Glutton for Punishment

Today's high temperature was:  77 degrees

Today's humidity was:  34%

Sunny, breezy.

PERFECT WEATHER-(once again).

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I'm so glad you stopped by.  I really enjoy our daily chats.

I read Balisha's blog post this morning, http://balisha-neverenoughtime.blogspot.com/and it brought back a whole lot of memories of the summer's of my youth.  My grandma had a hatchery and a chicken farm.  She got her "mash" for the chicken feed in pretty sacks.



It was the easiest thing to make dresses or nighties out of this thin, cool cotton.  Of course, they were dusty from the ground up feed inside, so you had to wash them, but--they were pretty and bright.  I think some of those feed sacks ended up in the quilts my great grandma, grandma and Mother made.   We were well enough off so I didn't have to wear them for church or school, but Mother made me some.  Sleeveless (like a tank top) or tied on the shoulders--and just hung in an "A" line to my knees.  Mother didn't need a pattern--she had sewn from the time she was 10, so she took measurements and then stitched them up in a quick minute.  They were so cool and nice on a hot summer's day.

Of course, I was practically naked under them, but...I always wore my two pair of under panties, under them.  You wonder...why two pairs--at the same time?  Because....I wore my cotton ones and then a nylon pair on top---to make sure I was completely covered and nothing showed through.  You see--I spent a lot of time hanging by my knees from tree limbs, or climbing up trees, or doing cartwheels.  The fact that I had a dress on, and when I was upside down, it would fall around my head--that never mattered to me.  So Mother made sure, I was a respectable Tom-Boy.  LOL

Weren't those days wonderful?  Seven, eight, nine, ten years old.  Running barefoot all over all summer.  Getting as "brown as a berry," my Daddy would say.  When I got to be around 12, grandma cautioned me, "You need to wear a hat or put some lotion on your face when you are in the sons.  Boys like girls with a milk-white complexion, not all tanned up like a hired man!"  

Like I've said before--I am so glad my parents had another child--a girl, so they could get their dainty little princess, who never got tanned, who never had scabs on her knees, who stayed inside and learned to sew and decorate and draw and paint.  While this wild scallywag was out making forts in the hay bales in the top of the barn, walking across the beam up there (15 feet off the barn floor) and swinging on the rope into the pile of hay in the hay loft--or, catching turtles and frogs down by the creek and making hide-outs in the ditches along the gravel road.
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This morning, remembering how bad the back of my shed looked yesterday, I got my bucket of hot water, my mop and my special cleaning solution and headed out back.  I sprayed the back of the shed to get it wet.  Spritzed the cleaner all over it and let it set for twenty minutes.  Then I got my mop and started scrubbing--no big deal, right? Well, you know how life is.  Tasks or things that look easy peasy, usually turn into the most difficult.

Perhaps my arms and shoulders were inflamed because of yesterday's, having to hold the hedge trimmers over my head to trim Mary's bushes, I don't know, they didn't seem to be too sore.  But--for some reason,having to hold that mop above my head and then work my way down, and then having to bend over to get the siding next to the ground--that back and forth mopping motion just about killed me!!!  I thought it might take thirty minutes--took an hour.  I had to go over a lot of places and spritz on some more cleaner.  Truth be told--I would have taken a picture, but my arms and shoulders hurt so much I couldn't lift the camera up to eye level!!!

So I came in and rested and ate a lunch of sweet corn on the cob and tomato slices and watched my soap.  (It is so good right now!)

At 2:00, I was going to kick back my chair and take a little nap, and I looked over at where the book shelves are, sort of in the kitchen and I got a bright idea!   Bright ideas should be illegal for a person like me!!!

Old picture as I do not have the humidifier running now--

but you can see where the book shelves were.

This is a walnut piece that my great grandfather made.  

Rather primitive in its construction, but very solid.

I was also very tired of walking into my house and this being the first thing I see--

My microwave stand over by my chair--although, granted, it is 

technically in the kitchen.

So--I decided that the book shelves should go into the den to replace this old wicker box.

The one Buddy is laying in front of.

But--then, where would I put the box  I had it in front of my couch last fall and winter, but I don't like it there anymore--the reason it had been dispatched to the den.

So--I had to empty out the box.  And, I had to take everything off the book shelves.  Then I had to dust and clean the furniture pieces and dust the books and pictures and.........well, you know.  It just goes on and on.

As I was working away, I got another bright idea.

I tugged and pulled this heavy old wicker trunk out

to where the microwave stand use to be.

I think it kind of fits in with my other old boxes.

Then I pushed the microwave stand over by the kitchen table,

out of sight of anyone that would walk into the house.

And--"walked" (because it's so heavy) the book shelves into the den---in the space the wicker trunk used to occupy.

Maggie wonders what the heck is going on.

I don't know if I like it this way, but by the time I was done, I could not raise my left arm, so it will stay this way, until another day, when I get another bright idea.

