Spring Is In The Air--Tra La Tra La

One of my blog buddies, Teresa, is going to send up some nice warm air from where she lives in Chicago.  We get Chicago's weather a day later, so.......thanks in advance, Teresa.  LOL

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I wasted an entire weekend.  Well--not exactly wasted, but---I had such a back ache I could hardly walk.  I put my TENS pads on my back Saturday morning, plugged them into the device and had the pulsating-electric current going into the painful areas, off and on, most of the day.

That night, I took a Percocet that the doc gave me and slept really well.  However, the Percocet (oxycodone)  made me groggy and dizzy all day yesterday.  So I wasted Sunday.

Spent both days sitting in my recliner watching basketball games and crocheting.  Which in the long run, isn't good for my back or legs.

I need to walk, but considering I couldn't walk--------

ARGGH!  It is a Catch 22 situation.  I haven't had very bad back issues since I got my last hip replacement, so I was surprised.

I did watch a good (to me) movie On Demand, and it only cost me $2.99.  Blythe Danner and Sam Elliott in "I'll See You In My Dreams".  Movie for old, widowed or alone people.  Parts of it reminded me of me---and Fred.

John and Maizey stopped in both days, which was nice, but also tiring.

I couldn't believe that Maggie The Cat came out of hiding to visit with Maizey.  She even laid down in a submissive pose.  I told John to hang on tight to Maizey's lease because if she had run over to Maggie, my cat would have scratched and bit the poor doggie.

I watched the last Downton Abbey episode.  It was wonderful, but oh, I do feel sad that the Series is over.  I have each of the 6 DVD's so I can watch is all again, but..........I did look forward to Sunday nights and the viewing.  Sigh.

I enjoyed watching these animals coming in to their feeder.

Fox Squirrel

 Gray Squirrel

This afternoon I got in to see the Chiropractor.
"Whadja do now?" he asked.


"Something new for you to work on Doc.  My back."
"Your back?  You haven't had trouble with your back for years."

"I know.  I was protecting my left shoulder, so I think I lifted something too heavy with my right hand and...."

"Face down on the table, please."

and he used the tapper on my right lower back and then up on my right shoulder and then I got the big MS (muscle stimulator) pads on my lower back and walked out of there a new woman.

Of course, it isn't fixed yet--I go back Friday, but it sure feels a lot better.

Dar stopped in tonight, just as I was getting my supper ready.  She was all ablaze with anger and had just blown up at her son and his kids.   She asked her grand daughter to clean the bathroom they use and she found out her son had done it instead.

As we talked, she calmed down a little bit and I found out that the Dad had cleaned the bathroom because the grand daughter didn't know how.

"How can a girl be fourteen and not know how to clean a bathroom?"  Dar asked.

"Because she never has before and doesn't know how to do it.  Why don't you teach her---in a nice way?"

"She doesn't know to make a bed either!"

Poor Dar.  These kids have basically not learned how to do anything because they lived in a shack or trailer and slept in sleeping bags with an outside privy.  Dar just can't get that through her head.

"You have to be very specific with things you want them to do.  Write it out for them."

When Dar says, "Empty the trash and take the trash can to the curb."  Her grandson empties the kitchen garbage pail, puts it in the trash can and takes it out to the curb.  He doesn't realize there is more than one waste basket in the house and he needs to empty them all, and put in new bags.  Last week he took out 1 trash can, they have 2, but he didn't realize he had to take out 2 because Dar said, "Empty the trash and take the trash can to the curb."

He did just exactly what she had requested.  She will have to say, "Empty all the waste baskets in each room, into the garbage bag.  Put new bags in the waste baskets.  Take the full bag AND the bag from the kitchen and put them in the outside trash canS and take both cans to the curb."

Yes--it would drive me nutz too.  But these kids have the training of 5 year olds, so they need to be taught.

They have had no schooling or socialization and living in the conditions they did, they didn't have trash pick-up, nor bedding to launder and re-make the bed.  They don't know they are suppose to shower and change their clothes more than once a week.

A sad situation made even more difficult by a demanding, critical grandma.
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I raised the lower part of the glass storm door up about 7 inches so the nice warm clean 62 degree air could come in and air out this house!  Warmer tomorrow.  

YAY!!!

Truths...Half-Truths....and, Who Knows?

I am miffed.  Mystified.  Hearing half-truths, or.........who knows?

No...It's not from politicians, but it sure is a lot like them.  Saying one thing one day and something quite different the next.

It's Jennifer!

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13 years ago, Eric, Jennifer and baby Andrew moved from Salem, MA to here.  They wanted to be closer to Jen's family, especially Karen, to get away from the influence of Eric's family and have the influence of Karen and Mark's family.  She insisted I move here so I could be "really involved in the kids lives."

