Moody

Today's high temperature was:  66 degrees

Today's humidity was:   31%

Cloudy

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You guys are good!  Our pastor has been at our church for three years.  When he did Fred's funeral, I thought he was in his late sixties.  Pearl thought he was mid to late sixties.  When Dar went with me a few times, she thought he was near seventy.  When my sister visited one Sunday and I asked her, she said, 'well he's older then I am.'  So, I had to find out.  He has a Face Book page and I went searching.  His birthday is listed as September 9, 1958.  I thought it was a typo, LOL.

Then, last June, his youngest daughter graduated from high school.  

So--Pastor Lewis is nine months younger then my son!!!  He will be 55 in a few weeks.  

He looks much older the my son.  He looks older then my sister and her husband.  In person, he looks older then the picture I posted.  When I found out his true age, it gave me a different perspective of him--for some reason.  Then I found out, he lived in Saginaw, the same time I did, about two blocks from me.  He grew up Catholic, attended the Catholic Church were I took my grand children, when they came to visit.

He fell in love with a Methodist preacher's daughter and changed religion, then went to Divinity school to become a Methodist minister.  I have seen pictures of him at his last church.  He looked quite young, had a full head of dark brown hair--then six years ago, he and his wife were driving down I-75, he hit a patch of ice, the car slammed into a tree way off the road and she was killed instantly.  His daughter was only 13 at the time--he has three older sons--one was still home in high school.

He told us about it one Sunday, had the whole congregation weeping--it was part of his testimony on how he made it through that horror and still came out, his faith intact.  I suppose this is why he is such a good minister?  He is down to earth, very human, doesn't stand behind that pulpit all Sunday morning.  Must have his sermon's memorized because he walks down the aisle sometimes or stands at the foot of the altar, down on our level and talks.  Every single one of his sermon's pertains to our every day lives.  He is NOT a preacher--he is a teacher and I love that.

That little girl he is holding in his arms, is his first grand daughter, for her baptism.  She is named Patty--after his wife.
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So--I am in a mood.  I woke up at 7:30 (amazing, I know) and remembered that I had yet to take the rent check (due the 1st) up to the office.  The last day they will accept with no late charges is the 5th.  Jumped into my clothes--drove up there, and put it in the slot.  Came back home and pretended I was just waking up and went through the morning routine.

I had the business card out and was going to call the tree service (the ones who took down the humongous willow tree between my place and Tami's four summers ago--Tami--the one who really wanted it down and was going to pay half and never has?).  I had my hand on the phone and heard tree trimming noises and wood chipper noises coming from back of my place.  So I walked over and there they were.  So--the guy is going to stop in before he leaves the park and give me an estimate on trimming up my big Maple tree.
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Then I walked down to Pearl's and she was busy cleaning up her dining room--I helped her move her table into the living room and we sat and chatted a bit about Dar.

"She must really like you," said Pearl.

"Why?"

"Because she is always down to your house asking advice.  It seems like she needs you for advice."

"Well--she rarely takes it."

"I know.  But....well maybe she just needs you to reinforce her feelings---or make her feel better."

"I just don't like how she always implies...or just comes right out and says how everything she buys or has or what she does is better then me or mine...or any one's for that fact."

"She actually said that...to your face?"

"Oh yeah--many times."


Then we talked about how Dar and Tami are so alike and yet, hate each other.  They are both impolite, loud, rude and everything is always all about them.  They will ask you a question and before your explanation is given, they will jump to an entirely different subject (about them), or check their watch or cell phone while you are trying to answer their question.  We wondered if they are bi-polar or just weird!  
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I came home and decided to change the filter on the furnace.  I had purchased the filter material yesterday.  Now most of you have furnaces in  your basement or another room of your house. You probably have a filter in a frame that you just pull out and replace from time to time.  People who live in manufactured homes have a wall unit that is hidden behind a door in a closet like area.  

Mine is behind a door, next to the bathroom.  You gotta take off the front of the furnace, cut new pieces of the filter material to put in and replace it.  So--it is easy and only took me 20 minutes.

