Nailed---In More Ways Than One.

I used to bite my fingernails--they were always short with very little nail above my finger.  For some reason, and I don't know why, I quit about 10 years ago and now, my fingernails grow really fast and really long.  I always wanted long fingernails and at one time, wore the glue on kind.  Now--unheard of most of my life--I have to cut them back because when they get so long, they cause problems.  Like hitting the wrong key on the computer.

Tonight, I noticed that I no longer have any half-moons at the base of my nails!!!  The nails themselves are almost opaque!

I figured this was probably a sign that I had some rare and terminal disease so, I Googled the problem.

Fast-growing nails are an indication that you are well nourished, but no single food or diet promotes nail growth. You might have heard that fingernails continue to grow after people die. But that’s a myth.

Nails change over time. Just as skin tends to become drier with age, so do nails. They may become thicker, thinner or rougher, and they may develop fissures, striations and splits. Nails can also become discolored and dull and take on a yellow or gray hue or even become opaque. Meanwhile, the lunula— the white half moon seen at the base of nails—disappears in some people as they get older. Many, if not most, older people have at least one such age-related nail change.

I am now much relieved and think I can sleep tonight.
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I went to Wal-Mart this afternoon to FINALLY buy some food.  When I got home, I called Dear John to help me carry in the heavy stuff.  He came over with Maisey and proceeded to tote the heavy bags of Diet Pepsi, jugs of water and canned goods in the house for me.  

Then we sat out on the porch and yakked for awhile.  He said he had to get on home, as he needed to shower and meet a group from his church, "Dinner and a Movie" people.

It was funny to watch.  Dar came over to drop off a plant she had for me.  John asked what Meijer she worked in and what "line" she was cashier.

"I shop there all the time and I have never seen you."

"I'm there every day, all day," replied Dar.

"I usually go through the self check-out, down by the pharmacy."

"I never work that area," said Dar.  "Well, I gotta get going, I have a plant for Pearl too."

She stepped off the porch and headed up the street.

John says, "I gotta go too.  It's getting late. C'mon Maisey."

I have never seen that man move so fast!  Instead of turning for home, he walked on up the street, then stopped at the end of Pearl's drive and talked to her and Dar.  Of course, Dar was having none of him and walked right by him, with the plant and across the street to her house.

John turned and came back this way and around the corner to his home.  I was inside, watching all this.

I had to chuckle!!!  It seemed like he was on a quest to talk more to Dar.

Dar is as tall as I am, but very muscular and solid and quite mannish.

If Dear John tries to make friends with her--talk about getting nailed?  He's only 5'6"--by the time she got done berating him and telling him where to go--he'd end up with Maisey having to walk HIM home, with HIS tail dragging!!.

HAH!!!
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When John turned the corner and was out of sight, I took the plant over to Dar's to return it.  It is a house plant and very poisonous to cats.

She said, "Did I interrupt something?  Was John asking you out?"

"Nope.  He carried in my heavy groceries for me and we were just talking.  He might be interested in you though."

"Phbbt!  You know how I feel about men!  They disgust me!"

"Well, he's a real nice guy."

"Yeah...well.  He can plow the snow out of my drive if he wants too, but I don't like how he wants to stop and talk to everyone he sees when he's out walking. He could be a real pest!"

Poor John.

Where Are All The Normal People?

I woke up in a bad mood this morning.  How is that possible?  I didn't have any bad dreams.  I wasn't thinking or pondering anything upsetting when I went to bed.  I had a nice, quiet, restful sleep and didn't wake up until after 8:00, but woke up angry at the whole world!

So of course, I had to analyze it all to death until I had it figured out--because that is the kind of weird person I am.  Perhaps everything that went on the whole past week?  Lots of little annoyances, each day, that resided in my subconscious not dealt with and came out last night, while I slept?

Maybe it started Monday when the receptionist at the Chiropractor's office said, "You have quite a large balance here."  What?  Money owed?  Since March and you are just telling me now?  Two hundred and what?  Here's eighty dollars, I was saving it to buy my much needed glasses, but..........

Perhaps it was Wednesday when I wasn't invited to go with the daughter's/grand daughter's?  

Perhaps it was Thursday when I had to sit next to the loudest woman in our Old Gal Pals group, all during lunch and listen to her try and dominate the entire two hours and on two occasions, as she was telling stories, I knew she was lying because, I have known her since she was 3 years old and I remember the instances she was talking about and they never happened?

Maybe it was because on Monday, I had asked my sister if she was going to be home and she did not respond, so I took that as a "yes" and drove out there and she wasn't?

