Yesterday, we had one of those, or what I would call, a perfect summer day.  Temperatures in the high 50's when I woke up.  The window open in the bedroom, made it feel almost chilly as I got out of bed.  There was a lovely breeze and lots of sun.  Of course the temps went up during the day, but I never had to close up and turn on the A/C---which I had done most of the weekend and Monday.

At our Old School Gals Lunch last Thursday, two of the Gals were talking about cleaning under their beds and how difficult it is now that we can't get down on the floor.  I felt a bit guilty as I haven't vacuumed under my bed since I painted the bedroom way back in twenty-aught nine.

Friday I decided that I would vacuum under there. I laid flat on the floor and looked under the bed.  I couldn't see any dust.  In fact the carpeting looked brand new.  I turned on the vacuum and used the long hose with the duster/fabric thingie attachment to go back and forth, back and forth--all the way down the length and breadth.

I didn't see any dust or debris under that bed!  Apparently the bed itself and the dust ruffle had kept anything from settling under the bed!

Done!  Then the problem arose.  How was I going to get up?  

I rolled over on my back and sat up.  Great, but still no way to hoist myself up into a standing position.  So I got on my arthritic old knees and crawled over to the edge of the bed.  Now all I had to do was hang on to the bed and stand up.  For some reason, my knees didn't want to push my body up.

I thought of crawling into the bathroom and using the toilet to pull myself up, but the thought of using my knees to crawl across six feet of tile, didn't sound very comfortable.

So I put my hands up on the mattress--a very high 22" mattress and pushed with my knees and hands to get up right--then I collapsed face down on the bed.  Rested a bit, turned over and swung my legs around so I could stand.

Then I felt it!  Awful, terrific pain all across my lower back.  I couldn't stand upright.  Bent over at my waist, I hobbled into the living room and my recliner.    After about a half hour, I got back up, still bent at the waist and got my "supplies".

I took 2 pills, rubbed the horse liniment over my back and a half hour later, heated up my rice sock in the microwave and put that on my back, Kicked the recliner back and tried to rest.

By the time I went to bed on Saturday night, I was still in a lot of pain and still couldn't stand straight.
I would have given anything for half a Percocet.  Even though my doctor knows, I had a prescription for 30 of them, that lasted almost two years, because I only take half a one at night, when the back pain is so bad, he won't write me another prescription.  With all the drug crazed people in the world now, the government is watching doctor's to see how many prescriptions they write for opiates.

I Woke up Sunday,  still bent over, but the pain had receded a bit and now my bad shoulder was hurting like crazy.  More Tylenol, more liniment.

Around 3:00 in the afternoon, I remembered my TENS unit. 

I got it and pasted those pads over the two bad areas, cranked that thing up to 30 and let the electrical stimulation pulsate for 20 minutes.  Then turned it off.  I kept doing that, at 20 minute intervals the rest of the day.

I woke up Monday morning with just residual pain in my back and shoulder.

What a horrendous weekend I spent, and for what?  

Imaginary dust bunnies that didn't exist.

ARGGH!!!

I have to tell you about the weirdest, strangest and mind boggling thing that happened Tuesday night.

I was sitting in my recliner, not paying too much attention to what was on the TV.  My cats were sitting in front of me like they wanted something.

All of a sudden, I thought of cat treats.  I haven't purchased any cat treats for my cats in a year.  I reached over to my table, grabbed the little pad that sits there and wrote down Cat Treats--thinking I would get them some the next time I go to the store.

I laid the pad back on the table and heard my neighbor "you hooing" from the porch.  I went over and opened the screen door and she said, "God has been bugging me all day to get you some cat treats."

She works at Pets Mart and handed me a sack with two XL bags of cat treats.  I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.  "Don't you want them?" she asked.

I said, "Tammy, come in and sit down you gotta hear this!"

Serendipity or........................God Whispers?
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I was up at the Food Bank and saw Pearl's daughter Marge, just ahead of me.  She provides for her daughter and the two grand babies too, so she had a cart full.

She went through the check-out ahead of me--by then she had a cart and a half--I heard them say she was allowed 130# of food and she could have two gallons of milk this month instead of the normal one.

She went out to load her trunk.  I had 21# is all, I'm allowed 60#..  They asked me if I wanted cheese and I said, "No."

As I walked out, Marge was coming back in for her second cart.  "I thought we were supposed to get the government cheese?"

"Yes." I said.

"Hm-mm.  They didn't ask me if I wanted any.

I loaded up my trunk and was walking back in while she was still unloading.

I pushed my cart back inside and asked the guy that I know, "That lady in front of me didn't get her cheese."

"Oh, she has to be old to get that."  I stared at him.  "Ah, I mean older."

"Well she's got kids to feed.  She needs it more than I do...clogging up my arteries.  Ah...since I didn't get mine, can I change my mind and get it?"

He looked at me and winked.  "Sure," as he handed me the big block of cheese, "but you have to know, any exchanging of food can't be done within our sight."  Big smile.

