Sun Catchers and Learning

Today's high temperature was:  80 degrees

Today's humidity was: 69%

Sunny--nice breeze, windows open, but a tad humid outside.

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I am sooooooooo excited about the new Royal Baby!!!  I think his parents will stay married forever, so he will have other siblings and quite a nice life.  I have always felt a bit sorry for Prince Charles.  He was so totally in love with Camilla, but forced (some say by his Father and Uncle) to marry a woman who could give him heirs.  He did and neither he or she were ever happy.   Now, everything I read says he and Camilla are very, very happy.  The Queen has seemed to become a bit more modern, but I can certainly understand the way she acted when Diana was killed.  "We don't mourn in public!"  I understand because my family is much the same.  Stoic.  Stiff upper lip.  Get over it and get on with life.And to think---I remember seeing the Queen's Coronation--she was so young!!  She was never suppose to be Queen--her Father, never suppose to be King.  I hope this little boy has as much of a normal life as he can, but being groomed for the Throne and ALL the cameras always in his face, it will be up to his parent's to keep him sane.

I would like his name to be William Spencer something, something, to get his grandma's name in there, but he probably will be named George and called Georgie most of his life.  UGH!

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Now--as for these damn sun catchers, LOL.  More experimentation and I find that you have to use--the same kind of beads.  You cannot use Pony beads and then Sparkly beads.  The Sparkly beads do not melt at the same temp or time as the Pony Beads.  You can however, use Pony beads and the larger translucent beads.

The sun catcher I made for Pearl--I remade today.  She wanted clear, gold and flecks of black.  The flecks of black were Sprakly beads--they did not melt and turned out to be dots of black.   The one I made today, was all Pony beads and the Sprakly black beads, I put inside a dishcloth and smashed to bits and it looked a lot better.  Pearl was happy with it--I gave her both of them because I have no use for them.

Apparently, I didn't take the lesson to heart, because I decided to make a clear, pink and rose big one.  I used clear and rose translucent Pony beads and the Sparkly pink ones and.......................

The Sprakly pink beads did not melt!!

I will give the box of Sprakly beads to Pammie to give to

grand daughter, Elise for making bracelets and whatever.

Jean had a question about the pans.  I said not to use a Teflon coated one.

This is the old cake pan I used for some of the first ones.

As you can see, it discolored it AND left a discoloration

on the sun catchers.

So--when I went to Wal-Mart to get more beads,

I picked this cake pan up and the Texas Size muffin pan.

It is made by Baker's Secret.  I don't know what it is made

of, but the whole pan is the same material and it works

like a dream!!!

This is still my favorite one.  

The first one I made with the larger translucent 

plastic beads --that turned out bumpy.

I haven't been able to replicate it,

but I will try--one more time, then--

that's it for sun catchers!!!

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Well kids--it is time!  I haven't used hot water in a couple of days, so, this morning when I took my shower, I must have drained it, because when the flame came on, I heard such a racket of lime and calcium clumps popping and bouncing around on the burner plate that it scared me!  It isn't that I need to drain and flush the hot water heater, it is now that I HAVE to drain and flush the hot water heater.

Today, I took my old rubber hose out of the hose reel and dragged it up to the front porch.  Tomorrow morning, I will empty my closet, hook up that hose and see what happens.  

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My gardens are fast "going by" as they say.  All I have blooming for the rest of the summer will be Cone Flowers and Rudbeckia.  The lilies are just about gone.  Of course I do have my annuals in the pots and that will help keep it a bit bright--but it is nearly August!  I cannot believe it.  We wait through March--April--watching and looking for some green little sprig of something growing in our gardens.  In May, the spring bulbs are glorious and then the pots and containers are ready to be planted.  Then here are the Peonies and Iris--then the Lilies and then.........................geez!  It seems to go by so fast!!  

