Fun Times

I am not kidding you...I had a near panic attack late Friday night.  I got so fraught with fear about driving home from our class reunion, in the dark.  Well, a well time Ativan took care of the shakes and I slept well.

Still a bit nerved up Saturday, I packed a plastic bag with my emergency flashlight, a bottle of water and a bottle of frozen Diet Pepsi and a candy bar.  Just in case I ended up in the ditch.

I rode up to Byron and then caught a ride from there on with a friend and her husband.  It was no nice not to have to drive.  I could look around at how the area has changed.

The combined class reunion was fun!  Some of the kids from the year ahead of us--it was their 60th reunion, I hadn't seen since they graduated!!!  I recognized very few.    Some recognized me, which was nice.  

The food was not worth the price of the ticket, or so I thought.  Pork and chicken slices with some veggies.  A small salad, dinner rolls that weren't really dinner rolls, but some other strange grain.  Ice tea, Lemonade, coffee to drink.  No alcohol, which didn't bother me, buy I think some would have enjoyed a glass of wine or a beer.  I did bribe one of the wait staff to find me a Diet Pepsi.  :-)

Ever since high school, my class has joked about how the class ahead of us seemed so much older.  They still do!  They look older too.  Their class was quiet and sober, serious and dull.  Our class was more noisier, and fun loving.   They dragged along, we were spunky.   Even Saturday night, one of my Dear Friends said, "Why are they so much older than we are?"

We invited our one teacher that is left.  Mr. Braden taught us Biology and also taught Agriculture.  He is 95 and doesn't look much older than we do.  Here he is, sitting down, talking to one of his ex students.

The Class of 1956.  Tell me--don't they look old?

My class.  All the women are the ones that get together for our monthly lunch. 

 At least we had two guys. 

30th reunion

50th reunion 

59th reunion  

Our old gang.  

Minus 3 best friends who have passed.

Hey--we've still got it.  LOL

Now--something shocking at least to me.  

The guy in the blue shirt, with the large stomach and fat face?  That is my ex.  None of my friends recognized him.  

I don't think many in his class recognized him.  It makes me so sad!  He was the star baseball pitcher, and football player.  Even when we divorced, he still had an athletic body.  I think his marriage to the new wife did it too him.  She took all of his spunk out of him and "whipped" him and now, he is just fat and old.  Sad.

Not too many years ago------------------------

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

By the time we got back to my friend's house, it was pitch black.  For some reason, I wasn't afraid of driving the 20 miles home.  Thankfully, last spring I had my car head lights, polished up and resurfaced, and that really helped.  It was foggy in some of the low places, but as long as I could see the white line on the side of the road I was fine.  The only problem, oncoming car headlights.  But, I made it and it only took 5 minutes longer than usual.  

I live to fight another day!!!!!!!!!!!

Well then..........

Personally?  I can't wait for August to end.  It's been so hot.  The humidity has felt tropical.  In fact, this whole summer has been miserable.  Not like a normal summer for us here in the Mitten State.

But--as my Uncle used to say, "Quitcherbellyaching!"
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Tuesday I traveled up to my Cousin's to fix her computer.  Windows 10 had install itself while she was away at her Grandson's wedding.  Quite on it's on--just like Windows 10 installed itself on my computer during the night--while I slept.

I drove up the expressway.  So scary!  I just kept singing my "get through" hymn, "Be not afraid what ere be tide, God will take care of you.."  She has Windows 8.1 so it all looked different than my Windows 7, but we got it figured out, had a nice early supper and a great conversation, and I came home the back way, which was a much pleasanter drive!

Wednesday, I ran all over the county!  Well, not really, but I did go down to Brighton to get some groceries and embroidery floss,.  It was so humid when I got back home, I didn't want to tote all those heavy bags of groceries into the house.

Just then, as sometimes these coincidences happen, a Mom and four little boys came walking by.  I stepped down toward the street and said, "Hey guys, if it's all right with Mom, I'll give each of you a dollar if you carry my groceries into my house."