So I walked back outside and over to Marge's car and said "You can't get cheese until you get older.  I can.  I don't like it, so please take mine."

She hugged me.  I got in my car and smiled all the way home!

Serendipity.
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Today I had lunch with my Old School Gal Pals.  Only 5 showed up so we got to sit close enough to talk.  The two ladies that dominate the conversation weren't there.  We had a very pleasant time.  

The heat is coming back tomorrow, so, once again, I will be locked up in my house, blinds drawn, A/C running for as long as the siege lasts.  I hate it!

RELIEF

7 continual days of temperatures in the 90's, with heat indices in the 100's!  This is not the Michigan weather I know!

I had a heat stroke--yes, not heat exhaustion, but a real heat stroke when I was 15.  I was in and out of consciousness for 3 days.  I cannot tolerate heat, especially when it comes with humidity in the 70% range!

Being closed up in my house for seven days, with my blinds closed and the furnace fan noise every 30 minutes, bringing in cool, air conditioned air, does not make for a happy mood on my part.

This morning, I got up at 7:00.  A.M., that is, which is very early for me.  I had heard of a predicted cool front and 70 degree temps.  I ran around, pulling every window blind up to the top of the windows, pulling back curtains, raising every single window.

I shivered in the, what felt like cold air, coming in.  I opened the front door.  Oh.  My.  Gosh!

I felt like I had broken free from my prison!!

The cats went from window to window, jumping up on the ledge to look out.  When I opened the front door, they both went over and sat down in front of the screen.  Maybe they could, once again, watch the birds and the squirrels and the chipmunks.

The most perfect blue sky.  The most perfect cool breeze.  

I survived!  I'm alive!!

Let me see...where did I leave off?

Ah yes.  Pammie is home from New Jersey.  She has 4 different doctor's appointments, an appointment with the Social Security office and an attorney.

She and Karen came over on Thursday and stayed for 4 hours!!!!!!!!!!!  Karen brought food and Pam painted my toe nails for me.

Oh my--we had some great conversations and a lot of laughter. 

Karen said, "Mom, your house looks great!"

I said, "I got busy and cleaned up the clutter, dusted, vacuumed and mopped the kitchen floor.  When kids visit their elderly parents and see messes, they start thinking about nursing homes, because Mom can't take care of herself anymore."

Pam said, "We've discussed this Mom.  Karen is going to drive, you will sit in the back with me and when we get to the nursing home, Karen will slow down, I will open the back door, say 'drop and roll Mom' and gently push you out!"

Karen was nodding her head.

I said, "I'm staying here as long as I can!  I don't want to end up in one of those places, sharing a room with Ditzy Donna!"

We all laughed and laughed.  Then Karen said,  "Mom, I have wondered though, if you would ever want to move into an assisted living place.  You can get assistance or none, whichever you prefer."

"Sure.  They cost about $3,000.00 a month.  Are you going to pay for that?  Besides I have a plan."

Pammie says, "What's that?"

"When you go back to Jersey, I'm going to move into your upstairs."

"How you gonna get in my house.  I'm the only one with a key."

"Pammie, Pammie, Pammie.  I lived in that house long enough to know which window I can jimmy open, or how to take the outside basement door off the hinges.  I got locked out twice and managed to get inside by myself.  I can do it again, Girlie!"

Pam pulls out her smart phone and writes something down.

"What are you doing?" asks Karen.

"Just writing a reminder.  'Make sure all downstairs windows are locked tight and basement door is bolted, chained and reinforced!' "

More laughter.

Then Pammie suggested that I move my trailer over to Karens'.  "You could put it over on their side lawn, where they used to store their camper."

"Sure," said Karen.  "The grass won't grow over there anyway."

"Mark could run me an electrical line and hook me up to your septic tank and I'd be all set.  Then you could check on me everyday so you would know I was still alive."  I said.

"I don't know, Mom.  I get so busy some days.......and what would you do when Mark and I go up north?"

"Guess that won't work," I said.

Pam said, "Guess you'll just have to stay here.  If you die during the night...probably one of your neighbor's would notify us......after awhile."
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Pam looks great!  So relaxed and happy and has lost over 25# in the last six months.  I miss her, but I can't be sad that she is staying "out there" with Jen and Eric and the kids.  She is loving it so much!
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The rest of the weekend, I stayed inside with the blinds lowered and closed to keep out the hot sun and the A/C on, set at 75.  Our heat indices were 104 on Sunday, with humidity at 72%!  Unbearable!!  We Michiganders aren't used to this kind of weather.  I HATE IT!!!

I just finished a magnificent genealogy.  It has taken 2 months.  What a surprise my client will get when she opens her book to find, she is not Irish, like she thought.  

Her first immigrant ancestor DID come from Ireland, but his ancestor's originated in Scotland and only fled to Ireland, because of religious persecution by the (English) Anglican Church.  They were protestant Presbyterians so off to Northern Ireland they went.

