The Hands of Time

Balisha wrote a post about her hands.  It got me to thinking.

We usually don't take much notice of how our hands looks until one day--you just glance down and there are your Mother's hands!  How did that happen?  The wrinkles.  The loose skin.  

I remember sitting on my grandma's lap and pulling the skin up into a peak, just below her middle knuckle  That skin stayed that way for a long time, it seemed.  I asked her once why it was like that and she said, "Because I am old."

Over the years, I have tried that with my own left hand and was shocked one day when the skin stayed up into that peak for quite a while--until I clenched my hand.  I am old!

I wish I had been more aware of the hand phenomena--I would love to have a yearly picture of my left hand--from about 45 on.  To see the subtle changes, instead of waking up one morning and it seemed my hands had gotten old over night.

I have long fingers--I used to be able to span an octave on the piano, until arthritis set into my thumb and started to draw it into the palm of my hand.

For as "big" as I am, I wear a small ring size.  A size 6.  I have noticed that on my right hand, my rings are now size 7's--on my left ring finger, a size 6 is a bit loose.  Isn't that weird.  It's the arthritis in the joints--which is worse in my right hand.

Balisha wrote of all the things her hands have experienced over the years--I share many of those things.

I used to have a heart-shaped age spot on my hand, but now it has eased into a plain old circle.  When I first noticed it, one day at work, I outlined it with a pen, I thought it was so cool.  Now, I have so many brown age spots that I can't even count--that a gallon of Procelana wouldn't help--that are difficult to even see under all the wrinkles and cross hatch marks.

Look at  your hands and stop and think of all the things they have touched since you were born.  It is amazing.

I like my hands, even though they are no longer pretty.  They are still useful, to a certain degree.  I hope they keep working until the day, they are laid, one on top of the other as I lay in my casket.  I hope the mortician has a nice make-up to put on them so they don't look so old!!

When I view my left hand from a side position, that's when I really see the wrinkles, the cross hatched marks, the knot of arthritis that is growing on the first knuckle of my index finger.
Not a pretty sight.

Then, of course my poor beat up right hand.  The thumb being pulled in by arthritis, as the little finger seems to be pushing outward and then, the poor 3/4 index finger.  I can't grip a pencil or pen, I can't open up a jar, BUT--this right hand still has a strong grip when I shake someone's hand!  

It's Been Interesting

Friday morning, I had an appointment with an attorney.  It's  hard to seriously take advice from a guy that looks about 30, but he has good credentials.

It is not possible for me to get any part of my Dad's inheritance

It is not possible for my sister and I to get the rest of our Dad's estate from our step-mother.  Even though we were shown, by our Dad, the paperwork that showed our names and that we would split the one investment account ($250K each).  When the step-mother died, that investment account was gone--made into a trust fund, as she had told us, BUT with her two daughter's names on it, instead of ours.

There was not much consolation when the attorney told me he has seen this happen many, many times.  That does not help my problem of no way to pay my bills.

I am still paying the credit card for the money Fred had borrowed from me for his surgery and dental charges.  I am still paying the credit card for his funeral and grave marker.  I am still paying the credit card for the roof I had to put on two years ago.

I have played the "balance transfer" game and now all the credit cards are past the zero percent interest and the minimum payments have almost doubled.  

I have a FICO score of 798--the attorney was at least impressed with that, but as he said, "That's nice...but what good does that do you?  Are you going to buy another house?  A new car?  Do you need that at this stage of your life?"

"No."

We will meet again to discuss bankruptcy.

I find the whole idea abhorrent!  To me it is unethical and immoral.  

He said, "It's neither unethical nor immoral.  I'm an attorney and I can tell you of the many doctor's, teacher's, attorney's and rich people who I have represented.  It is legal."

My reply?  "Just because it's legal, doesn't mean it's moral."
================================
Friday evening, Merle, Pearl and their daughter, Marge took me out to supper.  Honest to Pete!  I have been out to supper with them six different times.  Six different restaurants and not once did we complete a meal without them complaining about the food--that they ate--to the waitress who took off part of their bill. 