Today, I watered, as we didn't get any rain last night--they got quite a bit about 15 miles south of here.  My Grape tomatoes are wonderful, however, my regular tomatoes are small and I don't know if I bought the wrong kind of if they just don't like the location, the dirt, who knows.  My cucumber vine is up and with flowers, but I don't think I will get any cucs before the frost.  I think, next year, I will just throw a whole bunch of wildflower seeds in that planter and see what happens.  I might get a nice bouquet out of it.  Wait--Zinnia's--they would work!!  I use to love Zinnia's.  (Gotta write that down in my garden journal for next year or---next year I will have forgotten.)  The optimism of gardeners and farmers; There is always next year!!!

Next year--none of this nonsense of "we aren't selling Impatiens this year because last year they had a mold disease. (Here, try these, they look the same.  Of course they will die and we won't give you your money back, so here, buy these larger variety--of course, they will get a leaf disease and will not be like you want, but....come back next year.")  

Wal-Mart sold Impatiens and I noticed the ones my neighbors bought are beautiful--so POOH--to the fancy, pricey garden store/nursery across the road. 

Okay--my final say on Sun Catcher!  

I do not like the Pony Beads--yes they are translucent, BUT

they appear to be dull--I would however use them for the

small sun catchers.

If I buy any more--these are the ones I would buy.  

They are also translucent, BUT they appear to be  more faceted

so when melted, they appear to shine much better AND

there are blue beads in this mix.

These are the Sparkle Beads--the ones with the glitter in them

don't want to melt very well.  The ones without the glitter,

were pretty good.

Sun Catcher Tutorial

I was going to title this, "How To Make A Sun Catcher", but then "tutorial" sounded so--I don't know--intelligent?  Like I know what I'm doing?  Still experimenting--that's what I'm doing.

DO NOT use a Teflon coated pan.

Put in ONE layer--if you put in more, they are bumpy--unless you want bumpy.

Make sure the beads around the edges are flat or they will bake into hard, sharp edges and you can get cut.  I know this how?  OUCH!

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

There is a tiny smell of the plastic, while it is baking, but I didn't find it offensive and my oven is only 3 feet away from my recliner.

Also--through experimentation, after 20 minutes, on the large ones, I turned off the oven, but let them sit in there for another 10 minutes.

Take them out, let them cool--at least 20 minutes, flip over and out they pop!

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The pix on the left is the recipe from Face Book.

The one on the right is my first attempt--it turned out bumpy

This is another one I made on Friday.  At first I didn't like it, but now I do.

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I decided to make some smaller ones. 

Baker's Secret Texas Size Muffin Pan

I got these translucent Pony Beads at Wal-Mart.

However, there are no blue beads so...

I got this box too, which has blue beads and larger sized beads.

These are what they look like after baking.

Can you see where I put little balls of aluminum foil--I don't 

have a drill, so these worked great to make holes for the wire

dig them out with an awl or the point of a paring knife.

I used 26 gauge copper wire, but you can also use

jewelry filament.  I put extra unbaked beads in between

When I was done, I took it up to Pearl's and she really liked it.  Her hubby went right out and hung it from the overhang of their porch.  They look really great when the sun catches.  I have one similar to this hanging from a tree branch in my front yard.

Pearl came down a bit later and wanted to know if I would make her a big one.  Clear, with a bit of gold and some black specks.  Here it is ready to bake.    Another thing I found out--place the beads "flat" with their holes up.  If they are on their sides, they will tend to turn out bumpy when they are baked.

Unless of course, you want bumpy.

Baker's Secret 8" cake pan

I'm not fond of it, but it's the color's she wanted.  Hope she likes it.

My next attempt will be one for my sister with blue, green, and purple AND I will make it kind of bumpy. Because, I like the kind of bumpy ones best!!!

Here is a tutorial on you tube.  Personally?  I think mine turned out much better.  In theirs, you could still see the shape of the bead.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYcZLr1SpQU

Satisfying Saturday

The high temperature today was:  85 degrees--it is now 71

The humidity today was:  71%--it is now 40

Hot and humid gone for awhile at least.

