The Road Less Traveled

What I saw out my bathroom window yesterday evening.  Poor Merle.  It looks like the mower is dragging him along.  Why doesn't he pay $20.00 to have it mowed every other week?  Why doesn't one of this 3 kids mow for him?

Ready for our walk today?  It was only 700 steps, so a short walk.  Yesterday, I walked 950 steps.

I turned right out of my drive--just like yesterday.

 Well--here's my favorite maintenance kid: Aaron.  He used to do yard work for me before the park hired him.

Just like yesterday...except

today--I am taking the road less traveled 

What's this?  Oh--where the park disposes of limbs and branched

 I walked back there--wetlands and the back of Corky, John and Jeff's units.

What unknown awaits around the curve?

More tall trees on my right in the wetlands and---

To my left, this fascinating pond. 

 All scummy and neat.  I'll bet there are big bull frogs in there.  Probably snakes (YIKES), dragonflys--who knows.

 WOW--the backs of the houses that are along the path I walked yesterday







Oh, this sign is hysterical.  25 hours, Video surveillance?  Yeah right!

The retention pond for our park. The water looks so clear and clean.  This is probably the drainage field for our sewer system, after the sewage has been processed?  I saw a duck, but could not get his picture.  RATZ!


Turn around and headed home.

I always like to take a little peek, just to see who might be out and about.  Nobody.







A form or flowering Oregano.  Called Kent Beauty.  Mine does not look like the pictured one.  RATZ!

‘Kent Beauty’ is a hybrid ornamental oregano (O. rotundifolium x O. scabrum) that is grown primarily for its attractive flowers and foliage. 

Another Day--Another Walk

I could not get to sleep last night.  At 2:00, I remembered, I had forgotten to open the new bottle of Melatonin. So I fumbled around in the dark, got it open and popped one.  Went right to sleep, BUT....woke up late this morning.  I also forgot to set my alarm for 8:00.

Barely awake and Dar showed up!!  GEEZ LOUISE!!  She only stayed about 30 minutes and truth be told, I dozed through much of what she was yammering about.  HAH
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Today, I decided to turn right at the end of my drive and walk up the service drive.

I picked up neighbor Mike's garbage pail and put it up on his lawn.

At the corner, Gulfstream Drive, looking north, Lloyd and Margies house.

Corky (83) has the blue house.

John and Maisey are next to him.

Jeff has the pick up.

Those guys living side-by-side, are like a bunch of frat brothers.

The are always having bets on who can catch the most chipmunks or who makes the best chili.

Corky got a reprimand from the park mgmt. last fall because he was sitting on his back porch, shooting  squirrels with his .22 pistol.  HAH

The wetlands are their back yard, and coyotes range back there.

 Lloyd and Margies beautiful Rose of Sharon bush.

I'm going left, up the service drive.  It connects the "old" part of the park (mine), with the new.

Along side my new neighbor's place.

If I walked to the right, it would take me to our sewer retention pond.

Maybe tomorrow, I will go that way.

but today.  up the hill 

If you could get through all that brush, you could walk to the marshy part of the lake.  I could when I first moved in.  Now they just let the brush grow. 

Ever onward--deer flies and skeeters biting like crazy.

Wild carrot, asters and flowers along the way.

You can barely see houses that line a dead end road. These are the people that set off their M-80's and Thunder Bombs--that burst right over our area.

An unleashed dog is barking in a yard, so I turn back.

Maybe next time I can make it clear up to the new part of the park.

This reminds me of the kind of hide-outs I used to build in the woods, when I was a kid.  I know...IF I could get back in there, I could sit for hours and no one would see me. :-)

 Easier coming down the incline.
Quad muscles, calves and back are screaming!!!

The back of new neighbor's, Jackie and Dar places.  What a nice back view they have.

Finally!  Nearing the home stretch.








Turn the corner and what do I see?  Pearl, toddleing out to get her mail.  She does toddle too.  Short little baby steps so she won't fall. Bent forward a bit.  She's so cute!

Maggie, watching Pearl and waiting for me to come inside.

Answers. Questions. Photos.

Yes, Merle has had his Social Security for the last 13 years and Pearl gets hers    They are still money tight every month, even though they get about $1800.00 a month.

Merle did not "resign" in the way we think of resigning.  That is the word Pearl used.  He simply told the owner of the golf course that he wouldn't be coming back to work there next year, so they could get someone to replace him and now...Merle is training the new guy.
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Dawn!  Thank you so much.  What a treat I am going to have!!!!!!
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So, I did the walk again this morning.  Didn't hurt quite as much when I was done.  I don't know how far it is to the lake.  Two blocks round trip?  I will have to drive it with my car so I can watch the speedometer and find out. :-).

When I step to the end of my drive--it is waaaaay up there.  Click on them to see them bigger.

