Again

I have said this before, but it needs to be said again.

It never ceases to amaze me how the blogosphere is such a close knit group.  I always get so much support and comfort from you ladies.  More than from friends I see everyday.  Weird, isn't it.  Thank you again!!
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Jackie (nice woman) who lives across the street had knee replacement surgery Monday.  She came home yesterday afternoon!!!  She lives alone, but her grand girl is staying with her.  She decided not to go to rehab.  I visited her for a bit this morning.  

She can't control the pain.  Her pain meds scare her so she won't take them.  She can barely walk to the bathroom.  NOW--if she were in rehab, they would monitor her, help her to the bathroom, check on her every hour, bring her food, on and on.  She is 78 years old.  

I was awake early this morning--garbage truck roar woke me at 7:20.  Got up, fed the kids, staggered in here and saw Darlene walk over to Jackies.  Nice of her to check on Jackie.  Darlene was smoking, she stood on the driveway for awhile, then bent down to snub out her cigarette, walked over to one of Jackie's plant containers, and buried her cigarette butt in the pot.

Is this woman entirely clueless to the fact that this fall, when Jackie cleans up her annuals, and cleans out the dirt in the pot, she will find that cigarette butt?  Is there enough nicotine in that butt to kill the roots on the pretty tangerine Tuberose Begonia that blooms so prettily in that pot?

When Dar goes for a walk, she always smokes and when done with her ciggie, she just throws the butt down on the street.  In front of someones driveway?  So what!

She used to smoke on her way over here and I'd watch at she threw the butt on my lawn.  The first time I saw that, I asked her not to do that again.  

"What am I supposed to do with the butt?"

"Drag is on the cement to get the ash and residue off.  You have only the filter left.  Roll it and put it into your pocket until you get home and throw it away!"

The last time I went to supper with her, the second we came out of the restaurant, she lit up.  She wanted to take a walk down the sidewalk to look into some store windows.  She just casually walked along, expelling her smoke as she strolled, whether other people were next to her or not.  I didn't even want to be seen with her!!!!!!!  When she was done, she flipped the butt out onto the parking lot.

Of course, I did tell you about the time I had to take her to the ER and on the way out, me pushing her in a wheel chair, she lit up while we were still in the lobby!!!  I said, "You can't smoke in here!"

"Well, hurry up and get me outside."
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Ya know what?  The more I am around that woman, the more I dislike her!  She is becoming even more bossy, boastful, and pushy since she got her Union Rep job where she works!

The other day, I was over to her yard, talking to Pat her SIL, whom I adore, about the garden she was working on.  Dar kept butting in to tell Pat things like, "Oh Judy doesn't like to do that."  "Judy is the kind of person who wouldn't....."   "Judy feels like..........".

I so wanted to say, "Look, I am not a five year old that you have to tell Pat how I think, act or feel!  You don't know me as well as you think!"

But of course I didn't, but I saw Pat roll her eyes, when Dar was distracted and not looking.  She does it when I am present around her and another friend of hers--she has two.  I think I just might say that next time, because the temperament and mood I am in these days, I just do not suffer fools very well!
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I worked on this bulletin board/collage picture thingie I have in this room.  I have put it back together about 4 times in the last 12 years.  After awhile, the photos fall out.  This time, I put a tiny drop of Elmer's glue behind each one.  Maybe they will stay in place longer?

Today it was so nice and cool with low humidity--until about 1:00.  I dead-headed the annuals, and checked on the perennials, washed out my garbage can and sat on my porch for awhile.

Maisey stopped by this morning, for a pet and a treat.  John was with her, but he didn't get a pet or a treat.  We had a nice chat however, while Maisey nosed the screen on the front door and Maggie The Cat nosed the other side.  I was amazed Maggie didn't run away.

I was trying to be nice, so I asked John where I could buy a new garbage can with wheels.  (As if I didn't know!)  He told me he bought his at Lowes, it is square, with wheels, and a handle, with a locking lid    "I think I paid around twenty bucks for it."

"Okay.  Thanks.  I love Lowes.  I will check there."

He SOOOOOOOO needs to feel needed and useful---maybe I made his day?  I should have given him a $20 and asked if he'd run up to Lowe's and get me one.  I know he would have--he is so easy to take advantage of.  However, my independent self would not allow that! LOL

Wednesday

It IS Wednesday.

While most of you know that, with no sleep Monday night and in an emotional and mental fog yesterday...I don't even remember going to bed. When I woke up this morning, the first thing I saw was my "day reminder" hanging on the bedroom closet door.

Thankfully, John called and said, "Remember to get your garbage out tonight.  The guys are coming at seven in the morning now.  I don't want to see you out there, still in your nightie, dragging your garbage pail down the street, trying to catch up with the garbage truck!"

"Oh.  Is it Wednesday?"

"Yes.  Are you feeling better today?"