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My "friend" Ernestine, always has the best quotes and thoughts on her blog.  Today she posted beautiful pictures of her flowers and a gorgeous Yellow Swallow Tail butterfly.  She mentioned how she has learned to live these words, "accept and do not expect."  How true those words--especially as we grow older.  Either they come to live with us, or we keep ramming our heads against the brick wall.

I thought of how I learned many years ago not to expect anything--especially from people.  Lo and behold, it made my life much easier.  With no expectations, there are no disappointments.  With no expectations-- along comes acceptance.  It is amazing.  My best friend, Arlene, lived this way most of her life.  She kept telling us--"If I can't put my two hands around it and fix it--I don't worry about it."  When she found out she had terminal ovarian cancer--she went on with her life--taking the horrid treatments, still happy and laughing, never a complaint--NEVER!  Then her husband died and she accepted that also and went on, smiling and happy.  Every one of us that knew her, just marveled at how she lived.  Total acceptance.  Not one niggle of "why me."
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I suppose "Let go and let God," is another example?  However, it has taken a long time for me to learn acceptance!!  There seems to be that little thing in your head that says, "why doesn't ANYTHING in my life turn out like it should?"  Wah.  Wah.

Really difficult, when it concerns people--family members. friends--and how they sometimes don't do things we expect from them.  Things they should not do, or acts of omission.  But, what else is there?  When I found out I didn't inherit the 1/3 of my father's liquid assets, the ones he told my sister and I we would get--the one's our step-mother basically stole from us?  I just about went nuts.  I couldn't sleep.  I could barely exist during the day--it was all that was on my mind AND the anger in me.  Lordy--I wanted to push that woman down a long flight of concrete stairs--I ranted and railed about how stupid my father was about money matters and thus, allowed himself to be taken advantage of--I was a mess.  Then one night, sitting out on the porch, five months later, not only did acceptance come to me, but forgiveness of EVERYTHING my father had ever inflicted on me and my life.

When it came to men--so many years of expectations--so many years of hurt.  Then I was done with them all and---Fred came along.  I didn't even want to date him.  I didn't expect one damn thing from him--I just accepted him for what he was, warts and all and BAM--fell in love like never before.  Perhaps that is why we never had even one tiny argument in our seven years?

Of course, with death--you either learn acceptance or you WILL go crazy!  It still amazes me, when I remember back to that day and how I drove all the way home and was smiling.  How weird is that?  But in my heart and soul, I was just so grateful for the fact that I had found true love, for the first time in my life, and what a wonderful seven years we had--I just couldn't quit smiling.  Yes--it was all gone.  BUT I HAD, HAD IT--and I never expected I would!  I am still grateful and every time I think of my Freddy, I smile.

I am even more surprised at myself concerning the Little House On The Corner.  Five-six years ago I wouldn't have reacted like I have this time.  I would have been sleepless night after night, obsessing about how I could get that house!  I would whine to family and friends of how I cannot get that house!  After all--it is a dream of mine to live my last years at "home".  I would have begged God each day--several times a day to "give me that house!"

But this time--I "checked it out" and realized that it is not to be.  I won't argue with them to lower the rent.  I will not point out things that they need to fix to make it more livable.  Actually--I don't really care, LOL.

Sure I went--twice--and took pictures AND made a floor plan AND laid out how my furniture would go, but--that was just for fun.  I don't really care.

How amazing is that for one, such as me, who is obsessive by nature?  How amazing is it to wake up every morning and say, "I have everything I need and want.  I lack for nothing."

It may be an age thing.  To wake up in the morning, get out of bed, stand for a moment and realize that there is no SEVERE pain (because there will always be SOME pain), and be so happy, just because of that.

How wonderful it is to be really thrilled to realize that all family members are in good health and happy.  That, for the first time in quite a few years, no one I know has a deadly disease and is going to die.

