagnosed with stage 2B (or greater) breast cancer and am undergoing lots of further tests and will begin chemotherapy on Tuesday. Please add me to the prayer list. UPDATE: Thank you for your prayers. I'm doing really well after my first chemotherapy treatment. One week down - nineteen to go. Then surgery and radiation. I have more tests scheduled to see if the cancer has spread beyond my armpit but so far it does not look like it has. My screen name was/is MarilynLA on UStream. (Marilyn from Los Angeles)

	*Littleguys*	UPDATE: The latest news from Littleguys: Have now finished one week, as in five days, of radiation treatment. Wondering if the upset tummy is a side effect or coming down with something. See the oncologist once each week during the radiation so did tell him about it. Do you or anyone in your family sew? Simple project?

	*Caboval*	Caboval is in need of our prayers for her dog, Joey. You can read more about Joey and his struggles here: http://gfwd.at/1n8NU0h.

		*LATEST UPDATE* on Joey! Caboval writes: “Oh Joey isn't doing good and I'm so worried. He made it through cancer and is in remission and survived liver failure but something has happened to his leg. He had X-rays and there's no break but it looked like his neck had a pinched nerve. So, I'm doing cold laser therapy and no improvement. I'm doing chiropractor sessions, no improvement. Then on Friday he had acupuncture and now Joey can't walk at all on his leg and it's now been 4 weeks and no improvement. I had a prayer group for him on Facebook. I think the acupuncture somehow has hit nerves in his leg and he can't walk at all. I don't have any hope that he will be able to walk again and I'm at the point I may have to make a decision this coming week. I'm heartbroken and I'm praying for a miracle. I'm devastated and he is only 6 years old. I wish I had better news. Can you say a prayer for him?”

	*Elsalynda*	We got this message from elsa last week: Hi all, Thanks for all your prayers. This computer is so hard to type on. I dislike it but will have to use it for now. I saw the MGH sleep specialist today for consult and got some scary news. My apnea is severe and REM behavior disorder is rare and correlated with parkinson's disease. There is not much treatment available for the REM but I will try what there is. Please pray for me again. I am worried. Your elsalynda

	*GentleDoe*	It was great to see GentleDoe in chat. Here is the latest update from her: Dad: My sister has taken him out of the assistive living complex she had put him in. He is now in her home receiving hospice care. My sister is not contacting us or answering my mother's calls so we are only receiving second-hand updates from an aunt. As of last weekend, August 23rd - 25th, my father had a urinary tract infection. There was problems with his medication. They did not get his depression medication ordered before the weekend so he was without his medication the weekend of the 23rd - 25th. Also, since he left the assistive living home, he has been overdosed on his seizure medication. As of last week he still had the UTI & was not lucid. My aunt could not get him to understand who she was on the phone & he kept referring to my sister has his wife. My mother does not know this yet. Mom: She has been doing better with her medication with the latest change of a reduction in her blood pressure medication. Her cardiologist has recommended water aerobics which we are looking into. The lack of communication with my father has her very upset & depressed. Me: I've had some health issues since last Wednesday. My doctor is away until after the Labor day holiday. I'm still experiencing a good bit of pain as well. I'm trying to take care of mom, birds, bunnies & all of the various issues with my father/sister situation. It is so sad that my sister now has complete control over my father & everything in his name. My mother nor I have been able to speak to my father in over two weeks now. I'm concerned that if the lawyer does not get moving that we may not get to spend any time with him or give him our love before he passes. I do not know his medical condition, other than what is told second-hand to me or my mother! Friday, AT&T cut off my mother's phone service. We were told it was an order that the phone service was moving out of the area. I spent several hours Friday evening trying to get it straightened out with AT&T & was told it would be back on within 2 to 4 hours at 8 PM. Saturday morning still no service, called again spent from 9:30 am until after 12:30 PM when we were cut off without it being resolved. Called back & got another customer service person who was no help & could not get a supervisor. Had to rest for a bit & did not get anyone before AT&T was closed for the long Labor day weekend. My phone service has also gotten messed up with AT&T. I had my phone service moved to my mother's since I am now staying with her for now. They installed the Uverse internet & phone service but did not disconnect my home line at my house. Still haven't found out about what is happening with my AT&T cell phone. I may totally stop my AT&T phone services if I can't get this straightened out. Please keep my family in prayer especially that things can be resolved so that my mother & I can have contact with my dad as well as the other issues over my dad's POA (my father put my mother as the person on his POA but somehow my sister has taken over), my mother's health, & me with my health issues, surgery may be in the near future. My big prayer request is that my mother & I get to spend time with my father before we lose him, mentally or physically. Hope to see everyone in chat.

