It's here! It's here.

Finally--it seems like a long time in waiting.

My cement mixer, putzy-putzy, arrived here.

They did such a fine job of smoothing, and floating, and brooming.

They asked me if I wanted to put my name or handprint in the corner.  I decided that the cement will be here longer than me, so I declined.  Then I thought, I could find a metal Spartan head and put it in the corner, but then...what if when my kids have to sell the place, a U of M fan likes it, but wouldn't buy it because of Sparty.  So, I decided to take one of my heart stones, from my collection, and put that in the corner.  

Right over where the bumble bees had their underground nest.

Tomorrow, the guys are coming back to put the "line" across.  This helps the cement stay stable in our cold winters, when the ground underneath heaves and settles.

By the way--after they left and I walked out to go to my car, I saw three bees buzzing around that spot.  No doubt those little rascals will figure out a way to rebuild their city!!
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Had my yearly check-in at the Cardiologist's this afternoon.  Didn't even have to have an EKG.  He is a bit concerned about my continuing slow heart rate--52--I told him I was happy with that because a year ago it was in the 40's!  He had cut one of my meds--that slows the heart--in half.  I'd like to quit taking it, but if I have another AFib instance, I might have to get a Pacemaker--and I want none of that.  I remember how it creeped me out, feeling and seeing it, just under Fred's skin near his left shoulder.  My heart rate was 65 when I was at my doc's office a couple of weeks ago, so I'm not worried.  I had taken an Ativan at noon--maybe that slowed it down?

Anyway, I love this doctor.  He is the one who saved Fred's life.  Today he said, "I miss Fred."

"Me too, " I replied.

"How long has it been now.  Two years?"

"Five and a half."

"We are aging quickly, aren't we?"

"A year ago, you told me I'd live into my nineties.  I'm going for ninety-two."

"Why ninety-two.  Go for a hundred."

"Nope," I said.  "I don't want to live to be a hundred."

"Why not.  What's the difference between ninety-two and a hundred?"

"Eight long years in a nursing home!"

Anyway--I think it's sweet that he remembers Fred--as did the receptionist today.  When I checked-in, although she hadn't seen me in a year, she mentioned, "I sure miss Fred."  
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It's strange because, every now and then, one of the people at the pharmacist will mention Fred and how he always brightened their day.  Just last Sunday, Yvonne, the girl that took time off to attend Fred's funeral, said to me, "I was just thinking about Fred the other day.  He was always smiling, no matter what.  Here you are, eye all swollen and red, and your smiling.  I can see why you two got along so well."

Well, yes.  Fred and I never took anything too seriously.  Five minutes before he died, he gave me a hug, a kiss and a big smile and said, "I'll see you in a few minutes. Love you."

Yeah--we were made for each other.

I woke up frustrated and cranky this morning.

I had forgotten to put my bite guard in last night, and I bite a hunk out of my cheek during a dream.  When I woke up, Buddy decided to jump off the bed and dug two of his back claws into my calf when he launched himself.  My eye is still very irritated and all the goop and drops I have to put in it, get on my eye lashes and thus my glasses and everything is blurry.  My back hurt, I have a pain running from my right index finger down to my wrist and my right thumb joint was screaming, plus, I had a headache.

A couple of hours later, I sat down and watched the Weather Channel and thought, what a whiny, unappreciative woman I am!  What those people are going through is unimaginable!  This flood is of Biblical proportions and here I am, having a pity party because I don't feel good!  I am so sorry!
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The guys came back to work some more on the driveway.  I sat on the porch, in my rocker and watched.

No--it's not a crime scene.  They aren't searching for Hoffa's body.  They built the frame.
Can you believe, there are still some small bees in the lower, right corner?

This guy is drilling the holes in the cement slab that is already there to put re-bar into, 
so that the 2 slabs will be as one, and one won't

heave up higher than the other and crack.

This guy is leveling and smoothing out the ground.

Trimming up the end of the driveway here.  I hope my neighbor's don't mind all the dust headed toward their open windows.

They think they will put in the mesh and pour the cement tomorrow afternoon, although it is supposed to rain and I don't think they pour cement when it is raining.

Then it has to cure for 7 days before I can use it.  So---maybe by September 6th, I won't have to tote my groceries so far?

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Today is Karen and Mark's 36th anniversary.  I think their daughter said it best. 

"The most hardworking people I know- working for our family, for each other, for God, for 36 years!!! Thank you for showing us how love conquers all, every day. Happy anniversary mum and pops, I love you!"
She's right.  They have the most wonderful marriage and family I have ever known, and the cutest babies and nicest adult children.