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I didn't hear from Pearl all day--but Dar called to tell me she applied for and got a job at the Meijer's Super center.  Cashier--9.00 an hour, with a cost of living raise every 3 months, working her way up to $12.00, I think she said.  Full benefits.  Man, that is great for her.  I am actually quite jealous.  Man--could I use that kind of money.  Don't know if I could do the work for eight hours straight, but I sure could use that money. Wish I could get a job at home, typing or making spread sheets for some small business, putting files together--whatever!  I'd do that for $6.00 an hour!!!!! but nowadays, there are never any jobs like that advertised in the paper.  Most home jobs are scams in the long run.

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Hey, Bethie?  You know what I found out about the Shaker box?  You can tell if the craftsman was right or left handed by the way the Swallowtail design lays.  You hold the box on your lap and look at it.  If the >>> go to the right, he was right handed.  Holding the box and the pieces of shaped wood in his left hand, putting in the little pegs with his right.  if it goes, <<< he was left handed.  Cool, huh?

I guess our craftsman or woman, was right handed :-)

I think I will take a Naproxen--anti-inflammatory and hit the pillow.  I think I will sleep well, if the pain doesn't keep me awake.  



See ya!

The Circle of Life!

Today's high temperature was: 71 degrees

Today's humidity was:   26%

Sunny, nice breeze.

PERFECT WEATHER

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A terrible night!!!  I was so tired last night.  After I published my blog post I headed for bed.  

An hour later--still awake, I got up and took a Benedryl.

An hour later--still awake, I got up and read.

An hour later---still awake, I got up and made some warm cocoa.

At 4:00 a.m.--still awake, I got up, went potty, drank some water.

Of course, every time I moved from the bed, the Purry Furries had to get up too, to see what Momma was doing.

At 4:45--still awake I looked at the bedside table clock and just gave up.

8:00 a.m.--not awake, the alarm went off and I hit the snooze button.  I hit the snooze button every nine minutes until 9:30--and then I got up.

My head must be adjusting to the new pills because, I no longer have a thick, full head when I get up.  They aren't working as well as they did when I first started taking them, so...when I go back on the 25th, I will ask him to kick them up to 10mg.

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At 11:00 a.m., I went out to my shed and got my power cord, my electric hedge trimmers, my loppers, and my gloves and walked the few steps to Mary's hedge.  Piece of cake--as it had been massacred two years ago, so all I had to do was trim off the top and the sides--probably an hour's work at most.

1:00 p.m.--job half done, I stagger home to get something to eat, rest my back in my chair and watch my soap.

Nothing is ever as easy as we think it is going to be, is it?  When the "guys" cut back her hedge two years ago, and charged her seventy-five dollars, if they came to a really big "stalk", they just left it and trimmed off the new growth on the top and sides.  So, when I went to trim off the branches, I kept running into the 2 inch limbs.  My loppers can't cut anything that big, so I had to get my little tree saw and cut them back.  Very hard work on my hands, arms and shoulder--trying to saw.

Mary worked right along with me though, she raked up all the trimmings and put them in yard waste bags.  The only problem, Mary can talk.  Mary does talk.  On and on she rattles.  I am using electric hedge trimmers, so every time she started a conversation, I had to stop, so I could hear her, and wait until she was done.

Back out at 2:00 and by 3:00, we were done.  I put all my stuff away--winding up those long orange heavy-duty extension cords really hurt my arm and shoulder.  I left her raking away with the comment, "Just stick the rake in my shed when you're done." and came back to my chair.  She wanted to pay me, but I refused.  She doesn't get much more then I do a month--no one around here does--and if I could help her for a chore she would otherwise have to pay for--and I am capable enough to do that chore, then I am going to do it.

Today, I reminded her to check the outside vent on her dryer.  Two years ago, I was walking past the side of her house to get to the other street and noticed, so much lint coming out of her dryer vent.  The vent was so full, it was packed in there and edging its way out in one long spiral of lint, about 3 inches in diameter.  She got her guy neighbor to come and pull out her dryer and clean out the vent--inside/out, and he told her, "You were about two more drying cycles away from a huge fire!"

I offered to drain and flush her water heater and she told me that a guy came last week and did it for her and, "he only charged me one hundred dollars and he was here for an hour."

<Sigh>

Her bushes last week.

Her bushes now.

I wish I had her place.  Double wide, three bedrooms, two baths, that nice back deck, corner lot.  Of course, I have enough to take care of AND I live on a quieter street and have a view of the woods and wetlands out my computer room window--so--bloom where you're planted!

I noticed, while I was out there, that if she sits on that deck, she can see the back of my shed and---CRAP--I didn't have it power washed when I had the house done, so---there is mold on the back.  So, tomorrow, I will go out--spray it with vinegar, bleach and soap solution, scrub it with my floor mop and try to get it looking better.  

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I just realized.  I have five neighbors that I communicate with most every week and out of those five--four are DITZES!!!  And those four are, Dar, Pearl, Tami and Mary.  Jackie seems to be the only sane one in the group!!!!!

Now--I feel bad when I read some of the stuff I write about Pearl.  She is an absolute lovely lady, nice and sweet and we spend a lot of time together and giggle and laugh and rib each other.  I probably should not write a thing about her, but.........she is a huge part of my day, and some of the things she says and does, are just hysterical to me.  When I write on here about her...I am not putting her down.  I am just relating on the things she said, the way we go back and forth, trying to understand each other.  If it wasn't for Pearl--I might go days and days without speaking a word to another human.  Thank goodness I have her, to stimulate my mind.  Right?