An innocent enough looking door

                   Lift this up and remove

                                                                              and there is the furnace

Lay cover on its face on the living room floor

Take off old filters and reveal this---YIKES!!!

Cut filter material in half

Vacuum door louvers

Put in new filter piece and replace metal bands to hold in place

Lift door, put down into track and snap rivets into grommets at top
Vacuum outside of furnace cover

Vacuum inside and outside of door and close

Notice how dirty wall around door is and promise to wash that down!

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Got it done and sat down and watched my Soap and at 2:00 the tree service guy walked up to my door and we went out and looked at the job and he will do it--the smaller branches and a couple of bigger limbs for $100.00.  Pretty good price, but then, in the last four years he has been paid very well for the other two jobs he did for me.  I told him there was no hurry, "sometimes before the snow flies", and that my neighbor Tami works nights and sleeps days so maybe he could come in the afternoon?  He said he probably could and may be back as early as August 20th--which would be very cool!

Then I noticed that the carpeting behind the back of the toilet looked dirty.  I just had the carpet cleaned a couple of months ago, but apparently the guy didn't have a small enough attachment to get back in there?  So I got my Resolve carpet cleaning stuff, sprayed it down and brushed it in and will vacuum it up later.  Then I noticed that the toilet, sink and vanity needed a clean up, so...................if you look around--there is always a place in your home that needs cleaning in some way!!!!!
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Buddy likes to nap back there,

so

I put the cushion there for him

I think I need to move the table over a bit--he looks

like his ears are squashed.

My Precious Boy!!!

A Soft and Slow Sunday

Today's high temperature was:  69 degrees

Today's humidity was: 28%

Sunny, breezy and gorgeous!

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This is some kind of weather we are having.  Every one is talking about it.  Day after day of absolutely perfect weather--and looking ahead to the coming week--it continues.  If this is any case of global warming/climate change--let's keep it going, LOL.

This is what I did today:

This guy got up and asked, "Show me your hands if any of you

have already said today, "This a such beautiful day!""

Almost everyone raised their hand.

 So---we sang this

It was the first Sunday of the month, so we did this.

and we did this when we left the church....

then I stopped here.....

and here and bought this.....

had to go through quite a bit of this to get home...

Then, I changed my clothes and ate a nice big salad, and sat down to....

do some of this while...

I watched this.....

and did some of this while....

I watched this....

then the kids and I did this--for two hours.....

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I don't quite know how to word this, but it has left me very shaken.  I kept jerking half awake, while I was napping.  I half awoke one time and I was opening and closing my hands.  Then--I was still sleep and I felt Fred touching my upper lip with his tongue.  I turned my head to the left and reached my hand up to touch his face and woke up smiling---and it was me--touching my upper lip with the tip of my own tongue.  My hand was still up and out to the side, reaching for him and I was smiling so big.

I said right out loud, "Oh Geez!  What in the world!!"  Buddy jumped off the chair, it scared him.

Here it is, hours later, and I cannot shake that weird feeling.  It reminds me of the first night I was in hospital with my last hip surgery and the nurse came in to see who I was talking too and laughing with and I told her, "Fred.  He is sitting right over there in the chair," and pointed to the empty chair by my bed.  

It was so real!!  I could hear his voice.  I could almost smell him.

Spooks me out!  I do not believe in spirits or souls coming back and communicating with us on this side of the "veil".  

Fred is dead!  He has been dead for 19 months and 3 days!  There is no way this is "real".  In hospital, I thought my encounter was from the drugs they were giving me.  Today?  I have no idea!

I thought I was all recovered from all of this death and grief stuff.  I go days and don't even think about Fred.  I still cry, once in a while, if I hear a particular song, or think of a memory or see a picture, but not all that often--and only a few tears.

What is going on?  

Is there still some tiny remnant, buried deep in my sub-conscious that thinks he is coming back?  Or is there a feeling that I am going to meet him again--soon?  

It's creeping me out!!!

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P.S.  If you comment--go back up to the picture of my pastor, please, and tell me how old you think he is--okay?