	Shari in Memphis	UPDATE!!! Just received this from Shari: "So kind of you to keep prayers going for me. I was hospitalized in November for an event (that just yesterday my doc said was severe enough that it could have killed me) and have pretty much been sick ever since. I'm trying to be patient as doc said it would take 6 months to a year, to fully recover."
	Shari in Memphis


	Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts for owl our wonderful VacaFamily members! If you have any prayer requests, updates or news of answered prayers, please let us know. Email us with the information so it can be included in the next newsletter.

	A Message from Zorro		StoryTime News		StoryTime Archives
							Recipe of the Week


	*Next StoryTime*	*TODAY!!* Sunday, November 2 3:00 PM PDT/6:00 PM EDT

	*Title*	The Thankful Box

		The story we wrote on October 19 will be read during the broadcast on November 2. Zorro and The Dude will record the special Thanksgiving story we write on November 2 to be aired all day on Thanksgiving Day so folks can tune in at any time that day to hear it read.

	*Invitation*	We need story writers! Please consider dropping in and checking out the fun we have writing the stories. Honestly, it's not at all difficult to join in and you'll surely be glad you did.
	*Invitation*

Creepy Spiders

Owl Tree

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/owl-tree

Black and White Spider Cookies

Owl Cookies

Yarn-Wrapped Owl Frame

http://www.allfreekidscrafts.com/Kids-Decorative-Crafts/Yarn-Wrapped-Owl-Picture-Frame-from-Lion-Brand

Burned Glue Owl

	Hello Vriends,
	I hope everybody had a great week, and that you are enjoying your weekend. I hope that everybody has gotten used to the time change, too. I spent some time running around the house today getting all of the clocks synchronized. Actually, I set my watch to within a half second of the US Navy's atomic clock, and then set everything else based on the watch. But that's just how I roll... It has been a pretty wild week for those of us who like to watch baseball, and in particular fans of the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. What a world series that was! Came down to a game 7, in KC, and in the end--it was the Giants who prevailed. I was so impressed with the way the Royals battled, and our newspapers have been filled with stories of what gracious hosts the Royals fans were--as told by those from the west coast who went to Missouri to attend the games. I sincerely hope that the Royals are back next year and that they go all the way. It would be so great for the fans! I spent the last part of the week in a reminiscing mood, thanks to a little road trip I made on Thursday. I went back to my hometown of Wheatland, California, and this time I took my good camera. I think I got lots of really nice photos that show some of my old haunts, and I'm going to be showing a lot of those on the broadcast tonight. I think the photos tend to play a bit better than the videos do, so I hope you don't mind--I am just planning to sort of sit, gab, and show photos. It has been a long time; there is a lot of catching up to do! And with that, I need to finishing getting ready for the broadcast. So I hope to see you there--6pm, Pacific STANDARD Time...tonight!
	Cheers, VacaDude

	Check out VacaDude's blog! Don't forget to send VacaDude your comments to let him know how much you appreciate him, his time & his talent!
	http://vacadude.wordpress.com/

	Hello there, Everbuddy!
	Wowee--that sure was an exciting end to the baseball season! All the people around here have been going nuts over the way it ended up. They had a big parade in San Francisco, it rained for a lot of the time, people got very wet--and nobody cared! Either that, or it has been so long since water fell from the sky that nobody knew what it was. We watched it on the tellyvision while eating crackers and spinach dip. So we stayed plenty dry, and it was plenty yummy! Well, I need to get ready for the StoryTime tonight--I will be reading the story that was written the night that the Dude got the tummy-flu. Thankfully we haven't had any more of that going around the household! So I hope to see you tonight!
	Yours Most Whiskerly, Zorro