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Yesterday, when Susan and Chuck were here--she and I walked around my perennial garden and Chuck dug up some roots to take back for her new garden, that she is designing and wanting to get some perennials in this month.

As I lay in bed last night, I happened to think of where those plants came from.  The Momma Iris, as we call it, was planted by my mother in 1966.  It was in memory of my grandma.  The Lemon Lily, also was in our Mother's garden, but, it came from a root in our great grandmother's garden--the same place where Susan lives now.  As did the Rudbeckia AND a peony tuber I have.  The Peony plant was eighty years old when I took a piece--it was on The Farm and planted by our great great grandmother.  I have had it for forty-five years.  So, that plant is around 125 years old and still growing!!

Lemon Lily.  Not only is it lemon color, but it smells like lemons.

 What we call, Momma Iris.  Peach in color.

Rudbeckia-Brown-Eyed-Susan

or

as Pearl calls it--Rebecca.

I got the "cuttings" from my mother's garden, when I moved into my grandmother's house, in 1967.  Mother had dg them up from the great grandmother;s gardens.  I planted them in the huge gardens I used to have (and Pammie has turned back into lawn).  Then when I moved in 1988, I took some roots with me.  Then when I moved in 1990, I took some of those roots with me--always leaving a nice garden behind.  Then when I moved to Saginaw in 1992, I took some of those roots and, on the corner lot there, I had an enormous garden that people use to stop their cars to look at.  Then, when I moved here in 2003, I brought some of the roots from those traveling plants with me.

So--here we are--nearly fifty years later, and some of the roots and tubers from the plants are...going back home where they were first planted.

Talk about the Circle of Life!!!!!

My great great grandmother died forty years before I was born, so I don't remember her.  Still---I have living plants that she first planted with her own hands, in the late 1800's.  It just amazes me.

I remember------my Mother went to Holland, Michigan in spring of 1969--she loved it there.  While she was there, she ordered 200 daffodil and tulip bulbs from Holland.  The country of Holland.  She planted them that fall.  She died in March 1970 and I was furious when those damn spring bulbs came up and were so beautiful!  My beautiful, young mother, had died for no apparent reason, and yet those stupid bulbs were alive and blooming!!!  My son, Mark, who now lives on that farm, treasures the plants his grandma planted and takes very good care of her long sward of a lawn---forty-three years later.

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The Circle of Life.  I know that none of my family thinks about these things, but I will tell Susan of my realization--but the fact of the matter is--we are some of the most fortunate people around here.  Not only are we still able to live on the land that has been in our family for over 150 years, but--we also have the plants/trees/bushes/buildings--that they planted or built with their hands in 1855!!!!!  We are a very lucky family indeed!!

All of that means more to me then any other family members and yet----because my step-mother basically stole my share of my Daddy's estate, it is not possible for me to live on any of that land.

Well--I better get off that subject or this lovely post will turn in a rant!!!
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My Sweet Boy!!!

~~A Couple Days Rolled Into One~~

Today's high temperature was: 72 degrees

Today's humidity was:   34%

Sunny, nice breeze, nice and cool.

My kind of weather!!!!!

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Sunday--------------I do like September.  I like October a lot better--sunny days, a bit of warmth every now and then--beautifully hued leaves.  I like cutting back and cleaning up my garden too.  So many plants overgrown--dead leaves--dead, scraggly bud thingies on the lilies.  It looks really bare when I am done, but super neat.  Buttoned down for the winter and surely to bloom again next March/April  I have a lot of spring bulbs coming this month.  I put sticks in my gardens where there was sparse or missing Tulips/Daffodils, so when I cut back the gardens, I will see where those sticks are and..."stick" a bulb in there :-)

Merle didn't feel up to going to church--he picked up a cold virus while he was in hospital--so Pearl rode in with me.  She likes to sit in the 3rd row from the back.  I like to sit in the 5th row from the front.  I decided to sit with her yesterday, as she so hates sitting up near the front.  What a different perspective!! When we stood to sing the first hymn, I realized how very tall I am.  Everyone in front of me, is shorter then me.  We had a lovely young woman sing some special music yesterday--clear, nice voice--none of that vibrato crap. It was hard not to be distracted,  way back there, especially when the three old ladies (my age) two rows behind us, talked through the whole thing!!!  I so wanted to turn and tell them, "Sh-hh," but I didn't.  Pearl knows them--high school friends, and she turned and looked at them and they kind of quieted down, but...
I felt completely detached from the entire service.  We went in a side door, directly into the sanctuary and left the same way.  No going through the "shaking hands" line to greet the minister.

I have a real problem with the people in this church.  Granted--I haven't attended church regularly, since I moved here, so things may have changed, but--man are they ever noisy!  I was taught that went we entered the Sanctuary, we were to be quiet.  Sit down, meditate, pray, get in a quiet attitude so we were ready to hear what God had to tell us during the service.  Now--the people come in, laughing, talking, walking back and forth to greet others--which to me, is ridiculous, because after the first hymn we have the "welcome and greeting" of everyone around us.  OR, you can talk to your friends before or after the service--coffee hour--whatever.

