The Weirdness Continues

Must be a sign of old age, but it seems---every time I turn around--it's Friday again.  The days fly by way too fast.

I woke up this morning and I was freezing!!!  The humidity has left, for awhile at least.  Windows open and a north-easterly breeze.  Even at 68 degrees, the house felt cold.  Now--if I had my electric fireplace, I could turn the heater on for a few minutes and take off the chill.  Barefooted all summer, I guess it's time to start putting my crocheted slippers on inside.

I have itchy bites all over my ankles.  I feared that John's dog had brought fleas onto my new carpet.  The answer?  The heat and drought have kept the mosquitoes at bay this summer.  Now, with the recent rains, they are thriving deep down in the grass.  I made three trips out to the shed and must have been bitten during my walks.  BOY--they itch like crazy!!  No doubt there were a couple of West Nile or Zika bites in there.
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Hey.  I have a question.  If Black Lives Matter, why do "they" keep killing each other?  (I live 50 miles from Detroit and hear the news.)
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Our township has decided on a beautification project. They are putting in a sidewalk from the outskirts of Brighton, west 4+ miles to the outskirts of Howell.  It runs along the busy road out in front of my park.  A 5 lane, always full of traffic road.

There is a pond that goes under the road with a guard rail near the road, right by  my park.  There is not enough room for a sidewalk, between the guard rail and road, on either side.

At various points along this sidewalk, there is not enough room on one side of the road, so the sidewalk ends, but is being made on the other side of the road.

So, if someone were to ride their bike or walk these 4+ miles, at several points, they would have to get off, and walk their bike along the edge of this very busy road.  Or cross this very busy 5 lane road, to get to the sidewalk on the other side.  This makes no sense to me and I think the $$$ for this project could have been better spent!

Of course, Dar is so enthralled with this project.
"Oh.  I walked everywhere when I lived in Greece.  This is going to be wonderful."

I said, "Let me know when you are going to walk it because I want to come out and watch you cross Grand River to get to the sidewalk across the road."

"When the kids lived here, I used to walk them up to church alllllll the time."

"Yes, but...the new sidewalk is on the opposite side of the road.  So you'd have to cross Grand River and all the traffic to get to it now.  Then cross the road again when you got down by the church."

"Well, I think it's marvelous!"

"Okay.  The next time you have an appointment down at Woodland (the little hospital 1/2 mile down the road), I will expect to see you walking to it."

"I just might!"

This from a woman who can barely walk from her front door to her mailbox.  Yes--it has been 5 months since her accident and STILL, no doctor/physical therapist/specialist can find out why she is in such pain in her neck/back/legs.  X-rays show nothing!  CAT scans show nothing!  MRI shows nothing!

She is frustrated and thinks "none of these doctor's take me seriously!"

She was born with Platybasia--the top part of her spine is up into her skull--the skull is flat in that area and her C1 and C2 disks are fused.  This affects her turning her head, her swallowing and her cough reflex.  It "can" also affect her reasoning, thinking and memory.

Hm-mm.

BUT--she refuses to accept that the accident might have inflamed this area--refuses to take any inflammatory meds, refuses to take any steroids, or pain meds.  She has hired a personal injury attorney and wants him to prove that the accident caused her injuries to her legs and back.  Completely discounting that her upper spine is the cause for any of her arm numbness, back or leg pain.

She has x-rays that were taken when she lived in Greece and fell and broke her hip, and leg.  She is keeping them secret so that no one can use that old injury as a reason for this now pain.  

Attorney's for both insurance firms, hers and the other lady's and one doctor have all stated that the minor bump to her car could NOT have caused such injuries to her.  

Poor Dar.  She'll probably end up with a million dollar pay out.
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Worrying about my friend J.B. and my Sweet Girl Chris out in Hawaii.  Hurricanes headed their way. 
JB, it might be time to visit your family in Oregon, where you only have to worry about a small shiver of an earth quake?

Chris has just spent weeks in Italy, where the climate seems to make her sick, helping her career soldier hubby pack up and get ready to transfer to Hawaii.  Now, she's in Hawaii helping him settle in and there are two Hurricanes coming.

I suspect she can't wait to get back to her home-twenty in Texas where all she has to worry about are floods and an occasional tornado.  Love you Chrissy Poo!!
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My Fur Kids are enjoying the new couch and carpet.

Buddy sleeps like any normal cat would sleep 

Maggie likes her nose down in between the cushions 

Sometimes she uses a toy for her pillow 

Yesterday, she just laid down part on the kitchen floor and used

the carpet for her pillow 

Have a great Labor Day weekend.  I will be here packing my white pants and shorts away for another season and swapping out my white purse for my navy one--because.....I'm old school about no white after Labor Day. :-)

Question Answered

I have been asked to explain the genealogies I do for people.  What is in the report?  What “bad” thing might I find?

First of all, there is nothing “bad” to find out.  There are no stories.  I will not find out that your 10th great grandfather was a horse thief—even if that family story is true.

What genealogy shows are the names and dates of when your ancestors were born and died.  Where they were born, where they lived, their parent’s names, their children’s names, perhaps where they are buried and a photo of their grave stone.  

Perhaps a birth/baptism/death certificate and census reports.  What occupation they had.  If they fought in The Revolutionary or Civil War—any military time they may have spent. 

The only time I would find a “story” about them is if they were an early settler in New York or Massachusetts and their names are listed in the “Early North American Settlers” book.  That story would merely tell of when they came to America and where they settled.

No scandals are revealed in a genealogy report, at least not in the ones I have done.  Only facts or demographics, or perhaps ethnicity are found.  In my own genealogy, I found “we” are related to Thornton Wilder and by marriage to Almonzo Wilder; Laura Ingalls Wilder. Pretty cool stuff.

So, don’t ever be afraid to search up through the branches of your family tree.  It can be the most fascinating discovery of your life. 

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The humidity is gone!!!  At least for a few days.  I have all the windows open  and---my feet are freezing!  Down in the 50's tonight.

I love it!

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------------------------

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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.
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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.
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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."

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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!"

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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!

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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!!!    

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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.