Memories--Memory Building

Isn't it something how just a word or a picture can trigger a memory from long ago?

I read blogs and if someone posts an old photo or tells of a memory of their young life, I am right back there.  I can see that memory of mine as if it is a movie, playing out in front of my eyes.

Sally posted a photo of her Mom riding in the rumble seat of a Ford Coupe.  Right away, I see my parents Model T Ford sedan.  No rumble seat.  My Daddy got that car his Senior year in high school and they still had it 5 years later when I was born and up until the time I was 5.  So dang cold in the back seat in the winter time.  Mother would bundle me up in a wool blanket, along with a hot water bottle.  We didn't drive too far, but it seemed like a long way.  The windshield wipers were manual.  Daddy steered with one hand, and worked the wipers, back and forth by a little lever up over the window.
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Jean wrote about message T-shirts she and her husband used to wear and right away, I could see all of mine from years past.  I think my favorite T-shirt was one I got from the Tall Girls shop.  It was white with a long blue flower and said, "Tall Is Beautiful."  I still have the T-shirts from every place I visited.  Mt. Rushmore, Niagara Falls, Boston, on and on.  The ones I mainly wear now are green and white and have a big MSU on the front or a the Spartan logo.
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I had a great weekend.  The weather was mild and with low humidity, so all my windows were open 24 hours a day and still are today.  Apparently, the heat and humidity are coming back so I am enjoying it, while I can.

Pammie called me on Saturday just to see if my furniture had arrived, or if I was still sitting in my camping chair.  She said she felt bad taking my recliner before the new one arrived.

We talked about the upcoming wedding on the 21st, and I am going to ride down with her.  She may be staying here because,  Jennifer and ALL her family are coming in a few days before the wedding, staying at Karen's, and Pammie wants to be close enough to spend every minute she can with Jen's kids.

I told Pam that my new couch is as comfortable as any bed she ever slept in and she is more than welcome to come and stay as long as she wants.

Wouldn't that be fun?  At least for me. :-)

My son Mark continues to feel well and will also be driving down for the wedding.  I look forward to that day!!!

I don't think the marriage will last, but I look forward to the family get-together FOR the wedding.

I can hardly wait to see Jen and her kids!!!!!
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Sunday I went to one of Maddie's best friends "Send Off" party.  I have known this darling young woman since she was about 5 years old.  She and Maddie were in the home school group and she and Maddie were in the ballet classes.

Susanna, was adopted from China, when she was just a baby.  The last 3 years she has been studying at a prestigious ballet school in Mississippi.  Now she is off for a 4 month adventure to China.  They will be dancing in a museum in the southern part of China and, sort of under ground, missionary work.

That part scares me for her, but in China, if they find out you are teaching about the Bible, they don't shoot you, they "caution" you.  If you keep it up, they jail you.  The people that come to the Bible classes, bring their children to learn and it is all very hush-hush, with only the interpretive ballet performances seen by the public.

While she is there, she is going to the little town where she was born.  She is not real enthused to do that as she says, "I am as American as you are," but it is for her own curiosity.  Like her looking into her genealogy, I suppose.

After the party, I drove into Brighton and picked up the (30+ years) old, much loved posters I had Michael's rehab for me.  What a great job they did.  The paper was all wrinkled, the poster frames broken.  Now I can put these favorite pictures up on my walls to once again enjoy.

I ordered a small chair side table from WayFair, so I put that together.  Even these old arthritic hands got the job done.

The neatest thing of all?  The bolts were coming out of my rocking chair.  None of the Allen wrenches I had, fit the bolt head.  I got an Allen wrench in the hardware bag with the table.  After I got the table put together, I remembered the chair and tried it.  Sure enough, the Allen wrench worked, so now my chair is nice and stable too.  That Allen wrench now resides in my tool box!!!

Karen stopped over after they attended the Send Off party and we had a nice chat.  

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Today, I am being lazy.  Doing laundry--all of two loads, sitting in my comfy chair, watching the Olympics and knitting.

Tomorrow starts a busy couple of weeks, so I am catching any down time I can. :-) 

Still Hot and Humid, but...........

--today was Brighton Day. 

