Mundane Monday

Today's high temperature was:  56 degrees

Not a bit of sun!!!

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I called Pearl and asked if she wanted to run across the road and go to the garden center with me.  She has already purchased all her annuals, at Wal-Mart, but she said she'd like to go to see what they had.

She got in the car.  "What are you buying today?"

"Nothing really--too early, but I did want to look at their succulents and see what I could put in the big coffee cup container I have."

"You mean Cactus?"

"No. Succulents."

"Same thing."

"Well...not really."

"Don't correct me.  Just let it go.  Cactus and Succulents are both the same."
<okay, then.>

I was disappointed.  I wanted this:

but they didn't have any of the colored, small Kalanchoes, so...I got this and planted them:

 There is a bit of pinkish coloration to two of them, which should be okay with my bright pink, dark blue/purple, chartreuse color scheme this year, but still.............pout.  I wanted the bright pink ones!

It is weird to me.  I used to have Hens and Chickens in my rock garden.  They wintered over real well and came up the next year.  I thought I might have to take in the Succulents during the winter (I did last winter and they all died), but these are good up to Zone 4 and can be wintered in a garage or shed--just so they don't get too wet.  I am in Zone 6, so this winter, I am going to wrap the planter in some burlap and put in my shed and see what happens.  Succulents have always been a normal plant in my garden--I didn't think a thing about them, but it seems nowadays--these little devils are expensive AND--you couldn't buy a regular, run of the mill Hens and Chickens if you wanted too, LOL.

Pearl ended up buying more geraniums, some Ranunculus and some Cosmos.  She has these in her enclosed front porch.  A good place to "harden" off the annuals.

When I got home, I took some pix of my Woodland Childhood Remembrance area.

Lots of the May Apples are up and have spread

A couple Trillium over by the tree

A white Violet

A purple Violet 

Some, what we always call, May Flowers 

All of these should be in full bloom by now, but....this cold spring we are having has slowed everything down.  I still don't have one yellow blossom on my Forsythia.

My small garden in the front is doing well.  The Daffodils are starting to fade, but the Tulips have come on, along with the Grape Hyacinth, and I see the Iris and Lilies are coming up.

I haven't seen a sign of all the Hosta's I transplanted last year.

It is just taking so darn long!!
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The very nicest thing happened yesterday.  Pammie called.  She has been making crocheted lap robes for the homeless shelters in the Detroit area--she has quite a stash.

<I used that rocker to rock all my babies>

She has found that she her love of crocheting has come back.  Jennifer is working pro-bono for a group that helps the homeless, so she takes these in when Pammie gets a stash.

Anyway--Pammie asked me I would like for her to come down next Sunday and go to church with me on Mother's Day.  I was just speechless.  I have been pondering about this since March.  Thought how nice it would be for all my girls to attend with me, but realizing that Jen probably wouldn't and Karen would want to go to her own church with her children and thought--it is quite a drive for Pammie to come down here.  

BUT--she is and I am thrilled beyond words.  I know that she will probably wear one of her new skirts, so I have to dig in the back of my closet and find a dress that still fits to wear.  Last year, she came down for lunch with Karen and me.  Maybe she and Karen will get together and think to do that again, which would be fantastic, but if not--Pammie and I can stop after church and get lunch.  Whatever--I am just so happy!!!

May Promises

Today's high temperature was: 51 degrees

Cloudy and sprinkles all day!

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When I was little--Kindergarten or there abouts.  My Mother always held May Day as a big deal.  I suppose that is why that date is my favorite day of the year?

She saved these all year long.  We seemed to eat a lot of cheese because, we had a lot of these boxes stored in the pantry.

On the last day of April, she would take me down to the woods.  She dug up violets, both purple and white or yellow.  The anemones, which we called May Flowers.  A Jack-In-The-Pulpit, if we could find them.  A Trillium and a May Apple.

We'd come back to the house and she spread newspapers on the kitchen table and started planting.