When they found the lot they wanted, we all chipped in, tearing out scrub bushes, moving dirt around, designing flower beds and planting flower and bulbs.  They build a home that Eric had designed when he was 19--his dream home.

I baby sat a lot while they got started on their careers.  When those careers became more time consuming, they hired Pammie to take care of the kids--at their home.

Four years later, Eric's father wanted them to move to New Jersey so that Eric could take over the family business.  Eric went out there for a month, returned back here because he found he could not work with his domineering father.

Three years later, he decided to try again.  Father was wanting to retire and promised Eric all sorts of good stuff.  They had the moving van coming on a Friday to pack up what they needed to move.  Fred and I went over on Thursday night to wish them good luck and goodbye.  The next morning, they changed their minds.  Eric knew he couldn't work with his father.

The decision a year ago was: they were going to move to New Jersey where Eric would take on more of his father's Orthotics and Prosthetics business.  His father has a huge business with several contracts with hospitals in Manhattan and New Jersey.  Eric was going to take over one of those offices, and eventually the whole business.  His father is 75 and wants to retire.

Jennifer has basically supported her family for the last 13 years.  Eric's job paid well, but not like Jennifer's.  They had added on to and renovated the huge house they had and now, it was just like they wanted it.  Perfect....and became more than they could afford to keep maintained.

Jennifer was going to quit working and become more involved in her kids lives.  Which sounded odd to me from the get-go, as the three oldest are in school all day and the little boy goes to nursery school three days a week, so what is the point of being a stay-at-home Mom?  Stay at home when the kids are little.  NOW would be the time for Mom to go to work outside the home, but.........whatever.

Eric quit his job in August.  It was his goal to finish up all the little things that needed doing in the house/yard and put the house on the market, which they did.

They sold the house on December 10th, for the $1.5M asking price and had to be out by the 21st.  They rented 4 large storage units in New Jersey and moved the week of Christmas--New Year.  They rented a house, got the paper work started on buying land and building another house.

They are going to live in Union Township.  I have no clue where that is, but the way Jen described it, I guess it's a pretty high class community.

Eric is in New Jersey, with the kids, his sister helping with them.  The kids do not like their Aunt and neither does Jennifer...neither does Eric!

Meanwhile, Jennifer is commuting from New Jersey to Michigan to continue her law work!!  She stays with Karen while she is in Michigan.

Eric still is not working!  I don't know what he is doing, but he hasn't started working for his father.

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My sister, Pam, Karen and I think the whole arrangement is nonsense!  Jennifer is like the "man of the house", flying off and traveling for her job.  I guess Eric is like the wife?  Making arrangements for the new home and caring for the kids?

In our opinion, it is a terrible life they have made for their children.  The oldest, Andrew will graduate high school in three years.  Elise in 5 years.  Do we think their family will be settled and "normal" by then?

NO!

They are living their lives at "warp speed"!  Communicating via texts and phone calls.  Is that any way to stay involved with their children?

Jennifer is stressed to the max, all the time.  When she talks, she talks at the speed of sound.  She was born with an "A" personality.  I probably didn't help when I kept reinforcing the premise that "you can be anything you want!"--she was born at the beginning of the Woman's movement.  I haven't seen her relaxed since she was 12!!

Anorexic at age 14, bulimic at 16, binge eating at 30.

I worry about her.  I worry about the kids.  I worry about their marriage.  I worry about them living on the East coast within easy reach of the terrorists/nukes/bombs!

Sure, they will be millionaires four times over, but...at what cost?

The whole thing just makes me physically sick!!

Pilot Lights~Plowing~Politics

We only got 6" of snow, but it had the freezing rain under it, so a bit of difficulty walking today.

John came and cleared out half my driveway.  I don't know why only half, but.............

I was feeling a bit achy so decided to jump in the shower for a nice, long soak.  The water pipes are cold this time of year, so it takes a while for the warm water to reach the shower.

It takes a while.  Not five minutes!!!  DAMN!  No hot water.  Again!  3 times in two months.

I put my jammies back on and stomped into the computer room to call the Service Plan company I have through my electric supplier.

"We can have a service man there before noon," she said.  "He will call you first.  He is with CT Heating and Cooling."

"Would that be Mike?"

"Yes."

"Great.  I had him last time."

Back into my bedroom to pull all the clothes and stuff on the floor out of the closet, and take off the fireproof door that encloses the water heater.  This is the hardest part of the whole job!

Big Mike arrived at 12:05.

"Wasn't I just here two weeks ago?"

"Yep.  Same problem.  Pilot light went out.  Blew out from the wind we had yesterday or....something."

"Well, I'm gonna get it fixed this time!"

He went back outside and checked up on the roof to make sure the vent pipe was correct.  Then he came back in (tracking snow all over) and checked above the water heater to make sure the vent pipe was correct.  Then he laid down on the closet floor (barely room for him), got a brush, cleaned out the burner and lit it.