I spent part of the morning cleaning up in this computer room.  At least now, I can walk in here and get to my desk without have to maneuver through a war zone.

After watching my Soap and feeling pretty chipper, with my cool skinny Jeans and cute top on, I headed up to Michael's. I have two old, but very loved posters, that I found when cleaning and realized that, with my new living room,, I wanted them back up on the wall.  So, I am getting them re-matted and re-framed. 

Then on to JoAnn's for some embroidery floss and yarn. Of course, these items are way at the farthest wall in the place, but I kept smiling and kept walking.

Then on to Bed Bath & Beyond. All three of these stores are within a block of each other in a strip mall.  

I have never been in that store and probably will not go back. Too much stuff! Yes, they have everything for the bed and the bath--it's just that they have way to much stuff for the beyond.  I felt claustrophobic!  

I had the photo of the curtains I wanted, on-line it said they were in stock--not so. So I ordered them from their computer, and they will deliver them to my home--free shipping.  I find it quite curious.  Curtains used to come in pairs.  Now they come in single panels.  If you want a pair, you have to order two panels.  The sale girl and I both thought that was ridiculous. At least, if I don't like them, it will be a short ride to take them back.

Then across Grand River to Meijer's to buy the "10 Pepsi for 10, with 11th one free".  That's all I got and headed up to the "20 or less" lane.

I got flirted with in the check-out lane. I was behind my cart and wanted to get in front to unload it.  I had to squeeze between my cart and the side thingie, The guy behind me-probably mid 60's, cute said, "Well, it's a good thing you've kept your model figure." 

I smiled. 

"You're are so tall and thin, did you ever model?, he asked. 

"Yes, back in the 60's, I modeled ski wear for a couple of months." 

"Oh. I thought you probably were a Victoria's Secret model."

So, apparently he wasn't referring to my long, thin legs!!

I didn't know what to say.  I moved up to start unloading my cart, then turned to him and said, "Sir, when I modeled in the 60's. Victoria had no secrets, neither did Debbie, and neither did I." 

Turned my back on him and concentrated on talking with the cashier!

Dirty old men--disgust me!

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When I first moved here, I dated a guy like that.  He flirted with every waitress.  Made comments about their figures.  Called all of them "Sweetie".  He thought the waitresses loved it.  I could see them rolling their eyes and shaking their heads as they walked away.  That's what this guy today reminded me of and totally turned me off!  Why do old guys get like that?

When I got home, I took a shower--not just because I was sweating and hot from the weather, but to wash off the dirt that man made me feel.

It's Not The Heat--It's The Humidity

---which is a dang lie!!!!!

When it's in the 90's, it IS the heat.

None of my annuals are growing like they should.  Too hot and dry.

Orange colored leaves are appearing on my Maple trees.  Too hot and dry.

I don't even want to go outside to get the mail.  Too hot and humid.
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Last night, I decided that today--TODAY--I would go up to Howell and then go to Brighton.

I had a prescription to pick up at the Howell Walmart, I also had to get cat food, file folders, Hershey chocolate bars and D cell batteries. I also had to stop at the bank.

After I was done there, I "planned" to drive to Brighton and go to Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy the curtains, stop at JoAnn's and Meijer's where Pepsi is "10 for 10 with the 11th one free".

I was really feeling punk this morning.  Probably brought on by the fact that I had an intestinal episode that kept me awake from Midnight until nearly 3:00.

Nonetheless, after my Soap, I got in the hot car to go up to Walmart.  For some unknown reason, today of all days, the car's air conditioning fan decided to cooperate and I had nice, cool air blowing on me the entire 2.5 miles.

I decided to refill my prescription for Ativan.  60 pills last refilled on 05/01/2013.  I discovered that they really help when my inside get nervous and also when the trembling starts in my hands.  Teeny-tiny, 0.5 mg miracles. An old drug used for anxiety, cheap at $1.25 and they work great!!!

I am a fan of Ativan!!

As I trudged across the hot parking lot, I wondered if I was going to make it to my car without fainting!  I wondered if the shimmering I saw was heat radiating up from the asphalt or if it was the start of a black-out!