Bad Day--Turned Out Good

Today's high temperature was:  74 degrees

Today's humidity was:  36%

Sunny, breezy, cool.

Glorious day!!!

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I woke up around 9:00 feeling very sad.  I don't know why--just thinking about Freddy.  Then--I watched this on You Tube.  I thought it ironic that this song and lyrics could be chosen as a wedding song or...a song for someone who has lost a child, a husband, a mother--any loved one.  Which ever setting it would be used in, would work.  It made me cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ktiaNTJ2Q
Stupid to listen to this when in a sad mood!!!
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Then I sat down and read my daily devotional--made me feel better.  It's like Jesus is talking to you.

I was going to take it easy today, because my hip hurt so much last night, I was barely able to walk. I was tired and sore and grumpy and.....so I would do only what was necessary!

I needed to fill up my pill boxes.

Of course, they are in order by color.  Only God knows what would happen

if I took pills from the clear box one day and from a blue box

the next.  No--No.(Can anyone say OCD?)

The file case I keep all my meds and supplements in.

All filled

Back in their box--12 days worth.  Done.

Then the mail lady came and brought a box up to my door.  This was inside--a little buy from E-Bay and cute, I think.  Maybe from New England?  It must have been a box of salted cod, because these instructions are printed on the side.

I love the little handle--there is a track, so it must have had a wooden top that slide in.

I remember my Mother getting cod in a small wooden box, but it had no handle.

"To prepare for cooking--freshen the fish as follows:

Wash fish for 15 minutes in cooled water.

Place fish in pan and cover with water.

Heat slowly to a boil and pour off water.

Repeat this last process until fish is no 

longer salty to taste.".

I have no idea what they are doing--between my desk and the front window

Buddy has his head under the curtain

Crazy Cats!!!

This limb was dead--I had tried to pull it down, but couldn't.

I put the hummingbird feeder and some small sun catchers on it.

When I looked up from the cats--I saw it bent over.

I went out and pulled the branch off the tree...

So I took down the wind chimes...

Put the hummer feeder there....

and the wind chimes on the other end of porch

This bothered me every time I looked out the window.....

Or out the front door.............I was going to wait until Monday, but.....................

Got the hedge trimmers and took care of the Weigela

and the forsythia bush

I wonder if my neighbor would mind if I trimmed his Forsythia?

It annoys me!!!

The big Maple tree needs the many new branches trimmed away--

but, I cannot climb a ladder and get in that tree--

like Fred did five years ago---so--this project

is going to cost money!!!

Filled up the lawn waste bag with the clippings from the bushes

I think there is room to put some cut-back of the perennials.

Took all the tools back to the shed and picked these from

my weird garden.

Then I filled these

Came inside and did a little laundry

Sat down to watch a little golf--Tiger is doing well this weekend

Read some of this...

Did a little of this...

Just as I was about to get up and get supper, Pearl walked in and five minutes later, Dar.  We had to listen to what Dar had done today and then Pearl went to say something about her new carpet--because Dar asked--and Pearl got about six words out and Dar interrupted and said, "I have the worse mosquito bite on my arm!" and went into a long dissertation of how she is allergic to mosquitoes.  She is allergic to everything, by the way.

Then, she turned to Pearl and said, "Did you see my new car?"

Pearl--"Yes, it's beautiful!"

Dar--It gets forty miles to the gallon on the highway."

Pearl--"We have almost enough saved up to get another car.  Ours is seventeen years old and.....

Dar--"Judy, did I tell you, my father dyed his hair?"  horse laugh

I turned to Pearl, "You've had a great car!  What kind do you think you are going to look at?"

Pearl--"We wish they still made Saturn's.  Merle likes Ford's, but I'd rather get a Chev..........."

Dar--"He looks so funny!"  horse laugh

Pearl--"Look at the time.  It's almost seven and Judy hasn't eaten yet.  I'm going home.  Bye."

Dar---"Thank God--now I can have a cigarette!"

Me--"Well, if you will excuse me...I have to get something to eat." and I got up and walked over to the refrigerator.

