The Weekend--

Friday--the leaves in my driveway were ankle deep.  My car was covered, so I drove uptown, to blow the leaves off and parked on the other side of the drive.

 Soon, the spot I had left, was covered.

Saturday--Pammie picked me up and we drove down to Karen's.  Helene and the Baby were there.

I got the quilt done Thursday night.

I have never seen an 11 day old baby so alert.  Maybe because she was delivered C-section and didn't have to go through all that trauma?

Great Aunt Pammie, Baby Della and Grandma Karen

4 Generations!!

Sunday--the kids and I enjoying a nice quiet evening.

This morning, my Lawn Guy came to take care of the leaves.  Even while he was blowing them into piles and filling bags for pick-up tomorrow, the Maple trees were shedding more leaves.  I guess I better buy more yard waste bags because this chore isn't completed.  :-)

I don't ever remember having 69 degrees and sunny on November 7th.  What glorious weather we are having--unusual for Michigan this time of year.

Tomorrow is the big day.  Thankfully, after 18 torturous months of campaigning.  Suddenly, today, Michigan, who has been a Blue State for a generation is tilting toward the Republican side and becoming a Battle-Ground State.    

I will be glad when this is all over.  It has made many of us depressed, angry, confused and tired--just plain tired.  No matter which of the Devious Duo wins, Wednesday will still arrive and life will go on.

Floating room divider........

Quirky, to say the least, but...........

when my sister walked in and saw it, she actually squealed.

"How did you ever come up with that!"

"I don't know.  It appeared in my head one morning when I woke up."

"I had a bet with myself that you would hang a sheer, blue curtain there."

"No!  Ugh!"

"That looks like something Mother would do."

"Kinda.  Doesn't it."

"I think you are channeling Mother."

"I doubt that.  Mother and you have the decorating gene, me not so much.  I can change a car tire or milk a cow, but I sure don't know how to decorate."

"Well, this is very cool.  It does stop my eye from looking directly down the hall.  That is so unique.  I am really proud of you!"

Sister Susan called me 2 hours later and said, "You know what?  An arrangement like that would look great in the corner of a room.  I've been thinking about it all afternoon!"

Thoughts..........

When I first met Dar, six years ago, she reminded me of someone I had known.  I couldn't quite place it, but in her looks and her temperament, she reminded me of that long ago someone.

As Chris and I were talking Sunday, it suddenly came to me.  Chris' mother Donna and Dar not only look alike enough to be sisters, they were both emotionally nutzy cuckoo and prone to hysterics!!

Chris' folks lived just down the road from us.  Her mother and I used to ride to church choir practice together.  She too, like Dar, always talked about what a wonderful Christian she was and how Jesus guided her every move.

Chris rode the same school bus as my kids--a year older than my oldest, Mark.  The kids picked on her unmercifully, her name at that time being Gay Christine, and at one time, my Pammie, ever the champion of the underdog, took on a kid who was bullying Chris.

Chris later moved away to Flint.  I didn't see her again for 12 years.  She knocked at my door--two large black trash bags dragging along behind her and asked if she could come in and call her sister to come and get her.  She had had a child, given to her husband's family and had come home to live with her parents and straighten out her life.

Her mother, just arriving home from time spent in the mental ward in a hospital in Flint, refused to go into the house unless Chris left.  Her Dad made her leave so that her Mother would go in the house.

Chris called her older sister, who refused to come and get her.

I went down to the parent's house the next day.  Told them Chris was staying with me, so they wouldn't worry, and boxed up the rest of Chris' stuff and went back home.

In the year she stayed with me, her Dad visited her once--her parents living about 1/4 mile away.

This so reminded me of Dar--inviting her homeless son and grandchildren to come live with her for six months and then insisting they get out after four months.

Now I remember.  Why the two women resemble each other.

Chris' mother is long gone, but the scars still remain--a little bit.

Now, Chris is taking care of me.  I love her like she was my own!!!
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Life is good...........

I love this photo of Della.  Only 5 days old and it looks like she is cooing and smiling at her dog.  Last I knew, 5 day old babies were not capable of cooing or smiling.

Happy Family 

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Friday night, John carried Maisey over for one last good-bye.  She hasn't eaten very much in the last two weeks and would only eat from my hand.  I was sad to see them leave and ever sadder when I saw John and Maisey drive by at 10:00 on Saturday morning.  Heading to the vets office and Maisey's journey to the Rainbow Bridge.

My Spartans lost against our instate rivals, University of Michigan, but...the game was a lot better than I had thought.  Our team is really down this year.  A lot of guys hurt and unable to play and a lot of true Freshmen taking their place,  I feared something like a 40-0 score.  It was 32 to 23.  So I didn't feel too bad.