When we went to Bob Evans, I ordered French Toast, Sausage and Biscuits with Honey.  They ordered meatloaf--which was pressed meat with some gravy over it.  I told them, "This is a place to get breakfast...you can't expect meatloaf to be tasty in a breakfast joint."

Friday night, we went to a Chinese restaurant.  Not a "real" Chinese restaurant, but a chain BUFFET restaurant that cooks for American's palate.  I had to agree with them this time.  It was awful!!!

It was tasteless!  Monogolian Beef is usually spicy--this was not--not even a teeny tiny bit.  That was the only beef dish they had.  I was looking forward to some Beef and Pea Pods--not even on the buffet  Egg rolls, which I love, were less than 2 inches long and no sauce to put on them.  The only good thing I had to eat, was the Oolong tea and the only thing remotely Chinese in the whole place, were the employees and the garish decorations!  EGAD

As usual Pearl and Marge complained and money was taken off the total bill.
=================
Today was going to be MY day.  I wanted no company.  I wanted to get things taken care of around here and not be disturbed.

I got my bird feeders filled up with the special Habenaro Chili Pepper liquid coated on the seeds.

I love how the flames are coming out of the squirrel's

ears and mouth.  We shall see.

I fertilized my container gardens and watered them.  I swept and washed off the porch.

I decided to hem some new tier curtains I got for this room.  My older ones (11 years) were looking kind of ragged , so I decided to take the best ones and put them in my bedroom, to take the place of the curtain I had in there, that I hated since Fred brought it into this house.

The curtains arrived last week.  Cheap, but good enough, but I noticed, the tiered one didn't have a ruffle above the rod opening--the valance had a ruffle, but not the curtain ..PLUS, they were too long, so to solve the problem, all I had to do was take out the top hem, turn it down about 3", sew it and then sew another pocket for the rod.

 You would think, after the hundreds of hours, over the years, that I have sat at a sewing machine, creating beautiful outfits for me and my kids, prom formals, on and on, that I would know how to do a simple, straight line.  I did a lot of that, for my Mother, when I was 10, and I knew I still could, but.....

#1: I have forgotten how to thread the machine!

#2:  Once that was figured out (my looking in the manual), I couldn't see to get the thread through the eye of the needle.  Which brought to mind a scripture about it "being easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle"---than it is for Judy to thread it.

#3:  After sewing for exactly 2 inches, the bobbin thread ran out.

#4:  How to get the bobbin case open.

#5:  How to get the bobbin case back in--although I 
had no problem filling the bobbin.

#6:  Why am I sweating and shaking?

 What should have taken 30 minutes, took me over and hour, but...I got my ruffle on top of the tier!!


This photo from last winter shows how my desk is right in front of my front windows.

In order to get to that middle curtain area---well, let's just say it is scary.  I can't move the desk so...

 I have to use my little step stool and climb up and walk on the window ledge.

I suppose it was inevitable!

I got the valance and curtain up on the center window and as I was backing out-I could feel myself going down.

Not wanting to fall on my new monitor or scanner, I sort of leaned to the left and fell on the edge of my desk--taking out my plastic calendar holder, causing my phone to fly to the other side of the room and disconnecting several wires with my feet.

Blood was pouring off my left elbow.....but 

cuts and bruises will heal and.......

 The curtains are up!

I decided, as I had disconnected a few cords and wires and could not access the Internet, I'd just take all the wires off the back of the computer, plugs out of the surge protector and I would re-attach each one and try and make a semblance of order in the "cord rat's-nest" we all have behind our computers.

Just then, I heard someone knocking along the siding as they came up the porch.  It was Pearl, and Lord Bless Her Heart, she needed to talk.  I have never seen her quite so excitable and talking so fast.

That story will have to be for another day, but.....I had given her a picture of the kind of surge protector she needs.  I wrote on the photo--"be sure it has 8 outlets--plug in areas.  It will probably cost $20,00"

She showed me what she had purchased.  "The cord is too short to reach to the outlet on the wall."

"I see that," I said.  "Plus--it only has five plug in places."

"Yeah, but it only cost five dollars and you said it would cost twenty."

"Well that's wonderful, but.....if you want to plug in your printer, speakers AND modem, you need one with eight."

And I picked mine up and showed here.

