A Pretty Good Day--for a Monday

Today's  high temperature was:  64 degrees

Today's humidity was: 55%

Sunny, breezy, cool

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I don't know why, but I didn't wake up until 10:00, a cat was kissing my nose--apparently he was hungry?  I felt kind of guilty when Pearl came down at noon and I was just heading to the bedroom to get dressed.  She scolded me because she was up at 6:30.  

"The day is half over!" she exclaimed.

"No, it's not.  My day doesn't end until midnight or later, so at five o'clock, my day is half over."

"Well, don't you have work to do?"

"Like what?"

"Oh--go around and pick stuff up.  Clean up the bathroom.  Do laundry."

"Look around.  Is there stuff sitting around that needs picking up?  My bathroom is nice and clean and...I did my two loads of laundry Saturday afternoon."

"Well--you forget.  I live with a man.  He leaves stuff laying all over."

"Well--lucky for me...I do not, so...........I can sleep in.  Besides, I have nothing to do today, so why get up early...to do nothing?"

She stayed for an hour and then went home when my Soap came on and....as usual, at 2:00, I gathered up my empty Pepsi bottles, got my list and off to the Rich People's store I went.

Today--the Rich People's store was not just for the rich!!  They had Diet Pepsi on sale at 10 for $10.  I got 10 and am going back before the end of the week to get 10 more!!  I got my gallon of milk for .99 cents because I had their rewards card.  AND I found that they do have Boar's Head meats--I got a half pound of sliced Pastrami!!  And I got tuna/macaroni salad, chicken salad, 2-antipasto salads, chef salad, small 7-layer salad, fresh water melon spears that were "imported" from a town 15 miles from here--Wal-Mart and Meijer, have the same and it is imported from Honduras!!  They make all their salads on site, so I know they are fresh.  My antipasto salad will be as fresh Friday as it is today.  Pearl got a fresh salad from the Meijer store and in two days, the lettuce was limp and slimy.  

So--I have decided that I don't have to go back to Wal-Mart again for food.  I can buy my fresh stuff at VG's Market, my other packaged stuff at Meijer's and my big bulk stuff, like bathroom tissue, at Costco.  I do like the kids that work in the Pharmacy at Wal-Mart (two of them took off work to come to Fred's funeral) and I will continue to get my prescriptions there, but...our local Wal-Mart is becoming very run down.  It smells in there--there are areas that are dirty--weird people shop there and some of their clerks appear to be not living with a full deck of cards--if you know what I mean.

The VG's is big enough for me to find everything, small enough for me not to have to walk 17 miles up and down the aisles, the clerks are wonderful, the other shoppers very nice.  There is no music playing, no loud voices over an intercom and I have never seen anyone shopping there in their flannel pajama bottoms.  It is a peaceful, quiet, wonderful shopping experience there.

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As I was leaving, I saw what appeared to be a small cat in Jackie's driveway.  After I got to the front of the park, I called Pearl to ask here what she thought it was.  When I got home, I stopped at her place and she said she went over to look and it was a young cat--she tried to bend down to look at it and it got up and ran away.  She said it looked like it was almost dead.  That really upset me--years ago, it wouldn't have.  It's just an animal--a feral cat we have here.  I know I can't afford another cat--nor a vet bill--nor a spade/neuter bill, but it just broke my heart to think about that poor animal.  I would like to sneak some cat food outside for the feral cats--but the park would not like that.  They try and discourage them from the area.    It just makes me sad, because at one time, Buddy and Maggie were living on the street, and someone got them and took them to the shelter and then I found them and now they are my furry kids!!!  I look at Buddy's sweet face and I just can't stand the thought of him having to fend for himself out in the world.

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I worked some more on my 2013 Christmas card--I know, it's a bit early, but...I am in the mood.  This is the front--what do you think?

I didn't send any Christmas or letters in 2012, so I need to start again.  To out of state friends or people I never see anymore (co-workers--old friends from my other life), I will enclose a short note.  It will say in red, 'MERRY CHRISTMAS   FROM OUR HOUSE   TO YOURS' on the front above the picture.  It will be a half-fold card for those that get the note (inside) and just the one piece of this picture for people I see all the time.

I also worked on my funeral plans.  OCD seems to be in full mode today, LOL.