My sister says, "back then, we believed that the Sanctuary was where God was present.  We entered into the presence of God in a quiet, prayerful, reverent manner.  Now, we know--God is present everywhere--the hallway, the dining room.  The Sanctuary is just another room where He is."  In her church, they have a video screen up in front (I hate those things) and it starts a sort of countdown at 30 seconds before the service begins.  People get quieter and quieter.  Then the bells are rung and in walks the acolytes-minister-choir.

In our church, the people keep talking.  The bells are rung.  The organist starts playing the processional music, the acolytes walk in and light the candles on the alter, the minister, lay person reader, behind and still--the people keep chatting.  The minister sometimes seems to have to shout, "GOOD MORNING!  PLEASE STAND AND SING OUR FIRST HYMN--"Be Still My Soul."  Then people sort of quiet down.  Drives me absolutely NUTZ!!!
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Remember Pearl and her land-line phone she bought purposefully to get the cable company bundle?  And then the phone didn't work, so she called Comcast and they told her, "Something is wrong with your phone."  So, I brought it home and plugged it into my phone jack and it worked perfectly.  Remember that?

So--now she is going to call Comcast and tell them to come out ($75.00) and fix her phone.  I told her, "Your phone is fine.  It works great."

"Then--why doesn't it work?  They did something to it."

"No they didn't.  The only thing they did was hook it up to the modem.  What they meant was, your phone line--FROM OUTSIDE TO YOUR PHONE JACK isn't working."

"Well, they told me it did work, but...now it doesn't.  This damn computer stuff drives me crazy."

"Okay...."

"No--I don't want to hear it.  I have a headache."

"Sh-hh.  Take a deep breath.  Relax.       What Comcast meant was................the...let's call it...your phone line from the phone TO the modem works just fine.  Okay?  Now...the phone line from the other end of your phone that goes into the little outlet thingie on your wall--behind your bed?  That is the line that doesn't work.  It is the line that is connected to the phone wires outside your house.  Comcast has nothing to do with that.  You would have to call ATT or whomever around here supplies the phone service--yes, ATT."

"But, I had ATT for my phone, Internet and TV and I called to cancel them.,...so they won't come back out."

"Okay--solution?  Call Comcast and tell them to take your phone off the bundle and just have TV and Internet connection with them."

"But, then they will charge me more!"

"Okay--Pearl--breathe..........................  You don't use your land-line phone because you have a cell phone. You are NOW paying for TV, Internet and phone--and yes, it is cheaper to have all three bundled together...if you are using all three.  BUT, if you take off your phone, your price, overall won't go up...you will only be paying for TV and Internet and your total bill will be cheaper for just those two items.  It might cost more for TV and it might cost more for Internet--for each item, but......your TOTAL bill will be cheaper."

"I don't get it.  I think you're wrong!"

<sigh>  

"Let's say your TV hook-up costs, fifty dollars a month.  Your Internet hook-up costs forty dollars a month and your phone costs fifty dollars a month."

"Well, it's not that much. My TV is more and the phone is less and.........."

"I know--we are just using hypothetical numbers here. So--your bill would be one hundred forty dollars if you bundle all three.  Now--if you take the phone off, and only bundle two--your TV is going up to seventy-five dollars a month and your Internet is going up to forty-five.  Much more then before when they were bundled."

"Oh...kay."

"So add that up--seventy five and forty-five--how much is that?"

"Ah---one hundred twenty?"

"Yes!  So see your total bill will be less with just two bundled."

"But--they didn't charge me fifty dollars a month for my phone. I think you've figured wrong."

GOOD GRIEF!!!!!  

"Okay, call Comcast and just ask them.  Ask them if you take off your phone and just have TV and Internet, what your TOTAL bill will be.  Not what each item will be, but your TOTAL bill, because that is really all you care about, right?"

Now I had a headache and had to go home!

It's like trying to explain calculus to a three year old--she just doesn't get it AND with her memory issues, it makes it very difficult.

I do NOT want to be "teacher of the world,", but she keeps getting me involved and wants to know--or not.  I have no clue anymore!!!
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So, I came home and called Pammie and she was washing walls and steam cleaning her carpets and rearranging furniture and making her bedroom upstairs, instead of downstairs and...she was having a ball!!

"Momma---I just love it!!  Do you realize that this is the first time in my life I have lived alone?  It is so nice to do whatever I want to and not have somebody standing over my shoulder and saying, "You aren't doing that right!"  It is so nice to take my shower and be able to walk nude from the bathroom to the bedroom, without someone making unflattering comments.  I love sleeping in the nude and I haven't been able to do that in years.  Oh, Momma--I am loving this!!"  :-)

Of course you are my Dear.  There is nothing like taking the huge rotten, heavy, pushing you down mountain, off your back/mind/soul!!
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I don't know if any of you read the Cedar Cove series of books, written by Debbie Macomber.  I had all of them, read the, Susan read them, Pearl read them, Dar read them, Jackie read them.  We all were anticipating watching the movie on the Hallmark Channel and..........we are all very disappointed in said movie.  If we hadn't read the books, it probably would be just a good movie to us, but---they leave out  whole chunks of the books that "we" think was needed to make the story line flow better and, they add stuff that wasn't in the books and confuse us so we have to call each other and say, "Do you remember that being in the books, because I don't?"  Oh well--creative license.
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"MOM--I was sleeping!  You aren't going to post this on Face Book, are you?"
"No, Buddy.  On my blog though."
  

