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...........

Got my hair cut Friday evening.  One side is shorter than the other. The back looks great, but it's a bit ragged where she tried to cut over/around my ears.  $17.00 with a $5.00 tip and pleasant conversation in a quiet salon--worth it. 

We got the heat wave during Friday night.  In anticipation, I closed up the house when I went to bed and turned on the A/C to 74.  The A/C helps so much to keep the house dry--that's the main thing to me, and of course cool.

Saturday, I stayed in all day.  I took down the curtains and washed them and the windows in my office.  This is one of the scary chores I have to do once a year, but I got my spring housecleaning done while it is officially Spring.

See that window ledge between my desk and the windows--I have to stand on that and press my calves back against the desk to keep my balance while taking down the valance and washing the windows.  I clear off my desk, so I can sit on it and spin my bottom around to get to the windows.

Windows all washed--on the inside at least.  The outside would involve a ladder and, well..........

I even dusted that big hunk of driftwood while I was up there.

The hardest and scariest part is hooking the valances back up.  I am so tall that my nose is level with that top frame and it makes me kind of woozy to stand there and bend down to see where the valance hooks are.

Well success.  Curtains washed, starched and ironed.  I didn't put a hand or elbow through the top window pane nor my knee through the bottom  one.  WHEW!

I stepped out at 9:00 in the evening to re-fill the Orioles feeder.  Still hotter than bling! I have to fill it twice a day.  I have two pairs of the beautiful orange and black birds.

Sunday, I stayed in all day too.  Mostly watching the golf tournament and a good movie.

Monday, stayed in all day again.  This is getting a little confining even for me.  I did get a hit on the genealogy I am doing that took me up to 1260, so that kept me busy all day--or 5 hours of the day.

My Maggie cat likes to sleep on a plastic bag.  I don't know why--seems weird to me.  So when I empty one out, I throw it down for her.  It looks a bit untidy, but.............

 Different day, different plastic bag--same result.

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So nice and cool and low humidity this morning.  Daughter Karen came over with an early birthday gift.  15 bags of dark brown mulch for my Lilac/Hosta garden.  I've wanted to get this done for a couple of years, but it was too much for me to do.

It was like a jungle in there.  Lilac suckers growing up all over, weeds, little Maple trees.  I sat in my camp chair and went along digging up what I could reach, Karen was on the inside, contending with cutting down the suckers, little trees and putting Round-up on the weeds.

By the time we got the clean-up done, it already looked 90% better.

Then she went to work, hauling bags of mulch and getting it all put down.

 Beautiful.

While Karen was putting down the mulch, I was packing yard waste bags with the debris we had cut out, trimmed and pulled up.  I wasn't in any hurry because the yard waste people come at 7:00am every other Tuesday morning, and I knew that today I had missed them.  I would have to store the bags in my shed for another two weeks.

I had one bag filled when I heard what sounded like the garbage truck.  I looked around and there went the yard waste truck up the street behind me.

Wait.  What?

I hurriedly filled another bag and hauled both of them out to the street.  Ran back to the wheelbarrow and stuffed another bag with what remained.  The truck was at my neighbor's, as I quickly hauled the last bag to the street.

I told the guy what happened.  

"I can't believe you are this late today.  You guys are never late."

"Well, we had some truck trouble this mornin', " he said.

Lucky me.

Karen was putting the last touches on the mulch and I was hauling tools back to the shed, when it started sprinkling.

Lucky us.

I was tired out, had a sandwich for lunch and watched my Soap.  I knew I had to go to the bank and also to Walmart to get some stuff.  I decided to wait until tomorrow.  Then, I noticed I had 1/2 litre of Diet Pepsi left.  So I hauled myself into my car and headed up toward Howell.  Stopped at the bank and then started on toward Walmart.  There was a lot of traffic and in order to get to Walmart, I would have had to move over two lanes to turn left at the light.  I just decided it was easier to stay in my lane and turn right into the Meijer store--what's the diff, right?

