Ah

Today's temperature was: 83 degrees

Today's humidity was:  52%

Sunny--cloudy--sunny

It's Michigan--if you don't like the weather--wait a 

minute and it will change.

A bit too humid for me today--I noticed when I went out onto the porch to throw the cat litter bag in the garbage--so I came back in and stayed inside all day--enjoying the A/C.  I do not do well with hot weather--I guess that's why I like fall and winter?  In the summer, when I am shut up with all the windows and doors closed--it is like being shut up in winter time.  I like the windows open, the doors open--the breezes coming in.  

So anyway--I was so amped from my birthday yesterday, that I couldn't get to sleep until nearly two o'clock this morning.  When my alarm went off at 8:00, I shut it off, turned over and slept until 10:00.  Why not?  I had no where to go and nothing much to do.  :-)  

I looked at the pictures from yesterday--I really need some new clothes!!!  My shorts are so wide at the hem, they almost look like I have a skort on.  My top is so big, it makes me look bigger!  Oh well--I just can't fret about clothes--I can't afford to buy new ones and I don't go many places in the summer AND I am too old to worrying about being stylish--so--why worry.

Karen, Maddie, Susan and I were exploring the attic yesterday--we found some great things.  My sister gave me a wooden box she found that we figure was our great grandmother's.  It was from a face soap company.  I collect wooden boxes and was thrilled with this one.  Looks practically new and I know--it is over 100 years old.  We also found a whole trunk of bonnets--some quite fancy.  There was one that looked like a widows bonnet--probably our great great grandmother's.  I put it on and it didn't fit my head at all--people back then were so much littler.  It had a big bow to tie under the chin.  I put it on, tied the bow, made a very dour face and Karen took a picture.  She hasn't sent it as yet. 

I also found several Ivory crochet hooks!  Maddie thought they were plastic until I told her that plastic hadn't been invented until after I was born.  I took two of them and want to use them the next time I crochet a project.

Then when we left the attic, there was a picture, hanging on the bedroom wall, of our great grandmother.

Karen said, "Mom--you look like her!!  I thought you looked like your mother's side of the family, but...look at her face.  You look just like her."  Which I did.

I thanked Karen for the observation and said, "Ah--how nice.  You think I look like great grandma Sophia in this picture?  Sweet--she was in her eighties when this was taken!  Thanks a lot."

Meanwhile, Madeleine Sophia is giggling in the background. 

Oh by the way, I gave Susan the Christmas tablecloth I cross stitched.  She tried it on her dining room table and it is big enough to put 4 leaves in the table and still fits.  Probably big enough to seat 10 people.  SHE LOVES IT!!!

I forgot to tell you something last night.  While I was in their garage, I noticed a whole bunch of gingerbread trim laying along the west wall.  Chuck told me that the craftsman ( a friend) that made their fireplace and other nice trims, took a long stretch of the original gingerbread to cut new wood.  Then he decided to make it out of Trex--the composite that they make decks out of nowadays.  He took measurements of the lengths he needed, then made a stencil of the original and now has the Trex all cut and--IT WILL NEVER HAVE TO BE PAINTED!!!  Their contractor is coming early next month to put new siding on the house--the narrow kind, like the original and Susan is painting ALL the shutters.  Then, when they repair the wrap-around front porch--that house is going to be the showplace it was when it was built!!  I am so excited!!

Chuck and I are fighting with Susan.  She doesn't want to put the trim back over the doors and windows...because, birds like to built their nests on top of the trim and...Susan is terrified of birds.  I don't think Chuck and I are going to win this one...but...maybe?  Like Susan says, "I want to keep it looking like the original."  Well then?

Look at some of the old pictures Susan found of...me :-)

My first birthday and already I had the habit of chewing my tongue.

I still do when I am concentrating on something--like cross stitch or crochet.

I was born on my cousin Helene's 6th birthday--so here we are

1 and 7.  She was named after my grandma, and my grandma's only niece and her precious--until I was born.  

Helene was 80 yesterday--she still claims I ruined her life, LOL

Okay--this is not at all PC.  People nowadays would be horrified.

I am 2 1/2 and am sitting on a farm machine.  No seat belts.  

No way to hang on, except tightly to the seat I am sitting on.