I did get to watch my 2nd favorite team, the Florida State Seminoles beat Clemson--which was not predicted to happen.

John stopped in around 9:30.  He hadn't been home all day.  Couldn't stand to go back into his now empty home.  He was so very upset.  He and Maisey had been together for 15 years.  He has been spending nearly $400.00 a month the last two years to keep her alive.  She was born with Cushing's Syndrome and the last two years as liver disease, pancreatitis, kidney failure and prone to seizures.  Every time the vet thought it might be Maisey's last visit, that pooch always came out of it and was happy and well for a couple of months.

Needless to say, John gave Maisey the very best life she could have had.

There comes a time when our pets are in such a tired, sad state that we know---------------

I am sure going to miss her.

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My Extra-Daughter Chris, the one who visited me last fall in her tiny camper, sold that tiny camper.  Her back and legs ached after her long camping trip around the States, because at no time was she ever able to sit or stand upright in that little thing.  So, she sold it.

She started the hunt for a "regular" camper trailer this summer.  Then, her career Army hubs was being transferred from Italy back to the States for his last 3 years until retirement.

She trekked over to Italy for a couple of weeks to help get him moved to his new base.  Hawaii.  She got to spend a couple of weeks there too, getting him settled.

When she got back to Texas, she found a trailer exactly like she wanted at a dealership a couple of hours away.  She drove up to make the deal.  After a couple of hours back and forth, they settled on a price.  There was a catch.  She could only get it for that price IF she financed it through their dealership.  She had cash in hand, but if she paid cash, it would cost $2K more.

Wait.  What?

She looked around on the Internet and found one--here on the west side of the State, that was $2K cheaper than the one in Texas.  She figured it was worth $2K to drive up from Texas, stop in to see her "Mom" (me) and spend the day.

We had a wonderful time yesterday.  We went out to lunch and then I drove her up to the cider mill.  We sat down by the river, listening to the water burbble and bubble over the rocks and ate our Cinnamon sugared doughnuts and drank our little pints of cider.

I just got a message from her, that she arrived in Grand Rapids.  The trailer is 2 feet longer than the one in Texas, even has a slide out where the couch sits and they did accept cash.  The dealership wants her to spend the night in the trailer to make sure everything is comfortable for her and that all the appliances, heater, A/C, shower, toilet works correctly.

She will start back to Texas tomorrow.
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I will have the long awaited photos of my room divider on Wednesday or Thursday.  I promise.  My little sister was impressed, so it must look all right.

Not much---

I got my hair cut today.

I got a genealogy book, bound and coiled.  I will mail it tomorrow.

I went to the Rich People's store and got 3 salads, a packet of Tuna and 3 Diet Pepsi.

I cross-stitched on the baby quilt--almost done.

I watched the World Series.  I probably should be rooting for the Indians, but I'd like to see the Cubs break the 108 year old curse.

That's it.

October 24, 1961

It was a 70 degree day.  Sunny and bright.  The window in the hospital labor room was open and I could see the construction guys working on the hospital's new addition.  I was having back labor.  The nurse came in at 3:00 and said I was a "nester" and it would be hours before the baby was born.

My husband decided he'd go down to the cafeteria, get something to eat and have a smoke.

He left the room, I rolled over onto my back and all of a sudden--my water broke, I felt the need to push, I scooted down a bit on the bed and out came the baby.  I was yelling "Nurse. Nurse!" and pressing on the call button.

The nurse came in, flipped back the top sheet and said, "Oh my gosh!  You had the baby!"

Nearly a month overdue, when the doctor arrived, he checked my little baby girl with his penlight and said, "She has brown eyes and two tiny teeth!  I've never believed in ten month babies, but I might have to believe it now!"

My husband came back and the nurse stopped him out in the hall.  "You can't go in there.  Your wife just had the baby."

He stammered, "In the labor room!?"

"Yes," the nurse said.  "You can't go in there!"

Cutest little girl you ever saw.  Those big, round dark brown eyes.  Sweetest disposition.  We named her Karen Helene.  My grandmother's first name was Helene.

Thirty-one years and ten months ago, Karen Helene gave birth to her first child.  A girl she named Helene Mary--my grandmother's full name.  She was born in Minnesota so I didn't get to see her, my first grandchild, until she was 3 months old.

