title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Prayers Answered--Hopes Revealed--Wishes Granted

Today's high temperature was: 65 degrees
Sunny and nice all day
==========================
Man!! Am I ever on a roll and I hope this good stuff continues.

I had prayed that my 3 girls would want to get with me on Mother's Day--Pammie is going to church with me.  Answered prayer.

Now--you remember we talking about this kid?
http://judeself.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-weekend-neighbors-white-headed.html

How I adore this kid, like one of my own grandkids
and
he calls me Grammie.


 and..how I adore this kid who IS one of my own
and
she calls me Gramma

...and how I hoped and hoped--all year--that they would go out on a date?  Remember me telling you that?

Karen called last night.  Matt has asked Maddie to the Senior Prom and she said YES!!!!!  AND I am invited over to Karen's house where a whole bunch of kids are going to gather to get their prom pictures taken!!!  May 17th.

OH.   MY.   GOSH.

Maddie was at ballet practice, after school, and Matt drove out to her house.  He had construction tape, chalk and a bottle of Ketchup.  He got Karen's husband, Mark, to help him.

They put up the construction tape.  Then Matt laid down on the driveway, and Mark used the chalk to draw his body shape on the cement (like in a murder investigation).  Then, Mark put Ketchup on Matt's shirt.

Mark and Karen hid in the garage and when Maddie drove in and saw the construction tape--she slammed on the brakes.  She walked up to see Matt laying there.  He sat up and said, "I will just die if you don't go to Prom with me!"

OH.   MY.  GOSH.

I have never heard of anything quite so sweet, cute clever and romantic!!!

I have  had not only a request to God answered, and now hopes revealed.  But...I gotta be cool.  Karen said that Maddie is already saying, " He wants to hang out all the time!!!  I just want to be friends.  Why are boys so needy?"

So--there will be no gushing from Grandma.  I will just yawn and take their pictures and say, "Have fun", and then when they drive away, I will squeal like a little kid!!!!!!!
===============================
A wish was also granted today--my FB friends have been posting pictures of the Baltimore Orioles that have come to their feeders.  I had one last year--the first Baltimore Oriole I had even seen in decades.  I was wishing he would come back again this year.  I had his saucer/dish hanging out for him with grape jelly in it.  The squirrel had enjoyed a nice lunch, so I moved the feeder out a bit from the porch.  Today at 4:00, my Precious Man arrived.  When he flew away, I quickly cut an orange in half and took it out to put in the feeder.  He came back, but apparently, he doesn't like oranges as much as he likes the grape jelly because he only ate the jelly.  Maybe I need to sprinkle some sugar on the orange?

He is a much brighter orange than the one last  year.
===============================================
Now--if Jennifer would just come over to talk--everything would be perfect in my world!
===============
Dar was banging on the door at barely nine o'clock and had another woman with her...Shelia.  I was still in my nightie, but I invited them in.  They wanted me to type up a petition for them to get signatures to take out an older trailer that is next to where Shelia lives.  So I got it done and handed it to her.  Dar grabbed it away from her and read it out loud.

Shelia said, "I don't even understand half those words.  It sounds very legal and everything."

Dar said, "I told you.  Judy knows how to do these kinds of things."
<I don't really--I just fake it>

So off they went with their pens, going door to door to get their signatures and turn the petition in to the office.

We, the undersigned, all residents of Lakeview Lane, in the Sylvan Glen Manufactured Home Estates, 
request that management of said park, would remove the old, Blue and Cream mobile home located at
6477 Lakeview Lane
The home has been empty for many years, is in extensive dis-repair and an eyesore to our community.
Thank You

They completely forgot to ask me to sign it.  Hee Hee Hee
===============================

I worked outside today.  The garden over by my shed is going to be planted with Zinnias this year.  I am done with trying to grow vegetables!!  I surprised myself by, digging it up--way down as far as I could and turning the soil.  Then I raked it and put on a nice coating of Preen.

The crazy woman from next door (Tami) walked over and told me she is putting in a big (?) garden.  Our lots are small--I don't know what she means by big, but I can't even imagine her taking all the sod off a big area--anyway, she is planting watermelon, muskmelon, corn, tomatoes, beans and green peppers.

"Do you know how much room you are going to need to have a large enough garden for the melons to grow?" I asked.