"Oh--that's just like the one in the picture you showed me."

<Lord, just take me now--please!>

"Guess I will have to take it back," she said.

"Do you want me to pick one up for you?"

"No!  I'm not totally incompetent.  I'll get another one!"

==================

So she left and I came back in here and sat for a moment, trying to calm myself and try and remember what plug went to what component and which connector went into which USB port and--got it done and little rope around each bundle to keep it neat--at least for the next week.

Like I said earlier this week--it has been a hellacious six days.  I am so totally beat up and bruised, not just from my fall, but from bending, lifting, carrying and so tired---I will sleep well tonight and.....tomorrow, I can spend a bit more time on this computer to learn more how to work Windows 7 and Outlook 2010 and perhaps one day next week, the kid at the computer place can recover my 40 years of genealogy work and all my saved e-mails and import them to this hard drive.

AND everything will be fine!

ARGGH

ARGGH!!

Where Do I Begin?

I have had a hellacious week!!!

Today has been the worst!

I took Pearl with me when I took in my computer on Monday morning.  We both ended up getting new computers--mine to replace an old computer that had no more memory or room to install Windows 7 and hers, to get her back on-line with a SIMPLE computer she can enjoy(?).

Tuesday--we went back to pick up our new toys.  Then, we spent half the way running around buying her speakers, mouse, keyboard, and trying to find a monitor.

Wal-Mart= Monitors were 95$--apparently they only make 20" ones now?  As I was gathering up her necessary amendments for her computer, she was in the housewares department looking at sale items.

Meijer's = no monitors.  They sell everything you would need for a computer EXCEPT monitors AND computers.  As I was in the electronics department, she was in housewares again, looking for sale items.  She found a plastic pitcher, which she got because, "It's only a dollar!"  Which turned out to be $5.00 at check-out because she read the sign incorrectly, which turned into an argument with the cashier, which turned into Judy running back to housewares, finding the REAL price, which turned into Pearl leaving the plastic pitcher at the store.

Another Wal-Mart, 15 miles away from the first.  I made her sit in the car while I ran in and looked.  No smaller monitors.

Then a stop at the bank so Pearl could transfer funds over to her checking account so her check wouldn't bounce.  She was suppose to do that on Monday, but had forgotten.

"I'm thirsty.  You gotta stop and get me something to drink!"

"Okay.  Where do you want me to stop?"

"I don't care."

I pull into McDonald's

"Not here!  I hate McDonald's!"
<dear Lord in Heaven>

I pull back out into traffic, go half a block and turn into Taco Bell."

"I don't want any food...just a Coke."

"They sell Coke products at McDonald's"

"I told you!  I hate McDonald's and they aren't getting any of my money!"

"Not even for a drink?"

"No!"

Up to the speaker phone.  "Welcome to Taco Bell...may I take your order?"

"I'd like a medium Coke, please."

Pearl says, "Wait.  Maybe I want something different."

Me,"Ah--wait just a moment please."
<I watch as Pearl pours over the menu--cars stacking up behind us>

"I want a small Diet Coke."

"We'd like a small Diet Coke, please."

"Is that all?"

'Yes."

"Is the screen showing the correct item?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Please pull up to the second window."

"Thank you."
<I can feel the pounding in the top of my head which leads me to believe, I am about to have a stroke!>

Back home, which led to unloading all her toys and hooking up the computer, with amendments--except for the speakers as she has a $4.00 power strip with 4 outlet plugs!!  She had thrown out ALL her computer components when she threw (literally) out her old computer, so, she had no power cord for the computer, which led---back to Wal-Mart.

I finally got home and got my computer hooked up and played a bit with Windows 7, which came loaded with Outlook (e-mail) 2010, which would not configure with my ISP.

While I was on the computer, I went searching for monitors.  They all were $95 at the cheapest and then...I just happened to go on the Best Buy site, which I never use and there was a nice, HD, Back Lit, 20" widescreen monitor.  Regularly $149.00 on sale, with pick-up in the store for $87.00.  Bought it!!

Wednesday=up to Best Buy to pick up her monitor.  Then stopped at Pearls to load all her games off her discs so she could play UNTIL I can get her set up on-line, so she can access FACE BOOK, in which she had FOUR accounts and cannot remember her username or password!