Today is Karen's 55th birthday.  While I was posting a birthday greeting on Face Book for her, she called.  9:10

"Oh Mom.", she was crying.  I got scared.  "Helene has had the baby.  She was in labor all Saturday night and all day yesterday.  They gave her an  Epidural at three this morning, but the baby wasn't moving.  Then the baby's heart dropped.  About ten medical people ran into the room.  Flipped Helene over on her stomach and rushed her off for an emergency C-section.  They just came and told us they are both fine, but........I haven't even see her yet!"

"Thank you, God!" I shouted.  Then tried to calm my daughter.  "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart."

"Oh...yeah.  I forgot!"

"Happy Birthday, Grandma!  Tell Helene I love her, and post photos when you can.  Everything is all right now."
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Today, on her grandmother's birthday, my first great grand child was born.  Her name?  Della Helene.  Della, after my mother's middle name and Helene, after momma's name, grandma's middle name and her 3rd great grandma's name.  Our family is big on naming our kids their first or middle name after an ancestor.

 Happy Birth Day, Della Helene

Happy Birthday, Grandma Karen Helene

Isn't she the prettiest grandma ever?  Still has the sweetest disposition!

It's Friday--already?

I was so tired when I got home last night, I could barely sit in my recliner without falling asleep, let alone write a blog post.

Lunch with the Old School Gal Pals.  I took my camera with me, thinking that I could get some nice pictures of fall color along the way.

The minute I drove out of the park, it started raining!!

When I got to the restaurant, 37.1 miles, it was still raining.










When I left the restaurant, 2 hours later, it was still raining.

 When I got to the farm, it was still raining and....................when I left the farm 90 mins. later, it was still raining.

When I stopped at Walmart, it was still raining and..........

When I had to stop at the Middletown Market to get the milk, I had forgotten to get at Walmart, it was still raining.

...and when I pulled into my driveway, 1.5 miles from the market,

it had stopped raining.

82.7 round trip.

Terrific Tuesday

October 18--slept with my bedroom window open last night (unusual for this time of year) and woke to a lovely sunny morning.

The view from my three windows from my computer chair:

 

The view from my recliner:

A raucous Blue Jay at the feeder 

A Blue Jay with Mr,. Squirrel waiting for his turn

(see his little ears behind the bird?)

Mr. Squirrel's turn and then...........

When he left, two Blue Jays

This goes on all day long.
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Last April, I bought a special paint to put on my porch steps and floor.  The stain I put on 4 years ago was wearing off and looking awful.  This is paint made especially for high traffic steps/porches/floors.

I finally got around to opening the can this morning and painted the steps.  Took all of 20 minutes.

YIKES.  I wanted a bluish tint to the Gray.  I got bluish tint to the blue.  Too blue.  Not to be undaunted and because we have only one more day of guaranteed good weather, I got the original gray stain I had used and the blue I opened and put them in the trunk of my car.

Off I went to get my new tires put on--goes they are groovy.  Nice deep grooves in their treads.

Then I stopped off at Walmart and picked up my prescription, then across their parking lot to Lowe's.  I hauled in the cans of paint and said, "I want this kind of paint--the floor paint, but I want it the color of this stain."

No problem!  I was hoping and asked if they had a recycling program for half full paint cans because we are not supposed to throw them in our trash.  But...they don't.
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Pulled out of there to head home and stopped at Big Ray's to get an oil change.  "Ma'am, you have a thousand miles left before you need an oil change."

"I know.  But look at the date.  I only drive about three thousand miles a year, so I get an oil change every year."

"Fifty thousand four hundred miles on the odometer.  Is that One hundred and fifty thousand?"

"Nope.  Those are actual miles."

"Wow!"

Got the oil change and drove across the parking lot to the car wash.

Man!  That old car of mine shines up nice!!
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Got home, came inside, opened up the back door and went out and painted the front steps again.  Perfect color!!!
You notice I was smart enough to open the back door so I would have a way to get back into the house?

Dar and John are always ragging on me because I "never go anywhere or do anything."  They are the kind of people that seem to HAVE to go somewhere every day in their car.

So today--I went somewhere and did everything.  I went to the BIG mall on Sunday and managed the round-about.  Yesterday, I went to the bank and the gas station and ordered my tires.  Today, I ran all over the place--well, within a 4 mile radius.  Thursday I go to lunch with the gal pals and visit my sister and Friday, to the Dentist.

Tomorrow is a day off and I will paint the porch steps a second coat and perhaps get the porch floor done too.

Mundane Monday

Not much going on here.

My MSU Spartans are having a miserable football season.  I've been a fan since I was 10--so I've seen the good, the bad and (this season) the ugly.

I managed to make a return of "too short" jeans, at the Penny's store at the BIG mall, south of here, which meant driving through a huge, scary round-about.

