Bad Day--Turned Out Good

Today's high temperature was:  74 degrees

Today's humidity was:  36%

Sunny, breezy, cool.

Glorious day!!!

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I woke up around 9:00 feeling very sad.  I don't know why--just thinking about Freddy.  Then--I watched this on You Tube.  I thought it ironic that this song and lyrics could be chosen as a wedding song or...a song for someone who has lost a child, a husband, a mother--any loved one.  Which ever setting it would be used in, would work.  It made me cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ktiaNTJ2Q
Stupid to listen to this when in a sad mood!!!
====================================
Then I sat down and read my daily devotional--made me feel better.  It's like Jesus is talking to you.

I was going to take it easy today, because my hip hurt so much last night, I was barely able to walk. I was tired and sore and grumpy and.....so I would do only what was necessary!

I needed to fill up my pill boxes.

Of course, they are in order by color.  Only God knows what would happen

if I took pills from the clear box one day and from a blue box

the next.  No--No.(Can anyone say OCD?)

The file case I keep all my meds and supplements in.

All filled

Back in their box--12 days worth.  Done.

Then the mail lady came and brought a box up to my door.  This was inside--a little buy from E-Bay and cute, I think.  Maybe from New England?  It must have been a box of salted cod, because these instructions are printed on the side.

I love the little handle--there is a track, so it must have had a wooden top that slide in.

I remember my Mother getting cod in a small wooden box, but it had no handle.

"To prepare for cooking--freshen the fish as follows:

Wash fish for 15 minutes in cooled water.

Place fish in pan and cover with water.

Heat slowly to a boil and pour off water.

Repeat this last process until fish is no 

longer salty to taste.".

I have no idea what they are doing--between my desk and the front window

Buddy has his head under the curtain

Crazy Cats!!!

This limb was dead--I had tried to pull it down, but couldn't.

I put the hummingbird feeder and some small sun catchers on it.

When I looked up from the cats--I saw it bent over.

I went out and pulled the branch off the tree...

So I took down the wind chimes...

Put the hummer feeder there....

and the wind chimes on the other end of porch

This bothered me every time I looked out the window.....

Or out the front door.............I was going to wait until Monday, but.....................

Got the hedge trimmers and took care of the Weigela

and the forsythia bush

I wonder if my neighbor would mind if I trimmed his Forsythia?

It annoys me!!!

The big Maple tree needs the many new branches trimmed away--

but, I cannot climb a ladder and get in that tree--

like Fred did five years ago---so--this project

is going to cost money!!!

Filled up the lawn waste bag with the clippings from the bushes

I think there is room to put some cut-back of the perennials.

Took all the tools back to the shed and picked these from

my weird garden.

Then I filled these

Came inside and did a little laundry

Sat down to watch a little golf--Tiger is doing well this weekend

Read some of this...

Did a little of this...

Just as I was about to get up and get supper, Pearl walked in and five minutes later, Dar.  We had to listen to what Dar had done today and then Pearl went to say something about her new carpet--because Dar asked--and Pearl got about six words out and Dar interrupted and said, "I have the worse mosquito bite on my arm!" and went into a long dissertation of how she is allergic to mosquitoes.  She is allergic to everything, by the way.

Then, she turned to Pearl and said, "Did you see my new car?"

Pearl--"Yes, it's beautiful!"

Dar--It gets forty miles to the gallon on the highway."

Pearl--"We have almost enough saved up to get another car.  Ours is seventeen years old and.....

Dar--"Judy, did I tell you, my father dyed his hair?"  horse laugh

I turned to Pearl, "You've had a great car!  What kind do you think you are going to look at?"

Pearl--"We wish they still made Saturn's.  Merle likes Ford's, but I'd rather get a Chev..........."

Dar--"He looks so funny!"  horse laugh

Pearl--"Look at the time.  It's almost seven and Judy hasn't eaten yet.  I'm going home.  Bye."

Dar---"Thank God--now I can have a cigarette!"

Me--"Well, if you will excuse me...I have to get something to eat." and I got up and walked over to the refrigerator.

Dar--"Oh, I gotta go too.  I want to watch that Debbie Macomber show tonight."

