Terrific Thursday

The high temperature today was:  93 degrees

The humidity today was:  74%

Feels like 104.

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Something I read on Ernestine's blog this morning.   "...it has been planted and guarded to make sure it comes up next year."  She was referring to a plant she got from a friend.  Such is gardening and the thoughts of a gardener.  There is always next year.  Kind of like a farmer's thoughts.  If the crop wasn't quite as bountiful as hoped for--there is always next year.  If a baby calf is born dead, we will wait and breed the cow again because---there is always next year.  

I already have my pre-order in for spring bulbs to plant this fall so I can see their glory "next year".  Perhaps, by saying that, we are telling God and ourselves that we are assuming we will be here "next year", to see the new plants?

Gardening is so much like farming.  We plant the seeds, fertilize the soil, water the soil and keep watch for the new plant to spring forth with life.  If it doesn't, we try again.  Farmer's never give up and I have noticed, neither do gardeners.
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I had an awesome day!!!  Rolled out of bed around 9:00--good time.  Messed around, took a shower and drove on up to Durand (35 miles) for lunch with the high school gal pals at the golf course.  Nice lunch--they had FLINT STYLE Coney Island's with mustard and onions, so I was in Heaven!!  We had a round table--which makes for much better conversation then sitting at a long table and you don't know what's going on down at the other end.

                            June, Sandy, Sally, Carolyn, Marlene and Bethie.  Standing me and Ruth Ann.

It was so nice we actually sat around and gabbed for 2 hours!! Then, I realized what time it was, so off I went.  I drove around the "other" way to The Farm for a visit with my lil' sis.  I got to the cemetery, went in the north drive, around a semi-circle to check out our family plot, and out the east drive.  The bases are in for my markers, but no markers, as yet.

I drove south a mile, turned right, and up two miles and guess what.  There was the Little House On The Corner and NO ONE WAS THERE!!!  So I bopped down to The Farm and Susie came out and up to the house we went.  We got the garage door open with no problem and sure enough, the door into the house was unlocked, so...we went in.  The owner told me I could go in any time I wanted--and I wanted.  Nice that no one was there and Susan and I could take our time looking everything all over.

Susan hasn't seen the inside of the house for probably twenty-five years and she has always said, "That house is way too small."  Well--was she surprised.  and---unfortunately she loved it too and started in telling me how I could decorate and where I could put my stuff and how to arrange it and.....and......

I had not noticed the decoration over the porch.  I like it.

The entry way off the garage

The west end of the living room with the alcove

The east end of the living room

Couch on the left wall, my big chair between back window and door.

The north end of the bedroom

I would put my bed between those windows

So my head is to the north.

The south end of the bedroom

Susan said for me to put my bed at this end because there is kind of an alcove.

We both like the alcove in the west end of the living room with the faux brick--filled with plants for sure. Neither one of us likes any of the wall paint colors.  I would paint the whole house a nice warm white if it were mine and then use furniture and pillows, etc. for accents of jewel colors.  My sister is a marvel at furniture arranging and decorating--like our Mother was, so Susan had a lot of ideas and she went from room to room telling what would look good and how the kitchen was just the right size and an eating area and how I couldn't put my bed there because of a heat vent, and how I could put a storage unit in there and how I could put a cute little stand in the entry and on and on.  

I am most concerned that there is no door going down to the basement.  There is no way to close off the basement from the rest of the house.  Wouldn't that entail a lot of extra heat in the winter--to heat both floors?  Nice and cool in the summer, but...............

Then we went out and we were talking about the gardens and what to plant and what to tear up, because the gardens are a mess right now.

Then as I drove on down the road, she said, "It WOULD be great to have you living there.  If I ran out and needed a stick of butter, instead of having to drive thirty minutes to the store---I could be at your place in thirty seconds and borrow from you!"

She has been telling me all along that it wasn't a very nice house, but--I knew, when she saw the updated--added on version--she'd like it and she does.  I told her to help with the rent, I would rent out the garage to her and Chuck and they could store any stuff they needed "up the road."  Of course, with their new house and HUGE garage, they don't need any extra storage space.  <sigh>

So--that was fun.  She completely understands why I wanted better measurements--even though I can't live there--she totally understands why I want to draw a floor plan to scale, and put out my to-scale furniture pieces and on and on.  That is my great joy--having her so much closer to me, because---she is the only person on this earth that understands me.  We both have obsessive personalities--even though we are thirteen years apart--she gets me!!!  You can't imagine how wonderful that is for me!!!!

We chatted for a couple of hours in her nice air conditioned house and I got home about 6:00.

Karen called me about 7:00 and we caught up--then I told her about the house.  She was so excited and spent the next half hour telling me how wonderful it would be for me.  That I don't need to worry about getting sick.  "Mom--there is no cancer in our family--never has been.  What makes you think you will have to drive to a treatment center?  What makes you think you are too old to live out in the country?  Grandpa lived out there until he was ninety-two and he died.  We are all going to die.  You will eventually get sick and die and.....you will have lived your last years back "home."

Karen is always so encouraging.  Of course, I told her I couldn't afford it and she asked if I had heard anything about the Will and I said no and she wondered why I just didn't call up a step-sister and ask her.

"Are you kidding me?" I said.  "I don't do things like that!  It's none of my business."

"Oh Mom--it IS your business.  Why can't people just be honest and talk about these kinds of things?"

"Your aunt Susan and I were just discussing that today."

"Well--I'm going to ask Jennifer about it."

"Oh my gosh!!!  Do not bring me into that!"

"Oh---I won't.  I will just ask her if Gram had the same attorney Grandpa had and if Jen has heard anything about the Will."

So---Karen is so subtle she could do it and Jen wouldn't even think in the slightest that Karen was checking for me.  Tee Hee.

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Tonight, I sat and watched the baseball game and sorted out beads to make some more sun catchers.  I still like the first one I did the best.  I tried one with yellow, orange, green and I hate it--so it will go into the garbage pail.  I got a muffin pan--one for larger muffins and tonight I am putting beads in each cup.  I need to wait until the weekend to cook them because---it is kind of idiotic to turn on the oven at 400 for 20 minutes in this 95 degree heat wave!!!!