It's All Good--For Now Anyway!

I just noticed.  If I peek carefully between the two houses, I can still see a bit of the walk and the woods.

I'm still not "allowed" to have Jennifer's kids in my house and I can't go into their house.  Tuesday, I will drive over to Jen's when the kids get home from school.  Pammie is with them that day.  I will wait in the car, in the driveway until Alex comes out--the other kids will probably either wave from the open door or come out to say Hi.  He and I will come back to Brighton for his special supper and then I will take him home again.  That's all I get and I am grateful for it!!

I have been working for my author friend Chris, and I had a few hours built up and she transferred the money into my Pay Pal account, which I immediately transferred part of into my checking account--SO--BIG BREATH--I will make it through this month!!!!  and, I will put out of my mind what is left in my Pay Pal account so I don't spend it and next month, if I get an unexpected again--I will remember I have some "stashed" away.  All is good!

I am having the best time.  Chris has asked me to write up a sort of How To book on home maintenance and gardening ideas and stuff like that for women who live alone.  How To drain and flush the water heater, How To get the house ready for winter.  Did you know, on your ceiling fans, you have to change the rotation of the blades for winter or summer?  How To clean out the dryer vent, inside and outside.  Things like that.  I take photos as I do these things and include them in the book.  It gives me something to do--makes my brain work..and she is paying me to do it.

I think she finds "busy" work for me to do, so she can help me and I can save my pride, by not having to ask for help!  

I know I have told you the story of Chris and I before, but...she is like my daughter--probably closer than a daughter because I have shared thoughts and feelings with her that I would not have shared with a daughter...or my sister for that matter.  She lives in Texas and occasionally Idaho, while her Army career hubby is stationed overseas.  She is constantly trying to get me on a plane to visit her ...when she was in Germany, then Italy, now Texas.  

It would be nice...but logistics just don't allow me to travel.  Who would take care of the cats?  I don't fly, so I'd have to drive--can't drive that far.  Not comfortable being away from home for any time.  At least, now that she is back in the states, it FEELS like she is a lot closer.

Chris is the one who wrote the wonderful cookbook.  She is also a children's author.  Here is a blatant promotion for her.  Buy one of her cookbooks for a bridal shower, or a grandchild who is moving, for the first time, into their own apartment, or...for yourself.
===================
Are you ready for some "Pearlables"?  Kind of like a parable, but there is no moral or spiritual meaning to the story.

Pearl walked down last week.

"Something is wrong with our car."

"What happened?"  I asked.

"I drove up to Wal-Mart, got groceries and put them in the trunk and as I was backing out, there must have been a car coming behind me because I heard a loud horn and I jammed my foot on the brake and...the car just slide over to the right and banged into the car parked next to me."

"How could that happen?"

"I don't know!  It just slide over to the right, all on it's own!"

"Are you sure you didn't put your foot on the gas pedal?"

"I'm not that stupid!  I know the gas pedal from the brake pedal!  The car moved on its own, I tell you."

"Okay.  I wonder what caused it to do that?"

"I don't know.  Merle is going to check the steering."

"Did you damage your car...the other car?"

"I broke up my right front fender, but it only scratched the back fender of the other car."

"Gosh.  What did Merle say?  Was he mad?"

"Nope.  He doesn't care anymore, about anything.  He just looked at it and shook his head.  He said he can't fix it because its made out of plastic and he doesn't know how to fix that."
==================

I was up to Pearl's the other morning and when I walked in, the house was full of smoke.

"You taking up smoking again?"  I asked.

"No.  Something's wrong with this microwave oven!  I'm throwing the dang thing out!"

"Why.  What happened?"

"It caught on fire!"

"Oh my gosh!  The wiring you mean?"

"No.  Fire on the inside."

"Did you put metal in there?"

"No!  I'm not that stupid!  I know how to run a microwave!  I put in two of those frozen, ready to eat sausages...with a paper towel over the top, and the paper towel caught on fire.  Burned those sausages right up too."

"Wow!  What setting did you use?"

"I used high.  High for six minutes."

"Ah--hh, high for 60 seconds."

Big sigh as she stomps over to the freezer, pulls out the package and says, "Read the directions yourself, Smartie Pants."

And so I did, "microwave on high, 60 to 70 seconds." and I handed the package back to her.
=================

As for Dar?  I've only seen her once in the last ten days--she called at 10:30 last Tuesday night...

"Do you have any Kaopectate?"