She lined the boxes with aluminum foil and stick the plants in with extra dirt she had dug up from the woods.

The Jack In The Pulpit and May Apple went at each end, the Trillium in the middle back and the Violets and May Flowers in the front edge of the boxes.

                                                                   

               

We never--ever, dug up a Lady's Slipper plant.  They were too pretty and to hard and rare to find to try and transplant one to our garden.  Besides, they were protected by law, but...I suppose all these other woodland plants were too, LOL.

After the boxes were planted--usually 4--she'd line them up, water just a tiny bit and the next day--May Day--they were ready.  I always took one to my teacher.  Mother gave one to Grandma and Great Grandma and took one into town and gave to a shut-in lady she knew from church.  If she made an extra one, she sat it on the windowsill above the kitchen sink and a few weeks later, planted the plants in her shady garden.

I have gone back to those same woods and dug up plants and transplanted them here, to a shady spot in my garden.  My own Home-Woodland-Childhood-Remembrance Garden.
====================

It caught my eye yesterday.  I can barely see it from my recliner, but when it dances in the wind--I watch.

To the right of that little black arrow

There it is!!

I have no idea where he came from.

The only thing behind him is a mile long open field.

He tugs at his anchor branch--I don't know if he is trying

to get away, or if he is hanging on tightly, hoping not to

be blown away.

A brown plastic bag.

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Dar came to the door this afternoon, just as I was leaving to go to the dentist.
<small things I am grateful for>

I got my new crown glued on today!!!!  I can't quite explain how wonderful this is.  NO--I don't like all the drilling it takes to prepare the tooth.  NO--I don't like the numbie shot in my jaw, but...I have not been able to chew on the left side of my mouth for over 4 years.  At first, I was afraid to break tooth #12(upper canine), but after I had the root canal and crown, that tooth was very stable.  BUT tooth #18 (lower, left) kept falling apart.  My dentist has repaired it about twice a year-FREE-for the last 4 years.

In February, she told me we needed to do something before it was totally and completely destroyed.  It would not hold a filling any longer.  I thought to have it pulled, but then....I decided to spend a little more and have it crowned.  I have a lifetime guarantee on this crown--of course, at my age--I don't think a guarantee like that really comes into play, LOL


Now--you with weak stomachs might want to look away.  I have a photo!!!!!

Pretty new crown.

As you can see--all my molars are merely a bit of tooth

shell around a whole lot of filling!!

NO--that is not an arrow tattooed onto my tongue.

That is tooth #18--I need #19 crowned also.  I also need the two big molars (# 30 & #31) on the other side done also.  I already have 4 crowned molars above these.

I want to get them done.  ME--who has been terrified of dentist's and dental work for most of my life--until the last 8 years with this dentist.

At $800.00 a tooth--I fear this health benefit will have to wait a while.  I got my new crown put on an 18 month, no interest loan.  44.50 a month--which I can handle.  I could not handle a $177.77 payment per month, if I got them all done.  Luckily, the rest of my teeth--the front and 6 year molars are not filled and in really great shape!  Now--I can pretty much eat anything I want to--probably gain weight!!  NO!!!

There is no need for comments as to how big my mouth is--okay?
==========================
I started the other slipper/shoe--when I got to this point, I DID think about cutting the yarn and keeping it for an oval "rag" rug for my dollhouse bathroom. LOL

Who knew--squirrels love Grape Jelly and Oranges in dish for Baltimore Orioles!!

Throw Back Thursday

The high temperature today was: 46 degrees
Cold and rainy all the dang day!!

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

This poor little guy was sitting right outside my computer room window

In the rain.  He looked directly at me and said,

"It's so cold the worms are still sleeping underground!

I AM STARVING!!!"

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I remember, when I was very small, during the war.  My Grandmother had a metal can that sat at the top of the upstairs.  I think it was a milk can to hold cream after the milk had been run through the separator.  It was filled with white sugar.  I never realized the importance of this until years later--when I heard family talk about it.