A lot of our machinery was converted from horse drawn

to be able to pull with a tractor.  The farmer sat on the seat

and drove the horses.  

As you can see, this is hooked up to the tractor

and Daddy is about to go out into the fields.  

And it's a manure spreader

So as you can see--I got no respect.  

I also rode on the hay mower--the

long cutter blade just a foot from where I was sitting.

TWO AND A HALF--who does that to their child?

I loved every minute of it--or sitting up on the slippery fenders of the tractor. If I had slipped forward, the tractor wheel

would have run over me.  I SURVIVED!  I never once got hurt

while I lived on the farm.

Mother made this for me for Kindergarten Halloween.

The costume fits the child's personality.

It was red and white--she sewed every dang red and

while circle on it, by hand.

Man--it looks like I am standing in front of an old, 

falling down house!

Well--we had no indoor plumbing until I was 8.

First day of Kindergarten.  We went all day!

Note the ankle high shoes--suppose to make our ankles stronger--

they did not.  And the socks--one up and one down.

And how tall that child is for 5 years old.

I look like the ragamuffin I was/am.  LOL

An interesting note, I told my kids yesterday and grossed them out--I was born in this house and afterwards--my father took the placenta and buried it under one of the trees in the front yard.  Part of me will always be there!!!

Cool--huh?

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

My Daddy's funeral was 5 years ago today.  I didn't even think of it until late this afternoon.  He died on the 18th, and I didn't even think about it that day.  I wonder what that means?

I always remember and think about my mother on her birthday, June 16th.  I always know which anniversary year it is on the day of her death, March 15th.  I remember so much about her.  Why then do I not think of my Daddy on those memorable days?

Well--let's delve into that psychologically--shall we?  

Yesterday is the first family event we have had at the farm since my step-mother died.  I thought about it when I got home--I have never felt more comfortable there, since I was a little kid.  The last 42 years in that house, were filled with anxiety, for me.  It didn't matter if it was a family picnic, Christmas, or just a visit by myself.  Some critical or nasty side-ways remark about my foolishness was always made.  Now "those people" are not present.  I can be who I am--without worrying.  

Can you even imagine how freeing that is?  How relaxing that is? Of course you can't. Your Daddy's were special to you--your first love.  You were his Princess.  I have read that the closeness between a father and daughter is far more important then between mother and daughter.  It gives the daughter self confidence--self respect and teaches her the kind of man to look for as her husband.   

Perhaps that is why I view yesterday as one of my best (recent) birthdays. I was so calm and relaxed--having a ball playing croquet and not a worry that "someone" was going to tell me I talked or laughed too much or too loud.

<sigh>

IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!

Today's temperature was:  82 degrees

Today's humidity was 45%

Sunny with a nice breeze (at least at The Farm.)

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

Just got back in from going out and howling at the moon--hope the neighbors didn't mind--don't really care if they did.

My Dear Friends--today was the best birthday I have had in many years.  I just can't stop smiling and I know I won't be able to sleep until around 2:00.

Karen called a week ago and asked if I wanted to go to the Day Spa and have a mani-pedi and a massage.  I have never had a mani-pedi.  Then she said, "Or I could call Aunt Susie and see if we could get together at The Farm."

"Yeah!!!  That's what I want," I said.

She hung up the phone--it rang--it was my sister calling her.  "Hey, what ya doing for your Mom's birthday?  I wanted to have you all come here for lunch."  Great minds think alike?

Karen picked me up at 10:45 and surprise--grand daughter Madeleine was with her!!  Maddie had been at an intensive ballet "camp" all week--she was exhausted and both her big toes were bruised and the nails black, (dancing en pointe ruins a dancer's feet), but she wanted to be with me today. Aw-ww!

We got to the farm about 35 minutes later and looked at the new stuff Susan has done.  Her granite counter-tops are in and...in her new family room, she has added a lot of stuff from the attic.  Like our great great grandmother's spinning wheel, our little great grandmother's platform rocker, our grandma's quilt rack and some neat little tables and baskets.

The desk my great grandpa built is on the right.

A nice seating area in the kitchen--you can see

the old dining room to the left.

Susan had to fight with the contractor for this window.