I expect nothing, from anyone.  The cable guy says he will be here somewhere between noon and three--he arrives at four.  Oh well.  The roofer says the job will be done in two days and it takes three.  Oh well.  The lady at the grave marker place says, the markers will be done and in place in 8 - 10 weeks and it's now 14 weeks and they aren't in place.  Oh well.

I expect nothing from life either.  I woke up this morning, in hardly any pain.  I am healthy, for the moment anyway.  I WILL get sick at sometime and I will die.  Oh well--that is the way life is.

Like I said before--acceptance is the hardest thing I have learned.  That might be an age related thing too--as I have learned, over the years, as Arlene said, there is very little I can control.  My head has so many scars from the brick walls--it feels a lot better to look at the wall and say, "Piss on ya!"

Is that resignation?  I don't think so--maybe.  There are a lot of cranky, angry old people out there. Apparently they are still in the "poor me" stage of life.  Maybe senility is a blessing?  You can't remember all the bad things?  All the supposed injustices done to you?

The last time Jen got angry with me and said she didn't want to communicate with me, I kept sending her e-mails, trying to explain myself.  Going back over our 41 year history--blah, blah, blah.

This time, when I got her e-mail stating her many things I am not allowed to do--I just wrote back and apologized for anything I had done to upset her.  Sure--I was upset.  Sure---I was angry.  Sure----I cried for days and days, but...............................

Now I just pray each day that God will bring reconciliation to us and go on, smiling and happy and with acceptance of how it is.  What else is there to do?

Even now--when a severe thunder storm is predicted--I don't get as scared as I use to--even less scared then I was this spring.  Yesterday, we had storms roll through.  Lots of lightning and thunder.  Did I get all shaking and take an Ativan?  No--I put in my ear plugs and sat down and read.  When the rain came down in slanting sheets and the wind blew--did I get scared?  Nope.  I was so thankful for that storm and wind because, it was driving the heat and humidity toward the east.  Did I obsess about where I would run if the tornado siren up the road went off?  Nope--ho-hum, I went to bed at midnight and slept until 9:00 this morning.!  Such progress, even in the last few months--amazes me when I think of it.

I even feel I can give up being "teacher to the world"  If Pearl wants to called Black-Eyed-Susan's, Rebecca instead of Rudbeckia--I no longer will correct her--even if it makes my throat close up.  If Dar comes over here with her stupid nonsense--I will just let her go on believing it.  It makes no difference in the over all scheme of things.  Anyway--I can post it all here and let it out, LOL!!!

Thank you, Ernestine, for your post I read this morning.  You put me into a thought process that has made me very content and happy today.  Those thoughts made me realize that I have come "a long way Baby."

Ah-hh.  It is as it is!

          

Freelance Friday

The high temperature today was:  95 degrees

The humidity today was:  81%

Heat index today:   104 degrees

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Last July, at this time, we had a few days over 100 degrees.  We haven't been that high yet, but I can tell you--there isn't much difference in 94 degrees and 100, when the humidity is 81%.

Sitting inside the cool house, watching the strong breezes blowing outside, one would think, "Oh, let me open the doors and windows to air out the house."  Then when one opens the door, one remembers that no matter how strong the breeze, 94 degree temperatures are hot!  We've a two thunder storms roll through with heavy downpour and now the temperature is 76 degrees, but the humidity is still high, so it doesn't feel real cool.

I didn't even go outside today--I still haven't got my mail, but that's no big deal.  I stayed inside and played.  I made my floor plan on the graph paper and took my little pieces, representing my furniture and moved them around the drawing--fun.  Then, I took it, all the pictures, my expense Excel spreadsheet, into a file folder and stuck it in the accordion folder marked, "Dream Houses".  Along with the plans from my blue and white house that I designed in 1977,  a floor plan I designed for a manufactured home to go out on The Farm, in 2007 and now the Little House On The Corner.