Mom nodded in agreement and those cute little guys (4-10 yrs old), made two trips and the job was done.

As I passed out the dollar bills, the one named Mason, 7 years old said, "Thank you so much.  I really needed this dollar because...I am flat broke!"  Each boy thanked me, over and over.  What a blessing and such cute little kids.
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I have my latest genealogy almost done.  51 hours of "charged" research--a few more hours I didn't charge because it was me editing my own work.  14 generations up the tree.  Lots of early pioneers/settlers.  Now I just have to put it all together, print out the book and mail if off.  I think she will be well pleased!
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I went to a funeral today--for a friend of my Dad's. It was a Baptist funeral, so it was very long.  Why do they always play/sing "Amazing Grace" at every funeral I go to?  It won't be played at mine.  It's too fu·ne·re·al  fyəˈnērēəl/.  I want something happier like, "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be...."

The best part of a funeral, is the procession to the
Cemetery.  You don't have to stop for any stop lights or stop signs.
=================

At the wedding--the little moppet was playing shy with his Mimi.

Life is Great!

My ex husband and I had a ball at the wedding.  His wife was smoozing with the crowd, I was sitting out on the deck, he came out, spotted me and came over and sat down beside me.  He said, 

"I'm so glad you are here!  I have been thinking about something and trying to remember.  You're the only one that can give me the answer."

"Of course.  Because, as I have often told you, I know everything about everything."  He smirked.

He said, "Remember that time, back in 63 or 64, might have even been 61, when that guy that owned a furniture shop in Bancroft took me golfing, he and another guy that was a pro at the local golf club?"

"You mean the guy that we bought our little TV from his store?"

"Yeah.  They took me golfing down at that fancy country club, down by......."

"You mean Kensington Park?  Down by Brighton?"

"Yeah.  They were testing me to see if I were good enough to play on the tour.  They were going to help send me to golf school.  Do you remember that?  Do you remember his name?"

I didn't remind him that his playing golf 5 days a week and being away from home all weekend is one of the reasons our marriage broke up--golf was and still is his first true love.

"Are you thinking of Tom Barringer?"  I asked.

He almost jumped out of the chair.  "Yes!  That's him!  I knew you were the only one that would know."
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So we chatted a while more, eating our before nuptials snacks.  Then our grand daughter Susanna came up--she works in Oregon for the New Balance shoe company and travels all over the states, and she mentioned she had been doing a lot of work up in Alaska.  She was showing him photos on her phone and the places she ran in a marathon.

"We always wanted to go to Alaska, didn't we?" he said.

"Yes.  We were going to drive up through the Canadian Rockies, stop at Banff and then on up to Alaska."

"Yeah.  I don't want to fly up there.  I don't want to cruise up there.  I want to drive up there and see everything between here and there."

At least we always agreed on our favorite way to travel.

"Have you ever been on a cruise?" I asked.

"Nope.  I have no desire."

"Me either."

"Diane (his wife) loves to cruise, so I just send her on her way with her friends and I stay home or go out camping."

"Would you ever want to go to Hawaii?"

"Nope.  I have no desire to go there either."

"Me either."

He no longer drives.  He had a cornea transplant and doesn't see well enough to drive, so his wife drives them down to Florida for the winter and back home and every where they go, she drives.

So I said, "Hey!  I know what we can do.  You've got a nice SUV out there.  We could throw our stuff in the back and have Diane drive us to Alaska.  I'd sit in the front with her and we could yak and you could lay in the back seat and take a nap whenever you wanted to."

He started laughing so hard--his face got red, I thought he was going to choke on his snacks or have a stroke!  

I guess we will never get to Alaska.
===============
Good news!  Pammie called to tell me that Mark had a consultation with his oncologist and his cancer is "at bay".  Not a full remission, but it has shrunk and is not growing.  I asked her if she was going to call her Dad and tell him.  She answered, "As soon as I hang up from talking with you."

I sat in my recliner, rocked back and forth and just kept repeating, "Thank you, God.  Thank you, God" over and over, and I may have even shed a couple of tears.  Maybe two.  I DO NOT cry--ever.