I drove the short mile to the bank and was cooled off nicely.  When I pulled out of the bank, back onto the main road that runs from Howell to Brighton, and right past where I live, I just felt tired.  As I neared the entrance to my Park, I did a right turn and came home!!

Brighton can wait until tomorrow.
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I spent a couple of hours, making new labels for my new file folders to go in my new hanging file folders, in my desk.  I felt like I was back at work doing my Administrative Assistant job.  Everything in my big desk drawer is organized and looking pretty.

Then, I decided to try and straighten this room.  My Gosh--what a bunch of stuff, still sitting out from when I moved it in here BEFORE my paint job.  Dust on all the shelves.  Things need moving around.  Things need taken up to the Salvation Army place.

I soon stopped that nonsense and played a few Face Book games and then decided it would be a good thing to climb into my recliner, watch a bit of TV and knit.  

Tomorrow is another day!!
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When are those storms from Canada going to move on down here and cool us off???!!!

Complete. Or So I Thought.

It arrived and my living room now is complete.  It is "high" too, so much easier to get up.  However, when my 5'2" sister tries it out, her little stubby legs won't hit the floor.  LOL

 The carpet looks a lot bluer now.

Looking around and I realized how much I hate my curtains.  I have winter drapes the same color, and summer sheers the same color and had a table cover the same color.  It all looked great with my old couch and chair--the fabric having dots of light blue and cranberry in it, but now?

One thing leads to another, doesn't it?  I want new curtains!!

What color, though?  Patterned?  Nope, I like things plain and simple,  Crisp, airy feeling.

I have large windows--well not like the 7' ones I had in my house, but larger than most homes of this kind.  I want all the light I can get in this room.  

I like a sheer panel on each side--wide enough so I can pin them together at the top and have them drape and held back by the "tie-back", metal thingie I have on the wall.  Then I like a Valance over that to tidy up the top of the curtain.  Rod Pocket.  I don't like Tab tops.  I don't like fancy rods that you hook the curtain too.  Not in this house, anyway.

My kitchen curtains are white and I think they look nice, up against the white walls.  But they are too kitchency looking for the living room--although they are crisp.  I don't want ruffles in my living room.

But see how I have pinned them together at the top and then  draped them a bit?  I want that same look in the living room, 



Maybe?  

These are at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I just might run into town, get one pair and see how they look in real life.I would need to find a plain valance of the same sheer to go over the top

A little bit of pattern?
Hm-mm.

What do you think?

Life As It Is on Lakeview Lane.

Earlier this year, knowing that we were going to have a Class reunion coming up next year, I started renewing addresses, making sure I had every one's, and putting together some thoughts about the reunion.  I put it in file marked, "2017 Class Reunion" and--I forgot about it.  

Our class is really good about having reunions--5 yrs, 10-15-20-25, on and on and a really big one for our 50th.  I have been the one in charge of arranging it, getting the invites sent out, getting the reservation count, on and on.  For our 50th, I made a really nice book with a page for each classmate--with their "now" photo.  Then I made badges for everyone with their Senior picture on it for them to wear, helping us all to recognize each other.

We had a really good attendance that year, with the "kids" coming from all over the US.

At one of our classmates lunches, early this spring, two of the ladies made an announcement that our class and the class the year ahead of us were going to have a joint reunion.  The reason being, "because so many of us married each other, and we will have a bigger crowd."

At the time, my mind slipped off to count the "so many of us" who had married each other.  3 came to mind.  

Then I heard them discussing where it was going to be.  A real fancy banquet hall, that would cost a goodly amount to rent, with the food catered.  On August 27th, from 5:00 - 8:00.

Thankfully, I wasn't in charge, other than to make-up and mail our the invitations.  My mind slipped away from the conversation again to think of who would attend.  

Did they actually think that Jim was going to fly in from California for a 3 hour get together?  Was Bev going to drive up from Tennessee?  Were Larry and Mary, Sam and Joe going to fly or drive all the way up here from Florida for a 3 hour get together?

I kept my mouth shut!  "Sure--I'd love to make and mail the invitations."  I said and I would and I did.

One of the ladies called me yesterday.  "So far we have 18 from our class and 15 from theirs.  That includes spouses."