"Oh, well...they can just grow out onto the lawn."
<that is going to make mowing the grass quite a job>

"Do you have a tiller or something to break up the sod?"

"Nope.  I'm just going to dump a whole bunch of dirt on top of the lawn and plant."
<I do believe her maiden name was Clampett!>

"I see you've got your raised garden all cleaned up."

"Yep.  It was quite a chore.  One I haven't been able to do for five years."

"I would like to put my beans in there--maybe some peppers too."
<Say what?>

"I already have seeds to put in here," I said.

"Oh.  What are you growing?"

"Flowers."

"Flowers!  If you let me put some veggies in there...I'll share them with you."

"Nope.  I want to put flowers in here this year."

"Can I borrow your wheelbarrow?"

"Sure.  It's right there in the shed."

and off she waddled.

Can you even imagine?  To tell someone you'd like to use their garden space for your own stuff?

I just don't play well with others!  I need to move back out into the country where my nearest neighbor is 1/4 mile away!
=================


Slippers turned out good--very comfy

Pammie loves making slippers for everyone, so I am going to give her the instructions and the rest of this variegated cone of cotton yarn.

(Do you notice in this picture--my right leg is larger then my left.  It has been like that since I had my left hip replaced--about 1/2 inch more around.  Weird)

Monday, May 5, 2014

Mundane Monday

Today's high temperature was:  56 degrees
Not a bit of sun!!!
============================
I called Pearl and asked if she wanted to run across the road and go to the garden center with me.  She has already purchased all her annuals, at Wal-Mart, but she said she'd like to go to see what they had.

She got in the car.  "What are you buying today?"

"Nothing really--too early, but I did want to look at their succulents and see what I could put in the big coffee cup container I have."

"You mean Cactus?"

"No. Succulents."

"Same thing."

"Well...not really."

"Don't correct me.  Just let it go.  Cactus and Succulents are both the same."
<okay, then.>

I was disappointed.  I wanted this:


but they didn't have any of the colored, small Kalanchoes, so...I got this and planted them:



 There is a bit of pinkish coloration to two of them, which should be okay with my bright pink, dark blue/purple, chartreuse color scheme this year, but still.............pout.  I wanted the bright pink ones!

It is weird to me.  I used to have Hens and Chickens in my rock garden.  They wintered over real well and came up the next year.  I thought I might have to take in the Succulents during the winter (I did last winter and they all died), but these are good up to Zone 4 and can be wintered in a garage or shed--just so they don't get too wet.  I am in Zone 6, so this winter, I am going to wrap the planter in some burlap and put in my shed and see what happens.  Succulents have always been a normal plant in my garden--I didn't think a thing about them, but it seems nowadays--these little devils are expensive AND--you couldn't buy a regular, run of the mill Hens and Chickens if you wanted too, LOL.

Pearl ended up buying more geraniums, some Ranunculus and some Cosmos.  She has these in her enclosed front porch.  A good place to "harden" off the annuals.

When I got home, I took some pix of my Woodland Childhood Remembrance area.


Lots of the May Apples are up and have spread
A couple Trillium over by the tree

A white Violet

A purple Violet 

Some, what we always call, May Flowers 
All of these should be in full bloom by now, but....this cold spring we are having has slowed everything down.  I still don't have one yellow blossom on my Forsythia.

My small garden in the front is doing well.  The Daffodils are starting to fade, but the Tulips have come on, along with the Grape Hyacinth, and I see the Iris and Lilies are coming up.

I haven't seen a sign of all the Hosta's I transplanted last year.

It is just taking so darn long!!
==================
The very nicest thing happened yesterday.  Pammie called.  She has been making crocheted lap robes for the homeless shelters in the Detroit area--she has quite a stash.

<I used that rocker to rock all my babies>

She has found that she her love of crocheting has come back.  Jennifer is working pro-bono for a group that helps the homeless, so she takes these in when Pammie gets a stash.

Anyway--Pammie asked me I would like for her to come down next Sunday and go to church with me on Mother's Day.  I was just speechless.  I have been pondering about this since March.  Thought how nice it would be for all my girls to attend with me, but realizing that Jen probably wouldn't and Karen would want to go to her own church with her children and thought--it is quite a drive for Pammie to come down here.  