When the first hint came out that "we" might be involved in WWII, my Grandmother, along with all other women in the area, started buying sugar and storing it.  Hoarding it, I suppose would be a better name for it.  You see when food became rationed, sugar was one of the hard to get products.  Only a certain amount was allowed to buy.  One never knew how many birthday or wedding cakes would have to be made during the rationing of food.  One never knew how many quarts of fruit would be canned or jams and jellies made.  One would not want to run out of sugar!

My Mother also had a "sugar can" in our pantry.  It was yellow--a New Era potato chip can.  Hers only had about 10 pounds of sugar in it.  Grandma's had about 20#.

Read that paragraph under the NOTE.

Do you honestly think ANYONE  admitted they had sugar hoarded at home?

Gasoline was rationed.  Cigarettes were rationed.  My parents didn't smoke very much, but they each got their allotted carton and gave the extra packs to our neighbor--my now step-mother's husband.  He'd pay them for the packs they didn't use.  I suppose that was government fraud, wasn't it?

Every person had a ration book.  Even children.  Every family member.  This is mine--I was 3--1942.  When we went to the store, whatever product was purchased took a certain number of stamps that were
inside this book.  It seemed everything was rationed.

.  

Hardly anything new was purchased.  If something broke, Daddy fixed it.  We took the paper label off every tin can, took off both ends, put them inside the can, and squash it with our feet--then stored the cans in a very large bin in one of the sheds.  During the year, a truck came to take away the cans and any other scrap metal we had.  

During the summer, a team of kids came out from the Big City (Flint) to gather Milk Weed pods--the silk was used in making parachutes.

Of course, living on a farm we had all the milk and eggs we needed, and we had quite a bit of fresh produce from the gardens and lots and lots of canned produce to last the winter and of course--rabbit, squirrel, chicken, venison and beef to eat.  

Now I realize how my Grandmother became a rich woman.  She had a poultry farm and hatchery.  Lots of fertile eggs from the hundred hens to incubate for baby chickens.  People flocked to her farm to buy a box (100 baby chicks) so they too could have layer hens, eggs, chicken to eat and can.  Even town people were allowed to keep a flock of chickens in their back yard.

I do remember clearly hearing a statement my Grandma made the day after Truman was elected.  I was in the 4th grade.  I heard her tell my mother, "Start saving sugar.  We will soon be in another war."  She was right--Korea, but...nothing was rationed during that "conflict'".

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

Does anyone remember this?  If I was lucky enough, when I was at Grandma's, I got to squish the yellow coloring encased in that "button", through the white stuff until it was colored evenly.

I was told it was a very important job and I did it perfectly.  We had cows, but for some reason, we didn't churn butter in those days.  I don't know why.

Can you imagine eating that stuff?  Grandma's treat for me was a slice of bread, with oleo on it, and a nice coating of white sugar.

Chewing the lead paint off my crib rails.  Living in a house that was insulated by asbestos.  Sleeping in a bedroom, where the fine dust from the rough plaster on the ceiling drifted down all the time.  Having every childhood disease known to man.  Always drinking raw milk.  Drinking water out of the garden hose on a hot summer day.  Spraying our garden with pesticides and air planes spraying pesticides over the fields.  It's a wonder I have lived this long!!!

Nowadays, people are all in a tither over gluten, organic veggies and drinking water that has been filtered by osmosis!!

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

Question--on the subject of food--do things taste different to you in the last few years?  Potato chips seem to have no flavor anymore (got rid of the trans-fat).  I made meat loaf yesterday--the same recipe I have made for 50+ years--my Mother's recipe and it doesn't taste right.  Maybe my taste buds are failing?  Maybe the quality of ground beef isn't as good anymore?  The last steak I had--3 years ago--was tasteless!!

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

BTW--the slipper/shoe is not difficult to make at all.  It could be written on one instruction sheet.  The inventor/writer of the pattern just likes to add a lot of extraneous stuff.  I have the first one done already.  