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A thought I had today--about the mess our country is in---I don't think it's a matter of race, nor of financial status--it seems to be a complete break down of our morals and our culture.  The President isn't too blame for that.  I know I will get flak for this, but I can see how the Woman's Movement back in the early '70's caused a lot of our problems.  At the time, "we" were quite content to stay at home and raised our children.  Then Gloria and others started telling us we were unfulfilled and we needed more out of life; some of us wanted a "career".  Then, our kids came home from school to an empty house, all the better to get into trouble. If our husband's resisted our new found freedom, we divorced them--break down of the family.  I know this is simplistic, but to me, the best career in this world is raising the next generation.  I enjoyed that a whole lot more then my second "career". 
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There was no baseball game on tonight so, I watched the DVD of "The King's Speech"--nice movie.  

Tomorrow--tomorrow--I have another huge outside maintenance job--cutting down the 8' Privet hedge to it's normal height of 4'.  It is going to be hard, painful work.  I may only be able to do one bush at a time, but that's all right.  In the end, it will once again look neat and nice.  I also need to trim back my Forsythia and Wegelia bushes.  

A little warmer tomorrow--mid-70's, which will be nice to work in.  If I live through it--I will have pix for tomorrow's night post.

Later--Jude

I Got Nothing

Today's high temperature was:   65 degrees

Today's humidity was:  75%

Yes, I wimped out and turned the furnace on for a few minutes to take the chill off.

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I made it to church--could have stayed home for all I got out of it.  We had a lay person who spoke in a low, monotone voice.  We had special music from an older lady who thinks she can still sing--she was professionally trained in operatic singing in her twenties, but now in her late sixties--too much vibrato and no one could understand a word she sang.  Then we had a lady give a talk on her motorcycle accident last year.  <yawn>.  The best thing?  One of the hymns we sang was "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."  As we walked to our cars, Pearl's husband said, "Almost as much fun as going to the dentist!"

Came home--rainy and cold all day.  I saw no one outside of their homes  Watched the Tiger's baseball game--they are beating up on the Philly's.  Watched a movie--watched a couple of Little House on The Prairie episodes--knitted on a baby blanket, cross stitched, read, fell asleep for an hour in my chair with cats laying on me and--believe it or not--worked on creating this year's Christmas card.

Then, I saw these pictures posted on Face Book.  Karen, Mark, Marcus and Stephen are in Portland, Oregon, to pick up Madeleine from Susanna and Derek's, where she has spent the month of July, studying ballet with the Portland Ballet Company.

Stephen, who will be a Sophomore at MSU this fall.

I didn't know he was wearing a beard!  Handsome!

The Rivard Family Pyramid

Marcus, Stephen, Mark

Derek and Susanna

Maddie on top

and my pretty Karen

Also this--my nephew Adam, Susan's only child.

He turned 39 today.

I didn't know he was bearded either!

He works in the Michigan State Senate and is his township's commissioner

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That's all I've got today kids.  Maybe tomorrow will be more exciting?

Rainy Saturday Tidbits

Today's high temperature was:  71 degrees

Today's humidity was:  54%

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This is what I have--have had for the past 5 years.

Kinetic Benign Essential Tremor--shaking in hands that gets worse during activities, such as eating or shaving.

I might add to that list--writing, hand sewing, trying to pluck eyebrows, clipping cats claws, putting on mascara, trying to use screwdriver, painting finger or toe nails---the list goes on and on.  It is only in my right hand for now.  My right hand not only shakes, but can jerk from time to time.  It only happens when I am trying to do something "precise" with my right hand.  It does not shake if I stick my hand out in front of me--nor does it shake or jerk involuntary--only when I try to pick up something small or when I am doing a "controlled" movement that requires steadiness--thus the word Kinetic.

Of course it is worse if I am nervous.  Sometimes, I have to steady my right hand with my left when I am eating (in public).  Trying to put the back on my pierced earrings is a nightmare!  When I write--at times the pen can go off in an upward direction--my handwriting is very shaky--like that of a person 100 years old!!!  Writing out checks to pay bills, is not a lot of fun.  I have to brace my right hand and wrist down on a hard surface so it won't move, and then use just my fingers to write.  Sometimes I have trouble placing the cursor on my monitor when using the mouse.  I brace my right thumb and wrist on the desk and then move the mouse.  I think the whole thing has been caused by Carpal Tunnel that I acquired while I was a Secretary--all that typing and writing.