	63 Calorie "Spaghetti" and Meatballs
	Ingredients
	Meatballs (makes 24): 20 oz (1.3 lb) of ground turkey or beef ¼ cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs ¼ cup of Reggiano Parmigiano cheese, grated ¼ cup of parsley that has been finely chopped 1 egg 1 large clove of garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper Sauce: 1 teaspoon olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, smashed 1 medium onion, diced 2 8 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup fresh chopped basil or parsley Additional Italian seasoning, to taste Zucchini Noodles: 2 zucchinis 2 summer squash Salt and Pepper to taste Olive oil

	Directions
	In a large bowl, mix together the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic and cheese. Form small meatballs that are about 2 tablespoons each in size. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil at medium heat. Then add in the garlic onions and sauté until the garlic is golden. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the bay leaf. Let this stew for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture gets hot. Then, to cook the meatballs, drop them into the sauté pan with the red sauce. Cover the pan and get the heat to low for a little under an hour until the meatballs cook through (they can also be cooked in the oven at a medium heat). Once the meatballs are ready, add salt and pepper, and the chopped parsley, basil and additional seasonings. Julienne the zucchini and squash into noodles. In a medium skillet, heat a dash of olive oil at medium to high heat and add in your zucchini and squash noodles. Cook for about a minute, add in the salt and pepper, stir well and then cook for another minute until the vegetables are cooked, yet still firm. To serve, divide up the zucchini into bowls, top with meatballs and sauce, some grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!


	Southern Peach Cobbler
	Ingredients:
	Peach Filling: 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced ¼ cup white sugar ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons cornstarch Cobbler Topping: 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup white sugar ½ cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 12 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces ½ cup boiling water For Sprinkling: 3 tablespoons white sugar
	Directions:
	Preheat oven to 400°F (if you are using a dark or glass pan—425°F if you are using a light color pan). In a large bowl, combine peaches, ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar. Set your baking dish on a baking sheet (this cobbler can drip into the oven otherwise). Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!! (Don't forget the whipped cream or ice cream!)

	Owl Cams				Other Nature Cams		Video Picks of the Week		Inspiration
			Other Bird Cams

Barn Owls
	Nicassio Owl Box Salt and Pepper	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nicasio-owl

	HOP - MAGC Barn Owls	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/magc-owls

	Owlceanside Mel and Sydney	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/owlceanside

	Felix Neck Owl Cam Martha’s Vineyard	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/felix-neck-owl-cam

	The Owl Cam	http://www.ustream.tv/owlchannel

	Barn Owls in Minden, Nevada	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/barn-owls-in-minden-nevada

	Port of Stockton Barn Owl Cams	http://www.portofstockton.com/owl-cams

	Hosted by Cornell Lab of Ornithology Located in Texas	http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/42/Barn_Owls/

Other Owls


	The Caring Owl in South Africa	http://www.thecaringowl.co.za/

	PPO (Potted Plant Owl) in South Africa	https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pot-Plant-Owl/148721154229

	Alessondra’s Owl Cam in Oklahoma City	http://ustream.tv/okcowlcam The three owlets have fledged.

	Rusty and Iris in Houston, Minnesota	http://www.internationalowlcenter.org/ourowls/rustyandiris/livecams

	Burrowing Owls Tri-Cities, Washington	http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/owlcam/video_burrowing2.html

	Project Snow Storm	http://www.projectsnowstorm.org/

Puffins
	Shetland Islands Puffins	http://www.shetland.org/puffincam/

	Sea Island, Maine Puffin Burrow	http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-burrow-cam

	Sea Island, Maine Puffin Loafing Ledge	http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-loafing-ledge-cam These pages also contain links to numerous other nature cams.

Eagles
	Black Eagle South Africa		http://www.africam.com/wildlife/black_eagle_webcam The first egg hatched on June 6!.

	Decorah Eagles Decorah, Iowa	http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

	Berry College Eagle Cam Mt. Berry, Georgia	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/berry-eagle-cam

		http://www.pixcontroller.com/eagles/index.htm

Peregrine Falcons
	PA Falcon Cam Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	http://www.pacast.com/players/falcon.asp

	Commerce Tower Peregrines Kansas City, Missouri	http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-cameras/peregrine-falcon-web-camera Cam not live now but should be returning soon.