Glutton For Punishment

Today's high temperature was: 65 degrees
Cloudy all day

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

Ernestine--Bella--Sally, are you okay?


It seems that I get myself into more dang things.  Things that I think I can do--it sounds good at the time and then realize, after I have started a project that it is going to be really hard to complete it.

My friend Chris posted on FaceBook a pair of shoes that she is making.  Crocheted.  Cute as can be. 

I thought they would be fun to make and be a nice pair to slip on for when I run down to Pearl's or wear around the house.  The soles are made of jute--coated with Silicone to make them waterproof.  The insoles are a pair of Dr. Scholl's, covered in fabric.  Simple enough?

So, I got myself a cone of cotton yarn--thought I would make them in a variegated denim color.  I was going to start them last night.  I read the first page (page 1 out of about 10 instruction pages) and I can't even understand the foundation chain to get started!!!

Will I ever get these made?

Well--ya know--

Onward and Upward

I will try!

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

I do not have a cell phone, but if I did--this is the one I would want.

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Last year, the Hummingbirds arrived on May 1st.  I have my two feeders up and this morning, put in more sugary, sticky liquid for them.  I loved when one built a nest right out these windows last year--hoping she will return to same spot--although her old nest fell during the winter.
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Another friend of a friend dropped dead in his home--yesterday--age 52.  

I got to pondering on this sort of thing and realized how many people I have known that died like that.

My (ex) son-in-law's Dad and he were out on the porch, watching the sunset and talking and the Dad, fell forward and was dead.  Age 46.

One of my Dear Friends, was sitting in bed and told her husband that her chest hurt.  She thought she was coming down with a cold.  He went into the bathroom to get her an aspirin.  When he came back, she was dead.

Five years ago, the neighbor who lived in Dar's house, walked by and we talked for a bit.  He walked into his house, took off his coat and fell over dead on his way into the kitchen.  A wife and 3 little kids left.

A friend of mine in Byron--went outside in the early morning, to check the rain gauge, came back in, sat down in his recliner to watch TV and died.  Just the evening before, my BFF had seen him riding his bike and had talked to him at a ballgame.

Another friend--was playing cards with 3 other friends--he slammed his card down to take the trick, then fell over on the table, the other guys thought he was joking.

A guy I used to work for.  Was sitting in his office and slumped over on his desk.  He was only 45.

Bethie's son.  Age 52.

Strange "something"--blood clot or something that causes a pulmonary or cardiac arrest--aneurysm and--instant death and by the time the EMT's arrive, the person has been dead for many minutes and there is nothing to do.

Never more has the phrase, "You just never know", come to mind when these things happen.
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This afternoon, I went out into the shed and dumped all last years potting soils from all my planters into the wheelbarrow.  Mixed in some fertilizer and new soil and I am ready to fill up the planters--whenever it gets warm enough to plant.

I am getting ready.

I was thinking this evening about the NBA/Sterling fiasco.  Other than it being illegal to record a phone call without the other person knowing and than selling it--Mrs. Sterling owns 50% of the Clippers team.  She has done nothing to break any of the NBA rules.  If she refuses to sell her half--how can they get the team away from the Sterling's?
===========
Got it figured out and on my way.  The toe area looks large, but it really isn't.  Of course, there is a cord along the top that pulls the shoe in to fit.  We shall see.  I may have to Frog it (ripit, rip it)

=================
Nice gentle rain out there tonight--I don't mind.

Meterologist School

Today's high temperature was:  77 degrees

Hard rain in morning, warm and sunny in afternoon--rain in evening.

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

Everything all right over there, Jean.  I saw on radar that you had a bad storm with hail and a lot of lightning in Grand Rapids!!!  

Those dang tornado's are headed toward my beloved North Carolina coast!  Don't you DARE hurt my Outer Banks!!!  Don't you DARE go near my friend, Sally!!!