"I'm so embarrassed!"
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Monday--------------------someone said it was a Holiday?  

I keep hearing military music and fireworks--I don't think it is a military holiday like 4th of July or Memorial Day, so---I am not impressed.  Then I heard someone say, "It's the last day of summer."  Ah--I don't think so.  Summer ends on September 20th, and we have lots of warm, sunny days in October, so...........

All I know--it is the day when I swap out my white purse for my dark one.  I put away my white shorts, jeans and sandals, until Memorial Day, because----I live by Rule #3.  "If you live above the Mason-Dixon line, you don't wear white after Labor Day."  Yes--I know that is an old fashioned rule, but then....so am I.

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My sister and Chuck stopped in on their way to a short day-long road trip to--wherever the road takes them.  They brought me, 6 ears of sweet corn, out of their garden this morning, and 4 lovely tomatoes.  Chuck sawed off the dead branches on one of my Rose of Sharon bushes, and dug up two nice clumps of our Mother's Lemon Lily and Rudbeckia to transplant.  They have a large stone at the end of their driveway--at one time it had an iron ring in the top and was made for hitching a horse.  They are going to plant the Brown-Eyed-Susan's in front of that stone, so Susan won't have to plant annuals there--it will be a stunning vignette!!!

Chuck is going to get his tractor, with the front loader scoop, get behind the

rock and push it up straight.  Won't it be pretty with the Hosta and Rudbeckia?

Then, after they left, I went down to Merle and Pearl's.  I had tried to call her cell phone and it said I had the wrong number. I also wanted to take them some ears of fresh sweet corn and a a schedule of MSU and UofM football games I had printed out for Merle.

She has a new cell  phone!!!!!  One of those smart ones!!  I think it's a bit too large to carry in her jeans pocket, but the thing will do it all. Internet, games, e-mail...it even makes and receives phone calls!!!!!---when you figure out how it works--which will be another saga in itself!!

You know what's so great about this phone?  I don't know a thing about it or how to work it, so.....................I'm off the hook as "teacher" this time.

Oh--the reason her cell phone would not receive calls?  She didn't call her phone provider and tell them she had a different phone and thus, more money, and they disconnected her. She also could not make any outgoing calls, but she hadn't realized that as yet. 

Oh My!!

She said, "You told me my land-line was working...and it's not."

"Do we have to go through all that again?"

"Yes.  I want to know why it's not working!  If it works at your house, why doesn't it work here."

"I told you--the phone line is not working."

"But it is.  I have it plugged into the modem and all the lights are on, but the phone still has no dial tone."

Aha--I have an idea.

"Where do you have it plugged in?"  (Even though I knew full well.)

"Back in the bedroom--come here--I'll show you."

So down the hall we stagger.

There is her "purposefully purchased land-line phone just so she (thought) it would help get cheaper bundle"--she picked it up and handed it to me.  No dial tone.

"See, I told you.  It's the phone.  It won't work here.  I think maybe when you carried it to your house, a wire inside got put back in place and then when you carried it back here, the wire got disconnected again."

<sigh>

I put my finger under the line from phone to modem and said, "See--this is connected to the modem.  Comcast is telling you that this wire is fine--it is working.  "Then I picked up the line that went from her phone into the phone jack on the wall.  "This is the line that isn't working. That's why Comcast told you there was something wrong with your phone."

I saw a glimmer of understanding in her eyes.

"Do you have another wall outlet---phone jack for a phone...somewhere in the house?"

"Yes, there is one in the living room."

So, down the hall we staggered again.

She pointed to where the jack was and I plugged in her phone and held it out to her.

"I has no dial tone," she said.

"Ah ha!"  I exclaimed.  "That means that the phone line, coming in from the outside of the house, the line connected to the phone company, is not working.  It is not hooked up, or not connected."

Then I saw the bright light of full understanding come to her face.

She turned to Merle, sitting in his chair.  Merle!  The phone line outside, the one that comes off the pole, is the one that isn't working!"

"Yeah, I know," he says.

I thought she was going to throw the phone at his head.

"Why isn't it hooked up to the house?" asks Pearl.

Merle put his newspaper down, switched the toothpick in his mouth to the other side and said, in his slow way, "The wire from the pole to the house IS hooked up.  We didn't need an inside phone, so we never called ATT to have the line connected."  Back to reading his newspaper.

"Well...I'm calling ATT tomorrow and have it connected!"

That's when I saw Merle grimace and I said, "You don't use this phone, right?"

"No," she said.

"Then, why don't you call Comcast and have them take it off your bundle.  Your total bill will be cheaper every month."

"Okay.  I'm going to do just that, tomorrow!"

AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!