Trying to get the head of the screwdriver into that plug on the water heater yesterday was hilarious!!!  If I managed to get it in the slot, when I tried to turn it, my hand would shake and out of the slot it would go.  SO--I used my left hand.  I am becoming quite adept with my left hand.

I suppose some day, I will be one of those old ladies you see who's head shakes back and forth a tiny bit--like that lady in front of you in church, who's head shaking drives you nuts!!! LOL
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We had five rain storms go through today and with them---bring really cool weather.  Right now at 11:00, it is 53 degrees outside.  The first two storms carried no drama--the third storm has lightning, thunder and hail--the last two storms, no drama only very hard, heavy downpour.  I did hardly anything--in fact I haven't even gone out to get my mail.  I did some laundry, watched a couple of movies, some of the baseball game and just messed around.

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I hope all of you take this everyday.  My cardiologist said it would protect my heart and arteries--keeping them clean and elastic.  My Primary Care doc told me to take two a day as it helps with memory and keeping our brains "alive" AND my orthopaedic surgeon told me to take it because it really helps with the arthritis pain.   I think they are all right.  

Also, if you take a prescription drug for high cholesterol, you should be taking one CoQ10 capsule a day.  It helps counteract any adverse effects of the cholesterol lowering med.

This is also a great antioxidant and especially important for your heart.

Of course, research these two supplements and ask your doc about them.  I assume you all are taking Vitamin D--right?:  There is a lot of women that have Vitamin D deficiency--my blood work always includes a measurement for it.

Okay kids--I am done with my tidbits and going to bed.  Tomorrow morning, I MUST get up and go to church--I have been so lazy lately that I have been skipping every other Sunday!!

See ya later---

How To Drain and Flush a Gas Water Heater

Today's high temperature was: 73 degrees

Today's humidity was: 34%

Sunny-breezy--perfect!

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Okay kids, are you with me?  10:33 a.m. Friday, July 26, 2013.  A written record--just in case I die from a gas explosion!

Step #1--take a Naproxen, because this is going to hurt your back, hips and knees.

 Gather tools you think you might need and your instruction sheet

Oh yes--and your drink of  choice--mine is Diet Pepsi

You might need the adjustable wrench to tighten hose on coupling.

You will need a big flashlight to see what the heck you are doing.

You will need instruction sheet so you can keep track of what the heck you are doing.

Step # 2:  address the closet where the "evil animal" is hiding.  "What lies behind door number One? " is how I addressed it.

Step #3:  empty closet

Step #4: closet empty--clothes piled on bed

What evil lies behind the white panel or door number two?

Hello Mr. Lochinvar--you don't look too scary.

Installed 7/14/06--someone with OCD must have put that 

date on there.

Ya Think?

But wait---isn't that vent pipe suppose to be attached to the top of the heater?

To vent the gas fumes out through the roof?

YIKES!!!

Go to phone, call office, they will call their water heater/furnace/A/C guy.  He calls back--"I am up by Owosso, but I will try and get there this afternoon.  Just go ahead and drain the heater, but don't turn the gas back on until it is fixed."

Okay.  So--questions in my mind.  "How long has the vent been detached?"  "Why aren't I dead from the fumes?" "Carbon monoxide isn't good for you--right?"  GEEZ!!!

Step #5:  ignore problem and get back to work.  Acceptance--remember, if I can't put my own two hands around it and fix it--acceptance!!  (I did try and get it back aligned, didn't work!)

Step #6:  turn gas from ON to PILOT

Do not be afraid--it isn't going to explode--it is only an innocent looking knob (I hope)

Step #7:  connect hose to water heater drain plug

that brass thingie

 Make sure hose is lower then water heater level and draining on grass

Tie back door to adjacent closet door to keep cats inside

You can use knitting yarn, if that is all you have.

(That is all I had.)

Step #9:  turn off water inlet supply.

There is a lever behind that front pipe attached to 

the inlet hose

The lever will not move--go get WD-40 and a screwdriver

Spray with WD-40 and let set--while you go sit in your chair

and rest your back.

Fifteen minutes later, go back into evil cubby hole to see if water shut-off lever will move.  Nope!  Repeat spray with WD-40 and play game on Face Book .

11:30--lost on Candy Crush!  Go back into evil cubby hole and check again--YES!!  Hard to move, but it does--kind of. No water can come into the tank now.