Maybe it was Saturday, when it was so cussed hot and muggy I could hardly bear it and Maisey and John stopped in for an hour long chat on the front porch...in that heat... and somewhere in the conversation he stated, "well, I'm not house bound like you are."  House bound?  He made it sound (to me) like he thought I was a shut-in!!

Of course, it could have been Dar's visit--right at supper time.  She came in, plopped in the rocking chair, lit a cigarette, "Whew, what a day," and for the next 30 minutes told me all the minute' details of her day at work and boasted about what a great union rep she is.

I was just about to excuse myself to make supper, there was a knock at the door and it was Dar's co-worker Sheila.  For another half hour, they discussed all the grievances they had received over the weekend.  Naming names of people, I of course have never heard of.  What the plan was, blah, blah, blah.

Of course, I was not included in their bull session.  Guests, in my home, who were using my living room as their own personal conference room.

At 7:00, I said, "Well, ladies...I haven't eaten yet and if you will excuse me, I am going to make myself some supper."  They finally got up and left.

Yeah--that might have been what ticked me off so I woke up mad this morning.

Or?

All of the above.
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I think I am more mad at myself...that I let these things bother me.  At my age, I should be able to let these things roll off my feathers...instead of ruffling my feathers.

I preach about forgiveness and then harbor judgments and anger for days.

Every time I go through a week like this...it all just reaffirms that I want to be a hermit.  I don't suffer fools very well lately.

Do You See What I See?

I took this photo yesterday, as a storm was coming in.

After I uploaded it and looked at it a second time, I could see an eye--complete with brow, lid, iris and pupil.

Can you see it?  Once you do, you can't NOT see it.

YOWSER!!!!!

The printing company, 1/2 mile up the road, has a comb machine and they would charge me between $2.50-$3.00 per book!  HAH!!!  I knew I could figure it out.  I do not know why I thought I had to use Staples for printing and binding!!  This place is owned by local people!

I went to the chiropractor this afternoon and stopped at Staples on the way home to pick up my print job.  They did an adequate job--my long pedigree pages, to insert in the book, are 11" on the side so they will fit in the book and 17" or 24".  I have two more pedigrees to do and will take them to the local print shop this time.  :-)


Yesterday, I met Bethie in Byron and rode with her up to Corunna for our Old Gal Pal's Lunch.  I found it humorous that we had been to this same restaurant years ago and it was awful.  But June, our gal in the group who knows EVERYTHING and sometimes is prone to lunch long dissertations and thinks all the rest of us are under-educated hicks, said that, "They have new owners now.  I'll make a reservation for us."    The restaurant has no parking lot for its patrons--we had to park in the bank's parking lot and hoped that we wouldn't get towed--June had promised we could park there.

Is it even legal for a restaurant to be in business with no parking lot for patrons?

The place is still filthy and the food mediocre.  I had a Coney Dog and had diarrhea all last night.
Anyway, Beth and I had a nice ride and a good time to chat.
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Then I went out to The Farm to visit my 'Lil Sis and they weren't home.  Actually they were at the dentist just up the road from where I live.  So, Pammie was home so I stopped in there for a bathroom break and a quick chat.  She was mowing her 4 acre lawn,, so it was quick so she could get back to her job.  She mows, not just the lawn like I did, but also now mows the un-used field west of the house and part of the field east of the house.  It looks beautiful, so lush and green.  She is doing a great job getting the old family farm back in decent condition.

I left her and stopped at the next door neighbor's to thank them for watching over Pammie and being such good neighbors.  I hadn't seen them since my Dad's funeral, 7 years ago.  Nice visit.

I didn't get home until nearly 6:00.  Then 'Lil Sis called and told me that Jennifer had visited her last weekend.  First visit to The Farm in about two years.  'Lil Sis has a much better way of laying guilt than I do, as the mother.  She did a great job.  Jen has always been special to my sister because she was born more mere months before my sister's first child, so the kids played together and Jen was at their house a lot.

They hugged and kissed and Jen cried, so it was a great visit.  I think perhaps now Jen realizes that her moving back here, 13 years ago, so she could be closer to family--should be the reason she now stays here!  We shall see.

I won't say anymore of their conversation, relayed to me by Susan, suffice it to say---I think at 43, my youngest daughter finally realizes all she has given up by having to have a mansion, that she has to work 18 hour days to maintain at the cost of missing out on her children's lives.

It takes some quite a while to come to that kind of knowledge.
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Pearl stopped over last evening.  The idiot woman (Tami) who lives in the trailer between Pearl and I is redoing her kitchen.  She had the last two days off, so there was much activity--at times.  At 12:05 last night, apparently it was decided then would be a good time to lay flooring, complete with loud air compressor running an equally loud nail hammer.  All this about 25 feet from my open bedroom window.  I just got to sleep and the air compressor and nail gun started in.  15 minutes later, it got quiet, I drifted off and then the racket started again, waking me up.  This went on until 2:00 am.