I watched my Soap and clipped Buddy's front and back claws, which he didn't mind, brushed him, which he didn't mind, wiped him down with a cat wipe, which he did mind and put some Neosporin on a big gouge/scab under his chin, which he tried to lick off.  Apparently, his back claws were so long that he has scratched a big hole under his chin.  I noticed a couple of smaller scabs on the side of his head too.  I do not know what is going on with those.

Dar's sister-in-law came to my door..wanted to tell me they took Darlene from work to emergency and she is in the hospital for probably four days, with an intestinal blockage!  She wanted me to tell Pearl and Jackie.  I asked how Dar was doing and she said, "They gave her a couple of Ativan and she is doing better," then she smiled and I nodded my head and smiled and we both knew that the other had been witness to Dar's hospital hysteria.

I cross stitched for an hour on a stamped cross stitch baby quilt I bought on sale, had supper--nice Antipasto salad, painted my fingernails a nice nude pink color, read for awhile and watched the ball game.

I made another large sun catcher--which I don't like at all.  I cooked it longer so it is completely melted and smooth.  I actually now like the first one I did with the beads almost melted, but still bumpy.  Then I made four more in the larger muffin, muffin tin and they turned out kind of good.  I took a small piece of tin foil and rolled it up in a ball and put on the top and bottom of the sun catcher, before I cooked them.  That way there is a nice little hole that I can put the copper wire through--two on a wire, vertically.  I think I will give one of those to Pearl.  When I get them done, I will hang them and take a picture for you.

The last big one I made, in the cake pan, picked up residual Teflon off the pan, which turned into dark spots.  So, tomorrow I will go to the Salvation Army and see if I can get just a plain, metal cake or pie pan.  I also have a heart shaped cake pan--that might make a cute one in reds and pinks or something?

I didn't care for today--being cooped up in a closed house all day, is the same if it is extremely hot outside or extremely cold.  It's all the same because you can't open any windows and can't go outside and enjoy it.  Cannot wait for the predicted cooler weather coming late tomorrow and Sunday--and next week.  Glad we got the rain for the gardens and hoping for more.

Sorry this has been boring--just a nothing kind of day.

Later-Jude

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!!!!

Wasted Wednesday

Today's high temperature was: 94 degrees

Today's humidity was:  74%

Feels like temperature:  104

One year ago today is was an actual temp of 102, so I guess we are doing better?

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Not really a wasted Wednesday--it is much too hot for this old gal to be outside for very long, so.....

I spent the greater part of the day, drawing up the floor plan for The Little House On The Corner.  Have you ever tried to draw a floor plan using an Excel spreadsheet?  At least you can make the columns smaller to represent the squares/grid, but ---WOW--it was challenging.  Then, when you print it out, none of the grid shows up, unless you change the borders, and then the grid covers up your nice indoor walls and such.  This is what I have so far.

If you click on it, it will come up larger--you kind of get the idea?

The living room is a challenge being so long and narrow, but my farm house living room was like that and I had no problem arranging furniture in it.  You can see how large the bedroom is--it even has two ceiling fans. One would be over the bed and I do not like a fan over the bed--don't like air blowing on me.

Friday, I will draw it out on graph paper and then--I have little "to scale" pieces of all my furniture and I can arrange it to see how it would fit.  FUN!!!

After my Soap, I went up to the Wal-Mart to pick up a prescription.  Man--it was so hot walking across the concrete parking lot to get into the cool store.  Today, though, the car A/C decided it would blow through the vents, instead of the defroster, so that at least was nice.

I made another sun catcher--I thought for Pearl, but I think I cooked this one TOO long--I kind of like mine that shows some of the beads.

Tomorrow, I go up to Durand to the golf course for lunch with my school gal pals--then I will stop by The Farm on my return home and who knows---I just might go back in the Little House On The Corner to take some more pictures, LOL.