BUT--she is and I am thrilled beyond words.  I know that she will probably wear one of her new skirts, so I have to dig in the back of my closet and find a dress that still fits to wear.  Last year, she came down for lunch with Karen and me.  Maybe she and Karen will get together and think to do that again, which would be fantastic, but if not--Pammie and I can stop after church and get lunch.  Whatever--I am just so happy!!!




Friday, May 2, 2014

May Promises

Today's high temperature was: 51 degrees
Cloudy and sprinkles all day!
=========================
When I was little--Kindergarten or there abouts.  My Mother always held May Day as a big deal.  I suppose that is why that date is my favorite day of the year?

She saved these all year long.  We seemed to eat a lot of cheese because, we had a lot of these boxes stored in the pantry.


On the last day of April, she would take me down to the woods.  She dug up violets, both purple and white or yellow.  The anemones, which we called May Flowers.  A Jack-In-The-Pulpit, if we could find them.  A Trillium and a May Apple.

We'd come back to the house and she spread newspapers on the kitchen table and started planting.

She lined the boxes with aluminum foil and stick the plants in with extra dirt she had dug up from the woods.

The Jack In The Pulpit and May Apple went at each end, the Trillium in the middle back and the Violets and May Flowers in the front edge of the boxes.

                                                                   


               

We never--ever, dug up a Lady's Slipper plant.  They were too pretty and to hard and rare to find to try and transplant one to our garden.  Besides, they were protected by law, but...I suppose all these other woodland plants were too, LOL.

After the boxes were planted--usually 4--she'd line them up, water just a tiny bit and the next day--May Day--they were ready.  I always took one to my teacher.  Mother gave one to Grandma and Great Grandma and took one into town and gave to a shut-in lady she knew from church.  If she made an extra one, she sat it on the windowsill above the kitchen sink and a few weeks later, planted the plants in her shady garden.

I have gone back to those same woods and dug up plants and transplanted them here, to a shady spot in my garden.  My own Home-Woodland-Childhood-Remembrance Garden.
====================

It caught my eye yesterday.  I can barely see it from my recliner, but when it dances in the wind--I watch.

To the right of that little black arrow

There it is!!
I have no idea where he came from.
The only thing behind him is a mile long open field.
He tugs at his anchor branch--I don't know if he is trying
to get away, or if he is hanging on tightly, hoping not to
be blown away.
A brown plastic bag.
=====================================
Dar came to the door this afternoon, just as I was leaving to go to the dentist.
<small things I am grateful for>

I got my new crown glued on today!!!!  I can't quite explain how wonderful this is.  NO--I don't like all the drilling it takes to prepare the tooth.  NO--I don't like the numbie shot in my jaw, but...I have not been able to chew on the left side of my mouth for over 4 years.  At first, I was afraid to break tooth #12(upper canine), but after I had the root canal and crown, that tooth was very stable.  BUT tooth #18 (lower, left) kept falling apart.  My dentist has repaired it about twice a year-FREE-for the last 4 years.

In February, she told me we needed to do something before it was totally and completely destroyed.  It would not hold a filling any longer.  I thought to have it pulled, but then....I decided to spend a little more and have it crowned.  I have a lifetime guarantee on this crown--of course, at my age--I don't think a guarantee like that really comes into play, LOL


Now--you with weak stomachs might want to look away.  I have a photo!!!!!



Pretty new crown.
As you can see--all my molars are merely a bit of tooth
shell around a whole lot of filling!!
NO--that is not an arrow tattooed onto my tongue.
That is tooth #18--I need #19 crowned also.  I also need the two big molars (# 30 & #31) on the other side done also.  I already have 4 crowned molars above these.

I want to get them done.  ME--who has been terrified of dentist's and dental work for most of my life--until the last 8 years with this dentist.

At $800.00 a tooth--I fear this health benefit will have to wait a while.  I got my new crown put on an 18 month, no interest loan.  44.50 a month--which I can handle.  I could not handle a $177.77 payment per month, if I got them all done.  Luckily, the rest of my teeth--the front and 6 year molars are not filled and in really great shape!  Now--I can pretty much eat anything I want to--probably gain weight!!  NO!!!

There is no need for comments as to how big my mouth is--okay?
==========================
I started the other slipper/shoe--when I got to this point, I DID think about cutting the yarn and keeping it for an oval "rag" rug for my dollhouse bathroom. LOL

Who knew--squirrels love Grape Jelly and Oranges in dish for Baltimore Orioles!!