Dar--"Oh, I gotta go too.  I want to watch that Debbie Macomber show tonight."

Me--"Yeah.  Me too.  See ya later."  and I didn't even walk her out!!!  Warmed up the rest of my Filet Mignon and baked potato--way good!!!  Ate most of the tomatoes I brought in from garden.

Something I noticed about Dar the last couple of months. Whenever she talks about her Dad, she laughs that horse laugh all the way through the telling.  She doesn't laugh like that when she talks about ANYONE else, except her Dad.  Some weird psychological thing going on there me thinks!

So--today, I didn't figure I would do anything, because of the hip and back pain, but I got a lot done, and now I can read a bit more and then go to bed.

Put your arm out in front of you--then put your hand under your arm--thumb in front, fingers in back.  Now squeeze thumb and fingers together.  The muscles in the back of my arr, under my fingers are killing me--as are the muscles in the front, under my thumb.

"It hurts...when I do this."  Doctor says, "Then quit doing it!"  Yeppers--hope all this is toning up my flabby arms--doubt it!!!

Later--Jude

Simple Pleasures

Today's high temperature was:  67 degrees

Today's humidity was:  40%

Weird weather today--very breezy, cloudy, then sunny, then cloudy.

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I got up around 8:30 this morning--from the roar of the lawn mower outside my bedroom window.  My lawn mowing guy was here doing his wonderful job on my lawn.  

It was cold in this place--65 degrees, but I resisted turning on the furnace for a moment of take the chill off--opened up the front door and a couple of windows because it was warmer outside--68--but with the strong breeze, it just made it feel colder.  Truly weird weather for August in Michigan.

Did my morning routine and then went in to take a shower.  Not just an ordinary shower, but the ultimate shower.  It was so cold in the bathroom that I turned on the shower full blast to get some warm, moist air in there.  Put scrubbing stuff on my face and rubbed it in, put Veet Shower Hair Remover on my legs, brushed my teeth and hopped in.  Man--it is so nice to have nice really warm water coming out of the shower head!  I scrubbed the stuff off my face with a rough sponge, then washed my hair, and took my poof and lathered nice Dove Body Moisturizer Wash all over and lastly, took the same rough sponge and scrubbed the Veet and leg hair off.  I was nice and pink all over and smoooooth-----------------

Took care of my beard and mustache and then slathered my face and neck with Olay Anti-Aging moisturizer!  I looked in the mirror--tweezed out a few white eyebrow hairs and I looked as young as--oh--68 perhaps?  LOL.

I slathered my arms and legs with Eucerin for Dry Skin lotion, then pulled on socks, my jeans and a long sleeved knit top.  Felt great!!!

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I no more got sat down in front of the computer when my lil' sister called me.  Man--she was giggly and so hyper!  Yesterday, she met her 3 best friends (from school) at the Byron Golf Course for lunch.  Then, they decided to walk around the home town a bit.  Looking at the houses where their other friends used to live--some with grandchildren still living there.  Then they stopped up at the Elementary School to see another friend of theirs (Libby) --a teacher's aid in Kindergarten, who was fixing up the room for the start of school.  Then they went out to Susan's to see the house, as last year they all got together there, just after she moved in.  Then on the spur of the moment, they decided to go to the other friend's (Marsha) summer home--she winter's in Texas.  Her "summer' home is near where I live and only 3,500 sq. ft.  "Much smaller then our Texas home", she said.  

Lana had told Susan, "Marsha has more money then God, but you'd never know it by the way she acts."  She is Lana's cousin.

Susan said it was magnificent--"I took pictures so you can see it!  She and her husband are multi-millionaires, but they worked hard for what they have and they give a lot to their church and charities because they are so grateful."

Susan said, "I left at eleven o'clock yesterday morning and I didn't get home until nine.  I had the most wonderful day since I've moved back here."

She said what was really nice about it, she and Marsha got to talk about step-mother's and Marsha is coming out to Susan's to have a longer afternoon--just the two of them.  Susan said every time she mentioned something about our step-mother, Marsha would say, "Oh...I know!"   So they will have a lot of notes to compare and it will do them both good to talk about it--just to know they aren't the only person with a Wicked Step-Mother!!