"No."

"I thought you had a pharmacy in your bathroom cupboard!"

"I do, but I don't have Kaopectate."

"I've got diarrhea just terrible and I need something."

"I've got Imodium D.  That will work."

"Okay.  I'll be right over."

So, I went and got the Imodium and walked out on the front porch because she isn't bringing nasty germs into my house!!!
=================
My fur kids are certainly enjoying the window bench I made for them, out of two of Pearl's thrown away end tables.

As an added bonus, Pearl can look out of her bedroom window and see them. :-)

  

More Good Than Bad Today....................

...of which I am truly thankful.
**********************

A friend of mine just got back from a cruise and this was sent to him yesterday--Mexico wouldn't even let the ship dock, so they had to turn around and head back to Galveston!  I hope everyone on the ship gets a free cruise out of this!

John Heald

4 hrs · 

Good morning everyone from my hotel room here at the Marriotthyattcontinental. Some of you may have seen a news report that I wanted to make sure I responded to as quickly as possible. Here then is Carnival's reply to that report;

Late afternoon on Wednesday, Oct. 15., we were made aware by the U.S. CDC of a guest sailing this week on board Carnival Magic who is a lab supervisor at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. At no point in time has the individual exhibited any symptoms or signs of infection and it has been 19 days since she was in the lab with the testing samples. She is deemed by CDC to be very low risk. At this time, the guest remains in isolation on board the ship and is not deemed to be a risk to any guests or crew. It is important to reiterate that the individual has no symptoms and has been isolated in an extreme abundance of caution. We are in close contact with the CDC and at this time it has been determined that the appropriate course of action is to simply keep the guest in isolation on board.

Cheers

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

I ran up to the doctor's office and got my flu shot this morning.  Michelle, who does ALL my blood draws and shots is a wonder.  For the blood draws, she uses a small butterfly needle and I never have a mark.  Today, I didn't even feel the shot--and I am quite a needle phobic.

I said, "You are so good at the whole needle thing!"

"Yeah, I know.  I'm the best in town.  I'm the best around." she sang.

"I'll let you know for sure...tomorrow...if I wake up and my arm aches!"  hah.

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

MAY & JUNE:

NOW:

Everything cut back, pulled out, cleaned up and put to bed.

Makes me sad.

We have a cold front coming in and rain.  Much cooler temps from now on...so...I'm ready.  Soon snow will cover all my gardens--steps AND porch.  Oh--I can hardly wait!  <not>

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

I have fallen in love.  He's 6'6" and he knows what he's doing.  He arrived in this vehicle to save my sanity.

I have been having problems with my Internet since July 9th.  Then, end of September, my phone went out.  A tech came and said he fixed it.  I was charged $60.00 for a service call--even though it was OUTSIDE and we don't have to pay for outside problems--the problem was with MY phone lines, AT&T and that was my problem to pay for.

The next day, I lost most of my TV channels.  So I called and another appointment was scheduled.  The tech arrived today and checked everything out.  He told me that there were "many small problems" with the outside cables AND that the first tech should have found and fixed them, BUT his work order only called for him to fix the phone, that's all he was required to do!

Well--this guy today--didn't seem to worry about what he work order only said, he fixed everything!!  He took out and put in all NEW cables from the outside box to my home!  He replaced the cable from the outside to my Internet connection into my home!  He gave me a new modem!  He gave me a new remote!!  It's like I have all new hook-up and components!

No cost to me and he "suggested" I call customer service and see if I could get a credit of some sort.  So--I did AND I did!

<I hugged him!!!  Gosh--it was nice to get a hug from a big, tall, strong person!>

My bill this month was for $180.00--with the service charge.  After all my entitled credits (in my opinion) my bill is now $144.00...usually I pay $120.00 a month, for my bundle.  I told them I would have to pay the extra over the next couple of months and they said that was "okay."

So, I will pay them 131.00 this month and 131.00 next month, which means...I will have enough money left on my debit card to take Alex out for his birthday supper on Tuesday!!!

That is what bummed me out so much earlier this week.  If I had to pay the extra, I would only have had $5.00 left in my checking account--not enough for Alex' supper.  

I will now have $28.24 and after his supper, I may still have $20.00 to last until November 3rd--when it will be time to take Andrew out for HIS birthday supper.  I get my SS on the 3rd, and I will take him out after that and then--worry about the rest of the month later.

I hope I don't have to buy any food the rest of this month, LOL.