"Hm-mm," he said.  "Didn't you tell me you had a new thermal-couple put in last year?"

"Yes.  Last April."

"Well, I'm going to check it anyway."

When he got it out he handed it to me.  "Can you see what's wrong?"

"It looks like one of the tiny wires is broken."

"Yep.  Whoever put it in, crimped it and bent the copper tube with the wires inside, which broke off one of the wires.  Every time your house moved, with settling or a real windy day, that wire shorted out and stopped the gas from the pilot light."

I waited 30 minutes after he left and had a nice hot shower!  Age and experience is so important in service men.  Rather than just get the job done quickly, they get the job done right the first time.
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I had to walk up to Pearl's and buy a can of wet cat food from her.  My cats had none for their supper and I had no money to go buy any.

I spent the rest of the day, cleaning up the house, and watching my team's basketball game in the evening.

"Everyone" is saying the Michigan State Spartans are going to win it all this year.  I've heard that before so I am not getting too excited as yet.  But--this kid is something else.  This is what he did last night, when we trounced Rutgers.

John and Maizey stopped in at 10:00!  I was nearly ready to go to sleep!!!
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My Social Security hit my checking account this morning, so I wrote the rent check, which went up this month, and at 2:00, am off to Wal-Mart to buy a whole bunch of stuff I need.  I can't really figure out what kind of food to buy, but I will be well stocked with bathroom tissue, Kleenex, paper towels, water and Diet Pepsi!  I will call John and have him tote everything in from car trunk to kitchen.  HAH!
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I am so distressed by all the political mess going on that I can hardly sleep at night.  These "people" are tearing my Grand Old Party to pieces!  It reminds me of 1964 when "they" were trying to keep the nomination away from Goldwater.  I didn't like him any more than I like Trump, so on election day, I left the top of the ballot empty and just voted for the rest of the Republicans.

Appears I might have to do that again this November!  It's just that back then, I didn't worry about politics like I do now.

March's Lion

This guy came roaring in this morning.

We were supposed to get a big snow storm.  When I got up, there was barely a covering on the ground.

At 2:00, I walked up to wish Pearl a Happy Birthday and give her a hug.

An hour later, I came out to walk home and was immediately sprinkled on the head by freezing rain/ice balls and the street was slippery as heck!

At 4:00, precisely on the dot--so weird, the predicted snow hit.  It was clear as a bell at 3:59 and at 4:00, it was like a wall of snow hit and..................snowed until just a few minutes ago.  11:00

We were predicted to get 6-9 inches, but only got 5.5--which, here in Michigan is hardly a bother.

The snow plows will have the streets cleared tonight and by morning, we will be able to drive wherever we want.

I have an appointment with the Chiropractor at 2:45 tomorrow and don't expect to have any problem getting there.

From The Land of Ho Hum

Not much going on around here.

John and Maizey stop in every day.  Yesterday, it was so nice and warm that we sat out on the front porch.  Most all of the 15" of snow we got last Wednesday is gone, just in time for..................

5.4" predicted to start tonight, into tomorrow.  YAY.

Oh--who cares?  Not me.  Whatever!
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Sunday I watched a couple of Basketball games.  My Michigan State Spartans are on fire!  The people in the know say, they are going to win it all.  I've heard that before, so I'm not too excited yet.  Wait until the Final Four and if they are still in it--then I can get geeked!

Tomorrow is Pearl's birthday.  I created and made her a really pretty birthday card and got it in the mail so it will be delivered to her mail box (30 feet away) tomorrow.  Hey--we all like to get cards in the mail.  I wish I could get her a spring bouquet, but I'm down to $6.00 until the 3rd, when my SS hits my checking account.

Pearl has completed 80 years of life!!  80 years!  That sounds so old and yet---I am only 3.5 years away from that age myself.  ARGGH!

Karen had an appointment in this area this afternoon, so she stopped in for a hour's visit.  How wonderful.  I got to quiz her about each of her kids doing's.  Hard to know what's going on when the grand kids are older.  

My oldest, Helene, once wanted to be a nun, is now living, in sin, with the Jewish man and their dog, Rupert.  Helene attended a Catholic run college, which turned her into quite a Liberal.  Karen explained why.  Strange and weird.

Susanna, is in Portland with her newish guy, Brian.  Every day, Susanna walks her cat, "Ponderosa", on a leash in and around the streets.  The cat thinks he is a dog and sort of "barks" at the door when he wants to go for a walk.  Animals are allowed in many restaurants in that area, so in they go and the cat sits on a chair and shares their meal.   Strange and weird.