I got "back" or "up" 20 generations.  Her first known ancestor was a personal friend, armor bearer and fighter for (King) Robert the Bruce.  For his service, he was given 10,000 acres of woods and built a castle on the edge of the woods.  17 generations of her direct ancestor's have lived in that castle--up until 1975.  

Her  ancestor's that emigrated to America, settled in Pennsylvania, were given several hundred acres of land there and made a settlement and eventually a town, that today bears their name.  It is in south west Pennsylvania.

I can't wait until she opens her book and gets her first glimpse of that loooong pedigree of her father's family.
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Therein lies the problem.  Printing the book.

I got the pedigrees printed and put together.  Took them up to the print shop to be printed out on long architect paper to fold into the book.

I came home and commenced to print out the pages for the book.  My new $40.00 printer is fantastic.  The colors for the photos are vibrant, the black print is sharp and clear.  Half way into the job, a notice came up on my page that the two inkjets were nearly empty.

No problem.  I snapped them out and ventured down to Brighton to Cartridge World to get refills.

They had no refills!  This printer is so new that they haven't received any cartridges as yet.

No problem.  On the way back home, I stopped at Staples.  The cartridges from the manufacturer only cost $26.00 for a twin pack!  
That's why I bought a new printer.  The inkjet refills for my old one cost, $35.00 for black, $50.00 for color.

Staples was out of stock for those particular inkjets.  BUT they could order them online and I would have them delivered to my home the next day--Tuesday.

While I was there, I decided to get a pack of the special paper I use.  It is 40#, matte finish, acid free paper.  Staples had none and guess what?  The manufacturer doesn't make it anymore.  They still produce the glossy paper, but not the matte.  The nearest kind they had was 28#, acid free.  It will work, but not what I really wanted.

So home I came.  No inkjets, but I could wait one day for them.  I'd do other stuff.
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Tuesday arrived.  I had to go to the dentist for a filling, but when I came back, I saw a UPS truck pull out of the park and assumed he had delivered my new inkjets.

Nope!  
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I really wanted to get the books mailed out before the end of the month.
I really wanted to do that so I could get my last installment payment from my client.
I really wanted that payment so I could pay off my dental bill.
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Maybe the inkjets will come today?  Although I was guaranteed next day delivery, you know how it is.  Businesses today seem to "over promise and under deliver".

ARGGH!!

Still and all, it's a magnificent genealogy and I think my patient client will be more than happy with what I found.

Robbie

I found a baby Robin, on the edge of my lawn, directly under the nest he had apparently fallen out of, and near the edge of the street.

I put him by the base of the tree and watched as Momma came to feed him several times a day.

Then, yesterday, I noticed he was not at the base of the tree, but out in the middle of the lawn again.  Not a good place.  We have two feral cats in this area and I was afraid they would get him.  Plus, it was rainy and cold.  So I got a potholder, put it in the crotch of the tree and put Robbie in it.

Man, there must have been half a dozen Robins swooping at me and chirping and carrying on.

But they wouldn't come near him.

So, I went back out and took away the potholder and just put Robbie in the protected area.

He was chirping like crazy.  Dad did a couple of walk-bys and........................

Finally, two hours later, Dad came by to feed him and Robbie was fed every few minutes for the rest of the day.

A steady procession of Momma and Dad and probably Aunts and Uncles feeding him.

Now--this morning, Robbie is not in the tree.  I can't see him anywhere, so I am going to have to do a walk-about to see where he is.

The First Day of Summer, the longest day of the year.  Yesterday, we had 15 hours of daylight.

I have never had a balloon before.

I kept hugging it.

My sister Susan and Chuck came down and brought Subways for us.  Their tradition is a cup-cake with a candle on it.

I made a wish and blew out the candle and it came back on.  So I kept wishing and blowing until the candle finally sent out a few sparkles and went out for good.  I must have had 10 wishes!!!
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As is a family tradition, the family member who has just celebrated their birthday, is reminded that the next day, they start on a new age.  So, I was reminded not to worry about being 79, as today I start my eighth decade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a bit funny and now that it is imprinted in my mind, when/if someone asks my age, I will probably reply, "Eighty".  Just let me enjoy being "only" 79 for at least the next 12 months, okay?
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Seventy-Nine?  It boggles the mind.  Just stop and think, really ponder and think of your own age.  How did we get here so quickly?  To say, "A year from now," sounds so far away.

To have to suffer with a toothache for a year, would be impossible to bear.  To think of not seeing a loved one for a year, would also be heart rendering.  To think of being eighty in "just" a year, and knowing how quickly that year will go, is almost frightening.

But--I will make it and....there better be a big party, with ALL my kids and grandkids and family, with more balloons and cake, next June 21st.  Just sayin'!
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Now to be depressed a bit--I am starting my 8th decade AND the days are getting shorter--daylight-wise.  Heading toward the Winter Solstice where we get about 3 hours of daylight, or so it seems.  Again time--moves so slowly from December to June and so quickly from June to December.

...and with that happy thought...........