I dragged myself back toward where the Pepsi is located.  I figured I'd just get a couple of jugs to last me until another day when I felt more like shopping.  I saw the yellow sign, "10 for 10.  11th one FREE".  Oh.  My.  Gosh!

Now if I had gone to Walmart, I would have missed that sale and paid $1.58 for a jug of Pepsi.  If the yard waste men hadn't had truck problems, I would have to haul those 3 bags to my shed and in two weeks, remember to haul them all out to the street.  If Karen and I hadn't just finished up when we did, we would have gotten rained on pretty hard.

Those coincidences that I credit to God Happenings.  On the way home from the store, thinking about those 3 incidences, I just laughed and laughed.

What a great day!

Frustrated

When I got my second hair cut at a New (for me) salon in town, it cost $35.00.  I wondered about the discrepancy because my first cut there cost $25.00.  As I left I ask the gal at the counter about it.
'I paid $25.00 last time."
She clicked on her computer, "No last time...you paid forty-seven.  It was less this time because it was just a trim."

Well, knowing full well that I couldn't have paid forty-seven dollars for a hair cut and not remembered, when I got home, I checked my Debits from my checking account.  Sure enough, I paid twenty-five dollars.  

Okay--so it looked good for the wedding, but..........here we are, not even two weeks out and my hair is waaay too long in front.  I started feeling around my head.

The tip top of my head--the hair is one inch--which is perfect.  The hair on the crown is 2.5" and the front is over 3"!!  I have this big gray "surfer" wave going on.  It keeps wanting to fall down on my forehead/eyebrows.

Wouldn't you think that a professional stylist at an upscale salon would know how to cut short hair?  Especially after I showed her 3 photos, at different angles of how I wanted it cut?

I had another appointment with her on July 3rd--by then my hair will stick out like Bozo the Clown  the sides are getting there already.  I called and canceled that appointment and made one for this Friday at the salon I used to go to.  My stylist there, died 2+ years ago and I haven't had a decent cut since.  I am taking in photos again and "teaching" the new girl that I have gone to twice before, how to get the cut the way I want it, not the way they think it should be!

Besides she charges $17.00 and I can teach her, as we go along, I just might be happy.  My hair is about the only thing that I have pride in.  It is my best feature and I'd like to keep it that way.
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Today I went to the dentist for my 4 month cleaning.  Lately this office as been all in a dither with using the ultra-sound cleaning process.  I don't like it--half the time I feel like I'm drowning and I get so tired of that noise in my ear.  Today, the hygienist used the old way--digging and scraping.  It was so relaxing.  I enjoy have the back of my teeth scraped.  Unfortunately, she found a small cavity so I have to go back.  I just got my bill to them paid off.  Now I will have $210.00 to start paying on.  I send them $40.00 a month and like to built up a credit, but..................
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I started cleaning this house last weekend.  I tend to lay stuff on the counter tops and with this open concept plan, anyone who walks in my door, sees the clutter.  Of course my back was killing me.  I started with the bedroom and worked forward to this room.  I got it done the first day--except this office--the messiest, dustiest room in the house.  

I got that done Monday--took me over 2 hours--for one room!!!  I still have to do the windows, which if you watched the video I made last year, I have to clear off my desk, sit on it, then stand on the 4" widow ledge, brace my calves back against the desk, to take down the curtains and wash the window.  It's kind of tricky.  I am doing it Friday.
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Tomorrow is lunch with the Old School Gal Pals in a town about 50 miles from here.  Luckily it is going to be a nice day, with low humidity, which is nice as the A/C in my car only works intermittently.
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Look at this.  I've been working on it every day since January and not even half done.  The pattern is very complicated as well as the stitching.

I love these photos.
They are so representative of my Karen's beautiful heart.  Her smile never leaves.

Another really difficult month--financially.  $82.00 for new car license tabs, 'cause it's my birthday month. Six months worth of house insurance due.  I was paying by the month and think I'd better go back to that way. Why don't I put away a little  money each month to pay for these extra things?  Hey!  I would, if I could, but every month, the bottom line in my budget is red--in fact, I rejoice if it is only a bit pinkish!!