Tami had just complained Wednesday morning that, squirrels dropping green pine cones on her roof has disturbed her sleep and, "I have to work and I need my sleep!"  Which leads me to believe that her sleep is way more important than mine.  GR-RR!!

Pearl and I have been praying that Tami et al would move, but apparently, God has a different plan?  Oh, by the way, Tami and her new hubs are borderline Wiccans.   They were married on Halloween.  In a cemetery.
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John and I went out to supper tonight,  I had a gift card, so he drove and I paid.  We laughed so hard that people glanced over at us.  YIKES!!  He is funny, but you know, he reminds me of Dar.  He talks so much and repeats his stories ad nauseum.  AND, like Dar, if I manage to get a word in edge-ways, it's like he is waiting to jump in with a reply and isn't really listening to me.    Oh well, the meal was good anyway.  LOL

Paranoia Will Destroya

Pammie called me yesterday to see if I was going to be home.

"Yeah--what time are you stopping in?"

"Around two--two-thirty.  I'm going down to Karen's.  Jen is meeting us there."

"Okay--see ya.  Bye"
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Why are they getting together?
Why wasn't I invited?
The woman who gave them life, even when they made their early presence known at an inconvenient time.  A woman who didn't believe in abortion, or Pam and Jennifer wouldn't have existed!!

Getting together to make out a plan on where to put Mom?  Which nursing home would Mom's money pay for so they didn't have to chip in?

Getting together with Jennifer to talk over her problems?  Wouldn't want Mom around, even though she knows all our secrets.  Secrets that we don't even know about each other.

Going out to supper?  Wouldn't want Mom around.  We might order a beer or a glass of wine and she'd give us "that look"
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So Pam arrived at 2:45, explaining that she was trying to quickly finish a book Karen had given her and, "So sorry I'm late.  I have to hurry."

"So...you're going to Karen's.  And Jennifer is joining you?"

"Yeah.  Eric and all the kids are in New Jersey, so Jen has a chance to get with us."

"Oh.  I thought maybe you were all getting together to plan which nursing home you want to put me in."

"Nope.  That's next week."
<she has her mother's sarcastic wit>

"Going to a movie together?  Supper?"

"Nope.  We are going down to the Ann Arbor Art Fair.  We haven't been in fifteen years.  That was the last time all of us got to go together."

"Oh!  That's wonderful!!!  I love it when you three get a chance to be together and do something fun!"

"Yeah.  Do you want us to get you anything from there?"

"Oh Sweetheart.  How nice of you to ask.  Nope.  I don't need anything."
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Okay--I gotta get going.  I wanted to drop off this crochet pattern to you.  I don't ever crochet baby things and I know you do."

"Thanks Honey.  How is everything going with Jen and Eric and the move?"

"I don't really know.  I try and stay out of all of it.  I'm just there for the kids."

"Do they really want to move?  I don't think Jennifer wants to."

"I don't think Eric does either and probably, this week working with his father will just reinforce that knowledge."

"Why don't they just stay here, Jennifer has wonderful opportunities, they can sell and get a smaller place--like Karen's.  It would be plenty big enough and cost about half as much to buy and maintain."

"I know Mom.  Jennifer just doesn't want to work so many hours.  Eric is perfectly capable of finding other work in Lansing, or Detroit.  He just keeps putting it off and keeping his whole family in limbo."

"Hm-mm.  That's not good."

"Nope.  He just keeps dinking around the yard or the house and there really isn't any more to do.  If it rains, he just sits inside and watches TV. Jennifer works to support all of them!"

"Geez."

"Eric needs to get off his ass and go out and find a job!"

<I love how Pammie is so bluntly honest!!>

"Okay Sweetheart.  See ya later."

"Sorry I couldn't stay and talk more.  I love you, Momma.  Bye."
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I saw this photo posted later on Face Book and I must admit, I felt a bit hurt that I was not asked to join them.  EVEN THOUGH I KNOW, I could not have walked as far or as much as they did at the art fair.  Still.....................

The Book

Click on the photos to see better

The tree on the cover of my family story book stands just west of the house where my sister now lives.  We always called it the Walts Family Tree.  A giant Oak--the oldest in the township, over 250 years old.  I found the saying under it on-line and I thought it was perfect.  Thankfully, we have many pictures of this fine tree because an ice storm in 2013, took half of it down and a high wind storm in 2014 took down the rest.  It was a sad for all of us, to see that tree gone.

 My introduction page

 Starting out with the oldest ancestor on my Father's side of the family and a map from where they lived..