One-Eyed Jude

This is making it difficult to type, but I am determined!!

 

My eye started itching on Thursday.  Friday was scratchy,  Saturday I could hardly see out of it and Sunday it was swollen shut.  I thought I probably had conjunctivitis, but it hurt so bad I drove on up to the ER.

They found a small piece of grit in the cornea, toward the lower part.  The consensus was, that since the only place I had been in 5 days was the dentist, some of the tooth polishing grit that they use flew up into my eye.  I remember feeling it, but thinking nothing of it.

I got two prescriptions, one a soothing drop to use 4 times a day and an antibiotic gel to use at night.  Call my ophthalmologist if it doesn't improve.
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The hole that the ground bees went underground was right under where I stand to empty out the trunk of my car.  I love how they made tunnels leading to and from the nests.

Apparently squirrels had shoved some peanuts down the hole 

and the rain had moved them over by the nest.

                                Egg cells that will never hatch. 

They emptied 2 cans of Wasp and Hornet spray on the nest.

Apparently the bees didn't mind because they kept hovering.

The guys came back this morning to remove the rest of the cement.  The first thing the guy in the Bobcat did was load a bunch of dirt on top of the next.

When the kid in the green shirt bent over to lift up a piece of cement, I yelled, "WATCH OUT!"
He jumped and ran.  "Did you see bees?" He asked.  "Nope," I said.  "I just wanted to see if you were ready!"

 ...and they still won't let me drive or even ride in the Bob Cat--something that is on my bucket list!!


They apologized for the delay and said I'm gonna love it when it's done.
I asked, "Might that be before Christmas?"
The kid in the green shirt replied, "We're shooting for Thanksgiving."

The thing of it is, when they finally pour the cement, it has to cure for 7 days before I can park on it.  I have found a new parking spot that is only 50 steps from my house.  The other one out by my shed was 80.  I think when I have to tote in groceries, I will just back up on the part of the driveway that hasn't been destroyed.  

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Darlin' Della is 10 months old.  

"They" all like to say she looks like her Daddy.

I have photos to prove them wrong and Karen and I know,

she is the spitting image of her Grandma Karen.  HAH!!

Interesting Day

My oldest grandson, Marcus, messaged me last night at 11:15--this photo.  He and Morgan just engaged and wanted me to be the first to know.  Made my heart glad--the first to know.

Morgan is the girl I was telling you about that dances ballet and raises and shows hogs at the fairs.
A farm girl, after my own heart and a little tiny thing.

This is the baby quilt I had set aside for them. 

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 This morning at 9:30, the guys arrived to tell me I had to move my car as they were going to start taking up the cement in my driveway in 10-15 minutes.  I was still in my jammies, but I scurried about and moved it out back, near my shed.

 At 3:30 they were back.

Watch video here.


and when they took up that big chunk, I yelled, "WATCH OUT THERE'S A BEES NEST!"

Watch video here:


Look at the amazing tunnels those ground bees have made!!

The guys said they'd come back tomorrow to finish up.  Hope the bees have a new home.

Wondrous

What a nice weekend I had.  For the first time, I got to meet, in person, a blog buddy.  I was kind of nervous.  We have our own perception of what the people are like, from reading their blogs. Meeting them in person might show us that they are entirely different.  I was afraid I might disappoint her.

SHE was exactly like I thought she would be.  Jenny Webber.   http://www.jennyweber.com/

I had seen photos of her and her family and I once commented that if I ever met her handsome husband, I'd probably fall into a faint at his feet.

Well, I managed to stay upright, but YOWZA!!  He is 6'5" tall, trim, strong jaw, tanned, steel gray hair, wonderful smile--he reminded me of Fred.

Jenny is a tiny little thing--a foot shorter than her husband.  Full of energy.  I adored her immediately.

She came in with a bag of goodies for me, snacks and apples and Raspberry preserves, my favorite Cheerio's, French Toast bread, that is delish and...and--a 6-pack of Diet Pepsi.  

It was like talking to an old friend.  We knew of each other's children, her son Andrew serving another deployment and I have been praying for him for over a year.  We chatted about them and our backgrounds.  We agreed on how much we are sadden by and dislike the current issues in our society.

She and her husband are about the age of my kids, I would guess and so, I felt like I had visited with family.