Marcus, hasn't dated in three years.  It seems he was "in love" with a girl, but she was dating another guy, so Marcus waited.  She has told him for 3 years that she wasn't interested in Marcus, but would date him off and on, sending him mixed messages.  She finally told him, she'd never be interested.  He then took time off work to go back into the Monastery for a retreat to see if perhaps (again) he might want to be a Priest.  Decided he didn't.  His younger brother set him up on New Year's Eve with a girl who was interested in Marcus, remembered him from high school, and she and Marcus having been dating ever since.  Strange and weird.

Younger brother, Stephen, isn't dating anyone (for a change), a Senior at Michigan State, is in the IZZONE (the student cheering section) and at their last home basketball game yesterday, they  honored the IZZONE Seniors and he went out to center court, got down and kissed the block "S".  Stephen will start medical school in the fall.  His great ambition?  To be an ER doctor.  Strange and weird.

And then there's Karen's youngest, Madeleine.  Maddie is also not dating, thank goodness, and is in college taking classes in nursing and working nights, with her Elderly Lady client.  She is going to perform in a ballet of "Punchinella" On March 21st.  Jennifer will be in Michigan at the time and is coming to the performance and Pammie asked for the day off so she can attend too.  I will get to be with all my daughter's and most of Karen's kids will also be there.  Maddie is planning on going back to Guatemala, this coming winter, before she starts full time nursing school.

Madeleine, who goes to a community college, has already been studying muscles and bones cutting into cadavers.  Her older brother, in his last year of pre-med, at a Big Ten college, has NEVER observed cadaver work.  Strange and weird.

Karen also told me that my son Mark's oncologist wants Mark to start chemo-therapy.  I thought Mark was already getting that.  Apparently, the hormone depleting therapy he has been on has shrunk the tumors to a sufficient size that now, "they" figure the chemo would take them down even better.  The doctor told Mark they could give him many years of good quality of life.  So far, none of us know if Mark is going to decide to do it, as his girlfriend is very non-communicative and he refuses to talk to or see anyone.

When she and Mark got the news, she texted Jennifer, way out in New Jersey and got Jen so upset she phoned Karen who then phoned Mark's mate, Cindy, who told her.  

My whole famdamily is like this about health issues!!! (Including me.)  Don't think about it.  Don't tell anyone about up-coming tests or surgeries until they are over.  Don't tell anyone bad news.  Deny it all and maybe it will go away.  Strange and weird.

It's a Shiny Day

I rarely post on Sunday, but-------

This morning the sun is so bright that even with the blinds pulled on these south-east windows, I can barely see my monitor!  That reminded me---

One early morning, when I lived on the farm, I was in the kitchen, starting to make breakfast for the family.  The large windows faced the east and the kitchen was flooded with such bright sunshine, I was squinting.  

I heard Jennifer's feet hit the floor as she got out of bed and toddled toward the kitchen.  She was 15 months old.  I heard her coming through the dining room and when she got to the kitchen door, she stopped dead still.  There she stood, hair all tousled, little fists covering her eyes, "Momma," she said.  "It's a shiny day!"

Whenever we have bright, "shiny" mornings like this, I always "see" that precious moment in my mind.

The Morning After

We got about a foot of snow here.  No big deal.  The county keeps the main roads cleared, the park keeps our streets cleared and John keeps every one's driveways cleared. :-)

John lives down the corner to the right of me.  He is the third house down on the left.  He does the two houses up to the corner and then, 15 houses on this street.  We have older couples on this street, or women who live alone, a lady with an Autistic son, a younger guy with a heart condition,   I don't know why he does the Wiccan's, because they are very capable, but he always does that pile behind their cars.  The pile that the park snow cleaners always pile up at the ends of our drive.

He was out over 2 hours this morning and finished up with my driveway.  Of course, I get special treatment because he cleans off my porch and car.  The only problem is, he is so short he can't reach the entire roof of my car.  LOL   By this evening, the warm sun had melted most of the snow on my car.  Predicted 50 degree temps on Sunday, will take care of the rest.

                                        The Wiccan's

The guy in that house HAS a snow blower,

but he went to work early, so John

cleaned out his driveway too.

                                                         Dar's driveway

Jackie's driveway

my driveway 

trying to clean off my car

...and since it was garbage pick-up day, he carried all our empty garbage cans up and put them on our porches-----------that is, all except Dar's.  He left hers laying in the snow.  Tee Hee

When I asked him why, he said, "Her son is living there and a 17 year old grandson.  I think they are capable of taking the trash cans up to the house.  Besides, whenever I see her in Meijer's, where she works, she snubs me!"

The warm afternoon sun took care of cleaning off my car.

John and Maizey stopped in for a visit this evening.

Odd for me, but I am stir crazy from the last two days shut in.  Tomorrow morning--I am outta here, even if it is only for a trip up to Wal-Mart to get my prescriptions. :-)