I called Comcast to help get my new e-mail configured--talked to 3 people who assured me it would be fixed and to expect a return phone call in 1-2 hours.  Waited--nothing.

Then realized--my home phone was not working.

9:20 last night--Got on-line with Comcast in a live TYPED chat with a tech--I can understand them better with the written word better than I can verbally, if you get my drift!!!  CAN NO ONE SPEAK ENGLISH WITHOUT A HEAVY EAST INDIAN ACCENT?

Got it configured by 10:15.
================

Thursday 9:00 a.m.= a phone call from Pearl that she could not access her games because it says, "I have to go on-line and I'm not hooked up yet."
<what?  the games came off discs I loaded>

Take out garbage--up to Pearls.

As I am walking back to the computer, she is following along saying, "You know.  This is Pearl's house and Pearl's computer and you know, when I sit down in front of the computer, it sees me and won't work.  Remember before?"

I have her set up to one click any icon.
I have the resolution set up so the icons are larger.

I have all of five damn icons on her desk top!  4 for each of the games she likes and one for Face Book that will work WHEN I GET HER ON-LINE.

"Sit down and show me which game you want to play."

"What do you mean...which game?"
<sigh>

"Let's play Bejeweled.  Click on the icon to play that game."

She clicks on the damn Face Book icon!!!
<I can feel the heat rising in my throat--breathe>

"That's your Face Book icon.  You aren't set up for Face Book yet."

"Well, that's where the games are."

"No.  Look at the icons.  See those four?  Bejeweled, Temple Quest..those are the games we loaded yesterday.  Click on the Bejeweled one."

She does.  Up comes the FREAKING GAME!

"See!  You can do it, but it wouldn't let me!"
<GOOD GRIEF!>

"Whadda you mean?  You just clicked on it and it came up for you!"

"Yeah--because you're here!"

"Okay--I gotta get home and call Consumers Energy.  They still don't have my bill straightened out...since February."

Back home, I called Consumers Energy and was assured, ONCE AGAIN, that the charges would be looked into the Appliance Service Plan taken off and to just send in my budget payment--this after I had talked to 5 different people.  They are billing me each and every month for the ASP which was canceled February 20th.

"So--if the charges show up next month...again...I should just call back, right?"  I asked.

"Yes."

"Like I have for the last five months?"

"Yes...and thank you for being a Consumers Energy customer."
==================
Then, I looked around on the new 2010 Outlook--now called Microsoft Mail--which I HATE--and I have no contacts list, no saved e-mails--like the last e-mail I got from my BFF two days before she died--all my info for paying my bills on-line.  Gone.  PANIC.

Then I go looking for my 40 years of genealogy records on Family Tree Maker and can't find that.  PANIC!!

I called the computer shop and was assured (that damn word again), that it was not lost, they would get it and put it all on this computer.  I have a remote set up with them, so they can come into my computer and set things up.

He would call back at 11:00 and fix it.
=================
No call by 2:00, so up to Pearl's I go to get her hooked up to the Internet.

I called Comcast and almost fainted when I got an English speaking woman--she had a slight southern drawl, but SHE WAS AN AMERICAN!!!

The computer sits right by the modem and she told me to put the telephone jack looking thingie connect into the Ethernet slot on the Modem and hook the other end into the computer.  Unfortunately--Pearl said she didn't have one.

"You have a whole bag of different "cords"--where is it?"

and lo and behold in that bag, was a nice bright blue connection cord.

Badda Boom, Badda Bing--connected!!!!!!!

I could not believe how simple it was AND I should have figured it out yesterday on my own, but...sometimes, I am a lot like Pearl and afraid to mess up electronic things.

Then I got her hooked up to her bank with an icon on her desktop--thank goodness I remembered her user name and password from a year ago.

Then I got her on Face Book.  Remember, she had 4 different accounts, set up by her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend and NONE OF THEM could remember the user names or passwords?

Now--while I am doing this and trying to concentrate, she is trying to show me pictures she just found in an envelope--THAT I HAVE SEEN HALF A DOZEN TIMES BEFORE...and gets a bit angry because I won't look or talk to her.