Me--"Yeah.  Me too.  See ya later."  and I didn't even walk her out!!!  Warmed up the rest of my Filet Mignon and baked potato--way good!!!  Ate most of the tomatoes I brought in from garden.

Something I noticed about Dar the last couple of months. Whenever she talks about her Dad, she laughs that horse laugh all the way through the telling.  She doesn't laugh like that when she talks about ANYONE else, except her Dad.  Some weird psychological thing going on there me thinks!

So--today, I didn't figure I would do anything, because of the hip and back pain, but I got a lot done, and now I can read a bit more and then go to bed.

Put your arm out in front of you--then put your hand under your arm--thumb in front, fingers in back.  Now squeeze thumb and fingers together.  The muscles in the back of my arr, under my fingers are killing me--as are the muscles in the front, under my thumb.

"It hurts...when I do this."  Doctor says, "Then quit doing it!"  Yeppers--hope all this is toning up my flabby arms--doubt it!!!

Later--Jude

Simple Pleasures

Today's high temperature was:  67 degrees

Today's humidity was:  40%

Weird weather today--very breezy, cloudy, then sunny, then cloudy.

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I got up around 8:30 this morning--from the roar of the lawn mower outside my bedroom window.  My lawn mowing guy was here doing his wonderful job on my lawn.  

It was cold in this place--65 degrees, but I resisted turning on the furnace for a moment of take the chill off--opened up the front door and a couple of windows because it was warmer outside--68--but with the strong breeze, it just made it feel colder.  Truly weird weather for August in Michigan.

Did my morning routine and then went in to take a shower.  Not just an ordinary shower, but the ultimate shower.  It was so cold in the bathroom that I turned on the shower full blast to get some warm, moist air in there.  Put scrubbing stuff on my face and rubbed it in, put Veet Shower Hair Remover on my legs, brushed my teeth and hopped in.  Man--it is so nice to have nice really warm water coming out of the shower head!  I scrubbed the stuff off my face with a rough sponge, then washed my hair, and took my poof and lathered nice Dove Body Moisturizer Wash all over and lastly, took the same rough sponge and scrubbed the Veet and leg hair off.  I was nice and pink all over and smoooooth-----------------

Took care of my beard and mustache and then slathered my face and neck with Olay Anti-Aging moisturizer!  I looked in the mirror--tweezed out a few white eyebrow hairs and I looked as young as--oh--68 perhaps?  LOL.

I slathered my arms and legs with Eucerin for Dry Skin lotion, then pulled on socks, my jeans and a long sleeved knit top.  Felt great!!!

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

I no more got sat down in front of the computer when my lil' sister called me.  Man--she was giggly and so hyper!  Yesterday, she met her 3 best friends (from school) at the Byron Golf Course for lunch.  Then, they decided to walk around the home town a bit.  Looking at the houses where their other friends used to live--some with grandchildren still living there.  Then they stopped up at the Elementary School to see another friend of theirs (Libby) --a teacher's aid in Kindergarten, who was fixing up the room for the start of school.  Then they went out to Susan's to see the house, as last year they all got together there, just after she moved in.  Then on the spur of the moment, they decided to go to the other friend's (Marsha) summer home--she winter's in Texas.  Her "summer' home is near where I live and only 3,500 sq. ft.  "Much smaller then our Texas home", she said.  

Lana had told Susan, "Marsha has more money then God, but you'd never know it by the way she acts."  She is Lana's cousin.

Susan said it was magnificent--"I took pictures so you can see it!  She and her husband are multi-millionaires, but they worked hard for what they have and they give a lot to their church and charities because they are so grateful."

Susan said, "I left at eleven o'clock yesterday morning and I didn't get home until nine.  I had the most wonderful day since I've moved back here."

She said what was really nice about it, she and Marsha got to talk about step-mother's and Marsha is coming out to Susan's to have a longer afternoon--just the two of them.  Susan said every time she mentioned something about our step-mother, Marsha would say, "Oh...I know!"   So they will have a lot of notes to compare and it will do them both good to talk about it--just to know they aren't the only person with a Wicked Step-Mother!!

Lana and Marsha's mother's were sisters and friends with my mother.  Sue was born when her brother's were 15 and 17, and Susan born when I was 13, so she and Sue had much older siblings.  