He kept saying, "But it is a living room window,"

Susan said, "I don't want a narrow kitchen window with

panes--I want a panoramic view."  She can see my

son's house from this window.  Cool!!

As Susan was showing Karen around, I noticed Maddie was gone.  I went looking.  She was in the old living room, tears streaming down her face.  "A lot of changes..huh?"  I asked.

She nodded.  "It's nice, but...I miss great grandpa and grandma not being here."

"I know Honey.  That is one thing in life that never changes--change.  It has been kind of hard for me to see the changes--the little house, where my Daddy, my grandpa and my great grandpa were born--being torn down. I remember the way this house was, back when I was a little girl--I loved it that way...but...Aunt Susan and Uncle Chuck needed to make it more modern for them to live in, so........."

"I know, Gramma...I just miss people...I just miss the way it used to be."

"I know, Sweetheart...so do I."  Then she hugged me.  It is kind of nice to know that one day, when I'm gone---this sweet young women will tear up when she thinks of me.

Then,in walks Pammie with her famous baked beans and I no more get a hug from her, when I hear a male voice and it is my son Mark and his significant other, Cindy.  WOW--surprises left and right.

Then BIL Chuck and Mark were out grilling in the new garage, then it was time for lunch--with Karen's famous potato salad and Pammies beans and Susan's bread and butter pickles and hot dogs and hamburgers--a picnic--with my favorite foods. :-)

Then Susan said, "C'Mon--croquet anyone?"

Chuck, setting up the croquet course

Chuck explaining the game while Maddie and I hang out

I haven't played croquet in probably 50 years--we use to always play at family picnics.  Susan and Chuck don't drive each other off the course, if either one of them hits another person's ball--not our rules, LOL.  I hit Karen's and gave her a good drive off toward the driveway--then Pammie hit me and sent me down towards the road.  Susan says, "My Mother taught me not to do that.  We just moved our ball a mallet head away and took two turns."

I said, "It becomes more and more apparent that we were raised by different parents because when Mother, Daddy and I played--it was cut-throat!"  and of course, we were raised by different parents--she being born 13 years after me and they were older.  I grew up with the two younger parents who still kidded around like they were teenagers.

Then it was time for a family shot and Mark didn't

even moan--he hates getting his picture taken.

This would be: me, Mark, his GF Cindy, 

Pammie sitting down and Karen. 

Then we had to get one of my 'lil sis and me.

(Look how short her legs are compared to mine) LOL

The kids played another game of croquet, while we sat and watched and then someone--I think Pammie--yelled "CAKE" and we all headed back into the house.

They all sang Happy Birthday to me, made me

tear up and of course, Mark and Pam sang 

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you.

You look like a monkey

and you smell like one too."

I sat the cake a bit back from me and blew them all out.

"No emphysema in these old lungs!" I proclaimed.

 I did not make a wish because, Dear Friends, I have all that I want or need!!
=====================================================
Of course, you noticed, someone is missing.  Daughter, Jennifer and her four kids.  Pammie said that a friend of Jen's had a miscarriage and Jen had taken her friend's other three kids and was keeping them for the day and making the family supper.  Okay....that may or may not be true--Pammie said it was.

The thing of it is--I actually felt very comfortable with my three kids--those are the kids that were born in four years time--we grew up together, played together and it felt okay.  Actually, when we were getting ready to come home, Susan said, "You know...I kind of liked it without the little kids running around, yelling and crying.  It was nice just the way it was today."

I could not agree more.

So here I am--having completed 74 years of life and tomorrow, I will start on the last quarter century of my life--that is if I live to be 100 and...I plan on doing that.

Thank you all for your wishes--they mean the world to me.  Wish you all could have been there today at The Farm--we would have had quite a croquet game and it would have been nice.  Also, you all would have enjoyed exploring the attic--more of those silly pictures will be posted later.  You'd love to see all the antiques and stuff.  

It was a wonderful day!!!

How in the heck did I get so old so quick!!!!  YIKES!!

