title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Friday, October 25, 2019

Well, it has been a while.

Finally, after more than a month, I think I have my BP back under control.  It didn't take much to throw it off, but took a long time to get it back.  

Karen came over and cleaned up the brush piles I had made from trimming Lilac bushes, then she trimmed the hedges along the East side of the house and dug out all the grass clumps in the little front garden.  I lost all my beautiful Iris because the grass had grown around them and practically buried.  I took up the Iris I could find and have planted them in the 3 big pots I normally grow my tomatoes in.  I hope the Iris come back.  I had some real beauties a couple of years ago.

When she was done outside, she came in and with much protesting from me, she vacuumed the living room and den and then mopped the kitchen, laundry area floor.  I have never had anyone, ever mop my floor for me.  It made me feel kind of weird.
=================
A Dear Friends husband died after months of her taking care of him at home.  So, I had to drive up to Durand for the visitation.  I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing.  I just walked into the room, walked up to her and took her frail, 5'2" body and wrapped my arms around her and just hugged her for a long time.  She kept saying, "Judy. Judy." and I just rocked her back and forth in that hug.
============
This past Wednesday, Karen and Pam, my sister Susan and granddaughter Madeleine, went to see "Downton Abbey" at the theater.  They have luxury seats in this theater.  Leather, wide reclining chairs.  We all loved the movie, as we all had watched the entire series from Day One.  To me, the best part is just being with my girls!



Maddie is nearly 5 months pregnant.  Her tummy looks like she has a soccer ball under her shirt.
===================
As I was trimming Lilac bushes a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the trunks were so crowed at ground level.  Every few years, Lilac bushes need to have the largest, oldest trunks cut out and of course anything that is dead, plus, I had a 15 feet Maple tree growing up through one of them.

I asked my brother-in-law to bring his chain saw down with him when they came to put plastic on the back door to help keep out the cold, winter drafts.

He trimmed out of lot!  Now the air and sun can get down to the roots and help the new saplings grow.

We had six bundles to tie up with twine and put out by the street for yard waste pick-up.

While I was outside helping him, my sister shrink-wrapped my back door.  She does such a great job you don't even notice there is plastic there.


Yesterday was also Karen's 58th birthday.  Her granddaughter Della shares her birthday and is 3.

Karen, Della and Harrison who is 3 months old.

We are having normal October weather.  There are so many hard woods in this area, that the scenery out my windows is ablaze with reds, yellow, orange and an occasional dark green pine tree thrown in for contrast.  I love this time of year!



Thursday, October 10, 2019

My, my.  Time does get away from me.

Getting at the yard work to be done.  Daughter Karen was coming today to help, but had to baby-sit for her grandson Harrison, who has pink-eye.  Nine weeks old and looks six months.  He weighs 14.5 pounds and is 24 inches long.  Pediatrician says he will roll over soon and be early in crawling and walking.
Look at the mitts on that kid!!!!



Della, who will be 3 in two weeks, had preschool pictures taken.  She is a strong willed little girl and was very upset that her mother wouldn't let her wear her flower girl dress for the photos.

I told her mother she needs to get this kid into modeling and then Mom could retire. 
=====================
In preparation of Karen coming to help, I trimmed back my Lilac bushes, taking off all the lower branches.  Now I have piles of brush all over the side lawn...Karen was going to take it home with her and put it in their burn pile.

My lawn mowing kid is suppose to come and take out the raised bed garden I have on the side of my shed.  Yesterday I cleaned out all the weeds and Zinnia's that were in it, in preparation for his visit.

Not only have the timbers rotted, but rain water off the roof of the shed, pooled into that raised bed and then drained under my shed--which I have just discovered was not placed on a cement slab--thus the shed's floor boards on that side have rotted away!

Karen was going to help me clean out the shed so I could get some boards down to replace the rotted ones.

Today, I am headed out to cut back the front garden and wait for Karen, who promises to be here on Monday to trim the hedges.

This has been the perfect week--sunny and high 60's, to work outside and being we live in Michigan, I know this weather is not going to hold.
==================
I have been battling high blood pressure since the first of October.  A mix up in my prescription had me taking 1/4 of the dosage and it took me a couple of weeks before I realized what was wrong.

So back on the correct dosage and it has taken a week and a half before blood pressure has returned to  normal.  Plus, working on a couple of small genealogies has kept me busy.
=====================
A rattle underneath my car let's me know I have to get that checked out before winter sets in and of course, no extra money to take it to the mechanic.
=============
My neighbor's ex husband died last month and she is now getting his Social Security.  She's poor too, so this has really helped her.

So, on a whim, I checked on the SS web site, under the heading, "Ex Spouse Survivor Benefits" and sure enough.

When my ex dies, I will get 100% of his Social Security.  I figured it out as best I could--I will receive $2,000.00 a month!  Twice what I get now!

EGAD!!!  Now wouldn't that make my life a lot easier?

Not that I want him to die or anything, but hey--it's good to know these kinds of things.
===============
I could get off Welfare.  I could get this room painted.  No constant worry about how to pay the monthly bills.  I could get my car fixed or even.....lease a new one!

No doubt God is going to punish me for even having these thoughts and I will die before the ex does.  LOL