On The Lock-Out Line

I have been spending some time with my husband out on the "Line". This is not a picket line since the workers are not on strike. They are out they yelling at the buses as they pull in with replacement workers (known as Scabs) saying they just want to work! They also take pictures of the workers that have replaced them, pictures of any trucks with containers and the numbers so that they can be tracked to the docks. They keep tabs on who is crossing the line. So almost all of the Unions worldwide are supporting our cause and not crossing the line. The companies that are will be remembered.

Here is a typical night at the "Gauntlet" which is what the shift change is called. That is when the most amount of people are out to show support and when the most workers...ehm scabs are in and out of the gate.


Waiting for the first cars/buses to arrive.


Donna and Renee are so patriotic!


How many sheriffs does it take to get to center of a tootsie pop?


Here are the buses. They are busing them in from Mojave, 32 miles away and housing them as well. Now how much money is that costing????


Trying to shame the shameless, the management in that van. A tough job.


I could only look at them with tears streaming down my face. I hope I gave them nightmares that night.


Many of them tried to ignore us. Some of them even laughed. Those that saw me cry stopped laughing though. I don't think the scabs truly understand what is going on.

So now you can see how I have been spending a lot of my time. I have also been baking to bring food out to the people who are out there every night. I may not have much, but we all have to stick together in this. An injury to one, is an injury to all!

Locked Out

For those of you who may not know. My husband and his fellow mine workers were walked to the gate and their work keys, time cards, work phones, etc. were taken from them Jan 31. My husband was not even allowed to get his work tools. They were locked out because management and the union had not been able to reach an agreeable contract. So instead of continuing talks the mine just locked the workers out.



So now my husband is out of work and the mine has brought replacement workers in. Probably from their borax mine in Argentina. I am sure they think minimum wage is great!

My husband is at the mine right now attempting to retrieve his tools. He bought them himself and he has about $15,000 invested in them along with a large rolling toolbox. I hope they are not giving him any hassles.

Gingerbread House

We had such a lovely Yule this year. My daughter Keirnath drove up from Brawley with her boyfriend and my other daughter Tabitha and her family came over to open presents with us along with my third Tarah daughter and her husband. So it was a nice full house! My granddaughters received a gingerbread house kit from Auntie Keir and they were so excited to make it.




There were so many candies for them to use and I also got out the glitter sugar for them to use as well. I think they ate quite a few as they decorated. It was just too much of a temptation!



But even with the missing candies, the house turned out beautiful! The girls were so proud of it.



Who ever came up with these kits is just a genius. It makes it so easy and fun for the little ones. I think we will have to make this a tradition every year. It was just such fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We had all the girls here this year except for my niece Brenna and her baby. I wish she could have made it, but I will see her soon. I have a nasty cold, but I still got the pies made.



Here is my Jack-O-Lantern Pie. Little did poor Jack know when he was sitting on my porch under the Halloween moon, that he would end up in my pie! Yummy, yummy!

Jack-O-Lantern Pie Recipe
1 Jack-O-Lantern cut in half, seeds and fibers scooped out and baked in 350 degree oven on greased baking sheet for an hour and 45 minutes or until very tender. Scoop flesh from rind and puree in food processor. You can package in 2 cup amounts and store in freezer for about 1 year.

4 cups Jack-o-Lantern puree
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 to 1 cup packed brown sugar (taste the pumpkin to see how bitter it is and add to taste)
1 teas salt
1 teas gr. ginger
1/2 teas gr. cloves
2 teas gr. cinnamon
1/2 teas gr. nutmeg
2 can evaporated milk
4 extra large eggs
2 pie crusts for 9 inch deep dish pie pans, or 10 inch pie pans (seriously, don't try the regular 9 inch)

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir together the sugars and spices and add to the eggs. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Gradually add in the evaporated milk. Pour into the pie shells. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 and bake another 40 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool. Serve with ice cream!




My daughter Keirnath brought her bunny marshmallow and her dog Luke. they played in the front yard with our dogs Fern and Howie. It was like a menagerie, LOL.




Keirnath reads to her nieces Chloe and Moiren.




Here Moiren is caught red-handed getting into the bag of chips!




Dinner was a success as seen by how little was left after the ravaging horde hit it!

It was such a beautiful day. I wish I could have had more photos, but we were so busy laughing and talking and cooking and eating that we really didn't think about the camera. Oh well, we still have memories.

Fall Fell

Yes, Fall fell in just one day. All the leaves, in one fell swoop.


The cats were a bit unnerved by this phenomenon. I am sure they felt it was a conspiracy against them.


My youngest granddaughter, however was completely thrilled. She wanted to run in the crinkly leaves and throw them in the air.


Her delight is completely evident in her posture.

My husband however could only think of all the raking and sweeping he has to do now.
I think I will go roll in the leaves with Moiren. It sounds like more fun :)

Strike It Up

My husband's company is in contract negotiations right now and there are rumblings of a strike. The company wants to take a lot of things away from the workers because they say the economy has been so bad and business is down. Now that is true business is down, but they forget to say that they are STILL making a very nice profit. Borax is still needed world wide. There are only three mines in the entire world. So why should they ask they workers to take it in the back? It they were in the red or even just breaking even I might understand. But they are making a profit! This makes no sense to me. They want to take away retirement. Sick leave. Increase our medical contribution from 20% to 25%. We don't even know how much the company is actually spending on our policy since they have not disclosed this to the union even after it was requested. They want to take away seniority and many other things. My husband asked me to go with him to the union hall with him on Tuesday as a show of support. I am seriously tempted to dress as a suffragette. Of course the irony of that may be lost on people. It is a toss up between that and a 1950's housewife. I am into sarcasm as well *grin*

Twenty Mule Team Days

This weekend was Twenty Mule Team Days. This is a pretty big event in our town. It has been going on for years and we have been going for the 17 years we have lived in Boron. It starts with the parade in the morning and then everyone goes to the park were there are game booths, merchant booths and food booths. A stage with live music and sometimes pony rides for the children. I really look forward to the Chinese food booth. Orange chicken and Teryiaki chicken on a stick, YUM! Since we don't have a Chinese food place in town it is a real treat. There was also a food booth with funnel cakes. Chloe and Moiren shared one. They ate it so quickly I didn't get a picture!


One of the booths did free face painting. Moiren had a heart painted on her cheek.


Chloe with her gorgeous smile.


Moiren and Chloe on the playground.

I wished I had taken more pictures, but we were having so much fun the camera was forgotten about most of the time. Oh well. I still have the memories. *smile*