I truly am in sad shape aren't I.?   It's so pitiful that it's almost laughable! :-)
=============================

Rainy and Dreary

The road that runs by" my" Cemetery.  It curves to the left and continues

through another 1/2  mile long tunnel of trees.

I put this collage together for my Throw Back Thursday photo on Face Book.

It show three generations of us, starting with my Mother, holding the same Bible on our wedding day.
My mother--Me--Susan--Pam and Karen.  Karen now has the Bible and we are hoping that one of her daughter's will use it too.  Wouldn't that be nice?

I (thought) I was posting funny pictures and comments on Face Book about the new neighbor's.  Playing Gladys Kravitz and all that.  Last night, I posted a picture of the guys coming in to flush out the sewer connection behind their house and kidded that their son, the park manager, should have told them that part of that connection has problems from time to time.  It is the part for Jackie's house and theirs.

Then, people starting commenting that I should turn in the park management to some authority to force them to fix the problem.  I should form a committee to take this problem to park management with our complaints.  The new neighbor's could sue--all that sort of thing.

I realized that my FB "friends" were taking all my (to me) funny pictures and getting a bad picture of this lovely park we live in.  Those who commented are people that have lived in cities all their lives.  I suppose, if they had this kind of problem, they would be calling City Hall and demanding someone do something.

Well--we live in the country.  We don't have city water and sewer--thank goodness!  We have well water and a good sewer system that drains off into an APPROVED retention pond down the road.  We also don't have to pay for our water and it doesn't have all the chemicals like Chlorine or Fluoride in it.  It is tested three times a year and it is pure to drink. 

We also don't have to pay for garbage or yard waste pick-up.  We have snow removal and the grassy areas mowed.  All our electrical and phone lines are buried, so we never lose power.  All this is included in our rent.  We also get free trimming and removal.

So--then I went back on Face Book and tried to explain how different things are, living in the country and "they" commented that I was "writing a book to try and make peace", or I was a "suck up."

I wonder if all those city people get those services free?  I think not!

It seems lately that no matter what I post on Face Book, someone has to comment in a negative way, so---this has taught me something.  Not only will I put some of these people on my "restricted" list so they don't see my postings and...I will not be posting very much--absolutely no more Gladys Kravitz photos of the neighbor's for sure.  

I won't delete Face Book because there are many games on there that I really look forward to playing, but that is going to be about all I do.

Anyway--as I looked out my front windows this morning--and you know my view and you know it is nearly impossible for me not to see everything that is going on across the street--I see this:  Jackie is informing the new neighbor's that they have placed their garbage on "her" lawn!  I was amazed that she would even confront them about something so insignificant.  She's (supposedly) a nice, Christian lady, but she was very upset that they moved in. 

I guess she thinks their bags are going 

to kill her grass?

...and an hour later, she made her point.  LOL

Merle and Pearl went shopping for a new recliner for Merle--his birthday is this coming Monday.  They looked at a ton of chairs and finally Merle said he was tired and pointed to the one he wanted.  Then Pearl decided she would get a matching one.

They made arrangements with their daughter to pick them up yesterday, as she had the use of a pick-up.  Merle came home early from work, at noon, and they were ready to go.  The daughter didn't show up so Pearl called her. The daughter had let her daughter take the truck to work because her car was almost out of gas.  They would be over after the daughter got home.

Pearl was livid!!!!!

"She does this all the time!  We get everything arranged and then---it all gets changed!"

Well, along about 6:00, I saw them leaving to get the chairs.

Pearl called me this morning to walk on up and see their new chairs.

The minute I walked in the door she said, "You aren't going to like them."

I walked into the living room and looked at the chairs.

$249.95

"I think they look nice!"

"Sit in it."

So...I did.  A smallish chair, my head was above the back, it wasn't a "chaise" type, so my legs weren't supported, my feet hung way over the edge of the foot rest, but other than that.

"It's way too hard, isn't it?"  Pearl asked.

"Well, it's new so..............."

"It doesn't rock!"

"No.  It doesn't."

"Look at the fabric.  Merle, with his dirty hands and greasy hair is going to have that chair filthy by the end of the month!  Lay it back."

So I did--it was nice.

"It lays too far back! "

"Oh--well, I like that feature.  I wish mine went back, flat like a bed."

"Well--Merle specifically said he didn't want one that laid way back like that."

"Didn't you................."

"I want to take them back!".