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

Oh I forgot to mention one thing--made me so happy.  Son Mark doesn't often attend family get together's--the last couple of years.  He told me last summer it was because of the guy who lives with Pam.  Mark said, "I just can't stand him, Mom.  I'm afraid if I am around him, I just might beat the son of a bitch up! I don't like my sister living with that piece of s**t"  (Mark is a little crude in his talk since he worked in the shop for many years.)  Well, apparently he just heard that the guy is moving out and when he walked in today and saw Pam, he went over to her and they just hugged and hugged.  These two have been so close all their lives---until the last few years. Now I think, they will be again.  BIG SMILE!!!

D.B.F.Day Before Funday

Today's temperature was: 82 degrees

Today's humidity was:  43%

Sunny, but  a bit warm for me.

At least the night's are cool, so no A/C so far.  Beautiful spring and hoping for a moderate summer.

I did not attend my school pals lunch today--it was quite a distance away and I really can't afford the $20.00 it would cost for gas.  I will try and go next month, if it is closer.  I used the excuse--well--I didn't really use an excuse, I just e-mailed them that I wouldn't be there.

This morning I got up fairly early--8:30 and after waking up--drove up to Brighton and stopped at the Meijer's store to fill up the car with gas.  I allow myself $40.00 a month for gas.  When it is gone--or getting low--I don't go anywhere.  I have been nursing a half tank of gas since Memorial Day.  The gas around here was well over $4.00 and I cannot afford that.  

Yesterday, the little gas tank icon on the dash came on, so---I got $40.00 of gas--at $3.81 a gallon--which is just obscene!!

Then I left there and went to the recycle ink jet place--I've been printing so much stuff.  I got two of them, color and black.  AND I got a couple packs of copy paper.  Now, I am good to go again.

After my Soap--ooh--it is getting so good!! I printed out all the new stuff I had found on-line for my ex husband's family.  I found another generation!!! and pictures of his grand parents that I know he doesn't have.  His grandfather, who died before he was born, looks so much like his Dad it is absolutely spooky.  They could be brothers.  I made a copy for him and my 4 kids to put into their family tree albums.  

I washed and ironed these two cross stitch projects--

This baby crib cover--turned out so cute.

I have no one to give it too, so I will put it away in the

plastic storage box, that has two baby afghans in it,

labelled "Great Grandchildren"

This turned out great too and I ironed it and folded it

and put it into a plastic bag that curtains came in

and take it to the farm tomorrow for my sister.

I think I will hide it in her top buffet drawer :-)

Then I went outside, got my green, snaky hose and the liquid Miracle Gro sprayer I have and watered all my plants.  Works so well!!

Fred's lily gifts to me, in the front garden, about to pop! 

As well as the porch garden.  I don't think these lilies

have ever been as tall as they are this year.

Both planters are filling in nicely.

Then I came in and soaked my feet.  There was a foot soak recipe on FB that I wanted to try. 1/4 cup Listerine--1/4 cup white vinegar--1/4 cup warm water.  Well, of course that wasn't enough to soak, so I increased it to a cup of each.  It really took off a lot of dead skin--and some approaching calluses.  I liked it and will try it again.

I am going to put a thick layer of VEET Shower hair remover on my legs and a nice thick layer of Neet For Face on my mustache and beard and shower--I should be sleek and smooth for tomorrow.  I do have ONE pair of white shorts that aren't too baggy, with a navy t-shirt, or I might wear my ONE pair of navy shorts with a white top.    

I've got the carry bag already packed with the two new books for Susan AND the copies of the stuff proving our 6th great grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, the Christmas tablecloth--copies of the family tree stuff for my kids and an antique farm machinery magazine for my bro-in-law.  Karen will pick me up at 10:45.  I am wondering if Jen will be there.  She has been at Girl Scout camp all week with Elise, so maybe they won't be home.  It would be so nice to have ALL four of my kidlets there!!!

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

I have a question--do any of you cross stitch?  Is it possible to cross stitch a pattern on a cloth and have it reversible?  The back looking like the front, only in reverse--so the back would look as good as the front?

I have cross stitched since 1978--when Karen taught me--and I have done a lot.  Some very large pictures--with metallic thread and beads.  I have yet to have a picture where the back looked decent.  With the baby crib quilt, I put the needle between the two layers so there were no stitches on the back--I didn't want it to be all messy on the back of the quilt.