Okay--I am only going to post this because--if you are like me and want to keep track of the weather in your area--this is the truest radar you can find.  You can put it in motion for the next 6 hours to see what's coming at you.  Just put in your town/Zip Code and you will have a red spot where your home is--approximately.  It is always right on!

http://www.weather.com/weather/map/48114

This is for my area, so when you get the link, go to the top right and put in your own information.

You can also get a Tor Con index on this page.

http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-torcon-index

I do NOT have a weather alert radio--I did, but it kept broadcasting weather for the entire county and I got scared.  Or it would give out a flood warning squeal in the middle of the night and I do not live near a flood zone.  So--I rely on this map.

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

I went into town this afternoon--to the Meijer store to pick up a few groceries (82.20)--EGAD!  DHS has cut my food allowance back from $55.00 to $40.00.  I have no idea why.

I decided to go through Darlene's check-out, but the line was clear out into the aisle of the store, the light over her cash register was blinking and she was yelling (I kid you not) for some manager.  "Where's the managers?  I need help."

I kept on walking down to the second check-out from her, that only had 3 people in line.  It took a while to check-out and I kept watching Dar.  Two of the people in front of me were checked-out and Dar was still on the original customer.  Dar probably hit the $150.00 cash back button in error again.  

I kept watching--I counted 12 people in Dar's line--the ones in back, shook their heads, backed out and tried to find another line to go into.  She has told me there have been many complaints about her.  She IS slow, and she is NOT the best bagger, but...in another 30 days, she will be a union member... no getting rid of her then.

She was over for a half hour this morning and told me, "For the last two years, I have been this close to a mental breakdown."

"You have?"

"Yes!  I'm getting better now--finally."

<I don't think so.  Poor woman!>

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

When I got home, Jackie was outside pulling weeds.  I went over to talk to her, as she had been sick with the bronchitis, near pneumonia thingie.

"Did you see in the paper, about my twin grandson's?"

"No.  I don't get the paper."

"They were sentenced last Friday to 5 years in prison.  Both of them."

"Are they the ones who broke into your house?"

< I knew they were, but felt so uncomfortable talking about this with her.>

"Yup.  Can you imagine?  They weren't content to break in and steal other people's things--they also had to break into their own grandma's house!  They were the sweetest little boys.  I just don't know what happened."
<No--I can't imagine stealing from your own grandma!>

"Oh, Jackie.  I'm sorry.  It seems nowadays--even kids from really good homes are getting into trouble."

"I just got back from going with my Senior Group to see Heaven is for Real.  Did you see it?"

"Yes.  Pearl and I went right after Easter.  Did you like it?  Wasn't it wonderful, peaceful...beautiful?"

"I went to see God Is Not Dead last week.  I liked that one better.  Did you see that one yet?"

"Yeah.  I went last Friday.  I liked Heaven Is For Real better."

"Oh.  Why?"

"Because I had read the book...and I know it is true.  God Is Not Dead seemed like a made-for-movie, movie.  It was good, bu...I just liked the other one better."

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

I guess I am the only person in the United States who thinks what they are doing to Mr. Sterling, the owner of the LA Clippers is contrived in some way.  I know there has been a "want to buy" the team from him for the last few years and I think---perhaps---someone paid his mistress to set him up.

She is the one who took a private phone conversation between them and sold it to TMZ.

I really don't see what he said that was so bad.  He is paying her way through life.  She is tramping around with some NBA players and he told her, she could do whatever she wanted, but he didn't want her putting pictures on Twitter and Face Book of her with them.  He didn't want her inviting them to his house parties.  He didn't want her inviting them his owner's seats at the game.

In other words, I think, he doesn't want her tramping around and shoving it in his face.

He never used the "N" word.  He did say, "I buy their clothes, their cars and provide their livelihood.  That's all I need to do."

How is that anymore racist than The player Larry Johnson who stated, "We need to organize an all black team."

Something is just too fishy here.  Not that I really care.  I don't watch any NBA games.  I just don't like the idea of someone selling a private phone conversation.