Front:  Marsha and Sue

Back:  Lana and Susan

Look at Lana--she looks about 45!!!

These "little" girls were five when I graduated.  They were in our house a lot and liked being upstairs in my bedroom.  They'd sit on the bed and watch--as I got into my "ball gown" as they called it--ready for the Prom.  Or watch as I put on my formal for the Homecoming parade--holding my "plastic crown" as if they were little ladies in waiting.  Then, I remember them so well, standing on the sidelines of the football field, during the parade, and yelling my name.  I, of course, waved and threw them kisses.  They would just stand there and look up at me with such awe and admiration on their sweet faces.

 It's strange--when I went to Susan's last year and happened to be the day they all were there, they came tearing out of the house yelling, "Judy--Judy!" and grabbed me in hugs and told me how beautiful I "still am". Then they told me how impressed they were with me, back in those days.  How I was so "glamorous" and "cool" and how they wanted to be "just like you, when we grew up."  Delightful!!!

Then in 13 years, I watched as my sister was in the Queen's court and Lana was the Queen and my daughter dated Sue and her husband's son and.....all connected.  That's the way it is in a small town/community! Connected all of our lives!!!

They are all 61 now and looking pretty good themselves!!!

(BETHIE--they are--Marsha Gordon, Sue Skinner, Lana Cecil)

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I didn't do a thing outside.  I WILL trim those bushes on the west side of my house tomorrow--I promise.  I also need to change the furnace filter.  Oh--I forgot--when I took my shower--I went into my bedroom afterwards and heard the gas going on under the water heater, but guess what?  Not one popping sound of calcium or lime deposits bouncing around on the burner plate.  I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!

Pearl called me around 3:30 and wanted to know if I wanted to go to supper.  I have a gift card to Outback Steak House and I have been bugging her to take me the next time she and Merle go there.  Filet Mignon and a Baked Potato!!!!!    Their daughter met us there and her daughter and her daughter, LOL.  Pearl and Merle's, daughter, grand daughter, great grand daughter--the ones who raked up the clippings for me.  We had a great time!  The Filet Mignon was, medium rare and so tasty and so easy to chew and my baked potato came with only butter--like I requested--lots of butter and a few slim green beans on the side.  $26.57.  I wanted to get Pearl and Merle's supper too, but they wouldn't let me.  I only ate half my supper because I knew, if I ate it all, I would be sick.  It was more food then I have eaten in 2 days!!! and now, I have half left for tomorrow's lunch.

When we got back, I stopped in to see their new carpet that was installed today.  The girls had painted the ceiling white, which really brightened up their dark paneled living room and the carpet is grey.  Not a color I would like to live with, but one that Pearl just loves, so that's all that matters.  Tiger came out to greet me, which Pearl says is weird because he doesn't like anyone else.  It has taken Tiger and I about a year to get friendly, but now he knows, I am not going to bend down and pick him up (which he hates).  I let him come to me and then I pet him a bit on his head, scratch his ears, and when his tail starts switching--I stop :-)  He bite Pearl the other day because she hauled him up on her lap and he is NOT a lap cat.  Then she waggled her finger in his face and said, "No biting," and he bit her again.  I think he thought she was playing with him with the waggling finger--she does that to Maggie and when Maggie reaches out with her front claws and hooks Pearl, Pearl gets all mad.  I have told her and told her and.............that Maggie thinks she is playing and not to waggle the finger, but she just won't listen to me, so.......sometimes she leaves her with a few pieces of missing skin from her finger.  Hey---I warned you.

Anyway--we had a good time and I am stuffed!!!!!

I am hoping tomorrow I can get the other bushes trimmed. 

P.S.  Had to drink a glass of water and 2 Alka-Seltzer's as I am stuffed and feel barfy.  My digestive system is not used to meat and potatoes!!! 

Done and Done!

Today's high temperature was:   74 degrees

Today's humidity was:  66%

Sunny, cloudy, with a nice breeze.

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

I didn't get up very early this morning--guess I was still pooped out from Tuesday and the bush massacre!  I walked down to Pearl's and took Tiger (cat) a little mouse to play with and 3 DVD's for her and Merle to watch.  I asked her, 'Isn't is suppose to rain today?"