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I got home and my sister called and said, "I am calling you from Hell!"

"Anyone there that you know?"

"Yeah--I think I just saw Dad going around the........never mind.  That's not nice!  No--we are in Hell---Hell, Michigan!  Remember when Daddy and Mother brought us here?"

"Yes."

"There was a sign that said, "Welcome to Hell" and it had little devil's with pitchforks on each corner of the sign?"

"Yes."

"Well, now it has a regular town name sign like all the signs in Michigan.  Green and white."

"Well...you can't be in hell, or the sign would be maize and blue!"

"Bawhahaha," she laughs.

"No--we are not in Ann Arbor!  Anyway, there is only three buildings in Hell now.  A bar and two stores.  So disappointing."

"Well...we all knew that hell would disappear at some moment in time.  Maybe this is a prophetic sign?

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

Remember this~~~

...and when I massacred them?

Today--new bright green growth.

 See that tiny woman in the background?  She is trying to trim her 7' bushes
with a small handle cutter--one branch at a time.
I am going there in the morning with my electric hedge trimmers and get 'er done!








"ZZ-zz

MOM--I was sleeping!  You aren't going to post this on Face Book are you?"
"No, Maggie--on my blog"

"I am so embarrassed!"

"Psst--Buddy, Mom said she was going to post a picture of us on her blog"
"Yeah--I know."
"I'm so pretty.  Everyone will comment how pretty I am.  Everyone will laugh at how fat YOU are!"

"Nobody is going to laugh!  Everyone knows I am her favorite...and...
quit calling me fat!"

See ya................

A Day In The Life.....

Today's high temperature was: 79 degrees

Today's humidity was:   62%
Go Away!!!

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

Very disappointed in the tender loin filet I purchased.  I grilled it on my George Foreman electric grill--which did a great job of cooking it, but.....it has no taste.  I have found this out recently.  Beef just doesn't have the flavor it use to.  Maybe it's my taste buds dying off, but...I think it is more that I am spoiled.  I always had 1/4 beef in my freezer--cut just the way I wanted it--from when my Daddy had an animal butchered.  It was wonderful.  Four years ago, Fred and I both ordered a nice sirloin at Applebee's--tough, tasteless.  I had a Whopper a couple of months ago, craving that great taste I remembered--grey meat, tasteless.  I should have taken the $20.00 left on my Outback gift card and just got a carry out of the Victoria Filet Mignon, baked potato and salad.  I would have enjoyed that $20.00 more then what I spent for this tenderloin.  BLECH!!

I have noticed a lot of my favorite things taste all wrong.  Potato chips, still salty, but not as tasty.  I think it is because now, the government demands things like that have all trans-fat removed.  The only real tasty hunk of beef nowadays, is from a GOOD restaurant where they inject it with tastiness before they cook it.  Wonder what's in that stuff?
==============================
Didn't do much today.  I sold another box of books on E-Bay (that makes 3 = over $100.00) and had to wait for the mail lady to pick them up.  Then ran up to Brighton to Cartridge World--AGAIN!  Just there Thursday to buy a color and black inkjet cartridge.  I printed out two pages of a letter, with pictures of Fred's grave stone to send to his kids==total 9 pages, and two pages with the pix of his and mine, to put in my scrapbook and the dang color cartridge was empty?  I wonder if it was completely full to begin with?  When I got to the store, I asked the clerk if she could weigh it because it seemed to have run out too quickly.  Sure enough--It was more then 1/2 full, but had "died" electronically.  So I hummed Taps and she laughed and  gave me a new one--free.  They are real good about things like that--plus, I give them a lot of referrals and business.
============================

I stitched on Evan's Elmo pillow.  I had a hard time deciding on what color he is suppose to be.  Some images show him as red, others as orange.  Pammie told me that Evan's favorite color is orange--he always wants to pick out his orange t-shirt to wear, so---creative license enabled, I put an orange strand of floss with a red strand and I think it is going to work.  Evan likes orange, so his Elmo will be orangeish.

I cross stitch the grand kids "prayer blessing poem acrostic" and give to them, framed, on their first birthday.

Sample: In case you don't know what an acrostic is:  The letters to their name goes down the left side, with a poem attached.  Not too hard, except for Alexander--what in the heck word starts with "X" ?

Alexander Chaston

A  lmighty God, to thee we pray,

L  ead our dear boy in your way.

E  ver keep him free from strife,

X  tend to him a happy life.

A  lways keep him safe from harm,

N  estled in your loving arms.

D  reams so peaceful every night,

E  very day sunny and bright,

R  eveal to him what’s good and right.

C  ourage to him as he grows,

H  ealthy, strong and free from woes.

A  ngels send to guard his ways,

S  tay nearby through all his days.

T  ruthful may he always be,

O  pen and kind to those in need,

N  othing but love in all his deeds.                                                                     

          In Jesus name, Amen.

EVAN ERIC

E  ternal Father, we ask of thee,

V  aliant may his whole life be.

A  lways keep him safe from harm

N  estled in your loving arms.

E  ncourage him to live your way,

R  each out and protect him every day.

I  nspire him from up above,

C over him always with your love.