I don't like what the old guy said for sure, but.......
==============
We  had a fast moving, very windy, loud thunderstorm pass through here about 9:00.  Exactly when my weather radar link said it would come.  Scared me for sure--the first storm of the season always does.

Well--let's see what tomorrow brings.  Okay?

P.S.  I can barely watch the news anymore without getting nauseous.  Either some parents is beating their child to death, or pictures of storm damage, or Mr. Putin wanting to start another war.  Our world seems to be going crazy really fast!

Pondering

Today's high temperature was:  52 degrees

Cloudy all day

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

All day and tonight, I am worried and praying for my friends in the tornadoes paths.

Charlotte and Margie, in Arkansas and Ernestine in Tennessee.  Also Vickie in Oklahoma.  Hope you and your family/friends were spared from the vicious storms!!! 
===================

Thanks for the advice concerning Pearl.  I still don't quite know what to do when she asks me a question about something she doesn't remember and I give her the answer and then she argues with me.  Perhaps I could say, "What do you think?"  or "Could it be.....?"  I believe she knows that something is wrong with her mind and it frightens her.  So if I try to help by filling in the blanks--that just reinforces her problem and makes her more upset.  So--I will be much more careful.  As I've said, I have not had this experience with anyone, so...I am learning.

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

I have spent a good part of this gloomy outside, staying inside day, thinking back and pondering.  Back to the mid-50's.  I was married in 1957 and divorced in 1984.

I'll bet over those 27 years, my husband and I said "I love you" to each other--perhaps a dozen times.  I guess, people nowadays would find that strange.  The phrase is bandied about without much thought.

We were much the same as our parents had been.   I don't ever remember hearing my Dad and Mother say THOSE words to each other.  It was a deeply private thing.  I knew my Dad loved my mother--it was very apparent when she was dying and he sat by her bed for 36 hours and never moved.  His head placed near her pillow--they stared into each other's eyes and whispered words back and forth to each other.  That scene was so filled with love that it almost embarrassed me to watch.  I felt very much the intruder and spent most of the time sitting in the Solarium.

I can remember distinctly the first time I heard it.  Gary was a Senior and I was a Junior--we had been going together for over a year.  We were sitting in the driveway, out in his car.  We weren't talking, we were just hugging and he put his mouth hear my hair and said, "I love you, Judy."  I didn't say it back to him, I remember now.  That would come later.  Although I did love him, had loved him, but, girls just didn't say it first.  My heart jumped into my throat!  I felt so warm and happy.

In that "I love you" was contained a lot more than just the words.  It meant, I was his girl--forever.  It meant we would never date anyone else.  It meant that we would get married--someday.  It meant we would be together for the rest of our lives.  It was--back then--a very serious statement and I remember how it made me feel.

I would be cared for--taken care of--never have a worry.  He had made a huge commitment.  This man of few emotions and words.  It meant he would work the rest of his days to put a roof over our heads.  To be the boss of the family.  It meant he was taking on a lot of responsibility.  There was no sexual connotation in those words.  We were together three years and still both virgins.  Many of my friends were virgins on their wedding days and had been with their boyfriends for 3-4 years.

A  year later, he was home from the Army, I was a senior, almost out of school and we had sex--once. It was his idea, of course and we both vowed it wouldn't happen again until we were married.  Then I found out I was pregnant, there was never even a thought that he would bail out.  We were going to be married anyway, so we just would get married now.  I did give him the option though, but I knew when I did it, that he wouldn't discard me.  Strangely, we didn't have sex until our wedding night.

On our wedding night, we said it to each other.  There were other words that meant the same thing, showed great love, but never those 3 particular words.  There was no need for them.

If I kept the house clean and made a nice supper for him--that meant I love you.  If he saved enough out of his merger pay check to take us to the Dairy Queen to get a banana split to share--that meant he loved me.  When we had the opportunity to build a small home and he asked me if it was what I wanted and I answered, "Yes."  He went about getting a loan and working with the contractor to build it--that said, I love you.  When he asked if I would help him drill the well (by hand) and I was 7 months pregnant and I helped him--that said, I loved him.