"Well!  If you won't talk to me, I'm going out to the living room!"

"I'm sorry.  I can't talk.  I am trying to figure this out and I have to concentrate.  You got any Diet Pepsi--I'm thirsty."

She goes off to get my drink and I step out on the back porch and have half a REAL cigarette.

Back in the bedroom---

I had an idea and put in her old e-mail address, when she had ATT and  Badda Boom, Badda Bing--there was her account, all her friends--the whole schmeer!!!

"Wait until I tell Margie," she says. (Her daughter.)

"Tell Marge to go in there and delete those other accounts.  I'll change your e-mail to your new one later."

Then, she wanted a couple more games loaded and so....I made her sit in front of the computer/monitor and do it herself.  

"Where do I put this diskie in?"

"Oh--in the CD/DVD tray."

"Where's that?"

"On the front of the computer.  Look for it."

"I can't find it."

"You didn't even look."

She bent down a bit..."What happens if I push this button?"

"I don't know.  Try it."

"What if I break something?"

"You can't."

Lo and behold--

When I left at 5:00, she was happily playing Pearl's Peril on Face Book.

They are taking me out for supper tomorrow night.  I think I might just order Lobster AND steak!  <kidding>

My E.T. (essential tremor) has really been bad today--nerves I suppose.  Here I am, trying to move a mouse around a monitor screen and click on appropriate boxes with a shaking right hand that sends the cursor to the top of the page.  ARGGH!!

I had forgotten to mention that Dar came over every evening this week to...geez, I can't remember why right now.

I am going to take an Ativan and go to bed.

Meeting with an attorney in the morning.  I am sure there is going to be more stress with that!!

DAGNABBIT!!!

Computer problems here and next door.

Back On Line

My computer is hooked up and I am back on line--except I can't get any e-mails and Pearl bought a new computer and I am helping her get set-up before me, so..................................

I'll see  ya, when I can.

Beautiful Weekend

We have had the most wonderful weather this spring and summer and this past weekend?  It was absolutely perfect.  Cool enough at night to sleep with windows open, cool in the morning--like 60 degrees cool, where I needed a long sleeved shirt and then up to around 75 in the afternoon.  Along with that were sunny skies and a lovely breeze.  It sure is my kind of weather!!!

I leaped out of bed this morning--the cats were pestering me to feed them.  I didn't look at my "what is today" flip-chart and scurried around--took a shower, cleaned up the kitchen, because, I wanted to be out of here by 9:30 to take my computer to the shop and stop at the post office.

It was only when I went back to get dressed that I looked at my flip-chart to learn--it was Sunday!  Sunday?  I thought yesterday was Sunday.

  I have been posting this picture under my status on Face Book, a lot lately.  I think it's just a phase I am going through, but.................I sure have been an idiot lately.

I took a selfie while I was saying, "DUH!"

By the way--those anonymous comments coming from the illegal aliens (because I certainly did not give them permission to enter my blog) don't show up in the comments form you see...but they do pop-up in my e-mail--to an annoying rate and amount.  I DO NOT want to put verification codes on here, as I hate them on other blogs because I can never see the numbers to get them right the first time.  I think I will just keep deleting them in my e-mail inbox and maybe they will go away.  

Or put up an electrified fence, surrounded by a moat filled with alligators---unless they were little kids and then, I'd have to take them all in--they are by far the cutest kids ever...and makes me sad at what they have had to go through.

Okay--so TOMORROW MORNING, WHICH IS MONDAY, I will be unplugging and taking my computer into the shop to have Windows 7 installed and my hard drive saved and the rest of it cleaned--physically dusted and electronically de-bugged or whatever they do.

You won't be hearing from me for a couple of days--ARRGH, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT MY FACE BOOK GAMES!!!!???, but I will be fine and see you back here soon.  

They told me soon--and I hope they mean it.    

Hackers, Robots and Aliens

==========================
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I feel like Arizona, Texas and California.

Middle Day

Today's high temperature was: 73 degrees

Today's humidity was: 33%

Morning showers, sunny and breezy rest of day.

Gorgeous

========================

Pearl called early this morning.  "Have you paid your rent yet?"