The county they settled in New York--plus on the right, their names and their children with our direct ancestor designated by a *

A township  map showing their farms

Pictures and the story of the ones who moved to Michigan and bought the farm where Susan now lives.

and of course photos of then and now--

 Of course, I traced back the women in my family and that is how I found out we are related to Thorton Wilder and Almonzo Wilder (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

 and I made notations in italics--like these---

and to write about what was happening in the world at times in our lives

 and things that happened on the farm

and of course, headstones--just in case, 75 years from now, some great, great grandchild wants to go visit.

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I wanted to do this because, even though Susan remembers our great grandmother, she was 4 when Sophia died.  I am the last remaining descendant to remember the "elders" and the stories they told me about their younger lives. To remember out parents when they were young and hear the stories my Mother told me of their dating and early married years.

 I wanted my kids and grand kids to have those family stories and not just the factual dates; of birth, death and where they settled.

Now--if I can just live long enough to get this put together and give it at Christmas--I will have accomplished what I intended.

What Day Is It?

Who am I?  Where am I?

How could I forget Monday?

It was a pretty quiet morning.  Then I went to the Chirocracker's--got a massage and the tapper up and down my spine and shoulder and walked out feeling great.

Oh yes--I remember now.  I stopped at Staples to get some more special paper for my family tree/story book I am giving to my kids for Christmas.  The first box I bought in March, was $20.00 for 150 sheets.  Must have been a half-price sale back then because yesterday, it was $39.95 for the same.

YIKES!!!

I wanted this to look like a book--or a magazine.  I don't want to use a 3-ring binder.  I want it to look more like a book.  With sort of shiny paper--the kind used for brochures.

I thought these binders would work.  Holds 200 pages.  I have about 100-front and back

 After I printed out my test copy, it was easy to use a two-hole punch and put it all together.  You gotta start with the back pages first.

I thought it looked nice

But--way way into the book, the pages won't lay flat and when I forced them, the metal tabs that hold the pages together, started to twist and deform.

The paper is wonderful.  The print quality, even with an inkjet, is super.  I can print on both sides and it doesn't bleed through.  

So, I need one of these machines: Comb Binding

So I can punch those rectangular holes along the side to make a book like this with a spiral 

only a clear cover, so it will open and lay flat like this.

Then, I could use that machine to make my How To book and another one I want to make of all the children's stories I wrote, which were on my website, which is now closed.

By the time I get done with my family book, it probably is going to cost me $100.00 a book!!  Which I could have paid to have it printed and bound by a professional company, HOWEVER--I have looong (17-24") family pedigree sheets that I figured out to make in Excel and need to go into the book, hooked in the book at different places and be able to unfold them. lengthwise to see them.

Yesterday, I took those pedigree sheets that I had printed, cut and pasted together to Staples to have them enlarge or downsize to a WIDTH of 11 inches to fit along the spine of the book, and whatever length needed to get all the names and dates onto.

$2.00 a copy and I want 7.  One for each book (4), one for my sister, her son and myself.  I have four sheets to print out.  What is 4 x 7?  $28.00.  What is $28.00 x $2.00?  $56.00  YIKES!!

 GOOD GRIEF!!

So I thought and thought and tried to figure out.  I don't need to print and put them together until late November, so I have time to get the money and buy a box of paper once a month and the folders and the machine and the plastic spirals used for the spine.

At least I have the book all finished and it turned out WUNDERBAR!!!

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

But today, this Precious Girl showed up and spent 3 hours here and I didn't even think about the book.

We had a great talk and yes, we talked about Luis Fillipe and I told her about Richard Spencer Dunham and about aunt Jennifer's Miguel, in Spain, and how these, away from home for the first time, summer romances can be so wonderful, but sometimes, don't turn into lifelong relationships and she is a leveled headed girl and already knows all that, but........."Gramma, I wasn't looking, really.  I was there on a mission for God and I didn't want to meet any boys, but...he is so nice and sweet and he writes songs and plays his guitar so beautifully in church and his voice is so mellow, and smooth, 

and ......................................"

Oh to be young........

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This child loves me no matter what:

"I've missed Gramma's house!"

"I love you so much, Gramma."

"I love the way you have decorated your house."

"You've always been so wonderful to me."

"You always understand everything."

on and on................

My heart is filled up to the brim and overflowing!  

I am to my grandchildren, like my grandma was to me.  I don't discipline.  I never give advice, unless they ask.  I take their side always, no matter what.  I am their biggest advocate and they know how much I adore them and think they are the bestest people I have ever known!!

I admit, it is easier when they are nice, polite, level headed kids and none have ever been in trouble (yet).  If they ever DO get into trouble, I will still be their advocate--no matter what!