I remember, when my Mother died. I didn't cry for the first couple of days, but one evening, he was home with the kids and I was driving back from my Dad's house up the road, and I totally lost it.  I pulled into the driveway and started screaming and crying and pounding the steering wheel.  He must have heard me because he came out, opened the door of the car, pulled me out and into his arms.  He was kind of an Agnostic back then, but he said, "If there is a Heaven.  I know your Mother is there right now!!"  Obviously those words meant the world to me, if I still remember them, these 44 years later.

Within the "I love you" words was the "assumption" that if he was still coming home each night from work--if I was still there with supper on the table--it meant we loved each other.  Actions spoke louder than any words.

That's why--I guess--in the last years of our marriage, when he started doing his own thing and I started taking over a more of "his" chores, to me that meant, he didn't love me anymore.  What is really weird, the day we went to court to make our divorce final--we sat together, on a bench out in the hallway, and hung on to each other's hands and cried and cried.  We still loved each other, but didn't know how to fix the marriage.

I know, even now, I still love him--that deep feeling inside for him.  I don't particularly "like" him, but I still love him.

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

I've said "I love you" to a lot of men since and heard it from a few.  Those words however, didn't really carry the depth of commitment they did back in the day.  It was more of a "I love you now--at this moment."

Fred was the first man, after my divorce, that I really connected with on that deep level.  He said he felt the same way about me.  It seemed like THIS love was more of an equal commitment.  We took care of each other.  It wasn't up to him to care for me financially.  We were a real team.  When one couldn't pull equal weight, the other one, picked up the slack.  

The words however, were spoken every day--several times a day.  Once I remember thinking, the words had lost that deep meaning--that they were said in passing or something.  "I'm running up to Wal-Mart.  Love you, Honey.  See you in a bit."  

I guess the deepest meaning of those words was before operations or when we were scared, or the moments before he died?  In those times, we clung to each other and the words meant--forever and "I would be devastated if anything bad happened to you."

I had that same deep connection to my best friend.  We didn't say the words to each other when we were younger, but in our later years--we said them every time we saw each other.  We knew what they meant--a deep connection that would be for eternity--forever.

I say the words a lot now.  "Love's ya"--thrown out to friends.  "I love you, Sweetheart"-said to my kids and grandchildren. Sure, I mean it, but.  I notice my sister and I do not say those words to each other very often.  I wonder why.  Probably because, in our family, they weren't said much?  Or because they aren't needed because we know that we know that we know--there is that deep sense of commitment to each other--that we would die for each other if need be.  I think I will start saying those words to her--whenever I leave her house or she leaves mine.  At this stage of my life--those just might be my last words to her--we never know.

I guess, in the long run, I wish those words actually were said less and meant more?  Like back in the old days.  

Weekend Catch Up

Saturday's high temperature was:  57 degrees--sunny afternoon

Sunday's high temperature was: 56--sunny afternoon

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

Saturday

I painted the top of the railing on the porch and the hand-rails.  I didn't stain them---I painted them--like I wanted to last fall and the guy at Lowe's told me a stain would be better.  HAH--once again, I listened to a man, thinking he would know the best.  When will I learn?  Anyway, the stain did not stand up very well during the winter.  I had bird scratches and squirrel scratches all over the top of the railing and I couldn't wash it off.  

I hadn't liked the way the hand railings felt either--sort of rough.  So---I bought a small can of heavy-duty paint and I gave them both a double coat.  The hand railing feels as smooth as a baby's behind and the top of the railing on the porch will be so much easier to clean off now.  I can wash it just as I would a door or window frame.

As I was painting, these two came walking down between my place and the neighbors.  By the time I got in the house and grabbed my camera, they were over in Jackie's lawn and driveway.  I walked over, quite close to them and they weren't even afraid.  They walked on down the road--headed to the lake, I presume.

I am really worried about Pearl.  I know that her memory is failing--really failing, but today she was belligerent--kind of.  