No--that's not true.  I cry a few tears when I hold a new born grand child in my arms and whisper a blessing in their ear, but other than that------I never cry.
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Later--Oh Oh!  I did a no no again.  I posted pictures of my youngest grand daughter Elise and me on Face Book.  Also the photo of Jen, Elise and me.  She reminded me in an e-mail that someone had seen the photos and told her and didn't I remember, "We still don't want any photos of us or the kids posted on-line."  YIKES!!!  I just never will know how I am suppose to conduct myself, concerning their family.

So--I went on Face Book and couldn't remember how to just delete a couple of pictures, so I just deleted the entire post.  At least my grand daughter bride and a few others had seen them and loved them.  Sigh.

We are having a bit of perfect weather.  Windows open, fresh breeze wafting in through the windows, causing my new curtains to billow softly.  Something about curtains, moving with the incoming breezes, makes it feel cooler.

The long awaited wedding of my grand daughter Helene, Karen's oldest child, was really nice.  I rode down with Chuck and Susan, because I knew they would be coming home earlier than Pammie. 

Jennifer was home with just two of her kids.  I so wanted to see her oldest son, Andrew, but he and brother Alex stayed back in New Jersey with Dad.  I guess they have found a plot of land to build on and the boys were helping Dad clear it.

Pam and Karen held down the kitchen.  They kept the food coming, the bowls full, the empty dishes cleared.  We arrived at 5:00 for snacks and conversations before the wedding.  Helene and Mike just purchased their "starter home" and the wedding was there.  Their back yard slopes a bit, down to a woods.  They had the tent set up and the Canopy under that.

My "starter" home was an 8x24' trailer.  Theirs is a lovely place.

Three generations

Another 3 generations 

My Princess Girl, youngest grand daughter (Jennifer's)

Elise, is 13 and growing tall like that old lady beside her. 

My Precious Girl Maddie and my Princess Girl Elise

 Grandpa and Grandma (me and the ex)

My youngest grand son (Jen's Evan) was a bit shy.

So I stuck my camera between his chin and his plate.

Pre-wedding.  One last chance to run, Mike. 

Maddie sang, "Can't Help Falling In Love With You"

Susanna (my 2nd grand child) read from the Christian

"Love is tender, it is not jealous..."

Mike, standing with hands in his pockets.  Dufuss!

Then, the winds came and the rain fell.  Some of the guys got up and held onto the top of the tent, where it meets the sides, to keep us from blowing away.

The Rabbi made mention that it is good luck to have rain on your wedding day.  

They are both so tall they had to scootch down a bit for the blessing.

And they all said AHmen and we all said Amen.

Then Mike stomped the glass a good one and we all yelled Mazel Tov and clapped.

As we walked out, back up to the deck, this appeared in the sky. 

A little, short lady next to me said, "Ah-hh.  A rainbow is very significant in the Jewish faith."

I replied, "Yes.  It is a sign of God's promise and blessing."

She cocked her head and looked up at me as if , "Hm-mm.  This Shiska might not be a heathen after all." 

 Mike's mother and brother Jonathon.

When we ate, I sat at the Jewish table.  I introduced myself as Helene's grandmother and they went around the table introducing themselves.  When it got to the guy next to me, he said, "My name is David.  A good Jewish name, but...I'm a Methodist."

To which I replied, "My name is Judith, also a good Jewish name, and......I'm a Methodist."

They all clapped and we had a great time.

As we were getting ready to leave, we saw them taking a picture of this.  Mike's full realization that he is locked into this family forever!!  LOL

The only thing I thought was odd, as we left, Karen was passing out invitations to the baby shower. Even the Rabbi mentioned the "soon to be daughter joining your life."

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

The times they are a changing and this old lady doesn't quite feel real comfortable with it all.

Valances--Neighbor's--Climbing up the Branches.

Okay.  I tried it for a couple of weeks and I had to get valances to make myself quit fretting and feel better.