"Yes.  Thanks for reminding me.  See ya."

"Oh wait--remember not to use the water today.  They are flushing out the wells and the water pipes.  All you'll get is rusty water."

"Yes.  Thanks.  I DID remember that."  HAH

I went into the bedroom and flipped the card over to Wednesday.  It IS Wednesday.
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Look at this.  My best Buddy.  He's looking out the east window--keeping an eye on the Wiccans' next door.  Ever vigilant.

He came and stood by my chair and meowed, it sounded like, Mom?"

When I stood up, he trotted over to his food area and sat down by the water bowl and meowed again.

I walked over and looked down, the water bowl was completely dry.  I must have forgotten to fill it last night before I went to bed AND this morning when I fed them.  GEEZ!!!

Not wanting to give either one of my kids water from the tap, I filled the bowl with bottled water.

See how he drinks from the opposite side of the bowl?  Apparently he doesn't want to get his nose wet, so he laps from the other side and gets his chin wet.  He must have drank for 15 minutes.

Then he jumped up on the couch and took a nap in the sun.

All these years of having pets, I didn't know it was possible to love an animal so much!
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This was posted on Face Book this morning.

"August 8.  Can't wait.  I'm going!"

In Detroit.

At least they have the decency not to have this peculiar event on a Sunday.

This statue was recently shown in Detroit also.  

"The Satanic Temple of Detroit revealed a new, 9-ft.-tall statue of Baphomet at a ticketed event shortly before midnight on July 25. Hundreds of supporters turned out for the show and cheered and chanted "Hail Satan" when the statue was unveiled. 

About 100 protesters showed up Saturday afternoon to challenge the statue, claiming it was "disrespectful" to other religions. Jex Blackmore, the director of the Satanic Temple of Detroit,described the Temple as "non-theistic" to WJBK-TV and said the participants do not celebrate "the Judeo-Christian representation of Satan." 

The group originally planned to display the monument on the Oklahoma State Capitol grounds next to a monument of the Ten Commandments, as an objection to the placing of a religious monument on government property. Blackmore said Saturday the statue would be transported to Arkansas next – earlier this year, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill authorizing a Ten Commandments monument near the state Capitol."
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Living next door to these people is a real test of my belief in "religious freedom." 

It's Complicated

Bad day--heavy, really heavy, bad stuff going on that I can't write about.  Oh--I'd like too, but it is a confidential thing.  Someday, I will be able to lay it out here.

I went down to Pearl's to talk with her about it and fixed her computer while I was there.  I knew how Pearl would react.  Just listen and NOT give advice or try and fix it--just what I needed.

Later, up to Wal-Mart to get some cat food, as they were completely out and they kept looking at me like they might attack and take out a bite of meat.

When I got home, I couldn't take a chance on Dear Dar bothering me, so I put a sign on my door, "No Company, Please", and I took a nap.

John and Maisey stopped in for a Porch Chat for an hour.  It was nice until the skitters tried to carry us away.

Fire Flies drive Maisey crazy.   She's scared of them.

The bad/heavy stuff hasn't/won't go away for a long time, but I feel better tonight.

It is all in God's hands!

Oh oh!

My Wiccan neighbor's are in trouble now!!

Their friends were over Saturday evening and started working on installing the laminate flooring at midnight.  I still don't know why they can't work on the flooring in the afternoon, but I guess they have to wait until after dark and the "witching" hour.  (Witching--get it?)

It was hot last night, so I had my windows closed up when I went to bed.  I also put the blinds down because their bright work light was hanging in their kitchen window--which shines into my bedroom window.  I turned my back on the window and went to sleep.

BUT---

At 3:00 am, their friends were leaving.  They were talking and laughing loudly and proceeded to slam the doors on the back of their work van.  I did not wake up...BUT, it woke up and scared Dar, her brother and sister-in-law.  They thought the loud noises were gun shots!!

Dar is going up to the office and reporting Tamara and Ron.  Two weeks ago, when they kept me awake for two hours, I mentioned it to my friend who works for the park.  He said, "In the Park Rules it states "quiet time" from 11:00 pm until 7:00 am.  Do you want to report them?"

I declined, love they neighbor and all that, but Dar is going to get them now.  You all know when Dar gets it in her mind to do something---well she was waiting at the door when the office opened at 9:00 this morning.

She came back around 10:00 and came over.

"I have just gone to the office and ranted.  Tami is going to get a warning today, but I have to write and sign a letter of complaint.  It goes into their file.  Can  you write up and type it for me?"

"Ah-hh, can't you type?"

"I don't have time.  Terry, Pat and I are just about to leave.  You know how to type these kinds of things.  You say it much better than I ever could."

"Nah.  I don't want to."

"Why not!!!?  

"Because, I am not the one filing the complaint.  It is not my story to tell...it's yours."