	Pitt Peregrine Falcon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam1

	Gulf Tower Peregrine Falcon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam2

	Emily Falcon Cam Caloundra, Australia	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emily-falcon-cam

	RFalconCam Rochester, New York	http://rfalconcam.com/rfc-main/

Talking Birds
	Watch the Birdie Bibi, the African Gray	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Watch-the-Birdie

	Disco Talking Parakeet	https://www.youtube.com/user/MsJumpinJude/videos

Other Birds

	California Condor San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego, California	http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/condor-cam

	KC Zoo Penguin Cam Kansas City, MO	http://www.kansascityzoo.org/penguincam

	Whidbey Island Back Porch Whidbey Island, WA Rufous hummingbirds and other assorted birds	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/katersch

	Hellgate Ospreys Missoula, Montana Sponsored by Cornell	http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/27/Hellgate_Ospreys/

	Ostrich Chicks (Live Again! New Chicks!)		http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ostrich-egg-cam-live

	Streaming Bird Cams List of many cams	http://www.beakspeak.com/

Pandas
	San Diego Zoo Pandas	www.sandiegozoo.org (click on live cams) or http://www.ustream.tv/sandiegozoo. Zoo's blogs: http://blognew.sandiegozoo.org/category/animals-and-plants/giant-pandas/

	Twin Pandas at Zoo Atlanta	http://www.zooatlanta.org/1212/panda_cam#ff_s=aDIEl

	Giant Panda Cam National Zoo Washington, DC	http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/giant-panda.cfm

Bears
	Kansas City Polar Bears Nikita and Berlin	http://www.kctv5.com/category/244581/nikita-berlin-polar-bear-cam

	Brown Bears and Salmon Katmai National Park Alaska (off season- will return)	http://explore.org/#!/live-cams/player/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls (lots of other cams at this site, as well)

	Black Bears Ely, Minnesota	http://www.bear.org/website/live-cameras/live-cameras/holly-bears-den-cam-live.html

Other Animal and Nature Sites
	Golden Paw-Prints Classic Golden Retrievers Oshkosh, Wisconsin		http://www.ustream.tv/channel/golden-retriever-puppy-cam EIGHT beautiful puppies! All the pups have gone to their forever homes. Cam shutting down tonight.

	San Diego Zoo and Safari Park	http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/

	The Pet Collective (many live cams)	http://www.thepetcollective.tv/livestreams/

	Critter Chat Cams Multi-Critter Site with Chat	http://critterchatcams.org/

	Friends of Felines Rescue Center Defiance, Ohio	www.ustream.tv/ffrc

	Little House Prairie Village, Kansas	http://www.tomnliz.com/Livecam/

	CC's Page of Links (scheduled for updating)	http://chatterchopz.com/links/camslinks.htm

Other Sites of Interest

Some Interesting Information About Someone We All Know Well
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1511369/


International Space Station Links
During a recent broadcast the Dude talked about the websites where one can view the spacestation and the view that the astronauts have. Here are the links: This one has the map, but no chat. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/HDEV/ This site has a chat room. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iss-hdev-payload

An Old Kansas City Owl
The Junction at the intersection of Ninth, Delaware and Main Streets of Kansas City, MO in the spring of 1906. None of these buildings exist today.

			Fun Animations and Pictures		Photos of the Week				Zorro's Word of the Week
	Just for the Fun of It						Kyle's Jokes of the Week

	Kyle's well known among his friends for his "triple groaner" riddles and jokes. Now he shares them with VacaFamily. Enjoy!


	What do you get when you cross a turkey with a banjo? A turkey that can pluck itself.

	Why would a pelican make a good lawyer? Because he knows how to stretch his bill

	One morning two birds are sitting by a large puddle of oil in Brooklyn. They see a worm on the other side. One flies over. The other swims through the puddle. Which bird gets to the worm first? The one who swam, of course, because everybody knows "Da oily boid gets da woim."

	What do you call an elephant with a carrot in each ear? Anything you want -- he can't hear you!