                                In Jesus name, Amen

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

ANDREW CHRISTOPHER

A   lmighty God, to thee we pray,

N   ear our dear boy closely stay.

D   raw your angels near to keep,

R   ound him as he gently sleeps.

E   ver keep him safe each day,

W  hile he goes about his play.

 C   over him with your love,

H   old him safe from up above.

R   escue him in times of need,

I   nspire him to live your creed.

S   tay nearby throughout his life,

T   o keep him free from any strife.

O  pen up a future bright,

P   leasing to all in your sight.

H   old him close in time of fears,

E   ver guard him through the years,

R   everently, we ask this of you

           In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

===========

ELISE ANN  

E   ternal Father, to thee we pray,

L   ead our sweet girl in your way.

I    n your arms, secure and warm,

S   afely keep her from all harm.

E   ver may her days be bright,

  

A   always peaceful sleep at night.

N   ear to her stay, so she knows,

N   othing but love as she grows.

           In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As  you can see, Evan's and Elise' were much easier.  I almost chocked when Karen told me she had named her last child: MADELEINE SOPHIA.  Then Jen got in the habit with long names.  GEESH!!

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

On their second birthday, I always give them a small pillow with whatever "thing" they are into at the time.

This was Andrew's:

Elise's. because it looked like her.

and I did this picture when she was 4, because it looked like a portrait of her.

Alex's pillow as he was into Match Box vehicles.

 I just happened to find this pattern, free on-line.  

Evan's Elmo

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

When I was in town, I stopped at the gas station to get a bag of chips.  I got eye-humped again!!!  There was an old guy pumping gas into his truck (old guys are the only ones that notice me anymore) and as I strode by I saw him turn his head to look at me.  I had on my skinny jeans (because all my shorts were in the washing machine) and I was striding along with my long legs as I normally do.  It probably wasn't my jeans, but my new, lifter-upper bra, that puts the girls back, close to where they belong.  It isn't perfect, but at least I don't look like I have two huge tumors on my waist!

What was funny is, he was unaware that I could see his reflection in the glass front of the store.  He was watching me and was nodding his head(?)  I have no idea what that means, but I smiled to myself.  Eye-humping--a non-contact entertainment--which is the only kind I care to take part in anyhow!!

When I got home, I went outside to get my handy-dandy snaky hose to water, and found more Stink Horn Mushrooms.

I had never seen these until last late summer.  I think the spores

may have been in the mulch the kids put on my island garden, last year?

Then, I decided to fill up the bird feeders.  Not many of the summer birds around.  Baltimore Orioles, I haven't seen or heard in a couple months.  I am getting Cardinals, Woodpeckers, Chick-A-Dee, Titmice and Nuthatch.

and of course, the Hummingbird's still come around.

I came in and decided it might be a good day to empty and wash out the cat litter box.  I have a rather large one to accommodate Buddy.  I also scrubbed down the wall behind it.  Can't get down on my knees and crawl under the counter table, so I sprayed with Fantastic and then used my floor mop to reach under and scrub away.  "Necessity is the mother of invention."

I scooped out all the "bad" litter into a plastic bag, as normal.  Then I got a Glad Super Tuff-Strength of Steel, kitchen garbage bag and scooped the rest out--I could not lift the box to dump the remaining litter--so heavy.  When it was empty, I hauled it out to the outside hose.  Sprayed it with Fantastic and let it set.  Scrubbed it with my toilet brush, rinsed and rinsed and rinsed.  Then filled it with water and put some bleach in it.  Rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and........let it set in the sun to dry, while I scrubbed the wall.  I was so afraid that they'd need to go potty and no bathroom for them.  Buddy did look a little worried.

All this was accomplished, making my back hurt like sin!!  I got it back inside, dried it off with an old towel and filled it with new litter.   20# of new litter, which also made my back scream when I tried to pick it up and dump it into the box.  But all is well.

It is one of those long plastic storage boxes to use under a bed.  It has wheels on it, so it is easy to pull out to clean.  I also vacuumed the carpeting while it was drying.

Wall is all scrubbed, as is the box, back in place.

Buddy seems to approve.

I no more got sat down at the computer and....he climbed in and did his thing.

.See ya later!!!

...and The Days Dwindle Down--To A Precious Few....

Today's high temperature was: 87 degrees

Today's humidity was:  65%

Sunny all day--nice breeze, but still too hot!
Rain tonight--all around us, but not here.
=====================================================

I have been thinking about this all week.

There is an older woman--mid-seventies.  She lives all alone.  Her children do not stop in often to visit her.  She rarely sees her grandchildren--they are a distance away.  When she does see them, she isn't very nice to them--then, realizing she wasn't very nice, she tries to make it up to them, hoping the visit will end with them only remembering the good times with Granny.  

This woman complains about everything!  If her daughter offers to drive her to a family function, the woman complains the entire long drive.  She didn't really want to go.  Stop the car.  Let her out, she wants to go back home.  No, never mind, she'll go, but her family doesn't care about her.  She is superfluous--no one in the family would even miss her if she wasn't there.   On and on and on she rants. She weeps.  She is very sad. She is very angry. 