Lana and Marsha's mother's were sisters and friends with my mother.  Sue was born when her brother's were 15 and 17, and Susan born when I was 13, so she and Sue had much older siblings.  

Front:  Marsha and Sue

Back:  Lana and Susan

Look at Lana--she looks about 45!!!

These "little" girls were five when I graduated.  They were in our house a lot and liked being upstairs in my bedroom.  They'd sit on the bed and watch--as I got into my "ball gown" as they called it--ready for the Prom.  Or watch as I put on my formal for the Homecoming parade--holding my "plastic crown" as if they were little ladies in waiting.  Then, I remember them so well, standing on the sidelines of the football field, during the parade, and yelling my name.  I, of course, waved and threw them kisses.  They would just stand there and look up at me with such awe and admiration on their sweet faces.

 It's strange--when I went to Susan's last year and happened to be the day they all were there, they came tearing out of the house yelling, "Judy--Judy!" and grabbed me in hugs and told me how beautiful I "still am". Then they told me how impressed they were with me, back in those days.  How I was so "glamorous" and "cool" and how they wanted to be "just like you, when we grew up."  Delightful!!!

Then in 13 years, I watched as my sister was in the Queen's court and Lana was the Queen and my daughter dated Sue and her husband's son and.....all connected.  That's the way it is in a small town/community! Connected all of our lives!!!

They are all 61 now and looking pretty good themselves!!!

(BETHIE--they are--Marsha Gordon, Sue Skinner, Lana Cecil)

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I didn't do a thing outside.  I WILL trim those bushes on the west side of my house tomorrow--I promise.  I also need to change the furnace filter.  Oh--I forgot--when I took my shower--I went into my bedroom afterwards and heard the gas going on under the water heater, but guess what?  Not one popping sound of calcium or lime deposits bouncing around on the burner plate.  I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!

Pearl called me around 3:30 and wanted to know if I wanted to go to supper.  I have a gift card to Outback Steak House and I have been bugging her to take me the next time she and Merle go there.  Filet Mignon and a Baked Potato!!!!!    Their daughter met us there and her daughter and her daughter, LOL.  Pearl and Merle's, daughter, grand daughter, great grand daughter--the ones who raked up the clippings for me.  We had a great time!  The Filet Mignon was, medium rare and so tasty and so easy to chew and my baked potato came with only butter--like I requested--lots of butter and a few slim green beans on the side.  $26.57.  I wanted to get Pearl and Merle's supper too, but they wouldn't let me.  I only ate half my supper because I knew, if I ate it all, I would be sick.  It was more food then I have eaten in 2 days!!! and now, I have half left for tomorrow's lunch.

When we got back, I stopped in to see their new carpet that was installed today.  The girls had painted the ceiling white, which really brightened up their dark paneled living room and the carpet is grey.  Not a color I would like to live with, but one that Pearl just loves, so that's all that matters.  Tiger came out to greet me, which Pearl says is weird because he doesn't like anyone else.  It has taken Tiger and I about a year to get friendly, but now he knows, I am not going to bend down and pick him up (which he hates).  I let him come to me and then I pet him a bit on his head, scratch his ears, and when his tail starts switching--I stop :-)  He bite Pearl the other day because she hauled him up on her lap and he is NOT a lap cat.  Then she waggled her finger in his face and said, "No biting," and he bit her again.  I think he thought she was playing with him with the waggling finger--she does that to Maggie and when Maggie reaches out with her front claws and hooks Pearl, Pearl gets all mad.  I have told her and told her and.............that Maggie thinks she is playing and not to waggle the finger, but she just won't listen to me, so.......sometimes she leaves her with a few pieces of missing skin from her finger.  Hey---I warned you.

Anyway--we had a good time and I am stuffed!!!!!

I am hoping tomorrow I can get the other bushes trimmed. 

P.S.  Had to drink a glass of water and 2 Alka-Seltzer's as I am stuffed and feel barfy.  My digestive system is not used to meat and potatoes!!!