==========

They had driven up from South Carolina to Toledo, Ohio to visit family.  Then drove on up from Toledo to Lansing, MI to visit another blog buddy.  Well on the way from Toledo to Lansing runs the expressway that is just a mile from my place.

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Before they left, her husband gave me a little booklet that is about their church.  He told me they have a live stream of Sunday morning services.

On Sunday morning, I got up and went on the website at 11:00 and watched live.  It was the coolest thing!!!  He had explained it was a small church with only about 500 members.

Little?  That's a Mega church to me.  My church has about 120 people in attendance on a Sunday Traditional service.

I have never "attended" a Southern Baptist church service, but I knew every hymn they had and sang along.  The preacher was more spirited than our Methodist preachers get, but he reminded me of how my Grandpa preached in the 40's and 50's.  

He'd get to shouting and then his voice would get real low and soft.  I could tell, this man was filled with the spirit.  There would be no "sleepers" in his congregation.  LOL

His message was strong and true.  Cast your cares on God.  Trust in Jesus.  As God was, He will always be.  Standing on the promises of God, the same now as they've always been.

I will watch again next Sunday morning.

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

Jennifer, I know you are reading this and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping in.  It was my privilege to have you and Greg visit me, in my wee home.  Next time you are up this way, leave enough time for a visit to The Farm. 

May our God continue to bless you and your family!!

XX OO

Calm Down

I am just fine and thanks for caring Luna.  If you were on FB, you would know I am alive and well and....fighting with new computer issues.

I keep blaming Windows 10, when actually it's PEBCAC. (Problem exists between chair and computer).

I've had to sign-in to every thing I use, including this blog.  New computer, new operating system, thinks that I am brand new too.  Which can get a bit frustrating because, the last time I signed in was 4 years ago and I have since forgotten my password.  HAH!

Then, there were a few files missing--files that didn't get transferred onto the new hard-drive.  Picture files, that I almost panicked when I couldn't find them.  

I took the new baby back in yesterday to have all this corrected and now, I have everything I want and need.  I think.  Thankfully, they keep my old hard drive for 3 months, just in case.

I got the machine back, but didn't start plugging all the peripherals into it until midnight.  When I got up this morning and my printer was off-line and no amount of searching on how to get it back on-line helped.  I called my computer people.

After 20 minutes of them remotely trying to fix the problem, she asked, "It looks like the printer isn't plugged in."

"Oh, sure it is.  I did it last night."

"Can  you look to make sure?"

"Sure."

I checked all the wires, they were plugged in to the right places.

"Everything is plugged in."

"Is your printer plugged into a USB port?"

"Yes."

"Can  you check to make sure it's plugged in all the way?"

I'm thinking, 'well Duh.  Of course it is.'

When I touched it, it fell out of the USB port.  I shoved it into another port and..............I hadn't plugged it in tight enough!

She said, "Oh, I hear the printer starting up.  You solved the problem!"  Soon a test page came printing out.

"I KNOW what the problem was and I don't think I can solve it!  The problem is the computer operator!"
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I was so determined NOT to get Windows 10 until I had too and knowing full well it was going to cause me all sorts of problems, I was already biased against it.  If anything went wrong, I assumed.  You know what assumed gets ya--right?
==============
So, I have been centered in on this new computer that I have not even given a thought about posting on my blog.  GEEZ LOUISE!

All else has been calm and boring and every day.  I hope to get a hair cut and some groceries tomorrow, plus pay the rest of the month's bills.

Thursday I am cleaning this house--because I have dust all over everything, alone with cat fur and stuff I have laid on the counter, to put away later.  BECAUSE--on Friday, one of my blog buddies is coming from South Carolina near here and she wanted to stop in.  

I am soooooooo looking forward to the visit, but you know, kind of nervous.  She has a beautiful home and family and here I am, just an old country plow-girl living in a trailer.  
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Karen baby-sat Della this past week-end and let her do anything she wanted.  Including unrolling the bathroom tissue roll.  HAH!

Peaceful, calm, content---mostly.

I had such a great time yesterday at the Old School Gal Pals luncheon.

I met my BF Bethie in Byron and rode the rest of the way up to the meeting place with her and her hubs.  I had the best time.  Her hubs is interesting to talk with and at times, had me laughing so hard.  It's been a long time since I laughed that hard!
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My BFF's (who is deceased) daughter showed up and sat next to me.  We had lots of hugs and "I love yous", and a really good chat.  I announced to the group that she is about to become a grandma again.  Her daughter is having a baby girl on August 28.  The baby's name?  Kathlene.  Kathy for her and Lene for my BFF, who's name was Arelene.