Thursday, May 1, 2014

Throw Back Thursday

The high temperature today was: 46 degrees
Cold and rainy all the dang day!!

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

This poor little guy was sitting right outside my computer room window
In the rain.  He looked directly at me and said,
"It's so cold the worms are still sleeping underground!
I AM STARVING!!!"
==================================================

I remember, when I was very small, during the war.  My Grandmother had a metal can that sat at the top of the upstairs.  I think it was a milk can to hold cream after the milk had been run through the separator.  It was filled with white sugar.  I never realized the importance of this until years later--when I heard family talk about it.



When the first hint came out that "we" might be involved in WWII, my Grandmother, along with all other women in the area, started buying sugar and storing it.  Hoarding it, I suppose would be a better name for it.  You see when food became rationed, sugar was one of the hard to get products.  Only a certain amount was allowed to buy.  One never knew how many birthday or wedding cakes would have to be made during the rationing of food.  One never knew how many quarts of fruit would be canned or jams and jellies made.  One would not want to run out of sugar!

My Mother also had a "sugar can" in our pantry.  It was yellow--a New Era potato chip can.  Hers only had about 10 pounds of sugar in it.  Grandma's had about 20#.


Read that paragraph under the NOTE.
Do you honestly think ANYONE  admitted they had sugar hoarded at home?


Gasoline was rationed.  Cigarettes were rationed.  My parents didn't smoke very much, but they each got their allotted carton and gave the extra packs to our neighbor--my now step-mother's husband.  He'd pay them for the packs they didn't use.  I suppose that was government fraud, wasn't it?

Every person had a ration book.  Even children.  Every family member.  This is mine--I was 3--1942.  When we went to the store, whatever product was purchased took a certain number of stamps that were
inside this book.  It seemed everything was rationed.

.  



Hardly anything new was purchased.  If something broke, Daddy fixed it.  We took the paper label off every tin can, took off both ends, put them inside the can, and squash it with our feet--then stored the cans in a very large bin in one of the sheds.  During the year, a truck came to take away the cans and any other scrap metal we had.  

During the summer, a team of kids came out from the Big City (Flint) to gather Milk Weed pods--the silk was used in making parachutes.

Of course, living on a farm we had all the milk and eggs we needed, and we had quite a bit of fresh produce from the gardens and lots and lots of canned produce to last the winter and of course--rabbit, squirrel, chicken, venison and beef to eat.  

Now I realize how my Grandmother became a rich woman.  She had a poultry farm and hatchery.  Lots of fertile eggs from the hundred hens to incubate for baby chickens.  People flocked to her farm to buy a box (100 baby chicks) so they too could have layer hens, eggs, chicken to eat and can.  Even town people were allowed to keep a flock of chickens in their back yard.

I do remember clearly hearing a statement my Grandma made the day after Truman was elected.  I was in the 4th grade.  I heard her tell my mother, "Start saving sugar.  We will soon be in another war."  She was right--Korea, but...nothing was rationed during that "conflict'".
==============
Does anyone remember this?  If I was lucky enough, when I was at Grandma's, I got to squish the yellow coloring encased in that "button", through the white stuff until it was colored evenly.


I was told it was a very important job and I did it perfectly.  We had cows, but for some reason, we didn't churn butter in those days.  I don't know why.

Can you imagine eating that stuff?  Grandma's treat for me was a slice of bread, with oleo on it, and a nice coating of white sugar.

Chewing the lead paint off my crib rails.  Living in a house that was insulated by asbestos.  Sleeping in a bedroom, where the fine dust from the rough plaster on the ceiling drifted down all the time.  Having every childhood disease known to man.  Always drinking raw milk.  Drinking water out of the garden hose on a hot summer day.  Spraying our garden with pesticides and air planes spraying pesticides over the fields.  It's a wonder I have lived this long!!!

Nowadays, people are all in a tither over gluten, organic veggies and drinking water that has been filtered by osmosis!!
=================
Question--on the subject of food--do things taste different to you in the last few years?  Potato chips seem to have no flavor anymore (got rid of the trans-fat).  I made meat loaf yesterday--the same recipe I have made for 50+ years--my Mother's recipe and it doesn't taste right.  Maybe my taste buds are failing?  Maybe the quality of ground beef isn't as good anymore?  The last steak I had--3 years ago--was tasteless!!
=====================
BTW--the slipper/shoe is not difficult to make at all.  It could be written on one instruction sheet.  The inventor/writer of the pattern just likes to add a lot of extraneous stuff.  I have the first one done already.  










Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Glutton For Punishment

Today's high temperature was: 65 degrees
Cloudy all day
=========================

Ernestine--Bella--Sally, are you okay?


It seems that I get myself into more dang things.  Things that I think I can do--it sounds good at the time and then realize, after I have started a project that it is going to be really hard to complete it.

My friend Chris posted on FaceBook a pair of shoes that she is making.  Crocheted.  Cute as can be. 



I thought they would be fun to make and be a nice pair to slip on for when I run down to Pearl's or wear around the house.  The soles are made of jute--coated with Silicone to make them waterproof.  The insoles are a pair of Dr. Scholl's, covered in fabric.  Simple enough?

So, I got myself a cone of cotton yarn--thought I would make them in a variegated denim color.  I was going to start them last night.  I read the first page (page 1 out of about 10 instruction pages) and I can't even understand the foundation chain to get started!!!


Will I ever get these made?
Well--ya know--
Onward and Upward
I will try!

====================
I do not have a cell phone, but if I did--this is the one I would want.


=================
Last year, the Hummingbirds arrived on May 1st.  I have my two feeders up and this morning, put in more sugary, sticky liquid for them.  I loved when one built a nest right out these windows last year--hoping she will return to same spot--although her old nest fell during the winter.
================
Another friend of a friend dropped dead in his home--yesterday--age 52.  

I got to pondering on this sort of thing and realized how many people I have known that died like that.

My (ex) son-in-law's Dad and he were out on the porch, watching the sunset and talking and the Dad, fell forward and was dead.  Age 46.

One of my Dear Friends, was sitting in bed and told her husband that her chest hurt.  She thought she was coming down with a cold.  He went into the bathroom to get her an aspirin.  When he came back, she was dead.

Five years ago, the neighbor who lived in Dar's house, walked by and we talked for a bit.  He walked into his house, took off his coat and fell over dead on his way into the kitchen.  A wife and 3 little kids left.

A friend of mine in Byron--went outside in the early morning, to check the rain gauge, came back in, sat down in his recliner to watch TV and died.  Just the evening before, my BFF had seen him riding his bike and had talked to him at a ballgame.

Another friend--was playing cards with 3 other friends--he slammed his card down to take the trick, then fell over on the table, the other guys thought he was joking.

A guy I used to work for.  Was sitting in his office and slumped over on his desk.  He was only 45.

Bethie's son.  Age 52.

Strange "something"--blood clot or something that causes a pulmonary or cardiac arrest--aneurysm and--instant death and by the time the EMT's arrive, the person has been dead for many minutes and there is nothing to do.

Never more has the phrase, "You just never know", come to mind when these things happen.
================
This afternoon, I went out into the shed and dumped all last years potting soils from all my planters into the wheelbarrow.  Mixed in some fertilizer and new soil and I am ready to fill up the planters--whenever it gets warm enough to plant.

I am getting ready.




I was thinking this evening about the NBA/Sterling fiasco.  Other than it being illegal to record a phone call without the other person knowing and than selling it--Mrs. Sterling owns 50% of the Clippers team.  She has done nothing to break any of the NBA rules.  If she refuses to sell her half--how can they get the team away from the Sterling's?
===========
Got it figured out and on my way.  The toe area looks large, but it really isn't.  Of course, there is a cord along the top that pulls the shoe in to fit.  We shall see.  I may have to Frog it (ripit, rip it)

=================
Nice gentle rain out there tonight--I don't mind.


Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Meterologist School

Today's high temperature was:  77 degrees
Hard rain in morning, warm and sunny in afternoon--rain in evening.
================================

Everything all right over there, Jean.  I saw on radar that you had a bad storm with hail and a lot of lightning in Grand Rapids!!!  

Those dang tornado's are headed toward my beloved North Carolina coast!  Don't you DARE hurt my Outer Banks!!!  Don't you DARE go near my friend, Sally!!!

Okay--I am only going to post this because--if you are like me and want to keep track of the weather in your area--this is the truest radar you can find.  You can put it in motion for the next 6 hours to see what's coming at you.  Just put in your town/Zip Code and you will have a red spot where your home is--approximately.  It is always right on!
http://www.weather.com/weather/map/48114
This is for my area, so when you get the link, go to the top right and put in your own information.