Well, Dar--you remember her?  Asked me why I didn't go through the two layers so that the quilt would be reversible.  

I said, "I didn't want the back to look messy with all the threads."

She said, "Oh, I cross stitched for years.  ALL my projects were reversible.  The back looked as good as the front."

So I said, "You will have to teach me how to do that.  I'd like to see one of your projects."

"Oh--I left them all in Greece, when I came back to Michigan," she says.

I think she is BS'ing me again!!! You know, everything she does has to be better then anyone else.

Anyway--is that possible??

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

Oh my--it is my birthday!!  and...I have to be up and awake in six hours.............

Later, Jude

OH MY GOSH!!!

The temperature today was:  76 degrees

The humidity today was:  36%

Sunny, nice breeze

Well--here it is eleven o'clock at night and Jude is still at her computer.  I found a "clue" in a family tree research I am doing for CHRISSY (love her so much) and I could not get away from the computer without tracking it down first.  Why?  

Because--if I turned off the computer, tomorrow morning I would not remember what/who I was looking for.  AND--I couldn't shut down the computer, because....I was curious.  LOL.  This research is so much like a mystery and hunting for the clues.  Seeing where the oldest came from, when they immigrated here--all of it.  Finding people from the 1600 hundreds that I know the youngest never heard of.

This morning, I got up way too late, and swallowed a piece of cheese and ran up to Pearl's.  I gave her the album and spent 90 minutes explaining to her all of it--how to read the sheets.  Of course, along the way (and I was in a hurry to get home), this involved remembrances and stories of Uncle Henry's, wife's cousin's, brother-in-law (I DO NOT CARE--all I am interested in is your direct ancestor) and so--it took awhile.

She did not seemed impressed at all!!  She may have been stunned, because all the information seemed to confuse her.  Although, Pearl rarely gets excited about anything--except "Grey's Anatomy".  

I got home around noon, got a small sandwich--FINALLY made the bed, took a shower and cleaned out the litter box and got to watch my soap.  Then, had to get to the dentist's office!

Well--I tell you--OH MY GOSH--what an experience I had there!!!  

I don't really care for the dentist's office, but I go every four months to get my teeth cleaned--to find any trouble early before it hurts and/or costs a million dollars.  I mail thirty dollars to my dentist every month--thereby building up a credit so when I do go in, or if there is an emergency--it won't totally wipe out my budget for the month!

Today--I had to have a full set of x-rays.  It's been eight years--suppose to get that done every five years.  Then, the hygienist asked me if I were ready to try the Cavitron style of cleaning.  Last time I had told her, "No"--that I would get that style done in June.  Well, guess what--it is June.  So, I reluctantly said, "Okay.  But it if hurts or I start to feel like I am drowning..I will put my hand up and you will go back to the regular scaling process.  Right?"  (I sound like Dar!)

She agreed.  

Now, I had one of these done about 25 years ago when I went to a Periodontist for a deep cleaning.  I hated it.  It hurt like heck when the ultra sonic waves hit my teeth and the water sprayed everywhere and I was soaked when it was over, so.......

Well Folks, there have been some improvements in dentistry in the last 25 years--believe me.

This was by far--the bestest experience I have ever had in a dentist chair!!!  It is an ultra sonic cleaning device with warm water.  The tip nowadays is very small.  With the scaling process, she uses a metal pick and digs at the calculus and tarter, between the teeth (if she can), under the gums until they bleed--but I always enjoyed having the backs of my bottom and front teeth scraped because--I just liked it.  

With this miracle of dentistry--she goes around each tooth--the ultra sonic waves and water, cleans off the calculus and tarter, gets between my tight teeth, cleans out the pockets (I have deep ones) and cleans up and around the gums.

There is NO PAIN!!!  There is no drowning sensation--like back in the olden days.  I held the little sucker device and when she was done with each tooth, I suctioned out my mouth.

It didn't take as long and she got off a large piece of calculus that showed up on the x-ray and had been there way longer then four months.

My teeth have never felt so clean.  My whole mouth feels so clean.  

She found a popcorn hull in one of the pockets between my teeth--I haven't eaten popcorn since Christmas time. That gum had been sore for a long time--I tried going up under the gum with a tooth pick, my fingernail, a plastic tooth digger thingie and got nothing.  Tonight, that gum doesn't hurt a bit!!