The view as I step into my house

The view as I come down the hall into the kitchen 

The view from my recliner 

Merle and Pearl FINALLY got their tub converted into a shower--by the same company that did mine.  They came down the other night and I took them into my bathroom and went through the installation with them--new green backer boards, new floor boards under the shower pan.  Then I showed them how the seat is really nice and I explained that they would need TWO handles.  One on the back wall near the seat and one by the side where they step in and out.  Then I went on to show them how the shower head can be lifted out and used if you shower while sitting on the seat.

So--I went down to check it out.  The installers were just finishing up.  It looks great.  But--I noticed, only one gripper handle, by the edge to use to get in and out of the shower.

"Where is the other handle so you can pull yourself up from the seat?"  I asked Pearl.  

"Do you think I need one?"

So, one of the installers had her get in the shower and sit down on the seat.  "Now, try to stand up he said."

Of course she couldn't.  She had nothing to grab onto and that was with the shower pan dry!

"You got a fixed shower head instead of a wand.  How are you going to take a shower sitting down?"

"I'll just point the shower head this way." she said.

The installer said, "That can easily be changed to a wand one, if you want."

"How much will that cost?" Pearl asked.

"Not much.  Twenty-five bucks," I said.

She was still sitting on the shower seat trying to push herself up and it wasn't working.  I went over and reach out my hand to help her up.  She had one heck of a time, just walking from the seat over to the gripper handle to step out.

"What would another handle cost?  Over by the seat?"

"I'll have to check the price, but we can get you one, and come back and install it for free."

"What does it matter what it costs?"  I said.  "You can't use the seat without one."

"Well this whole dang thing cost nearly forty-five hundred!"

"So, what's another hundred bucks?  This will be the best investment you have ever made!"

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

Their daughter was there, cleaning house for them and I noticed she was in the bedroom, working on the computer.  She asked Pearl, "What's your bank password?"

"I don't remember," Pearl said.

"03011936", I said.

"No it's not, "Pearl said.  "We've changed all my passwords around."

I told her last year, after I got her computer cleaned out and fixed up AGAIN, that if anyone else worked on, I wouldn't touch it.  Too many people working on it without each person what has been done.

"Maybe you can figure it out," she said.

"Nope,  I wouldn't know where to start.  Kathy has been working on it.  She and you will have to figure it out."  I was in a snippy mood!

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

I got back home and there was a phone call from Pearl.  "The guys just left, but I can't take a shower for twenty-four hours."

"You have to let all the caulking dry first."

"You never told me that!  Why didn't you tell me that?"  Her voice was kind of sharp.

"I guess I just assumed that you would know the caulk has to dry first."

She hung up on me.

I tell you what--there isn't one lick of common sense in that entire house!  I often wonder how those two have made it this far in life when they do the stupidest things!!!    

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

I am at the top of the, in process, family tree and nearly finished with all the research.  Now, I just have to put it all together in the book.  Proof it.  Make sure it makes sense and I will be on my way to completing another nice book for someone to keep forever.

Time Flies!

August is always a pretty busy month, but this month seems more so.

I haven't even made an appointment for my Mammogram--2 years since I had my last.  Maybe the last week of August I can get it done.

You've heard me complain about dizzy spells and the two times they have been so bad, I blacked-out and fell.  My heart/pulse rate has been slow for the last 18 months.  The doc just says, "Better slow than too fast.  You get dizzy because you stand and move too fast and your blood pressure drops."  Yeah--well--in my opinion, if it gets too slow--you die!!!  I started taking ALL my meds in the evening.  Some at 9:00, some at bedtime.  It seemed to help a bit.

The cardiologist's office called to tell me they had me scheduled for my yearly check-in.  The PA would see me.  The usual EKG and blood pressure check and she mentioned that my heart rate seemed slow.  I was happy it was 52--up from the 49 it had been for months.  She mentioned it and I casually mentioned the fierce dizzy spells, and she looked at my chart and said, "Hm-mm.  Why don't we cut your Metoprolol in half and take it in the evening."