She said, "Nope.  Maybe later...during the night."

It was predicted to rain again, but by 2:00 and not a drop, I decided to get out and cut the remaining two Privet bushes.  It only took me an hour to get them both done.

I came in to rest and was cleaning the mold out of my window tracks when I saw Pearl--carrying two old plastic tablecloths, I yelled,  "What are you up too?"

"I brought these down--I am doing to load them up and take them home to put in Merle's truck."

"Why don't you wait for Merle to bring the truck down?"

"He's taking a nap and rain is coming."

"I thought you told me it wasn't going to rain."

"Changed my mind."

I went outside to help her.  I got my big empty garbage can to put the larger branches in.

"You can't be doing this, Pearl." I said as I started raking the stuff onto the plastic cloths.

"I feel really good today.  That medicine your doctor gave me seems to be helping a lot."

So we bent and we scooped.

Tami opened up her kitchen window and said, "Oh...look at the ladies working so hard."

Pearl was bending over and she said under her breath, "Quit looking and get your sorry ass out here and help."

Just about cracked me up, but we kept busy-- and we filled up both plastic tablecloths and the big can and I took one of the cloths, and the can and she came behind with the other cloth.  We had to stop twice, in that less then 50 foot walk back to her house, but we finally got them back to her place and in behind the truck.

She put her arm around me, leaned on me and rested her head on my shoulder and I put my arm around here and rested my head on top of hers and then we heard laughter and looked up---there was Merle watching us out the window.  He came out and loaded it all in the back of his truck and will dispose of it.

Merle said, "Why didn't you wait for me to take the truck up there?"

Pearl said, "You were taking a nap and it is going to rain so---WE ARE WOMEN--WE CAN DO IT!"

So glad to have it done.  What a Sweetheart she is!!!  AND, a half hour later, the clouds opened up and we got a gully washer!!!

That is a Maple tree growing up out of that bush--

and a Rose of Sharon bush growing there too.

They look a little ragged, but by next spring, they will be full and fine

and

I won't have to cut them back again until I am 80 years old!!!

from this to this

Now I have to trim my Forsythia and my Weigela bush and I should be all set for fall.

I no more got back into my chair to rest my back and the phone rang--it was Dar.  She was at work, but sounded all panicky.

"You have to get on-line and research about electronic cigarettes and order one for me!"

"Ah--wait----what?"

"I just found out I have COPD and I have to quit smoking.  I need one of those electronic cigarettes to smoke.  Like the kind you used to have!"

"They don't make the kind I used to use anymore.  They have gone to a different, more expensive one.  I don't know anything about them."

"Well--just get on the computer and research it for me and order me one that you think will work.  I will pay you for it later."

"Dar--I can't do that"

"Why not?"

"This is something you have to do.  You have to research them and figure out which one you want and buy it yourself.  It's not something I can do because I might make the wrong choice."

"Oh--I just don't know how to do that!"

"I will send you the link.  When you get home, go to your e-mail, click on the link and take it from there."

"But--I don't want to put it on my charge card."

"Well--I am not going to put it on MY charge card.  Have them take the money out of your debit card."

"What if someone hacks into my account--they could take all my money."

   So it's okay if someone hacks into MY account, but not hers?

"Try the patches instead."

"I can't.  I'm allergic to them."

"Try the gum or the lozenges."

"I can't.  They give me sores in my mouth."

"Get some Chantix from your doctor."

"I can't.  The last time I tried that I got suicidal!"

"I guess you are just going to have to cold turkey it then."

"What?  I can't do that!"

"What do you mean...you can't?"

"I just can't."

"Of course you can.  It will take two weeks of cravings and then they will get less and less and then you won't have any at all. With the other patches, gum, whatever--you still have to wean yourself off the nicotine--eventually."

"I've been smoking since I was twelve!!  That's almost sixty years!  I can't quit!"

"Well then---don't!  It won't make the COPD go away if you quit--not now, not once you have it, but it will slow the progression down.  I will send you the link, so you can research what you want to do.  You can then make up your mind."

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

I said "no"!  Amazing!!!

The phone rang around seven o'clock this evening--it was Dar.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Oh, sure.  I'm great!"  horse laugh

"When did you find out you have COPD?"