"But you heard the noises too.  Last weekend and now this weekend."
<manipulation>

"Yes....but I am not filing a complaint.  You are.  It's up to you to write up exactly what happened."

"But...I don't have time.  I have to have the complaint written, signed and in the office tomorrow morning.  We are going to see Terry and Pat's new house and we won't be back until this evening."

I just smiled and shook my head.

"Okay, I guess I can write it up myself.  It should be typed though."

"Have Terry or Pat type it.  They know how to use the computer."

She kind of huffed out the door.
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Noon:  Pearl just called.  Dar was over to their house yesterday after work and asked them if they had heard the noise Sunday morning.  Pearl said, yes they had.  Dar said she was filing a complaint and wanted to know if they wanted to sign also.

Pearl told her, "No. They're putting in a new floor and when they get done, the noise will stop."

The problem Pearl and I have now, is that when Tami gets the notice, she is going to think it came from Pearl or I.  She would never think about it being Dar.  Neither one of us wants Tami, who lives between us, to be mad at us!  

Conundrum!!

My Neighbor

This is what she posted on Face Book this morning.

Tamara Hoole

10 hrs · Brighton, MI · Edited · 

I am a hard worker, honest, genuine, loving, giving, peaceful, and WICCAN. If you are my friend, you will love and accept me for who I am. I don't believe in hurting, sabotage, condemning, judging, stealing, or satanic worship. I am NOT an evil person. I believe in a Goddess as well as a God. I don't want to hear any crap that I am going to hell, ect.. I don't force my belief upon anyone and don't like it when they try to force their belief on me. I accept you for who you are and ask the same.

Her profile picture

 

They were married on Halloween, in the local cemetery.

This is their wedding photo

She once was a nice Catholic girl.  Then, for a time, she studied Jewish teachings.  Then, for a time, she attended the Seventh Day Adventist Church and was trying to convince me that they were the true religion.  Then, for a time, they attended the Non-Denominational Mega church up the road.

When she met her husband Ron, she decided to study Wicca and become a Wiccan, as he was already into white witch-craft and is a magician.

As I ponder on living next door to these two people, who work nights--on purpose--because they worship the dark of night, the ones who worked on their floor and kept their neighbor's awake all night.  Now, she is wanting the park to cut down her pine tree.  She traps and kills chipmunks and squirrels, BUT the practice of Wicca believes that ALL living things have a spirit.  The entire environment has a spirit. 

So--wouldn't cutting down her pine tree and killing small animals be a form of murder?  How can she justify these actions?

Wiccan's are quite Liberal, believing in abortion, gay rights, same sex marriage, get your kicks in whatever you want to do, yet SHE does not believe in any of these things.

I'm quite confused.

Does anyone know where I can buy a bushel of Garlic?

Wild Thing

NO--not me.  Oh for goodness sake--not me.  I never was a wild thing, although, it might be fun to try?

No--I'm referring to my wild Weigela.  I didn't trim it back last summer, so it was in need.

Last June 2014

John saw me working outside and came back in a few minutes with all these yard waste bags for me!

Piles of branches

Whack job!!




I don't do well in the heat and  humidity--both of which we had today--so when it got too "dizzying", I turned on the garden hose sprinkler head to "Shower", pointed it skyward and stood under the lovely cool water.   Kind of like this.

I watered all my porch containers and washed off the porch.
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I really like Dar's sister-in-law, Pat.  She is the one I did her genealogy search and made up a Family Book for.  She and I have been having a good time, as she has been taming/reorganizing/beautifying Dar's gardens.  Dar is not a gardener.  Dar could care less about what is in her garden.  Dar doesn't KNOW what is in her garden.

Her brother Terry and Pat (the ones who moved to AZ on May 13th and moved back here on June 1st), have been staying with Dar while they are house hunting.  Pat loves to garden and has made some really nice improvements.

"What's going to happen next spring?  If you aren't here to plant all these beautiful annuals?"

"Not my problem.  I'm doing it now and it will be up her to keep it up."

"Why don't you and Terry just stay here and live here.  I'd love it if you did."

"Nah.  You'd get tired of me after a while."

"I don't think so!  I think we'd have a good time, yakking and gardening and sharing plants."

"Yes...I think we would," she said.
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I woke up at 7:00 this morning.  The sunlight was streaming in my bedroom window and it looked like a glorious day.  I felt very content and smiled.  Rolled over, peeked at the clock, the cats moved a bit and settled back down.  I sighed, closed my eyes, and we slept until 9:00.  I live such a wonderful life!!

This one likes to do this for an hour at a time.  Maggie loves watching the activity going on in the outside world.  If a Chipmunk comes onto the porch, she watches and if it jumps off the porch (to the right in this pix), she runs over to the front window and watches him pick up bird seed on the ground, then as the Chipmunk runs to the back porch, she runs over to the kitchen window to follow him along.