I thought Metoprolol was for high blood pressure--to relax and open the arteries, but she said it was also for A-Fib people to slow the heart.  

Wait.  WHAT?

I replied in a not so nice voice, "I had ONE A-Fib instance!  In the hospital, they told me it was because my Potassium was low and I was dehydrated!  They TOLD me it was not a heart problem.  They TOLD me I have a good, strong heart!"

"You do."

"Then way am I on an A-Fib med?  I have to take that damn blood thinner and now this?  I don't think I need to take it at all!"

"Just take half a pill and call me back in a couple of weeks to let me know."
===========
I swear--we have to have a near medical degree and research every med we take and ask questions and.....no--you aren't going to pat me on the head and pooh-pooh me because you think you know more and I am just a lowly human in her mid 70's and not worth keeping alive and well!!  DAMMIT!!

So, I cut the dang thing in half and take it at 9:00 and---haven't had one teeny-tiny dizzy spell since!! Not a one!!!

I woke up Sunday morning and knew something was different.  I didn't feel foggy in my head.  I felt clear and I felt strong and my body didn't ache!  I went grocery shopping--walked from one end of Walmart to the other and aisles in between and never felt tired or dizzy. I loaded up my cart, came home and made 8 trips back and forth to bring in all the groceries AND put them all away, without having to stop and rest!!!  For the first time since I got it, my new fridge has actual food in it!!

I felt great!!!  I slept great!  I haven't taken a Melatonin to sleep in a week!!

I feel wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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My Daddy, who had a physical to go to college when he was 18, and didn't return to a doctor until his 70's had it right, "Stay away from doctors!  "The cure is worse than the disease and if the disease doesn't kill, the cure surely will!"

ARGGH!!!!
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So, yesterday I finally made my appointment at the dentist's.  I had put if off twice.  3 fillings!
I haven't had a cavity in years and years, but the dentist said, older people get cavities more because of the meds we take and the dry mouth the meds cause and---and---

So she numbed me up for the 3 front teeth.  She checked back and said, "Are you numb enough?"

"If you think that being numb from my eyebrows to my boobs is enough, then I guess I'm good to go!"

I had mentioned that there was a gap between tooth #7 & 8 and in pictures, it looked like I had a brown mark on my tooth.  So, after the fillings, she did a little cosmetic dentistry on those teeth and filled in that space--for free--and now my nice smile is back!!

BTW--I was so filled with Novocaine that the numbness took 7 hours to leave!!!!!!!!
====================
I have half the genealogy done.  30 hours so far.  Now on to her mother's side of the family.  Another great family--prominent and influential in the Maryland/Ohio area in the early days.  No pirates or robbers found.  

My family history is soooooooo boring compared to others I have done.  Just a bunch of farmers or ministers.  Who managed to stay out of every war this country has had.  The real champion in my family, in my opinion, was my great grandma on my Daddy's side.  She lived until 96, so I knew her and heard her stories.

She, along with 3 male cousins, homesteaded in South Dakota.  She wore a six shooter on her hip to kill the rattlesnakes while she was plowing up her share of the homestead.  And when the (friendly) Lakota Indians sneaked from behind the bushes and let out a whoop to scare her, she'd just turn toward them, lay her hand on that six shooter and they'd run away, laughing.

You know?  What I've found out.  A lot of times the women in these families had better stories than the men.   It is hard to find their stories or histories because a lot of time, they are listed with their husbands last name--no maiden name--sometimes just their first name listed.  In one Census I just found, it gave the man's name and underneath was listed "and 1 white woman".  Well dammit, that prodded me on to find out his wife--"1 white woman" name.  And I did!  and I found her parents too!  So there!!!

While the men were off, going to their town council or political meetings, the women were at home taking care of the 13 kids they had, building the home, tending the gardens.  I WANT THEM RECOGNIZED!!!
===================
So--other than that--I have been knitting and watching the Olympics and staying away from ANY political news/blogs/postings on Face Book.