I love when people incorporate family names like that.  Our family does it too.
==============================

We arrived at a kind of swanky place.  Miss June The Teacher had suggested we eat there and said, "It will have a more varied menu and perhaps Judy can find something to order other than Tacos or Nachos."

Now the reason I always order Tacos or Nachos is because I never get to have them, except at our luncheon.

I looked on the menu, they had Pesto dishes and Patty Melt's and Chicken stuff and Shrimp stuff and... Tacos and Nachos.  So just to show Miss Prissy Pants, I ordered Nachos.

They were smaller and not as good as the ones I get when we go to the smaller, little dives we sometimes go to, and they weren't near as good and cost $4.00 more!

One of our lady's was not at all pleased with her Patty Melt--there was hardly any cheese on it and she let the waitress know.  The manager came out and asked if she wanted another one or something different, and our friend said, "No.  I just want to bitch about this one!"

I almost fell outta my chair.  I wondered what Miss Prissy Pants thought about that.  She didn't say a word.  Just sat there with her lips pressed together, in a thin line.

Another friend, that I have known since I was 3, usually butts in with the most unconventional words and phrases, usually when someone else is talking about something.  The rest of us smile, look at each other and wink.  She is becoming a bit daft.  Got lost on the way there, which was harder to do than you'd think.  She comes south on a highway and when she get to the next highway, she turns right and up the road is the restaurant.

You can tell we are getting older and all a bit daft because we have lost our filter.  Always very polite women who would never interrupt or complain about our food, now just blat out whatever pops into our mind.  It can get hilarious just listening.
=====================
When we got back, I drove on out to The Farm to visit Sister and her hubs.  
She said to me, "You will understand this.  I am having a time with "A" (her son) taking things I say out of context or meaning."

He had been out to visit and she made a chicken dinner.  Afterwards, he said, "I am sick of chicken.  I wish you had fixed a roast."

Susan said, "Why didn't you tell me.  I will fix whatever you want."

He said, "What?! We've had chicken the last two times I came out. I would think you'd know, I wanted roast beef!"

 The next week was his birthday.  Susan made a beef roast and vegetables in the Crock Pot and took it up to his house.  He had been on vacation

Susan asked how he had enjoyed his vacation.

"It was all right."

"You were in South Dakota?  Did you stop at the Corn Palace?  Did you see Mount Rushmore?"

"Geez Mother!  Can't I go anywhere without my Mommy planning my trip?  I suppose you want to know if I took enough underwear."

She said, "We left shortly after that.  As I walked out, I said, 'Happy Birthday.  Hope you enjoyed the Roast Beef dinner."

"Oh, yeah.  Thanks."

Susan said this attitude from him has been going on for the last six months now.  She said, "Remember back when you told Mark you were so glad he inherited the farm....his favorite farm, because that's where his grammie lived?  You told him that if you couldn't live there, you were so happy that he could. Remember?"

"Never forget it.  He took offense and told everyone that I was mad that I hadn't inherited the farm."

"Yeah.  Don't we talk plainly anymore or do they just hear what they want to hear?"

"I don't know," I said.  "I told Pammie the same thing and she didn't take offence.  She said, 'I'm glad too, Momma.  Keep it in the family.' "

"Then I had to apologize to Mark and tell him, 'what I meant was', I was afraid that farm was going to be sold.  If I hadn't inherited it, I am so happy he did, because it was his favorite farm and we were able to keep it in the family.  I couldn't inherit the farm, Grandpa knew that.  I can barely afford to live in my little house.  How could I afford this farm?  I'm so happy you are here because you can take care of it."

Susan said, "You know--we've kidded with out kids all their lives.  Joked about things, said sarcastic things.  They always knew we were just kidding.  Now, we can't do that anymore, I guess.  They take it as truth and get offended."

We both sighed.
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After I left The Farm, I stopped at Pammies.  Wanted to see how her birthday went.  She had two days off--with pay!  She had already made plans for those two days AND the weekend.  Her recliner was surrounded with baskets of yarn, her phone nearby to play FB games on and she had her TV schedule all worked out.

"I ain't going anywhere and I ain't doing anything!" she proclaimed.  "Well, I do have to clean the house on Friday and mow the lawn on Saturday, but other than that...nothing."

She cracks me up.  She is a Mini-Me for sure.
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I left home at 11:00 yesterday morning and didn't get home until 7:30.  I was exhausted!!!!!

What a wonderful day!!!