WOW!  That number alone won't even pay for the banquet hall rental, I don't think.

People our age and the other class a year ahead of us, are not going to drive from all over, even Michigan, for a 3-hour get together, that ends at 8:00 and they will be driving home in the dark.  So, we basically are having our usual Old Gal Pals get together, with husbands, if they want to come, but we are having it for supper instead of lunch.

Plus, they wanted me to make up a list of our deceased classmates, which I did and put it on card stock with a black border around it to sit on the picture table, for everyone to look at, but now---they want one of the girls to read off the names and dates.  What a lovely downer--don't you think?

Now--if it had been up to me, there is a restaurant where we sometimes meet for lunch that has a large room off to one side.  The room would easily hold 75-100 people.  I would have asked to set up part of this room for us and when we all got there, we could just have ordered off the regular menu.  Cheaper than the $25.00 it is going to cost each of us and we wouldn't have had to pay rent on that room.  

Other diners could be on the other side enjoying their meals, although most regular people wouldn't be in there at that time of day and there is another large dining area with booths,  and we on one side==kind of like a big family get together.  I would have had us meet earlier for chit-chat (4-4:30) and order around 5:30-6:00) and be off and home by 8:00.  Also this place, is more centrally located for most of us.  Because after all, it's just going to be us that see each other all the time anyway.

That's what I would have done, but---I'm keeping my mouth shut!!
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Dar came over.  I haven't seen her in a couple of days.  After three short weeks, (I thought it would take at least a month), Daddy is driving her nuts!  

So far he has insisted she clean out her shed and throw away everything not needed and put a bike out in front of her place, for sale.  The bike has sat there for two weeks, and no takers.  I told her I thought she should give it to her brother, who lives in a sub-division with kids, for him to sell for her.  After all,  this street only gets traffic from the people who live on it and we're all old and don't need a 14-speed dirt bike! (That she bought to bribe her grandson with and he never rode it.)

Daddy has to go out every morning for breakfast--she must drive him.  Then back home.  I guess they do have lunch at home, but at 1:00 every day, I see them leave because Daddy has to go to the park/millpond to walk and feed the ducks and the geese. (We have a nice lake at the end of our street where he could do that).  Then back home at 3:00--out they go again at 5:00 for supper and if they don't get a Dairy Queen then, and come back home, they leave again at around 8:30 for Daddy to get his ice cream, because, he has to have ice cream every day.

For the last two days, there has been a carpenter at her house, putting a new roof on her shed, because Daddy said it needed one.  Last Sunday, they had to go out looking for a fire pit, because Daddy wants to sit out by a fire and toast marshmallows.  I don't think Daddy realizes how many mosquitoes are back there by the woods.

Our Park does not allow fire pits, it has to be all enclosed.  So, they came home with what I thought was a grill at first, but no--it's a fire pit, but not a fire pit.

 

I don't know how they are going to toast marshmallows in it because, they can't open it or take off the lid.  I also don't know where they are going to get wood for it--buy it in bundles at the local Wal-Mart, I guess?

Now, Daddy is having the carpenter come back to rework Dar's back deck.  Daddy wants a screened in covered porch, gazebo.  I wonder if he intends to put the fire thingie inside the gazebo?
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I think I have been "stiffed" by one of my genealogy clients.  She contacted me really excited to find out about her family.  I "thought" she lived alone, perhaps divorced? and wondered if she could afford the normal cost, so I gave her a lower rate then I usually charge and put in a lot of hours I didn't book her for.  It was a very interesting genealogy--I even found a picture of a 14-15th great grand father of hers, who was over 100 years old in the photo.

I spent a good part of June working on it.  I mailed it to her the 7th of July.  I sent her an e-mail telling her I'd be mailing it out and she was thrilled.  I know she received it, as the Post Office notified me of the fact.  I hadn't asked for any money up front, like most of my clients pay me, but I enclosed her invoice.  

Nothing.

No check is in the mail, no response to the e-mails I have sent her--nothing.  

Maybe she has been sick?  Maybe a family member died and she has forgotten about the genealogy payment?

Disappointing to me.  