 She even found--are you ready for this?  A tiny grey cat hair between my eye tooth and the one next too it--probably because I kiss Buddy's head every day, when he snuggles with me.  We had a laugh about that!  

She started laughing, because every time she stopped I'd say, "I love this so much!!!"

Then the dentist came in, grabbed my tongue and looked around, checked things, studied the x-rays and I was good to go!!!  Cost me $250.00 this time, but I had a $280.00 credit, so I was good to go.

Then, I stopped at the Wal-Mart on the way home--boy that place is going downhill--fast!  It smelled so bad in the bottle return area I just about gagged!!!  I need a pair of white pants--I had three pair--when I tried them on this morning--they look like clown pants on me.  Wal-Mart had white ones--in women's sizes, or in my size, but they were boot cut--I like slim, tapered legs.  GEEZ.  

Got home and Merle was riding by on his bike.  He stopped and carried in the milk, water and Diet Pepsi jugs for me and then said, 

"That book you made for Pearl is great.  You found grandpas I didn't even know I had!"  Then he gave me a hug.  

Which is funny because I thought, Pearl would be the excited one and slow talking, easy going Merle wouldn't care a bit.  We just never know how people are going to react.

Okay kids--it is now near midnight and I STILL have to gather up and take the garbage out to the street.  Plus--I haven't played one Face Book game all day and so---I gotta do that or I won't be able to sleep, LOL.

See ya tomorrow!!!  First Day of Summer is Friday.  We will get near 15 hours of daylight on Friday.  It IS the longest day of the year.  

In ancient times, on that special day, there was a baby girl born in a farm house.  The first girl born to the family in three generations.  Her parents thought she would be a princess, lady-like in her appearance and attitude.  Instead, she turned out to be a coltish ragamuffin, always barefooted in the summer--always scabs on her knees--always climbing trees--always out in the barn with the animals or in the woods hunting for treasures.  

This year, she will return to the ancestral farm for her birthday--her 74TH birthday--EGAD!!!  

She has always wanted to go to Stonehenge and, at sunrise, dance with the druids, as they do on the Summer Solstice.  Alas and alack--she must be content to enjoy lunch with her sister (the real princess of the family) and her kids.  

Actually, she thinks that will be wonderful!!!

What Can I Say? The Woman Drives Me Nutz!!!

I'd say it was a pretty nice today.  

I got Pearl's album all done and will take it up to her tomorrow morning.  

Dar was over for a visit (?).  You know how it is to visit with her.  She talks, I listen and if I make a comment, before she wants me too, she puts her hand up, palm facing me as if to say, "Shut up--I'm not done talking."

She comes in, puffing away on her cigarette, sits down in the rocking chair, looks up at the ceiling and says, "You need to prime and paint your ceiling.  I notice, in the bright light, that it is dingy looking."

Especially on the ceiling over where you sit and blow smoke up at it, I am thinking. 

"Yes...I know," I said.  "It needs painting...all the walls need it to, but I couldn't do it anymore.  I would have to hire someone to come in and spray paint it...probably."

Then she starts telling me this yarn about how she wants to buy a car, but her brother, who used to sell cars, told her she couldn't afford the gas.  She would like to be able, once a month, to drive up north a ways to visit her son and his wife who has cancer.  

"My brother told me it would cost me one hundred-fifty dollars to make the round trip."

"Gosh--where to they live?"

"Alma.  It's about ninety-miles."

I thought for a moment and said, "Well, I hate to say this, but your brother is incorrect in his calculations."

"Oh.  No.  He knows all about cars."

So--because she drives me nuts with her no-it-all attitude, I say, "Let's do an experiment.  It will be fun."  I handed her a piece of paper and a pen.

"Let's say your car gets twenty miles per a gallon of gas.  Write that down.  Now, if a gallon of gas costs--oh, let's go high--five dollars a gallon.  You can drive twenty miles and it will cost you five dollars.  Right?  Put a five over to the right of the twenty."

"Okay--got it," she says.

"Now, here we go on our road trip.  You drive another twenty miles--that's forty miles you have driven and it has cost you ten dollars.  Now keep doing that--another twenty, which is a total of sixty miles and another five dollars.  Do that until you get to one hundred miles.  Now add up your fives."