NOT your average traffic circle!!!

The general rule is: Yield to cars coming from your left.  Which I did, but I was in the wrong lane and almost got shoved off onto the expressway, heading south.  Managed to blinker light myself into the correct lane and made it there and back unscathed.  Don't think I will need to go out there again.

There are Four Hundred and Forty-Two thousand stores and restaurants in the Mall, but I see no need to investigate any of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Today, or tomorrow, depending on my mood, there will be a trip to Discount Tire to have 4 new ones put on the old car.  Not that my other ones are worn thin, but they are 7 years old and cracked from weathering and with a predicted fierce winter headed our way, I want (and have the money for) new ones.  Git 'er done!
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Back to my laundry--later-------------------

Get 'er done!

Got it done!  All gardening paraphenalia put to bed in the shed, along with the rug from the porch.

Note to self:  Porch floor and steps need painting!!!!!


73 degrees today.  Perfect "Judy" weather.  Lots of rain and wind expected tonight.  I will put out garbage cans next to front-side of car to protect them from falling over and yet still visible to garbage pick-up at 7:30 am.
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The inside of my refrigerator and freezer are decidely very empty.  I think, although I don't want too, a BIG trip to Walmart is slated for tomorrow.
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The two remaining genealogy books are off to WA and NY.  Now I am working on a paternal genealogy for another friend/client.  This one is interesting too and I even found photos of the "way back" ancestor's.

Tonight, I will watch Survivor and cross-stitch on the baby quilt.  My Gosh!  This thing is taking a whole lot of time and stitches.  That great grand daughter is due in 7 days!  I sure hope she waits until the 24th, so she is born on her grandma Karen's birthday.  October is such a nice month to be born.  By Christmas, they are aware and cooing and--BOY OH--isn't this Christmas Eve day going to be fun for our family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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So, on to the "floating" room divider.

 These are in place, even as we speak.

Pebbles and a fake succulent

Real sand and star-fish, sand dollar from the

Outer Banks, Nags Head, North Carolina 

This is coming soon---

To hang between, at a different height

and this, also at a different height and line 

and even perhaps this tiny bottle, with a bit of water and ivy growing in it?

...and who knows what else might take my fancy?  Not too much.  Just enough to stop the line of sight when someone walks in through the front door.

Something like this, but not as low--must keep above cats range.  LOL

What a beautiful day...

I love this photo my sister sent me.

Her husband Chuck and their new cat Abbey, checking the weather.

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I worked outside again today.  Inch-by-inch, I will get it done before the first snow flies!

I also got my last two genealogy books ready for the mail-lady to pick-up tomorrow.  That was 6 books from one genealogy.  Some with both sides of the family, one with only one side.  If was fun!

I also ran up to Tractor-Supply, I imagine you have no clue what that is.  Think store with all sorts of feed for cows/horses/rabbits/pets of any kind/bird seed/horse tackle and garden/farming equipment.

I got a big bag of bird seed, some black oily sunflower seeds, two bags of peanuts, and shelled corn with whole peanuts and nuts.  

Some for the birds and some for my squirrel feeder--as the squirrels are already coming in and knocking on the front door, wondering when their feeder was going up.

Took down the Humming bird feeders and washed them up good.
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Dar came over, just as Jeopardy was starting, and needed 19 medical reports scanned and printed out.  She couldn't get her fancy scanner/copier/printer/fax machine to work.  One hour later..............ARGGH!!!

She no more than got back home and John and his dawg stopped in.  He went on with a 35 minute rant about his volunteer job at the elementary school.
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So, here it is. Nearly 10:00 and I haven't gotten to sit and relax and watch any TV tonight.

I think I will play a couple of FB games and then go to bed.  Tomorrow promises to be a 70 degree day and I am going to finish up my yard work. 

Tomorrow, I will show you photos of my "room divider" idea.  It is coming along nicely.

Monday Moaning

This is a test.  This is only a test.

Hung the blue jar on the filament and the ceiling hook to see if it would work.  It didn't come loose and fall in three days, so I guess my idea will be safe to try.

I have four hundred and fifty-two thousand Stink Bugs trying to get in my house!!!

Sunday  night I enjoyed the Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants football game.  Bickering people make me very uncomfortable, so I only clicked on the debate for a few minutes, then back to the ballgame, where the players are far more civil then the players in the debate.

I did end up with a favorite quote from the debate.  "We are great because we are good!"

Wait.  What?  Whatever does that mean?  We are the most disrespected Power County in the world right now, so---I don't get the quote.

Anyway--the Packers won, which I was glad for.