I don't use "contracts".  I trust people at their word.  I do a good job and everything in the genealogies that I do, has been researched, seventy-eleven times and I know it is factual.  I always have hours I have worked on it that I don't book my clients for. 

 Sometimes it's because I have an idea that perhaps what I found three days previously isn't correct, so I go "off the time clock" to go back and do more research to make sure.

I want everything in their book I can find--not just about their father's and mother's, but about ALL their ancestors.  I usually go off track and include facts about a distant Grand Mother, because a lot of times, the women's stories are much more interesting than the men's. LOL

Trying to connect it all can be difficult, especially when I suddenly leave Grandpa 14, to do some research on his wife, end up going up 10 more generations, and then have to come back to Grandpa 13 and tie it all in.

That's why I make up the pedigree charts.  So they can fold out the sheets, see their direct ancestor's at a glance and then go on into the book to read the research and any stories I have found about them.

Then another pedigree chart for the next family and on and on.

Any of you who have employed me, know how much time and effort I put into your book.  Usually it runs about 60 hours, that I charge for.  In reality, it is more like 100 hours.  The books have a nice cover and backing, bound with a metal like coil and will last for a very long time.  Usually 60+ double sided pages on special printing, heavy paper.

When I am done with the books, I pray over them.   I ask God to let this book somehow make my client happy in the knowledge of how hard their ancestor's worked to, in reality, bring them life. If they find surprises they didn't know about, I hope those surprises aren't depressing ones.  Then I wrap the book up really good, put them in a box and mail them out.  

These books are almost like my children!!  I have learned so much about the ancestor's--even cried as I recorded the names of the 10 or 13 children a family had then seeing the dates of the babies that died.  Three children, different ages, all on one day.  

Oh--the heartbreak that mother must have felt!!!

So--this instance makes me feel--not angry, it wasn't that much money owed, but I feel like I have had one of my children kidnapped!  Unappreciated!  

Taken once again for the trusting fool I have been all my life!  I just pray that she found something of interest and goodness in her book.
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I have no genealogies to work on now.  So if you know of someone, that would like their family history researched and made into a nice book, have them contact me via e-mail.  I think this time, I will require a $200.00 check or Pay Pal payment BEFORE I start the research.  If I find nothing, which would be rarer than rarer, I will send back the money.  

"Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, Deja Vu."

What A Mess! Or---

--what I did on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I don't know if any of you have had this miserable computer experience, but...somewhere along the way I must have clicked on something wrong (Like Pearl does all the time) and ended up with a desktop that had NONE of my saved Favorites on it.  I have an Icon to click on that goes directly to my bank website, to my blog, to my patient portal, on and on.

DIS-TA-PEERED!!! (as my kids used to say.)

I had so many nasty, creepy, little spybots running in the background of my computer, like Ask, Bing, MySearch, Avg--they all wanted to be my search engine--at the same time.

So, I found a way to get rid of all of them.  Took me hours, but I did it.  Google was now my home page, as usual, but all my favorite icons were gone.

DIS--TA--PEERED!!

I could not even access this blog--my own blog--because, for security I have taken it off ALL search engines.  I did a really good of that too. LOL.

So I had to Face Book private message Chrissy to have her post my link so I could get into my own blog.  I'm here--but I don't know if I will ever find my way back again.  HAH!
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Good News--Pammie was here Saturday to pick up my recliner because the new one was set to be delivered this morning.

She and I got to talk about Mark.  Per Usual---when his pseudo-wife posted the late night Face Book status, she got it all wrong.  Well--she didn't actually get it all wrong, but she doesn't know how to convey what she wants to say in a concise manner, plus, usually that time of night, she is drunk.

 Her comment was,"he has decided no more chemo.  We want quality, fun time."

What that actually meant was:  per Pammie:  "Because Mark has been battling pneumonia and a gall bladder attack, when he went in for his 4th chemo treatment, the doctor told him, 'we aren't going to do that today.  You need to get your immune system built back up again.' "

So Mark DID have his shot and the normal infusion to keep his tumor at bay, but won't resume chemo for another month.

GEEZ LOUISE!!!