"I got twenty-five."

"Okay--that's how much it will cost you to drive to Alma--fifty dollars for the round trip."

"Well, I would have to get an older car--like five years old or something and he said they don't get very good gas mileage.  Like ten miles a gallon."

GOOD GRIEF!!

"I don't know what car he is thinking of--I have a fifteen year old car and it gets--or the last I checked, it got twenty-five miles per gallon of gas."

"Well...why would he tell me it would cost me a hundred and fifty dollars?"

"Hm-mm.  He doesn't want you to buy a car?"

"So...once again some MAN is telling me what I can and can't do?"

"A yep."

She keeps bragging that her Daddy, who now lives here, is a multi-millionaire--I wonder why Daddy doesn't buy her a car---but I would not voice that.  I just get so frustrated when women can't figure these kinds of things out for themselves--especially women who live alone and brag about how independent they are.

Anyway--then she says, "I have to work tomorrow, so that means getting up at five o'clock."

"Why so early?  You don't have to be at work until nine do you?"

"That's right, but I have to do my Bible study and prayers in the morning.  I have four Bibles--different ones, and three study guides.  If one Bible doesn't seem to explain it so I understand, I get my other ones and look at the same verse.  Then I check the study guides to see if they agree.  Then I write it down so I can remember it later..in case someone might ask me and I can tell them the truth."

"That's a good thing to do...I guess."

So then--because I am such a rabble rouser, I say, "Which Bible do you study from?  The Douay Bible, the Jehovah Witness Bible--the NIV, the Amplified?"

"Oh--I don't use the Douay or Jehovah Witness ones--they aren't the true Bible!"

"Who says?"

"Because, they've either added books or taken books out..."

"Well, the King James Version has books that are left out too.  How do you know that version is the real Bible?"

"What books?"

"The Books of The Aprocryphal. The books from the Dead Sea Scrolls that were never included."

(I am such a brat!)

"You realize that what is in the King James Version is based on what the writers of that Bible--the interpreters wanted in it." says I.  "Other books were added or deleted depending on what the writers of those Bibles thought were important to their faith.  There are a lot of really good books in the Douay Bible--they even have the book of Judith, which I think is pretty cool!"

"Did I tell you Connie (her estranged daughter) called my sister-in-law and wanted to know how I was doing?"

"That's great.  Do you think she wants reconciliation?"

"I don't know what she wants...if it is...I would have a plain directive from God, telling me that she was sincere, before I would reconcile with her!"

I say nothing.

"What if Jennifer called you and wanted to get together...acted like she wanted you in her life again...what would you do?"

"I'd jump for joy!"

"You mean you would trust her again?"

"Yes."

"You'd expect an apology...right?"

"No."

"You would just pretend the last few months hadn't happened?  That she hadn't hurt you?"

"Yes."

"Well...how could you do that?  She's been cruel to you."

"Darlene...it's called...unconditional love.  It's called acceptance.  It's called forgiveness.  All the things the Bible teaches us."

"I can't forgive Connie...I never will!"

"Then you are willing to forego ever seeing your daughter and your grandchildren--ever again in your life.  Like when you cut your mother out of your life?" 

"I had a reason."

"Connie thinks she has a reason too."

I was getting a bit miffed at her pretentious attitude.  She claims to be such a great Christian.  She loves to show off in church.  She loves to pray out loud, in front of people.  She always says, "God's blessing on you" when she leaves.  She reminds me of the Pharisees--showing off. She brags to everyone about what a great Bible scholar she is--makes Pearl roll her eyes.  

So I say to her,"You keep telling me that God doesn't seem to be sending you things that you need.  You keep telling me Jesus isn't sitting in your bedside chair anymore and doesn't talk to you.  You expect God to forgive you of your wrong doings, and yet, you are unwilling to forgive others.  I think, you get back exactly the amount of forgiveness from God, that you give to others."

"What are you saying?  That God won't bless me if I don't forgive Connie?"