"Oh--I don't know for sure.  The last time I was in the ER, they did an x-ray and I got the report and it said I had a nodule and the beginnings of COPD."

"Oh--you know--remember--when I was in that same ER last December and they also told me I had a nodule in my left lung and when I got it checked out---there was none.  Remember?"

"Yeah.  I have an appointment next Tuesday to get a CAT Scan of my lungs."

"Well--don't worry until you get the results of that."

"Oh--I'm not worried."

"You aren't?  You seemed kind of in a panic when you called me at four o-clock...from work."

"Hey--did you notice?  I drove home in that heavy thunder storm?"

"Yes.  I noticed.  Good job."

"Yeah...now I just have to learn to drive on the expressway again."

     Okay--I guess her crisis is over?

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

Tonight, I watched the DVD of Bambi.  GEEZ!!! What a horrible movie for little kids to watch.  I first saw it when I was four and was so terrified that I got to crying (really loud) and my grandma had to take me outside!  Then, a year later Mother and Grandma took me to see "Lassie Come Home" and I got to crying and sobbing about the poor doggie when Lassie was trying to get home and her paws were all cut and bleeding from the rocks she was climbing over.  

The nursery rhymes and fairy tales we were brought up on? Terrible scary stories.  "My Friend Flicka"--my grandma read me that book when I was six and in bed with the measles.  I had nightmares and I didn't even LIKE horses.

And who can forget this:

No wonder a lot of us grew up traumatized and scared of everything!!!

My Mother always sang Brahms Lullaby to me.

Lullaby and goodnight, with roses bedight

With lilies o'er spread is baby's wee bed

Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

I loved it, but for the life of me, I could never figure out what "roses bedight" meant!

I sang this one to my kids:

Bye, baby Bunting,

Daddy’s gone a-hunting,

To get a little rabbit skin

To wrap his baby Bunting in

I must ask them someday if they were traumatized by that lullaby!!!  GEEZ!!

My grandma always sang, "You Are My Sunshine" to me.  I think that was the best song ever!!

You are my Sunshine,

My only sunshine.

You make me happy,

When skies are grey.

You'll never know dear,

How much I love you.

Please don't take 

My sunshine away.

She never sang the other stupid, sad verses--she just kept repeating the chorus over and over.

What Day Is It?

The high temperature today was:  66 degrees

The humidity today was: 58%

It rained all day long.

A blessing, LOL.

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

     With the blessed rain--one did not even have to consider going out and massacring the last bushes.  AND with all the clippings raked up and taken away--one did not to worry about that mess either.  It is suppose to rain tomorrow and Friday--another blessing--so maybe Saturday, I can go out and get the job done.  By Saturday, my back, legs and arms "may" have recovered.

     Wonder of wonders--since Monday, I have awakened every morning at 7:15 - 7:35 and I am not groggy first thing.  Apparently, since the gas exhaust vent has been put into place and I am no longer being euthanized, I am feeling better!  

     The only thing wrong with getting up so early (to me early)--I still don't go to bed until around 1:00 a.m., so--today at 2:00, after my Soap, I kicked back the recliner, cats climbed up on my lap and we slept until 5:00!!!

    Tonight, there was no baseball game on TV, so I popped in my newest DVD.  It is called "42" and is the story of Jackie Robinson.  The first black baseball player in the major leagues.  What a great movie it was.  What a great player.  What a great man.  He died way too young.  But--his jersey number is the first one to ever be retired for ALL teams.  Every year, for one week, every baseball player in the Major Leagues, wear the number 42 on their back--to prove they are all alike.  My favorite conversation in the movie was when Branch Rickey told his people he was going to sign Robinson.  He said, "He is a Methodist.  I am a Methodist.  God is a Methodist!"  Made me laugh.  

   Speaking of being a Methodist---something I read in Jean's blog tonight.  http://misadventuresofwidowhood.blogspot.com/

     Reminded me of when Fred died.  He was in St. Joseph Hospital near Ann Arbor.  The large hospital where most of us around here go.  Great hospital, by the way.  I never gave it a thought that is was a Catholic hospital.  I never saw any priests strolling around.  Not even thinking that there could be women Chaplain's--even when my own daughter does that --in a lay person sort of way.  