Pammie said, "Big Bro feels great!  He was out walking the other day. Wanted to know if I wanted to go fishing with him next weekend.  Momma, you gotta remember who posted that comment and just---ignore it.  Call me instead."

Sigh.
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I received my invitation to my grand daughter's  wedding.  It is going to be held in the back yard of their new home.  A Rabbi--very Liberal woman Rabbi--will do the honors.  They are going to have it under the Canopy and Mike will stomp on the glass, but when the Rabbi told Helene that it was traditional for the bride to walk around the groom 7 times, Helene replied, "Ah no.  I don't think we'll be doing that."
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This is what I have been sitting in since Saturday, when Pammie took my chair away.

My camping chair with an extra cushion and a kitchen chair to elevate my legs and feet.

Not exactly the most comfortable, but it worked.  The cats were confused as there was no place for them to lay.

Then, I decided to spray paint the construction grade brown floor registers, antique nickel to better match my carpeting.  They turned out great!!  Surprised myself that I managed to get the correct color paint for them.

Then I got a call Sunday afternoon that my new recliner would arrive at 11:45 this morning.  AND it did!!!

Oh. My. Gosh!  It is higher than my other one, so easier for me to get out of.  It has Seventy--Eleven positions to recline, including flat.  The chaise supports my calves and the foot rest locks in place, so if a heavy cat jumps up on the foot, it won't drop.  It has lumbar support.  I sat in it for an hour to watch my Soap, and my back ache was gone!!!

If anyone under 5'7" sat in it, they would feel engulfed, but for this 5'11" long legged person, it is perfecto!!!!!  It is smaller, width wise than my other one and not so "puffy" and it is sooooooo comfortable!!

It's a Lazy Boy!  I haven't been able to afford a Lazy Boy in 30 years!!!  AND, it will show every single cat hair, just like the last chair.  Who cares?  I've got a nice big lint roller. LOL

I told the delivery guys, "I'll probably see you again because the couch I ordered comes in at the end of the month."
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At 3:00, I got a call from Art Van.  My couch is in and will be delivered this Wednesday!!!  Oh. My. Gosh!!!

So--my living room will look like a living room again and I won't have to use my camp chair for extra seating.  HAH!

It Was A Good Day!I

I decided that I needed a treat!  My new refrigerator has been empty since it was installed the first of the month.  Except for Diet Pepsi, water, milk and cat food.  I've been eating out of the cupboards.  Soup and corn and green beans and pork and beans.

This morning, I got up late again, I think depression is trying to grab me again, but I won't allow it to set in, I checked my grocery money wallet, $30.00 left.  I called the Rich People's store and put in an order at their MAGNIFICENT deli, for me to pick up at 2:15.

When I first got to the store, I headed back to their bakery and picked up a 9x4" yellow cake with butter creme frosting loaf cake.  They make their own and they are delish.  Then over to the deli and there was my order.  A large Antipasto salad, a medium container of mac & tuna salad, a small container of Neptune salad and a small container of the best bologna sandwich spread--just like my Mother used to make with chopped up onion and dill pickles.

Total price?  $27.00!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to be eating well this weekend!!!!!!!!!!
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It took me a year to do my family genealogy, both Mother and Father's side and made up the books for my kids.  Over the years, we have bragged about how there has never been any cancer in our family.  As I noted when I did the research, NO CANCER OF ANY KIND--EVER--all the way back.

What I find strange, and maybe I jinxed our family.  my son now has cancer and I found out today, my cousin (on my mother's side) had surgery for prostate and bladder cancer.

When asked why, with the explanation that our family does not have the cancer gene, it was explained that most cancers now are environmentally caused.  The food we eat, what we drink.  So many preservatives and just the bad stuff in the air.  It just "happens".  

That ticks me off!  Mark, my son, has always cooked and always used fresh grown vegetables and fresh caught fish or venison.  My cousin, has run in many marathons, and even after retirement, has run every day--at least 10 miles.  They are healthy people!!!

We are supposed to live until our late 80's or 90's, like our ancestor's and then die peacefully from our heart giving out, not from some poison getting inside and eating us alive!!

Well, at least no one in the family has ever had breast cancer.
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Probably shouldn't have said that.  I have a Mammogram next month!  YIKES!!