"Kind of,"  I said.  "Look  I just feel...you can read your Bible everyday, you can talk to Jesus and pray to God, you can go to church every Sunday, but if you don't put the principles of kindness, love, forgiveness IN your own life, you aren't going to get any of the promises spoken of in the Bible FOR your life. Go home and read Mark eleven or Matthew six or eighteen. See if what I am saying makes any sense."

So--she looked at her watch and said, "I've got to get going--it's past supper time."

She may not be back.

Monday==Feels Like Tuesday--Where Am I?

Today's temperature was:  83 degrees

Today's humidity was only 33%

Sunny all day.

GOT IT DONE!!!!!

Too hot for me today--well, in the computer room anyway.  I do not want to turn on the A/C as yet, so I just suffered!!!

Tonight, while I watched Tiger's Baseball, I put together Pearl and Merle's family tree album.  It turned out really, really nice.  I want to take it up to her tomorrow.  She is going to love it--I hope!  I made a chart that goes on the first page that says, in essence, "Your great, great, great grandfather on your father's side".   Put in the name, then the great, great, great grandmother's name, and on down the list to her mother's side and the same kind of chart.  I think it will help her understand better.  Of course, there is an ancestor tree chart, and also a family tree page for each person, showing not only their parents, but their spouse and children.  To someone who isn't use to reading those types of things, it can be a bit confusing.    I also put tiny labels at the top of each family tree page with the specific person, i.e., "Great,great,great grandfather."  Because once she gets into the album, she will have forgotten what relation it is to her.

Just on a whim, while I was in ancestry.com, I typed in my 6th great grandfather's name.  I have huge genealogy albums for each side of my family, so we have the history--I thought.  While my sister was living in New York, she gleaned a lot of info.  BUT to my surprise, he and three of his brothers, fought in the Revolutionary War!!!  My sis and I could join the Daughter's of the American Revolution!!!  We could be member's of the D.A.R.  We have the proof.  I have the page with their names on it.  I have the record of them getting their pensions. I guess it's quite a big deal to be in the D.A.R.  I don't know, but---I haven't told my sis yet.  I will see her on Friday and show her the record.  She is going to FREAK OUT!!!

I had to take a couple of breaks today--my head was getting really foggy and dizzy.  I went up to Pearl's and took her the "step by step" list I had made on how to get pictures from the web, how to save them, how to find them again ( :-) ) and how to print them.  She was thrilled!!!

Then after my soap, I went out to my shed, got a bucket and went over to the service drive where I remember them dumping sand a few years ago.  I had purchased some succulent plants the other day and a cute planter to put them in.  

I put some of my pea gravel (like I used on the railing planters for drainage), then mixed a bit of sand with some potting medium, knocked the succulents out of their pots and planted them.  I had one left over--I love it--it looks like a rose.

I had a leaf shaped planter that I put a Philodendron in spring of 2012.  Maggie The Cat has eaten the thing down to a nub.  So I knocked the dirt out of that and repeated the drainage/sand/potting mixture and put the rose-shaped succulent in that.  I have them on the little table on my porch.  I think they will be able to stay out all winter--perhaps with a burlap bag around them?  I used to leave the succulents in my rock garden out all winter.  Or maybe, I will bring them because they are cute?  I probably won't though because, if I do, you know who will find them and eat them as her salad!!!

Cute--huh?  Looks like a giant coffee cup.

I love this rose one

An experiment to see how they do.

I definitely have to go on-line and find out the names for these pretties.  Someone on FB said they planted Hens & Chickens in their deceased husband's sneakers and have them outside.  Well--I still have Freddy's sneakers--just cannot throw them away.  I might just do something like that.  I could put them on the porch steps!

WOW--our Tiger's pitcher, Max Scherzer (who has one brown eye and one blue eye) just got his 10th win.  He is 10 and 0, which is a big deal.  First time since 1920 for the Tiger Team.  The Tiger's won another one and are firmly in first place in the Al Central.  Karen, Mark and some of their kids were down at the game tonight.

See ya tomorrow!!!  It's suppose to be cooler--YAY!

P.S.  I know when Dar's daddy's birthday is--I just might casually ask her what his name is and then go digging, LOL.  

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Please go to this link and read the poem.  It is so beautiful.  My friend is a wonderful writer.

http://balisha-neverenoughtime.blogspot.com/