     Our family and friends had been praying for Fred.  The church said prayers for him.  When he died, a woman came to me and asked if she could pray for him.  I agreed.  Then when she was done, she took some oil and made the sign of the cross on Fred's forehead.  It startled me.  I said, "Oh, we are Protestant's"--thinking that she had to know, in case she did something wrong.  I felt like I should get a wash cloth and wipe the oil off his forehead, but she assured me it was all right--then I thought I wanted it too, but I knew, I couldn't ask her.  

    Anyway, after she left, his nurse came back in the room and asked me, "Is everything...are you all right?"  I said, "You know--Fred and I are Protestant's."

    She said, "So am I.  In fact, Fred and I talked about it.  I go to the same church in Saline, where his friend is the minister."

    Then I said, "Well--the lady Chaplain just came in, prayed for him and made the sign of the cross on his forehead.................our Protestant friends and church have been praying for him.  You know what......."

     "What?"

     "If I could just find a Rabbi to come in and say a prayer.....Fred would have all his bases covered!"

   She looked at me for a minute, then just burst out laughing.

    Just one instance of the weird thoughts and things that came out of my mouth that whole week.  GEEZ!!  We just aren't ourselves when our nearest and dearest die.  Or......maybe we are?

     You know what is really cool---three months later--in church--at the end of the service, our minister came out to the front of the church and held up a small bottle and said, "In this is a bit of oil--I put some lavender oil in it too.  If anyone would like to come forward for a blessing---it would be all right."  My gosh!  So Catholic!!!  I had never seen that done in a Methodist Church in my lifetime.  Of course I went forward and he made the sign of the cross on my forehead and said, "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."  I cried all the way back to my pew.  I LOVED IT!!!  I didn't wash my face for days!!!

    I wish we could make the "sign of the cross" in our church.  Why not?  After we take communion, why couldn't we just cross ourselves if we wanted?  

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     Well--that's all of the weird stuff I have today, Kids.  I played on the computer.  I knitted on a baby blanket I am making.  I cross stitched on a baby crib cover I am making. (All for a non-existent baby) and I read--and I napped!  And I didn't feel a bit guilty :-)

Oh yeah--I vacuumed, dusted and a bit of that kind of stuff too.

   Oh--I ordered two bras and two pair of panties today also.  The bras are a size smaller and the panties, two sizes smaller.  The bras were on sale--they usually cost 35.00.  The panties--did  you know that a pair of panties now sells for 6.00 and up?  For one pair!!!  Remember when we could 3 pair in a package for five bucks?  

     

Oh Lord--Help Me!!

Today's high temperature was:  75 degrees

Today's humidity was:  46%

Sunny, nice working weather.

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

Mark, Karen, Derek, Susanna, Marcus, Madeleine, Stephen

Karen will have knee replacement surgery, but I see she made

it to the top of Mt. Bachelor in Oregon!  

Have I ever shown you my vintage wooden box collection?  I love old wooden boxes, trunks--things like that.  I have these and I was dusting them this morning.

My sister got me the stacking boxes and the little round box

is made of cedar that she got me in Bermuda.

This bog box was Fred's grandpa's.  Pam has asked if I will

put her name on it so she will get it.

My stash--Pammie said it would mean even more to her,

if the box was filled with a stash like this, LOL

I use this old box for my pill cases.

Do you remember getting cheese in a cheese box like this one?

We had tons of them--this is what my mother used to line and

put flowers from the woods for me to take to teacher on

May Day.

The box under it, has a sliding top and held bullets.  I love the corners!

A box my mother made and decoupaged--I keep a sprig

of lavender on top.

Susan just found this one in the attic of the Big House.

It probably was our great grandmother's and held soap.

I also have the mini cedar chest my mother got when she graduated high school in 1934. Inside all of her friends autographed it.

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

Okay--now on to the major maintenance job of this week!!

I started at 2:00 to trim the Privet bushes, on the east side of my place, under the windows.  They reached nearly to the top of the windows.  I thought all I had to do was go out with my electric hedge trimmers and trim back the leaves.  Well, we all know about the best laid plans of mice and women--or something like that.