She opened up my front door and said, "Why would you have your door closed?  It's hot outside." and she sort of slammed it open.
<the temperature was 54>

We got to talking about the "new" Mega church down the way, the 2/42 church.

I said, "How did they come up with that name?"

"It's some scripture.  Found in the Old Testament.  The book of Ares."

"There is no book called Ares in the Bible.  Ares is the Greek God of war."

"Where did you come up with that!? Read me the names of the books of the Bible."

<so I did>

I said, "Perhaps it is in Acts?  In the New Testament.  The Old Testament is all about the Jewish religion, maybe a new church would be founded with New Testament ways?  About Jesus?

"No--that doesn't sound right."

<so I just dropped it>

Later found it in Act 2:42-47  It is called the Fellowship of Believers.
==============
Then, she started in about her dermatologist, Doctor Piro--the same one Dar goes to and I went to once.

Pearl has been going to him for years and most recently, twice a month for the last 5 months.  She has to go back this Tuesday--last week she told me she had no appointments this week and we were going on our adventure, this Tuesday.  Apparently she had forgotten? 
<I didn't bring it up>

"I don't really like him, " she said.  "He has no bedside manner at all.  He is very curt, but he is good."

"Does he still have his office up by the hospital?  Doctor Piro?"

"How did you say his name?"

"Peer Oh."

"No that's not it.  It's pronounced Pee Roh.  Gary Pee Roh."

"How is it spelled?"

"P Y R O."

"Oh, I thought it was P I R O.  Pyro would be pronounced pyro--like a pyromaniac."

"Well, I oughta know how it's spelled.  I have a lot of his name cards at home!"

"Oh.  Okay."

Then she got up to leave and I walked out onto the porch with her to show her my paint job.

"How am I going to get down these steps with wet paint on the rails?"

"It isn't wet anymore.  I painted them three hours ago and it is fast drying paint."

"No paint is that fast drying!!"

<so I swiped my hand down the railing to show her>

"Feels dry to me.  Did you get paint on your hands when you came up the steps?"

"No.  But--well, you just can never tell!"

"I'll walk down with you.  I've got to get my mail."

"What does that have to do with wet railings?"

"Ah--nothing.  I just need to get my mail."

"Boy...these treads on your steps sure collected dirt and leaves."

"Yeah.  I haven't swept them yet this year."

"What are all these red things all over your drive and your car?"

"Those are buds that fall of the Maple trees."

"No--must be something else.  Maple trees don't lose their buds like that.  What a mess you have!"
<Geez Louise--gripe, gripe, gripe>

I walk down the driveway and across the street with her.  She toddles off down the street, stops for a minute and yells back, "When I get home I will call you and tell you how doctor Pee Roh spells his name!"

"Okay."  I got my mail and came back in.

What is happening to my Friend?  I have never had any contact with people with memory problems or senility and I don't quite know what to do.  I thought I was helping her remember stuff, but I don't think she likes for me to correct her or try and explain anything.  Perhaps I just need to agree with everything she says?  By the way--she didn't call back.  I Googled Doctor Pee Roh and found him.  Doctor Gregory Piro--Not Gary Pyro.

============
Sunday--

It was only 45 degrees when I got up.  I went to church and...there was no heat in the sanctuary...and I hadn't taken my coat.  By the time I got home, I felt chilled clear through to my bones.

Merle and Pearl came done this later afternoon.  He cut two inches off the legs of the table that goes by my chair.  I have hated that table ever since Fred brought it into this house.  It was so much higher than my chair that, every time I reached for my Diet Pepsi, I'd bang my wrist on the table edge and end up with a blood bruise.

I also had my recliner back off, tightening up the screws to keep the back straighter and Merle helped me put it back together.

Pearl was just fine today.  Maybe her sugar was off yesterday or something, because today, she seemed quite sharp.
======================
I  hope you are all safe from the severe storms that are rolling through off and on all this week!  GEEZ!!