I sent an e-mail to a friend of mine who has three rental homes.  She said $750.00 was WAY over what any other rentals that size are in the area.  She said $500-$550 was more in line with prices.  Of course, even at that price, I still can't afford to move there.

It has been three months since Jennifer told me never to darken their door again.  I sure am missing the kids!!!  My sister and her visiting SIL drove over to Jen's house, while Pammie was baby sitting and Monday night at supper, the SIL was telling how cute little Evan is.  Giving her high fives and a hug when they left.  I got tears in my eyes, but I pretended I had a coughing fit and got my napkin up to my eyes to get those tears away.  Apparently she does not know of the strife.  I keep praying God will bring about a reconciliation--that's about all I can do because I can't talk to her.   Tough--no one in our family has ever had this kind of thing.  We tend to ignore stupid things our family members might say or do and just keep on loving them.  It all smooths out in the end, but....I don't know about this time.

Bad, severe storms expected Friday when a cold front comes in and cools us down.  I don't care!!!  I just can't take this kind of weather!  And no---I will not complain when winter comes--I never do.  I feel much better in the cold weather.  Of course, this is July and that is when we get our two week heat wave--then everything will taper off and be nice again.  I am looking forward to 70-75 degrees with humidity at 35%.

Toodles--talk with you tomorrow.

A Nice Tuesday

Today's high temperature was:  95 degrees

Today's humidity was: 72%

Feels like temperature was:  100
This same weather until some time Friday when the jet stream drops down over us again.

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I am so sick and tired of all this racial stuff that is once again surfacing and causing so many people so much angst.  IF Mr. Sharpton, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Obama and the NAACP wouldn't have become involved in a "simple" manslaughter case--we wouldn't even have known about it. 

I saw this on Face Book this morning.  Really--what IS the difference?  Other then the racist Doo Dah's got involved and made the difference.

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Pearl came over yesterday morning and....they have taken Lily back to the animal control shelter.  Sigh.  Pearl said Lily was a bully and she was tormenting Tiger.  I think Lily just wanted to play--like when my Maggie jumps on Buddy and wrestles with him.  But, Lily has claws and Tiger doesn't so--he was scared of  her.  I told Pearl way back in March, that Tiger was too old to bring in another cat, but Pearl wanted a more affectionate cat.  Well, Lily was that.  Every time Pearl sat down, Lily was on her lap.  Every time she got up, Lily followed her and Pearl said?  "She's a pest!"

So, they took her back without any feeling of remorse or guilt.  I'm the one who feels the worse, I think.  Taking a cat out of a shelter--keeping it free and well fed and then taking it back?  Makes me feel like if you took a child out of an orphanage, kept it for two weeks in a nice, happy environment and then took it back and walked away--I hope cats don't have the feelings like a human.  Oh--I know they don't.  Lily will probably be happier with all her cat friends she is use to playing with, but...................Pearl is not going to look for another cat and for that, I say, PRAISE GOD!!!

What really was more upsetting to me, I was talking to Pearl about the book and movie, "The Help" that we all read and then watched the movie.  She didn't know what I was talking about!  

"Remember we read it last year?"

"Nope.  I have never heard of it.  What is it about?"

So I gave her a synopsis and she still had a blank look on her face.

"I never read that book.  I never saw that movie."

"Sure you did.  I got the book and gave it to you and then when I got the DVD, I gave it to you and Merle to watch.  Remember?  He thought it was boring, but you said you thought it was good?"

"I am telling you, I don't know anything about it!"

So, I gave her the book and the DVD (again)---I am hoping when she reads it, it will all come back to her, but I am doubtful.  I have never had any experience with someone who has that kind of forgetfulness.  I must remember to be patient and not try and "make" them remember, because that only confuses them, I think.

Oh yes, as she left, she turned and look at my garden and said, 'I see your Rebecca is about to bloom." (That would be my Rudbeckia, folks.  I wish she'd just call them black-eyed susan's, then my teeth wouldn't gnash.)