I wish I had that $20.00 back that I gave to the homeless vet.  Why did I give the next door kid five bucks for carrying in my groceries?  I should put the tags on my wedding outfit and take it back for a cash return.  Of course, I have a new bill each month in the summer--$40.00 a month for lawn mowing.

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I decided to get my car washed--needed it soooo badly.  When I drove into the entrance and they hooked my car in, it felt like it was a bit crooked.  But it went through fine--until the last, big brush.  KA-WHAP!  It yanked my driver's side mirror right off!  It was so loud, it made me jump!

I pulled back around to the entrance and told the guy what happened.  He had to shut the wash down, go in and get my mirror.  I asked,"Do I file a claim to get this repair paid for?"

He pointed to the, "We are not responsible for external mirror, antennas, blah, blah, that come of the vehicle during the wash process."

I was about ready to cry, "Could you at least give me my seven dollars back for the wash?"

He looked at me like I had two heads.

The mirror is one of those you can adjust from the inside--wires and all.  I don't need that kind of mirror.  I am perfectly capable of rolling down the window, putting my hand out and adjusting it.  What was this repair going to cost me?  In an already dark red monthly budget.

This morning I drove on down to Brighton to my service garage.  I was singing, "God Will Take Care of You" all the way in.  The guys in there have always been good to me in fixing my old car.  Using not the most expensive parts, but good enough to last years.  Kevin greeted me.  I laid the mirror on the counter.

"Ahh--I want you to pull outta here and go up three buildings to the body shop.  Ask for Ryan.  They can do it better and cheaper than we can."

So I left and drove up to the body shop.  Kevin must have called ahead because Ryan was waiting for me in the drive.  I handed him my mirror.

"I don't really need this fancy mirror.  Can you get a regular mirror from the junk yard and just put it on?"

"Come with me," he said.

He sat down at his computer and put the VIN of my car in.  Then he called a parts place.

I'm standing there thinking...two, three, four hundred?

He put some more information into his computer, looked up at me and said, "A hundred dollar bill."

All of a sudden, water started coming out of the corner of my eyes.  I was soooo embarrassed!

I never cry!  I didn't cry at the wedding.  I don't cry at funerals.  I never cry.

"I'm sorry for being so emotional.  I thought it would cost more and...I guess I'm relieved."

"That's okay,  We'll get the part and call you for an appointment.  You won't need to find a ride home because the fix will only take about thirty minutes."

So I asked for a copy of the paperwork, so in case I get stopped by a cop, I had proof I was going to get my mirror fixed.

I drove back to the service garage--Kevin was the only one at the counter.  I gave him a hug, still with tears in my eyes.  "Thank you so much!"  He got one of those "aww shucks" looks on his face.

Then I had to drive all the way up to Walmart in Howell to pick up a prescription.  Not too worried about the cost.  Probably $3.00.  The pharmacy guy handed it to me and said, "No co-pay today."

I sat in my car.  Why was there no co-pay?  There was three months ago.

I use the Walmart Savings Catcher.  I put in my receipt number, they check other stores and if a product I bought is cheaper somewhere else, they give me the difference and it goes on a card I can use the next time I shop.

I had over $22.00 on that card, but last week when I tried to use it, it showed zero balance.  So I called their Corporate office.  They don't use that card anymore.  They put the savings on your Smart Phone and you use that at check-out.

I explained that I didn't have a cell phone.  How was I going to get my savings money?  I had let it build up purposefully to use in a RED month.

The service guy didn't have any help for me.

"That doesn't seem fair," I said.  "Not every old person has a Smart Phone.  I don't."

He was sorry, but couldn't help.

I said, "I understand.  Thanks for trying to help me."  and hung up the phone.

Hours later, I noticed an e-mail from Walmart.  I thought it was a notice that my prescription was ready.  I opened it to read it and there, from the customer service guy, was a e-gift card.  All I have to do is present it at the check-out.  They will scan the code and I will get my money.

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Coincidences?  I don't think so.  I just  looked upwards and said, "Thank you, God!"