"Nope.  I don't get my social security until the third."

"Well--don't forget it went up."

"Yep--ten dollars more from now on."

"No!  It went up twenty dollars a month."

I opened my desk drawer and found the notice from the park and......

"Oh.  I've got the notice they sent to all of us and my notice says, ten dollars more."

"What do you pay a month?"

"I paid three hundred and fifty-seven.  This month I will have to pay three hundred and sixty-seven."

"Yes--that's what I paid yesterday.  Three hundred and sixty-seven."

"What did you pay before?"

"Before...when?"

"What did you pay last month?"

"Three hundred and forty-seven."

"Well, then this month, you only have to pay three hundred and fifty seven."

"Why would I pay less than you?"

"Because your trailer is smaller."

"What difference does that make?"

"Your place takes up less ground space than mine does. Darlene has a double-wide and she has to pay three hundred and seventy-seven dollars rent.  Last month she had to pay three hundred and sixty-seven.  She has to pay more because her house takes up more....ground space."

"Well. I wrote out a check for three hundred and sixty-seven dollars....because our rent went up twenty dollars for everyone."

"I don't know, Pearl.  I think you paid too much.  Why don't you call the office in the morning and ask."

"I will, but.....I know I'm right."
<sigh>

Now I understand why, at age 78, Merle still works half-days.  He needs to get away from all that.
===================
Well now--look what I saw on Face Book.  My old pal Richard.  He's on his way to KC for a Corvette Convention.  He was on Our Time looking for a younger women.  Looks like he found her.

I so wanted to comment under this picture,

"Oh, are you traveling with your daughter?"

Actually, the more I look at him, the less I like him.  He was adorable and charming when he was 18, now, he is only charming.  Just another old guy--who still thinks he's 25 and thinks if he has a younger woman on his arm, he is still a stud.
==================
I jumped in the shower and when I went into the bedroom, to get dressed, this is what I saw.  My reactions was, "What the heck?"

"Someone" had pushed the screen out.  It wasn't like that when I got up this morning, so.......

"Maggie...did you do that?"

Neither one wants to look at me.

I know it was Maggie, as she sits in that window.

She must have seen a bird she was trying to go after.

One good thing?  Neither one jumped outside.

Hope it isn't bent.

Hope I can just slide it back into place.

Oh--the A/C inspection guy left the fuse box open.  Idiot!

Close the fuse box cover

Slide screen in--not broken.

We live to fight another day!!!

I wonder--now that she knows she can do that--will she do it again?  I do have white duct tape I can always tape the outside so she can't push it out.  ANIMALS!!  Worse than kids!!
=======================
When I sit at my computer, this is the scene in front of me.  If I just look up through the top part of the windows, I don't see anything except trees and clouds--no houses, I like it that way best.

Pearl called this late afternoon.  She and Merle went shopping for their "tomb stone" as she called it.  I am glad!!!  I have been encouraging them to do this and get the stone set on their cemetery lot.  One less thing for their kids to worry about...and she and Merle can pick out exactly what they want. Not as much fun as picking out new furniture, but...............necessary.

Just Another Day

Today's high temperature was: 77 degrees

Today's humidity was 44%.

Sunny with a real nice breeze.

===========================

We had one heck of a storm early this morning--I guess.  You know, I am scared of storms, but when they come during the night and I am sleeping, if I wake up, I'm so groggy that I put the pillow over my head and go back to sleep--which is what I did this morning.  Then, when I woke up, I hear about the 65 mph winds we got, 15,000 in this country with no power, limbs down, some trees uprooted and building damage.

If I had got up and turned on the TV, this is what I would have seen and probably freaked.  Better to stay in bed.

It was kind of a bad day today.  

The phone rang at 9:00--it was Pearl.  "I'm up at the office.  I can't get the key to start the car.  Can you come get me?"

"Sure, Honey, I'll be right there."

She had gone up to the office to pay her rent.  When she got back in the car, the key wouldn't turn.  I got in her car to see if I could figure it out.

"What do you think you are...a mechanic?"   She sounded real grouchy.

"This happened to me once (lie) and I thought maybe I could figure it out."

"You can't get the key out of the slot!"