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Yesterday afternoon, after I checked out the Little House On The Corner, I went down to The Farm, to have supper with my sister, brother-in-law and his sister and her hubby, here on a visit from New York.  They have never been in Michigan, so Susan and Chuck are taking them all around--to Frankenmuth, and up to The Bridge.  We had a good time, but Susan had warned me that Loretta (the SIL) is a bit tiring to be around.  Man--the woman is cute and sweet, but she never stops talking--and talking fast!  

"Judy--our brother Ed is coming up here to visit Susan and Chuck.  He is about your age and you should meet him.  He has lots of money and is a widower.  You need to get out and meet men.  You are a beautiful woman--you never know what is out there.  You still have time to find a really good marriage."

<good grief>

Then my sister chirps in to say, "Yes.  He is tall and nice looking.  He also has heart disease, has a Pacemaker and has Diabetes."

Without thinking, I just blurted out, "Oh good grief!  I just got done taking care of that, why would I want to go through that again!!?"

For some reason, I just can't get it through people's heads that I HAVE NO DESIRE to have a man in my life--not even as a friend.  Not entirely their fault, I suppose, as for the last twenty-five years I TOO thought I had to have a man in my life--so they are going on what they have observed.  I can't explain it to them--took me a while to figure it out for myself.  All those years, after my divorce, I "thought" I needed a man for security or love.  I was desperately looking for love--desperate being the operative word here.  Thus, I was very needy and there are quite a few men who look for that in a woman.  Thus, I put up with a whole lot of "their" crap!

Then--along came Fred.  He didn't want anything from me.  He loved me and wanted to make my life happy.  He adored me!  He liked me and all my idiosyncrasies.  He didn't want to change me in any way.  He was always on my side--he "had my back" as they say.  He was the entire package of all I had searched for.  Now--why in this world, after having that, would I EVER want another man.  I would judge him against Fred and...he would fail.  No matter how nice he was...he would fail.  

I can't even stand to talk with a man, who might show interest in me.  He doesn't have Fred's voice, or his smile or his laughter, or his calmness.  I find myself comparing.  And it's just not that---I REALLY enjoy my independence now.  I am so selfish that I REALLY like getting up when I want to--going to bed when I want to--watching what I want on TV--not having to cook or clean up the floor around the toilet, or sharing my bed!  I REALLY like it!  So...............................................

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Dar didn't have to work today, so she KNEW I would want her company.  We chatted about  expenses and how frugal she is (right).

"How much was your electric bill this month?" she asked.

"I'm on the budget plan so I pay the same every month.  Let me get the bill and see my usage."  I came in here and got my bill and went back into the living room.  "Let's see--I used 14.0 kilowatt hours.  Way down from last June when it was so hot and the A/C ran all the time. Last year I used 17.8"

"You are kidding!  I only used 1.7 kilowatt hours!"  I just stared at her--so many words in my head and no way to phrase them."

"What?" she said.

"Dar---I think you read your bill wrong."

"No.  I didn't.  It says 1.7."

"Okay.  One point seven kilowatt hours--that would mean that your refrigerator ran for a day (exaggeration on my part) and you didn't use any electricity for the rest of the month!  Are you sure it didn't show  ten point seven?"

"My bill was only forty dollars."

"Well, mine was forty three dollars, so....by that comparison, you used a bit less then me.  Probably ten point seven."

"No.  I know what I saw on my bill."

"IF they are charging you forty dollars for one point seven kilowatt hours, then...my bill at ten point seven, would be over four hundred dollars."

"Well...I know what I saw."

This from the woman who thought a 90 mile drive would cost her two hundred dollars in gas.

"Okay," I said.

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I know--I am TOO obsessive.  I am TOO critical.  I just have this thing about women living alone not knowing what the hell is going on.  Dar has lived alone for 15 years--she should be more aware.  Pearl does not live alone, I fear the day she might, but.....this is just an instance.  Neither one of them know the names of the drugs they take nor the dosage!  I just find that unfathomable!  When I have asked either one of them, "Oh--I take blood pressure medicine too.  What one do you take,"  inevitably, they will both answer, "The blue one."  