Whichever candidate gets in the White House, isn't going to matter.  Our society is so far gone, drowning in debt and with a weak military and racial unrest--we can't ever get back to the wonderful 50's or the fabulous 80's.  We cannot do one thing about it, either.  Sure, we can vote, but it won't matter.  Neither candidate is good for the job.

and, in my opinion, no amount of prayer is going to help this country.  Just simply, "Your will be done",  because God gave us free choice and He's watching to see how dumbed down and immoral we can get. Pretty soon, He is going to see the time is ready and call in His son and say, "Okay my Boy, it's time you go back and clean this mess up.  Bring the one's who believe in us back up here, and knock it all down  and burn the rest.  Then We can make it clean again and start over."

At least that's what I read in the book that is still ranked as the best seller in this world.

Happy Trails to You

Detective Miller here!  I am on the trail of another genealogy.  

Once again finding good stuff and, once again finding errors galore.  Some well-intentioned human, tried to convince me that George was the father of Joseph.  I saw right through his "scam", because George was born in 1699 and Joseph was born in 1710.  I don't know and shouldn't call foul--I suppose a boy of 11 could father a child, but ya know?  It looked pretty suspicious to me.  LOL

Although all the documentation avowed that George was the father of Joseph, I discarded him and went looking again and yep--I found the real father of Joseph.  His father's name was George, but this George was born in 1688, and in the same area, so---I'm going with him.

Oh--I do love this stuff!!
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Got my hair cut yesterday and it is short--and I mean short.  I have a wedding in 2 weeks and reunion in 3, so by then--the hair will be perfect.  I have to have it cut every 5 weeks or it is too long and hanging down the back of my neck.

Hot weather continues.  Even my perennials are looking a little shriveled.  Usually I never water my perennials.  They have long, deep roots and I was told, if we water them the roots grow up toward the surface.  We don't want that.  We want them to learn to grow deep and long, searching for underground water.  Rain expected tonight, if not I will soak them tomorrow.  My annuals look like they should be taken to the Garden Hospice, as they are on their way out.  What an awful summer we have had!! I can't even imagine how the farmers are dealing with these drought conditions.  Which means the price of anything made from grains will go up in the grocery stores this fall and winter.  Probably the price of milk too.

I don't mind nice warm weather--I prefer mid 70's, but I can live with the 80's, but this 96 degree stuff with the humidity in the 60-70% range, is taking me down!
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Pearl wanted me to review her genealogy book I did four years ago for her and see what else I could find.  I didn't find any ancestral new stuff, but I did find something that confused me.

Pearl and Merle were married in Angola, IN, June 29, 1954, or so we all think.  We had their 60th wedding anniversary party 2 years ago.

But--right there, on my computer screen was a marriage record for a Merle Ott and a Pearl Cook, from Howell, Michigan performed in Angola, IN, September 9, 1963.

What to do, what to do?

I've stressed over this for nearly a month.  Should I show it to her?  Did they live together and have 3 kids BEFORE they married?  Would this knowledge, I have,  embarrass her?  I'm sure they wouldn't want their kids to know.

This morning, I decided it was time for me to stroll up there, while Merle was at work and just hand it to her.  So--I took back her family tree book and told her I had found no new ancestor's but, "I did find this on the computer and I'm confused," and I handed her the license.

She took it.  "I don't understand.  What is this?"

"It's from the Indiana Marriage records.  It says you and Merle were married in 1963."

"1963?  I don't think so.  We were married in--oh I can't remember.  1954, weren't we?  Didn't we just have a party a few years ago?"

"Yes.  I thought 1954 was right.  I know you got married in Angola."

She looked at it some more.

"Methodist church.  That's right.  Angola, Indiana.  That's right.  Who filled this out?  The writing looks strange."

"The minister would have filled it out and there---see where you signed it?  That is your hand writing."

"Oh.  This must be a fake.  One of those computer scams or something."  and she tossed it on the dining room table.  "While you're here.  I have a computer problem."

Hm-mm.
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You just never know what you're going to find when you research records.  ;-)