I pulled the key out and put it back in.  Then I wiggled the shift back and forth and stomped on the brake a couple of times and then tried to wiggle the steering wheel--which seemed kind of stuck.  So I yanked the wheel back and forth really hard and turned the key and the car started.  She had pulled in and cranked the wheels way over to the left and had locked up the steering wheel.

I hopped out and said, "There ya go."  

She was really mad at me!  "Oh, you just think you know how to do everything!" and she got in her car and drove on home--nearly hitting two mail boxes along the way.  

Whatever, I came home.

I didn't do too much today, but it seemed I was busy.

Pearl walked down around 6:30, came in, groaning about her arthritis and sat down.

"Merle fell asleep watching the news, so I decided to walk on down.  I have something to ask you."

"Sure."

"Explain this Hobby Lobby thing to me.  I don't understand it."

"Well, yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that Hobby Lobby didn't have to pay their employees health insurance for certain contraceptives."

"Hobby Lobby is just a small craft store.  What business is it what kind of contraceptives their employees want to use.  Sex is private!  They can use what ever kind of birth control they want to!"

<okay, this is not going to go well>

Simplify.  K.I.S.S.

"No...it's not about that.  All businesses had to enroll in the Obama Care insurance or they have to pay a fine."

"Yes--I know."

"Included in that insurance is contraceptives of all kinds.  IUD's, birth control pills, probably diaphragms, if women still use them AND...the morning after pill."

"What's a morning after pill?"

"That's a pill you can take if you had unprotected sex and think you might be pregnant.  If you are pregnant, it stops the egg from attaching to the uterus.  I think."

"So--what business is it of the insurance company what kind of birth control you use?  Just go and buy the kind you want!"

"It's not the insurance's business, but...Hobby Lobby is owned by a family who doesn't believe in abortion and they view an IUD or the morning after pill to be like....like a mini abortion."

"And?"

"And, they didn't want to have to pay insurance for that kind of contraceptive.  They still will pay insurance for birth control pills and other contraceptives, but not those two."

 Well--what business is that of the Supreme Court?  The government has no right to tell us what kind of birth control we can use!"

"No...it's...they don't care....Ah--Hobby Lobby had to sue and bring it to the highest court in the land to see if they have a constitutional right NOT to pay for that kind of insurance that covers those kinds of contraceptives.."

"I still don't get it.  Hobby Lobby is just a little craft store...with four or five employees.  What's the big deal?  Why would they spend all that time and money--just think what it cost us to have the Supreme Court rule on this!"

"Hobby Lobby has a lot of stores."

"No it doesn't!  I've been in one.  They are local and only hire about four or five people."

"No...Hobby Lobby has almost six hundred stores........"

"Oh, they do not!  I don't want to talk about it anymore.  You made my head hurt."

Then she mumbled something else and I said, "What?"

"Boy--your hearing has really gone.  You need hearing aids.  I keep telling you that!"

"No--you had your face turned away and kind of mumbled and I didn't hear what you said."

"I don't mumble!  Merle tells me that all the time.  He can't hear either.  You both need hearing aids!"

Then, we talked about the cats and the weather and our gardens  and she got up to leave.  I always walk her out, to make sure she doesn't fall and makes it home all right--she doesn't realize that I watch until she gets to her house.

"Boy--you need to water your planters."

"Gosh, with all the rain we got, I thought they got enough water."

"Well--that's not enough.  You need to water them everyday!"

"Okay...I'll do it in the morning."

"You need to do it right now!"

and off she toddled.

Troubles me.  She is really getting more and more cantankerous.  She gets that clipped tone to her voice and sounds petulant.  I think the memory problems are becoming worse and she is also having cognitive issues.  Merle told me last week that sometimes he thinks she's had a mild stroke while he was at work.

 It is certainly possible that she is having T.I.A.'s--her Mother had a stroke.

I am getting so I hate it when she asks me to explain something because she starts arguing about it.  I had to bit my tongue the other day when she wanted an explanation about a Bible verse she didn't understand.  She didn't know anything about it, but argued with my explanation.  "Why do you ask me to explain these things when you already know the answer?"  but, of course, I didn't say that.  

Sigh