Afterwards, she realizes that she had a pretty good time.  Now she remembers the way she acted.  Some of the weird things she said.  She feels bad.  She calls and apologizes.  She thinks she might be losing her mind.

Now that she is home, home where she is in control.  Now that she has time to think.

Her problem?  She has way too much time to think.  What is there for her to do in life?  Sit and watch television--think about her past.  All the hurts she has had in her life.  She may lash out at people now, for those past hurts, even though they aren't the ones who caused the hurt.  She may feel guilty about her past life.  She would never admit it, because she can't allow herself to admit it--even in her own mind.  

She is divorced once or twice--rotten, damn men!!!  There is a niggle.  She wonders if the divorce was her fault?  No--it is not possible--she was a good wife--HE was the rotten one--surely it has to be that way, in her mind.

She has few visitors.  She is very lonely.  She feels that death is only a few short months away and she knows that and it makes her scared and even more lonely.  Just get it over with.  Then she won't have to think. Everyone in her family will feel a lot better with her gone.

It's difficult to go anywhere.  Perhaps she is in pain from arthritis.  She doesn't move around very much so the arthritis gets even worse.  It gets too noisy at the family functions.  She may be hard of hearing and that makes conversations even harder. Too much background noise for her to even hear what the person next to her is saying.  

She is filled with fear.  She is disappointed in her life.  She can't do a thing about anything, anymore. There is nothing to look forward to.  No one cares--they look at her in a disparaging way.  She is a nasty, old bitch.  She can't remember things at times.  This frightens her too. Sometimes she gets very confused.  

People leave her alone because she is so nasty.  She gets nastier because she is alone so much of the time. When family does come to her house, she sees it in their eyes.  They aren't there just to sit and chat for awhile.  They are there out of a feeling of obligation.--they have to take her to an appointment.  They have to check up on her.  Wouldn't it be nice if they just came to simply visit--play a game of cards--watch a movie on TV with her.

This is much the way I would have felt about that woman when I was in my 40's-50's.  A pain in the neck that I didn't want to be around, didn't want to feel obligated too, remembered how nasty she had been to me, tried to figure out how I could avoid her.

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

Now, I am the age of this woman.  NO--I AM NOT this woman, but all of a sudden, I understand her!

I too have felt, the last year, that something was very wrong with me--my thinking--the things I have uttered, or the way I have acted, or reacted.  At times, it has taken very bit of strength I had to go to a family function.  I'd just end up sitting in a chair in the living room and not really feel included--because I didn't interact with others.  When invited to go to a function--it was so hard.  It hurt so bad to have to walk up stairs to get to a ball game, or sit for a long period of time during a band concert or ballet performance.  When it was over, I did not want to go out to supper--yes, I was hungry, but, once again, I would have to sit on a hard chair, wait for the food, too much noise--I just wanted to come back home.  I was so tired--I wanted to sit down, put my feet up, be quiet.

After certain occasions, I remembered weird statements I had made.  At times, tears came into my eyes for no reason.  I felt very sorry for myself and no one understood--nor did they want to hear any of my complaints--they didn't really care.  Try to be upbeat and friendly and funny and----be exhausted in a couple of hours for the trying.  It use to come naturally, now it was forced. Yet--if I was quiet, people wondered what was wrong. 

I was scared that I was losing my mind--it felt that way sometimes.  I couldn't remember who was at the party--sometimes. Couldn't remember whom I had spoken with--sometimes, but, I always could remember the statements I made or the weird thing I did--which in turn, just made me want to stay away from people so I wouldn't embarrass myself again and again and again!!!  I was so tired, all the time.  I was in pain, all the time.  Everything was an effort, all the time.  

I was not the person that I remembered being.  I wondered what had happened to that person.  Why did I act like I did now?  Why did I say stupid things--act weird?  What was wrong with me?  Perhaps I did have Alzheimer's and everyone knew except me?  Maybe my kids stayed away because I had done something awful to them in their lives and now...I couldn't remember what.  Maybe I needed to be institutionalized?  Maybe I needed shock treatments?

The only difference between this woman and me was, that I was able--ON MY OWN--to seek  help.  No one had to take me to an appointment with the shrink!  I wanted no one else to know--because I was trying so hard to keep control and pretend that my weirdness was only because I was still in a brain fog from grief or I was getting old and just a tad eccentric.

The only difference between this woman and me was, I am younger then she is and maybe a bit more independent, or stronger and I realized that something was not right.  I know she knows, what she is doing, how she is acting is not right--I know she does.  

I just wish she could get help.  I just wish she would get help. She's probably afraid too.  She may have had mental issues all her life and never received the help she needed.  I just wish she could before she does die and the only feeling her family will have is relief that the nasty mother/grandmother bitch is gone.  

OH--I am so sad because, honestly, with a some help from some meds, maybe a tiny bit of talk therapy--she and everyone else in her family would enjoy the years she has left.

I heard someone say, "You might get addicted to the meds."  I say, "At 70+ years--how many years are left? Who the Hell cares if we get addicted?  What difference does it make?  Better have a nice, calm, happy life with a smile on our face, then go through all the torment of mental illness for the rest of our days!"