Step #10:  turn on hot water tap in bathroom sink to prevent air bubble back-ups!

Step #11:  open drain plug with standard sized, screwdriver.  Quit shaking!  Hold flashlight with right, shaky hand and use left hand to screw open plug!  No leaks, YAY.

Step: 13:  undo yarn tied on back door to look out and see if water is running all right and if there is any calcium or lime coming out.  NO calcium or lime coming out.  Realize this was probably an un-needed project, but should be done every few years, so will continue!!  Re-do yarn tie-off.

While waiting for tank to drain, why not take down shower sprayer and inlet tube and soak in Lime-A-Way to clean it out too?

 Unscrew shower head and put in bathroom sink.

  

Unscrew pipe thingie.

Fill up sink with a bit of water and pour in Lime-A-Way

Be careful, it burns your hands.

How do I know this?  OUCH!!

Pour Lime-A-Way down tube and brace on mirror so it 

won't leak out.

Let set for a couple of hours.

Look out door to see if water is still coming from hose.  It is! Sit down in chair to rest back and calves.

Step #14:  when water quits coming out of hose, go back into cubby hole and turn on water inlet valve-  Let new water fill tank for a few minutes--this is to roil up the sediment.  Shut off water inlet valve and let water drain out of hose.

Step #15:  repeat step #14.

Step # 16.  12:45 p.m.  tighten up drain plug.  disconnect hose and keeping the end above your head, so no water will drain out on your carpeting/floor, take to back door and throw out on the lawn.  turn water inlet lever back to ON position and listen as the water rushes in to fill the tank--bathroom faucet starts running and spitting a bit of air out of it, splashing all over your newly shined vanity counter.  when air quits spitting water all over the place, turn off faucet and wipe up spatters with towel.

Step #17:  1:00, sit down, eat a salad, watch your soap!

2:15--men in truck arrive.  YAY!!  They inspect water heater vent.  They inspect roof.  Apparently when new roof was installed, vent got twisted--I TOLD THEM IT WAS FINE UNTIL MY NEW ROOF WAS PUT ON!!!

2:45--vent is straightened--at roof and in evil cubby hole and attached to the water heater.  Man says, "You are lucky.  With that panel closing off the heater, any gas fumes when up the hole in the roof anyway."  (Thank you God from whom ALL blessings flow!)

"What do I owe you?"

"Not a thing, Ma'am.  God bless you."

"He already has!"

I hand him one of my large sun catchers.

"My wife is going to love this!!! Have a great weekend, Ma'am."

"Thank you, guys.  I appreciate it so much."

Go back in evil cubby hole.  Check to see if vent has been properly fixed. Women living alone cannot take ANYONE'S word that things are done correctly.  You gotta see for yourself!!

It appears to have been properly fixed.

--now comes the true test of your faith, your wits and your hope-Stop shaking, bend over, reach down and.....turn gas inlet valve back to ON.  Wait for it.....hear flame come on and roar into life.  Didn't even jump in fright!!!

Step #18:  put panel back on evil cubby hole and tape instruction sheet on front.

Vacuum closet floor and replace clothes.

Put away tools!

You are still alive.  You aren't singed.  

YOU DID IT!!!!!

and it only took half a day, LOL.

"If I have to, I can do anything.  

I am strong!  I am invincible!

I AM WOMAN.

HEAR ME ROAR!!!

Fantastically Fun Day

The high temperature today was: 75 degrees

The humidity today was:  30%

GORGEOUS!!!

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A walk about my place this morning---gardens are going by, annuals still doing good, Rose of Sharon, purple and pink, and Maggie watching Momma.

Then--I saw the most amazing thing at my bird feeder.  Something I have never seen in my 74 years.

Sorry it is a bit distorted--I had to use my zoom, which isn't very powerful.

It is a White Sparrow.  

Not an Albino because it's eyes are black and it's 

beak is yellow.

This just floored me--I am still amazed.

If any of you have ever seen one, please tell me

what you know about them.  Thanks.

Then I chased a bunch of birds out of my Hummingbird tree, headed back into the house and saw her come raging out of her nest and dive bomb a Blue Jay!  YAY for Momma.  Then I decided to move her feeder closer to her nest--tried to get it high on the branch.

Then Susan came and off we went to Bethie's.  Now--I didn't ask Bethie's permission to put these photos in this blog.  I hope it is all right.  This is a private blog, so no one knows her or where she lives to invade her privacy.  If it isn't all right Beth, please tell me and I will delete them.

