Tips for earthquake safety, in view of recent events

Live far away for an nuclear reactors.

I saw a Japanese scientist talk on one of the late night comedy shows the other night.  I think Letterman.  He had left Japan years ago.  He said the government in Japan was leaving the job of fixing the nuclear plant to the power company and no company anywhere would be able to handle something of this magnitude.  Disasters require government resources, as in military aircraft, ships and manpower.  He said the power company was making it up as they went along and did not really have any idea what to do.  He said they were looking at their bottom line (see $$$).  That is why they are not even considering burying the reactors in cement.  The company is wanting to protect their investment so they can generate power (see $$$) from the reactors later on.  He said the company was not being honest in the information they were putting out and there is no telling what the real situation was.

I thought maybe he was being overly pessimistic, but since then, about last Wednesday, if you listen the story changes from one day to the next.  They almost have it under control... Whoops, another event and it is worse.  I think, from what little I know of Japan, that it is a real company country.  No telling what is really going on there.  Poor people, so many have died, and so many more are likely to die. 
 

Papa and the girl

The kids are on Spring Break and have been here a couple of days.  Papa has been babysitting, but MeMaw is taking the day off and will be here tomorrow.  Here, Papa and the girl are making brownies.  A first for both, I think.  They turned out pretty good.

Robert cleaned the dishes.

Today, I saw when I got home they had also made a chocolate cake, even though they had not eaten but about a forth of the brownies.  Papa said Hannah wanted chocolate cake and ice cream for breakfast so he had to make a cake.  I guess we know who is boss.

Tomorrow, I am going to try to take them both with me grocery shopping.  It has been years since I have taken kids with me grocery shopping.  When the boys were little, even, I went shopping at night or own Sunday afternoon when they could stay with Dad.  He did not make them chocolate cake and ice cream for breakfast.

Garden time

George plowed and tilled the garden yesterday.  Today, he had Frank come up and mark off rows with the tiller row maker.  I think the row marker is a waste of time, but they had it done when I got home.  I planted 3 rows of potatoes, lettuce, radishes, mustard and onions.  I got seed from Bonham's hardware.  Thanks to unsavory relatives, we will probably have to mail order seeds next year.  A Powell has bought out Bonham's hardware and is going to close it and build a new hardware.  Bonham's was still like an old time hardware but will probably be just like all the rest now.

I have planted some herb seeds and purple coneflower seeds here.  If it gets too cool, I will have to bring them in the house.  I love to grow and cook with sweet basil, so that is mostly what I planted.  If they don't do well, I will buy plants at wally world.

This is the chives that I planted in Helen's bowl last year.  They looked terrible all summer and fall, but now they have come back and look pretty good.

I have decided to plant a real herb garden where I have Daddy's plow in the yard this year.  But, I have said that for the last two years and end up letting the flowers crowd out the herbs.  I am going to try tough love this  year and yank out all the flowers that come up in the herb bed.  Stay tuned.