Because they have not been cut back in six years, since Fred did it, most of the branches are 1/4 to 1" thick.  You don't cut those with electric hedge trimmers.  So---

Step #1--gather needed tools

Step #2--most important tool--a resting place in shade

Step #3--address the chore--in this case--"You overgrown piece of

vegetation--you are going down!"  I find it useful to "address" my projects,

just so they know who is the boss!!

Maggie sitting in bedroom window!

Aha--I see another chore awaiting me--getting all that moldy moss out from between window and screen!

One hour later--one bush massacred!

Second bush under kitchen window.

"Oh Dear God--do I have the strength for this?"

Bush #2--tamed.  Look at all the cut off stuff I will have to pick

up!

It was now 4:15 and my heart was pounding, my legs, arms and hands were shaking so bad and all my strength gone, so...I put away the trimmers and the lopper, left the chair out there and came in the house.  My neighbor, Tami,  mentioned that "You got quite a job going there.  An awful lot of stuff spread out on the lawn."  I did my best impression of Scarlett and said, "I will finish it tomorrow." and walked away from her sorry butt.  You don't like the cut branches--why don't you help and pick them up for me.  Well--no, I don't expect that and besides, I don't ever want to be in her debt because it would be all over Face Book about how SHE helped her ELDERLY neighbor and I don't need that!!

I came in and sat in my chair and waited for my heart to return to it's normal pace, but the shaking is still present.  Actually, I got a bit worried trimming that last bush--I felt like I was going to fall down and not get up. 

What have I got myself into?

Have I bitten off more then I can chew? 

"Fiddle Dee Dee--I'll think about it tomorrow!"

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P.S.  Along about 8:00, Pearl walked in with her daughter, grand daughter and great grand daughter.  The next thing I knew, Merle was driving his pick-up on the lawn between Tami's place and mine.  The girls ran out and Pearl and I limped out, and they were raking all the cut off  vegetation and putting it in Merle's truck--he has a place to dump it where he works.

OHMYGOSH!!!  I just about cried.  Having to rake all that up was worrying me.  Now I only have to worry about two more bushes--I'll bet Merle will be down tomorrow evening to pick up those clippings too.  

I would NEVER ask for help, but I was so shaky and exhausted that I just accepted it, without protest.  They had it done in about 15 minutes!!!  As we walked back toward the street, Pearl's daughter mentioned the sun catchers hanging on my porch.  "Mom told me you made hers for her.  They are beautiful!"  So I walked up on the porch and gave her one--not the bumpy one, but the one the same color.  She was thrilled and I told her,  "Thank you so much for helping me.  You cannot imagine how that chore was worrying me."

She said, "I like to help--it makes me feel good!"

So, she has learned that helping others makes you feel just as good inside as the help made them feel.  I have to remember to let people do things for me--it is difficult.  I was always the one helping neighbor's or other people.  I guess I am too prideful to remember how good it made me feel.  I need to smile and say "thank you" and let them.

Now---I feel renewed to get out there tomorrow and finish up!!!

A Pretty Good Day--for a Monday

Today's  high temperature was:  64 degrees

Today's humidity was: 55%

Sunny, breezy, cool

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

I don't know why, but I didn't wake up until 10:00, a cat was kissing my nose--apparently he was hungry?  I felt kind of guilty when Pearl came down at noon and I was just heading to the bedroom to get dressed.  She scolded me because she was up at 6:30.  

"The day is half over!" she exclaimed.

"No, it's not.  My day doesn't end until midnight or later, so at five o'clock, my day is half over."

"Well, don't you have work to do?"

"Like what?"

"Oh--go around and pick stuff up.  Clean up the bathroom.  Do laundry."

"Look around.  Is there stuff sitting around that needs picking up?  My bathroom is nice and clean and...I did my two loads of laundry Saturday afternoon."

"Well--you forget.  I live with a man.  He leaves stuff laying all over."

"Well--lucky for me...I do not, so...........I can sleep in.  Besides, I have nothing to do today, so why get up early...to do nothing?"

She stayed for an hour and then went home when my Soap came on and....as usual, at 2:00, I gathered up my empty Pepsi bottles, got my list and off to the Rich People's store I went.