Beth has a beautiful home, down a gravel road, up a private gravel road, up a steep drive.  I have loved her home forever!!!  It is on the east side of what used to be a ski club and in earlier years, we'd sit in her living room and watch the skiers.  Now, the ski club no longer exists and someone REALLY rich bought the property and put their house on top of the hill.  BUT--Beth's is a lot nicer!!

Beth put this terrace in all by herself--yes, she was in her forties, but

still a big job!!  It is covered with Myrtle and other ground covers and four hundred million Lilies of the Valley.

Down the drive we walked to meet "Audrey"--a life size doll made by a friend.

I am standing on a small hill--that is why I look so tall--honest!!

(Both Beth and Susan are like 5'2" shrimps.)

One of the walkways into the garden off the drive.

Of course, her lilies are going by also--it's that time of year.

Beth has 36 different varieties of Hosta and a lot of shade loving plants.

It was so funny, we came across a plant, blooms gone, so just looking at the leaves and Beth said, "This is a.........oh I will remember in a few minutes. and then Susan said, "Oh I know, it's ah---starts with an "L", right?"  None of  us could remember.  Finally about 10 minutes later, I yelled, "Astilbe!"  "Yes--tha'st it!  Doesn't start with an "L" does it!" Susan said.  Beth and I are 74 and Susan is only 61 and yet, not a one of could remember that dang name!!  She also has many Lenten Rose plants--lots of plant starters she can give Susan for her new garden.

I love fungi--thought this was a frog at first!!!

...another plant that I loved the leaf on--can't remember what it

was called.  Beth told us--I have forgotten already!!

Back up in the tree tops on their gazebo front porch.

Bethie is holding a Chihuahua they are fostering.

Lovable little dog that has kennel cough.

Not enough pictures taken to show Beth's gorgeous garden and yard.  So many plants I can't remember--lots of woodland plants and shade loving plants and on the other side of her drive, is a stone wall just covered in Lavender, Thyme, Yucca Lilies, ground cover.  Her place is so quiet and peaceful and lush and beautiful!!!  We had a wonderful visit!!

When we got back, I had Susan pick the sun catcher she wanted--she only took one and the one she took was one like my favorite one--kind of bumpy--she likes bumpy too.

The one between the multi-colored one and the pinkish one.

I had the most fantastic day I have had since my birthday!!!!  

Thank you so much Beth and I know we will see you again soon when Susan is ready to transplant some of your generosity in her new garden.

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So tonight, I had one of my salad's--not one I will buy again.  A Cobb Salad--it had crumbled bleu cheese, that I scraped off into the garbage pail and some slices of slimy Avocado--YUCK--that went the same place the cheese went.  The rest of it was okay--not great--but okay.  Then I had a blue berry muffin that neighbor Tami brought over--made from berries off some bushes she has planted behind her shed--it was yummy.

Then--I looked out my computer room windows and OHMYGOSH--there was Dar getting out of a 2010 silver Mazda!!!  Her Dad was with her. Sure enough--just like I told her 2 months ago, Daddy was going to buy her a car and--he did!!!  Pearl and I have wondered why he didn't because he is a millionaire and has moved here from Arizona, to live with Dar's youngest brother.  So I ran over and jumped around and squealed with her a bit and got to meet her Dad--who is 92, and her brother and SIL. I thanked her Dad and told him he had done the whole neighborhood a favor--which Dar laughed about and then I said, "Now--you owe me a ride in this new car!!!"  

So after they all left, she pulled up to the end of my drive, I jumped in her car and she drove up and down the streets here in the park.  She hasn't driven for two years and hasn't driven on the expressway for 14 years, so.....she was practicing tonight.  It was actually fun watching her as she put on her blinker light, which caused her window wipers to come on--then pulled the other lever, which caused her washer fluid to come out.  We laughed so hard.  Now--she can go and get her own damn Bigby Coffee, cigarettes, groceries--whatever!!!  No--I shouldn't have said that.  I really am happy for her. 

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So--kids--tomorrow is THE DAY!!!  I will take pictures along the way and "talk" to you as I go about the steps to drain and flush the water heater.  I know if I pretend I am talking to you--like perhaps giving a demonstration, I will be okay.  YIKES!!!

If I live through it, I will post the pix and the commentary.