On a related note, FB is full of political shared links and cartoons and all sorts of meme's, it got so I dreaded going on there.  Some of the political links were mine.  So I made a pack with everyone that we not talk about this political crap until it is over.  Many agreed with me.  

It was difficult because I saw a lot of links and meme's I would have liked to share this morning, but...I promised.  Let's face it.  You aren't going to change any one's mind.  Everyone knows your party affiliation, so...........what's the point.  Just to tick people off and start a half page of ugly comments back and forth.  Bickering people make me uncomfortable.  It's not worth my peace of mind.  So now, I just whip right down the pages on FB until I find something worthwhile to peruse.
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My 83 year old cousin with Parkinsons' and her 86 year old husband with Alzheimer's live on the 11th floor in a Condo, across the street from the Ocean in Fort Pierce, FL.  He didn't want to leave.  She did.  They waited until the last minute and then fled.  He got lost twice trying to get inland, but they made it before the full brunt of Hurricane Matthew.    The last I saw on FB she was reaming out her kids for not caring.  They live in Michigan and Georgia and I don't know they could have done, except pray like the rest of us, but.....................

North Carolina is where the real problem is.  So much flooding from all the rain the week before and then the rain from the Hurricane.  12 people have drowned and in some places, the water level is going up--still!  

While that part of the country is lovely to visit, and the Outer Banks of NC are my favorite place on this earth, I wouldn't live in any of those low-lying swampy States.  There is just no place for the water to run off or drain too.  A lot of their trees are very shallow rooted because there is hardly any firm ground under them, so down they come.

I do prefer my near 650 feet above sea level and my deep rooted trees and the deep ground that soaks up rain in short order.  The only place that floods in Michigan, is in the city with all the concrete and under passes on the highways that go through.
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So, Friday and today, I got all my perennials cut back and all the underbrush cut out of my side garden where about four hundred and fifty-two thousand Rose of Sharon bush sucklings were nearly 2-3 feet tall.

I was 64 when I moved in her and with great ambition.  I dug up three different areas for perennial gardens.  Mowed my own lawn, kept all those gardens weeded and looking nice, with no problem.
The last few years, those gardens have suffered.  Up until I was 71, I used to be able to work 4-5 hours outside with hardly a break.  Now, I am lucky if I can work 20 minutes before it feels like my back is going to break right in two.

You know, like at my waist-line, my body is going to break and the top part of me will fall face forward onto the lawn and the bottom part of me, fall back into the garden and no way to get the two pieces of my body stuck back together.  The whole process of bending over, along with arthritis in every joint and every spinal disc, sure makes taking care of outside stuff difficult.

I do feel energized though from working outside and doing heavy work.  Gives me a real sense of accomplishment.  Just takes a while of sitting in my recliner and a Tylenol PM before bed to recover.
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After my latest client got and perused her genealogy book, she asked if I could print out two more--for her daughter and son.  Then another part of one for her 91 year old cousin.  I did and mailed them off Friday.  Then she wanted two more for her niece and nephew.  No problem.  I took them to the print shop today to be bound and hopefully pick them up tomorrow and mail on Wednesday.  It was a great job and the books turned out nice.

I feel so privileged when someone asks me to research their family.  I know I'm not going to find anything terribly bad, and even if I did, it wouldn't change my feeling.  I just feel that it takes a certain amount of trust from the client and it is an honor for me.  Maybe that is why I try really hard to find everything I can about each ancestor.  After all, it is THEIR family!!!!!  I treat the ancestor's with respect. 

I am not a crier--you all know that, but in some of these genealogies, I have shed tears.  Like the one I am working on today.  The family came to this country and on their voyage, 4 of the little children died--all within days of each other.  Can you even imagine the horror of that for the parents?  Especially the Mother?  Too watch your child's body wrapped in white cloth and dumped into the Ocean?  Then repeat that whole process the next day and the next?

It's a wonder the mother didn't go mad and throw herself over the edge of the ship.

Yet--they kept going.  Finally made it here and even with terrific hardships here, they went on to have more children and form a good life. We owe our ancestor's so much honor and respect!
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By the way, Dar came over yesterday and she was in a great mood.  High and bouncing all over the place.  Her son is also moving in with her and Daddy.  The son who has been in 12 rehabs, but has been sober for a year.  The son she said she would never allow to live with her.

Personally, I don't think the arrangement is going to work, but I was telling her positive things.  That I was glad and what a blessing.

We shall see, what we shall see.

Hm-mm

I stole this pix from Sally's blog.  Should I enlarge it and put it on my front door when I see Dar heading this way?