I got up and moved over to another chair across from her so we could look at each other--eye-to-eye.

"Didn't you try it out in the store?  Didn't you sit in it and put it back and....notice it didn't rock?"

"No--not really.  Merle just sat it in and said he wanted it."

"Oh."

 "You said you needed a new recliner.  You wanna buy one from us?"

"Ah--no."

"Why not.  You buy one and we will bring it down to your house and then we will only have to haul one back."

"Well.....In the first place--it is not my color.  In the second place--it is too small for me.  I like a Big Man's recliner.  These are too short for me.  When I lay it back, my feet and ankles hang off  the foot rest and the top part of my head isn't supported by the back.  Besides, I like a chaise recliner so my legs are supported and I like a rocker recliner."

"Oh."

I didn't bother to tell her that at $250.00 for a recliner, it isn't going to hold up for more than a couple of years.  

So--I don't know what she is going to do, but I can surmise that she will be complaining every time I see her and blaming Merle for the chairs.  LOL

Middle Day

Nothing.
Sorry.

Feelings

Main Street in my hometown of Byron, Michigan

Wasn't it just last week that I was saying how happy I am that I am poor...because it has made me appreciate everything I have?  Wasn't that me?

Well--I'm over that now!  I'm not happy!  It is a struggle on most days.  There is a lot of stress and fear involved.  

My budget promises $50.00 left over every month.  My budget doesn't allow for "unexpecteds"--like a $60.00 service fee for the cable company to come out and fix my phone.  I understood that if the problem originated with their equipment, I didn't have to pay.  Apparently, a critter gnawing through their lines does not constitute a problem with their equipment.  Entirely my fault--even though they didn't have their line covered in an appropriate manner!

This Thursday is my luncheon with the Gal Pals.  Next Monday is my grandson Alex' 8th birthday.  Do I got to lunch or do I take Alex out for his birthday supper?  Well--you know the answer to that!  I can no longer take the kids shopping for their birthday present--I take them out for supper and give them dollar amounts of the year's old they are.  It will probably cost me $30.00 for Alex's supper and his $8.00 birthday money.

When I pay all my bills this month, I will have $8.00 left over.  I guess I didn't want a hair cut after all!  I guess I can get an oil change on my car next month!  I guess I don't really need to buy any more food do I?
=======================
I went to the Food Bank today.  They yelled at me again because I didn't get enough "weight" of food.  They had no Tuna, which I needed.  I am only allowed 4 canned vegs or fruits.  I got green beans and soup.  I DID score on a nice looking piece of rib eye and some hamburger patties.  I didn't need any free laundry detergent, but I did get 4 rolls of bathroom tissue.  I also got 4 apples and a shriveled up cucumber and a bag of wilted lettuce.  Also a dozen eggs were pressed on me, although, I never eat eggs and only needed a couple for some Salmon patties.  I will give the rest to Pearl.

I shouldn't have posted on FB that I was feeling depressed.  The comment, while loving and kind, don't help much.  I was advised to "get out".  Get in the car--drive to the mall--find a sale and buy something for myself.  Bake something you like--the house will smell so good.

I CAN'T get out and drive the car anywhere.  I have $40.00 a month for gas for the car--that is not conducive for just driving around willy nilly.  I might want to drive up and visit my sister, so I have to conserve.

I would like to bake something I like.  I have apples so I could make half a recipe for my favorite Raw Apple Cake--unfortunately, I am out of brown sugar and only have 2 cups of sugar.

I WILL get $18.00 in food assistance on the 21st.  That will buy me milk and something else.  I won't get my favorite little cake this time.
============================
They took away the steps by the back door today--things are looking better.

Neighbor Tami has also cleaned up her yard--which gives me a much better view.

============================
It's been a very depressed day--can you tell?

I Got Plenty Of..........

......nothing.  

I got up too early and had laundry done, bedroom cleaned and whole house vacuumed by 11:00.

I was bored out of my mind for the rest of the day.

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

 The tree tops look like they are on fire.  Early morning view. 

My friend Becky, started photography last year.

This was taken in our hometown Byron, on the Mill Pond.

She takes the most beautiful photos of flowers and birds and...nature.  If you'd like to see more, here is her link.  RJG Photography.

The, not so good, steps came down on Friday.

Considering the fact that this man is retired, after 50 years as a carpenter, the building of their deck and steps doesn't speak real well to his skills!!!

Things are looking better by Saturday.