You can also get a Tor Con index on this page.
http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-torcon-index

I do NOT have a weather alert radio--I did, but it kept broadcasting weather for the entire county and I got scared.  Or it would give out a flood warning squeal in the middle of the night and I do not live near a flood zone.  So--I rely on this map.
=========================

I went into town this afternoon--to the Meijer store to pick up a few groceries (82.20)--EGAD!  DHS has cut my food allowance back from $55.00 to $40.00.  I have no idea why.

I decided to go through Darlene's check-out, but the line was clear out into the aisle of the store, the light over her cash register was blinking and she was yelling (I kid you not) for some manager.  "Where's the managers?  I need help."

I kept on walking down to the second check-out from her, that only had 3 people in line.  It took a while to check-out and I kept watching Dar.  Two of the people in front of me were checked-out and Dar was still on the original customer.  Dar probably hit the $150.00 cash back button in error again.  

I kept watching--I counted 12 people in Dar's line--the ones in back, shook their heads, backed out and tried to find another line to go into.  She has told me there have been many complaints about her.  She IS slow, and she is NOT the best bagger, but...in another 30 days, she will be a union member... no getting rid of her then.

She was over for a half hour this morning and told me, "For the last two years, I have been this close to a mental breakdown."

"You have?"

"Yes!  I'm getting better now--finally."
<I don't think so.  Poor woman!>
===============
When I got home, Jackie was outside pulling weeds.  I went over to talk to her, as she had been sick with the bronchitis, near pneumonia thingie.

"Did you see in the paper, about my twin grandson's?"

"No.  I don't get the paper."

"They were sentenced last Friday to 5 years in prison.  Both of them."

"Are they the ones who broke into your house?"
< I knew they were, but felt so uncomfortable talking about this with her.>

"Yup.  Can you imagine?  They weren't content to break in and steal other people's things--they also had to break into their own grandma's house!  They were the sweetest little boys.  I just don't know what happened."
<No--I can't imagine stealing from your own grandma!>

"Oh, Jackie.  I'm sorry.  It seems nowadays--even kids from really good homes are getting into trouble."

"I just got back from going with my Senior Group to see Heaven is for Real.  Did you see it?"

"Yes.  Pearl and I went right after Easter.  Did you like it?  Wasn't it wonderful, peaceful...beautiful?"

"I went to see God Is Not Dead last week.  I liked that one better.  Did you see that one yet?"

"Yeah.  I went last Friday.  I liked Heaven Is For Real better."

"Oh.  Why?"

"Because I had read the book...and I know it is true.  God Is Not Dead seemed like a made-for-movie, movie.  It was good, bu...I just liked the other one better."
==============
I guess I am the only person in the United States who thinks what they are doing to Mr. Sterling, the owner of the LA Clippers is contrived in some way.  I know there has been a "want to buy" the team from him for the last few years and I think---perhaps---someone paid his mistress to set him up.

She is the one who took a private phone conversation between them and sold it to TMZ.

I really don't see what he said that was so bad.  He is paying her way through life.  She is tramping around with some NBA players and he told her, she could do whatever she wanted, but he didn't want her putting pictures on Twitter and Face Book of her with them.  He didn't want her inviting them to his house parties.  He didn't want her inviting them his owner's seats at the game.

In other words, I think, he doesn't want her tramping around and shoving it in his face.

He never used the "N" word.  He did say, "I buy their clothes, their cars and provide their livelihood.  That's all I need to do."

How is that anymore racist than The player Larry Johnson who stated, "We need to organize an all black team."

Something is just too fishy here.  Not that I really care.  I don't watch any NBA games.  I just don't like the idea of someone selling a private phone conversation.

I don't like what the old guy said for sure, but.......
==============
We  had a fast moving, very windy, loud thunderstorm pass through here about 9:00.  Exactly when my weather radar link said it would come.  Scared me for sure--the first storm of the season always does.

Well--let's see what tomorrow brings.  Okay?

P.S.  I can barely watch the news anymore without getting nauseous.  Either some parents is beating their child to death, or pictures of storm damage, or Mr. Putin wanting to start another war.  Our world seems to be going crazy really fast!