The BLUE ONE?  Did you ask your doctor?  Did you read the side effects?  Did you inquire as to WHY?  No.  No. and No.

 I HAVE to quit thinking that I am the teacher of the world!!!  How can people go along being so uninformed?  Oh well--I suppose it is an easier life!  I just need to learn to keep my mouth shut!!!
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So--I made the sun catcher.  It didn't turn out as I thought it would.  I will try again.  It doesn't look that bad, but it still shows the bead shapes.  I was talking to another customer at JoAnn's and she said when she made hers, she cooked them longer than 20 minutes and at 450 degrees, so I will do that with the next one.

The ones on the left are from the Face Book "recipe".

I had a really great day--even though my A/C in the old car doesn't work real well--Oh, it gets plenty cold, but the blower fan sometimes wants to blow through the window defroster instead of out the vents onto me.  I guess there is a short in the blower motor--because if I go over a bump, it switches directions and won't come through the vent until/unless I go over another bump.  So, when it is coming out through the vent, i drive very carefully and when it switches back to the window, I hunt for bumps in the road. LOL.

I watched my Soap--oooh, so good.  Then I made out an address mailing label.  Stopped at the Salvation Army for a drop off, on to Michael's store--it was empty and closed.  Say What?  I was just there last month.  On to the post office where I mailed my package and asked, "Where did the Michael's store go?"

"Oh, it's down--next door to JoAnn's."

Cool--off I went to JoAnn's.  How convenient can this be?  If you can't find it at JoAnn's or if you can't find it at Michael's, instead of having to get in the car and drive to the other store--you can just walk next door.  Personally?  I LOVE IT!!!  So, I got some more beads, some copper wire to hang them from--because I want to make a sun catcher for Pearl.  Then drove on over a half block to Pet's Mart to get some wipes for the cats fur--as I cannot give them baths, then on down two blocks and got my hair cut--pretty short, but it feels great.

Then I went to the Rich People's Store to get my sweet cherries and my salads.  There was an old guy in front of me and as I walked from the store, he was headed over to the handicapped parking and I realized he was parked next to me.  AND this was his car!

Not the exact car because I don't have a cell phone camera, but.....

A beautiful, low slung Lamborghini parked in the handicapped slot, complete with blue and white tag hanging on the rear view mirror--talk about a strange effect.

So, being old and bold, I walked over and said to him, "Is this street legal?  And...are you old enough to drive it?"

He turned around and said, "Yes it is and yes I am."  Then he laughed.  

"Would you like to take a seat,?" he asked as he opened the passenger side door.

"Oh yeah.  I would...but if I got down in there,  you'd have to call a wrecker to bring their winch to get me up and out.  Two hip replacements have left it difficult for me to get into and out of a low car."

"Oh...I know what you mean," he said.  "I've had knee replacement, a neck surgery and now I have to have my shoulder worked on.  I'm fifty-eight years old and falling apart!"

Fifty-eight?  He looked at least a decade older then that.

So he climbed into the Lambo--sort of back into the seat and I just stood there.  He looked at me, "Can I just stand here and listen to it when you start up and drive away?" I asked.

"Sure, Honey." he says and starts the motor.

Nice low purr.  Then he backs up, which is no easy feat for him because he can't turn around to see who is behind him and then he starts forward--and then hits the gas and WOW--beautiful, low, powerful growl out of that thing, but I hear him having a hard time hitting the gears.

Showing off I suppose.  I turn toward my car and start giggling and said to myself, "If he keeps that up, he'll burn out the clutch before he gets it broke in."

I got home in a few, picked up the mail, backed in, opened the car door and I could smell this:

The heavily scented Star Gazer Lily.  Wow--it has a sickeningly, sweet,

wonderful scent.  I've always loved them!