We've had frost every night for the last 4, so it was time.  I hate to see my 7' Zinnia's go into the yard waste bag, but---time to clean up and put the gardens to rest.

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

Another weird Merle thing happened.  He took two of my yard waste bags with him to the golf course, where he works, to dump them.  Friday evening, I was sitting in my chair, cross stitching and watching something on H2 channel, when there came a knock at my door--it opened and in walked Merle.  I was sort of startled.  I am used to Pearl or Dar walking in, but...Merle?

"I brought your bags back so you can use them again."

I started to get up out of my chair, as he walked farther into the living room.

"I put 'em on the porch."

"Oh.  Okay...thanks."

"I broke one of 'em.  Tore it.  Can't use it anymore."

"Oh--that's okay."

"Do you wanna spank me?"

<What?>

"Not hardly!   However, I do want to thank you for taking them."

and I quickly walked out onto the front porch.  I figured the stupidness would stop out on the porch where neighbor's might be watching.

He followed me out and showed me the ripped bag, which I picked up and wadded up and threw into the garbage pail.

"Thanks again," I said.

He walked down the steps and waved and got in his truck and drove home.

GEEZ!!!

I hate this sort of thing.  It makes me very uncomfortable.  Always has and I do not know what kind of vibe I am giving out that leads them to think they can make remarks like that to me!

I was at a party once, dancing with a friend's husband and he said, "Boy, you're tall."

"I know," I laughed.

"I'll bet if we were laying down...we'd be the same height."

OR--another dance--different friend's husband..

"C'mon and dance with me, Jude."

"I'm not a very good dancer."

"Oh--I know the secret.  I just tuck your left boob under my arm and you'll follow me anywhere."

OR--another dance--different friend's husband--very short man.

"Ya wanna dance, Judy?"

"Nah--I'm kind of tired."  because I did not really want to dance with him.

"Aw--come on, it's a slow one."

My husband nudged me to go, so, I got up and danced with the fool.

"Ah," he said, as he laid his head on my chest!

I was mortified.  Everyone laughed and said, "Oh look, Sarge is in his glory."

The worst time I think was when, dancing with my very best friend's husband, he whispered in my ear, "God--I have always wanted to play motor boat with those boobs of yours!"

What in the world was I suppose to do when faced with these situations?  Slap the guy and walk off the dance floor?  I certainly didn't want their wives to know how stupid they were.

The beer and alcohol was always flowing freely at these parties, so I just put it up to them being drunk and tried to forget about it.  I never told my husband because he worked and played golf with these guys.  Trouble was, I saw these friends just about every weekend.  It made me very uncomfortable to be around the guys.

Now-I've got this little twerp up the road!  I think I am going to have to start locking my door.  What if, when he walked in, I was in the bathroom or changing my clothes in the bedroom? 

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

It was another perfect autumn day, so I got around to planting the 75 Tulip and Daffodil bulbs I ordered from Breck's last spring.  I looked around my front garden and the one by the porch and saw bare spots with no spring bulbs blooming.  I put a stick in those places last spring and today, planted the bulbs.

I saved the pink tulips Karen gave me last Easter.

I think they will do just fine.

Anxious to see if my long handeled trowel, that I bought

last spring just for this job, would work.

It did not.  

I needed my heavy duty pointed shovel. 

Pearl has given me two Greenland Tulips--pink with the green stripe--they were the puniest things I ever saw.  I planted them together in a hole and put a stick in so next spring, I can see how/if they grow.  She is FOREVER buying bulbs and plants from those places you see in the Sunday paper and when they don't grow, she gets mad.  My Greenland Tulip bulbs, that I got from Breck's, were four times the size of hers.  I figure, if I'm going to break my back planting the dang things, I want good stuff that will grow and multiply and grow for years.

I had a couple dozen left over.

I have no idea if Tulips and Daffs

will grow in a raised bed.

I guess I'll find out next April?

and...I can still plant my Zinnia's here as well.

Do you remember me telling you about John--with the dog named Maisey?  He's the one who told me his life story in 15 minutes the first time I met him?  Well--this is his place.  I can see his place from my back yard/shed.  He never, ever, opens his blinds!  I have walked down  his street and not a single window in his place ever has the blinds open.  How weird is that?  Who would want to live in all that dimness?

His kitchen is on the back of his house--and his house backs up to the wetland area.  Maybe he has those back windows open?  I can't very well walk back there to find out.  I don't think. :-)