This one sits here and watches me whenever I am on the computer.  I love how he tucks in his front paws.  He is my best Buddy.

John called this morning.  "Hi J.J.  You up and dressed yet?"

"Yeah.  Why?"

"We are out in front and Maisey is at the bottom step on your porch."

"Okay--I'll be right out."

The minute I stepped out the door, Maisey came hopping up the steps.  John and I yakked, while I fed Maisey dog food.  She won't eat dry dog food at home, but she will eat it if we take it out of a baggie and give to her one piece at a time.  She thinks it's a treat.  LOL

We talked about many things for about 45 minutes.  He had to get back home to fix lunch for the older, shut-in couple that he feeds every Friday.  I stood up to go into the house and he said,  "See ya later, Legs."

I said, "Okay.  Later, Stumpy."
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Grouchy

I'm not really grouchy, 

I just don't like traffic, waiting, crowds, loud music, unruly kids, yappy dogs,  noisy neighbors, Robo-calls, Depends commercials, politicians and a few other things I can't seem to remember right now. 
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Yesterday--got up early and by 8:30, I was outside, washing out the cat litter box.  The big one I have.  Back was hurting by the time that was done.

Back inside and decided as long as the litter box was empty, I would vacuum this room, which led to taking down and washing the curtains, dusting all the shelves, picking up and throwing away stuff, going out to the shed to get a plastic storage box to put a ton of cross stitched pictures in.  Said pictures were hanging on my wall with those 3-M hookie things, which came un-stuck and pictures fell to the floor and the glass broke in one of them.  BE DAMNED!!!  they all went into the storage box!

Chiropractor--I had him work on my STILL painful neck, shoulder and shoulder blade.  I didn't even tell him my lower back was hurting--that will get better with rest.

Merle and Pearl INVITED me out to supper at Applebees.  "Okay, but if you treat, I will pay the tip."  Okay.  I knew just what I would order.  Yum.

They picked me up at 5:00 and we drove right by Applebees to a new restaurant.  The minute we walked in, I knew this wasn't going to be a good experience.

The very cheapest thing on the menu was an appetizer--Nachos--$10.00 and they weren't all that great.

I got a BLT--$12.00 and it was made on toasted rye bread and tasted sort of funny.  Pearl, who is on a diet, ordered a "fully loaded baked potato", a large Greek salad and "just a small dish of ice cream...with chocolate sauce."  Merle, who ate most of the Nachos, ordered a Chef's salad and a beer.

Total cost?  $37.50.  Total tip:  $10.00, the last of the money in my wallet.

Next?  A trip up to the cemetery where their family is buried and they will be buried.  Good thing they are going to be cremated because a casket would not fit in between their headstone and the road!!!  and, on a severe slant.

Then Pearl wanted to find her Dad's grave.  She knew right where it was. We drove up and down lanes.  Around and Around.  

"Merle, it's over by the pond, by that funny looking tree."

We stopped, she looked out the window.  No tree, but she said, "I know, it's right over there."  So I exited the car, which was difficult, (20 year old car, no padding in the back seat, low to the ground,) and limped over to find Dear Dead Dad.  The flat marker is below ground level now, but I did find him and the step-mother.

I stood and waved so she would know right where the marker was.  "Seventh grave in this row," I told her.

When I crawled back into the back seat, I mentioned, "You need to call the cemetery sexton and get that marker raised.  It needs a new cement slab under it.  If you leave it like that, in a couple of years, it will be covered by dirt and grass and you won't even be able to see the names."

"How much would that cost?"

"Probably a hundred dollars."

"Well, I'm not going to spend that kind of money on him!  I didn't really like him all THAT much!"

....but we had just spent half an hour trying to find his grave?  WHATEVER!
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 Two years ago, our garbage men came at 7:00 am every Thursday morning.  We put our garbage out the night before.   This past two years, they started coming around 2:00 in the p.m.  Some still put their garbage out at night, and some of us put ours out in the morning.

This morning, at 7:30, I heard the garbage truck.  I leaped out of bed, jumped into my clothes and hauled out my full and heavy garbage can.  The garbage truck was at the opposite end of the street, but no problem.  They make a pass down the street and pick up on the south side, then they come back around and pick up on the north side--my side.

I heard them coming around the block, but apparently TODAY, they had picked up BOTH sides of my street at the same time, so when they came up the street again, they drove right passed my OVER LOADED can and kept on going!

I had to haul the sucker back up behind the porch.  What am I going to put next weeks garbage in?  My pail is full to the top!

Oh--what the hell.  I need a new pail anyway!    

So, next WEDNESDAY NIGHT, I will haul out TWO pails.  I will have to put a note on the handle of the overloaded OLD pail that says, "Please take pail too".
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No--I'm not a bitch bit grouchy today!!!