Today--the Rich People's store was not just for the rich!!  They had Diet Pepsi on sale at 10 for $10.  I got 10 and am going back before the end of the week to get 10 more!!  I got my gallon of milk for .99 cents because I had their rewards card.  AND I found that they do have Boar's Head meats--I got a half pound of sliced Pastrami!!  And I got tuna/macaroni salad, chicken salad, 2-antipasto salads, chef salad, small 7-layer salad, fresh water melon spears that were "imported" from a town 15 miles from here--Wal-Mart and Meijer, have the same and it is imported from Honduras!!  They make all their salads on site, so I know they are fresh.  My antipasto salad will be as fresh Friday as it is today.  Pearl got a fresh salad from the Meijer store and in two days, the lettuce was limp and slimy.  

So--I have decided that I don't have to go back to Wal-Mart again for food.  I can buy my fresh stuff at VG's Market, my other packaged stuff at Meijer's and my big bulk stuff, like bathroom tissue, at Costco.  I do like the kids that work in the Pharmacy at Wal-Mart (two of them took off work to come to Fred's funeral) and I will continue to get my prescriptions there, but...our local Wal-Mart is becoming very run down.  It smells in there--there are areas that are dirty--weird people shop there and some of their clerks appear to be not living with a full deck of cards--if you know what I mean.

The VG's is big enough for me to find everything, small enough for me not to have to walk 17 miles up and down the aisles, the clerks are wonderful, the other shoppers very nice.  There is no music playing, no loud voices over an intercom and I have never seen anyone shopping there in their flannel pajama bottoms.  It is a peaceful, quiet, wonderful shopping experience there.

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

As I was leaving, I saw what appeared to be a small cat in Jackie's driveway.  After I got to the front of the park, I called Pearl to ask here what she thought it was.  When I got home, I stopped at her place and she said she went over to look and it was a young cat--she tried to bend down to look at it and it got up and ran away.  She said it looked like it was almost dead.  That really upset me--years ago, it wouldn't have.  It's just an animal--a feral cat we have here.  I know I can't afford another cat--nor a vet bill--nor a spade/neuter bill, but it just broke my heart to think about that poor animal.  I would like to sneak some cat food outside for the feral cats--but the park would not like that.  They try and discourage them from the area.    It just makes me sad, because at one time, Buddy and Maggie were living on the street, and someone got them and took them to the shelter and then I found them and now they are my furry kids!!!  I look at Buddy's sweet face and I just can't stand the thought of him having to fend for himself out in the world.

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

I worked some more on my 2013 Christmas card--I know, it's a bit early, but...I am in the mood.  This is the front--what do you think?

I didn't send any Christmas or letters in 2012, so I need to start again.  To out of state friends or people I never see anymore (co-workers--old friends from my other life), I will enclose a short note.  It will say in red, 'MERRY CHRISTMAS   FROM OUR HOUSE   TO YOURS' on the front above the picture.  It will be a half-fold card for those that get the note (inside) and just the one piece of this picture for people I see all the time.

I also worked on my funeral plans.  OCD seems to be in full mode today, LOL.

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

A thought I had today--about the mess our country is in---I don't think it's a matter of race, nor of financial status--it seems to be a complete break down of our morals and our culture.  The President isn't too blame for that.  I know I will get flak for this, but I can see how the Woman's Movement back in the early '70's caused a lot of our problems.  At the time, "we" were quite content to stay at home and raised our children.  Then Gloria and others started telling us we were unfulfilled and we needed more out of life; some of us wanted a "career".  Then, our kids came home from school to an empty house, all the better to get into trouble. If our husband's resisted our new found freedom, we divorced them--break down of the family.  I know this is simplistic, but to me, the best career in this world is raising the next generation.  I enjoyed that a whole lot more then my second "career". 
=============================== 

There was no baseball game on tonight so, I watched the DVD of "The King's Speech"--nice movie.  

Tomorrow--tomorrow--I have another huge outside maintenance job--cutting down the 8' Privet hedge to it's normal height of 4'.  It is going to be hard, painful work.  I may only be able to do one bush at a time, but that's all right.  In the end, it will once again look neat and nice.  I also need to trim back my Forsythia and Wegelia bushes.  

A little warmer tomorrow--mid-70's, which will be nice to work in.  If I live through it--I will have pix for tomorrow's night post.

Later--Jude