Very disappointing to me.  The heart on "Fred's" tree is growing into itself.  It now looks obscene!!!

When Fred was recovering from his heart surgery, the farthest he could walk was to this tree, about half-way to the lake.  He noticed the heart shape one day and took me to see it and said, "Every time you see that heart, just remember how much I love you."  A lot of things have changed in the last 3.5 years. <Sigh>

At the corner, where I turn left to go up and out of the park.  The lady has made a real nice garden.

Here is my reward for making it all the way to the park/lake.  I sit on the picnic table and ponder, say a prayer and then start back home.

I'd like to live here, but...

I would especially love to live here.  A perfect, unobstructed view of the lake--all day long, 365 days.  It would be like living in a cottage on a lake every single day!!



Almost everyone plants flowers.  Some gardens have no rhyme or reason.......

Others quite large and lovely...................

Pearl's place

Dar's place faces the neighbor's left-(quite close) instead of the road.

 Jackie's place.  She is recovering nicely from last week's knee replacement.

Between Pearl and me.
The Wiccan's place.  Sh-hh, it is daylight and they are sleeping.  Probably hanging upside down in their back room!

Home.  Sweet home.  Nice and shady, although my big Maple tree needs trimming, badly.

...and my neighbor's across the street.  The nicest positioning and lay-out of any place on this side of the park.  At least, they face the road.

Tomorrow, I think I will take my walk  up the service drive, to the right and back of the neighbor's place. (The same people who moved in last summer and spoiled my view!)

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After my Soap, I ran up to Wal-Mart....well actually I didn't RUN, I drove my car--and picked up a prescription, my Cortisone cream to heal the skeeter bites, some more Melatonin, so I can sleep at night and stopped at their eyeglass place to order my glasses.  I have had the prescription since before my birthday in June.  I have a $40.00 gift card from Pam.  I have $60.00 on my Wal-Mart savings card and I have $80.00 cash.  $180.00 total.  

I found frames for $58.00, almost exactly like the ones I now have.  I don't want any coating on the lenses.  I need Progressive lenses. $238.00 without tax.  ARGGH!!!!!

These that I have, I got at Costco two years ago. $189.00. I have never liked them.  They have an anti-glare coating ON the lenses.  Wal-Mart puts their anti-glare coating IN the lenses.  Thus, for the last year, my glasses have always looked smeary.  I have to clean them many times a day, because the coating is ON not IN the polycarbonate lens!!

But, I had to purchase a Costco membership, $50.00, in order to get my glasses, and which I never used for anything else BECAUSE, I don't need two jars of Jumbo sized peanut butter--or a gallon of dill pickles.  I can get large bundles of bathroom tissue and paper towels at Wal-Mart for a cheaper price.

I was so happy that my glasses at Costco were only $189.00, but add on the membership fee and that comes to $239.00.  My mid-priced glasses at Wal-Mart will be $238.00--with the anti-glare IN the lenses for free.  I could get better ones for $325.00, but that ain't happening~!

Now--if I can niggle or save $88.00 in the next few weeks, I will be able to get my new glasses and see clearly once again!
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Weird isn't it?  My life is just filled with stuff like this every single day.  LOL

Maple tree trim: $150.00
Needed car tires: $340.00-$400.00 (if I'm lucky and get cheap ones)
Doctor bill owed: $236.00
Dentist bill owed:  $213.00 (I pay $50.00 a month)
Brakes for car:  What--85.00 for brakes, 75.00 labor?  $150.00?

I am very grateful that today I received a notice from the McAuley Fund at St. Joseph Hospital, that will pay for my $1800.00 hospital bill and $419.00 ambulance bill from March 31 - April 3rd.

I have signed up for Blue Cross supplemental insurance, like I had before.  Only $40.42 a month, which is not the best insurance, BUT I won't have co-pays every time I step into the doc's office and I think, it will totally cover my Chiropractor visits.  Oh, I forgot, I owe him $217.00.

Easy to get very discouraged, when I see it all laid out like that above.  Easier to put it all on a credit card ($1650.00) and pay $50.00 a month on ALL of it, BUT--I am one year into bankruptcy and I have no credit cards.  I was offered a few--$175.00 yearly fee and 24.99 interest?  I think not!!!!!

But--I don't get discouraged!  Everything will work out--as it ALWAYS has.  For some reason, God must like me because it seems, for the last 30 years, something or someone always comes along to help and I don't think those happenings are coincidences!

As long as I don't have an emergency car repair, I will be all right.  I hear that gas prices are coming down.  Right there will add money to my budget!!
Everything is going to be all right!!!

Golly Gosh

I made a vow to myself that on August 1st, I would start walking up to the lake and back every morning at 11:00.

Today is the 4th and I finally did it.  Can anyone say, "Undisciplined?"  

Halfway there---

I stopped at Fred's Heart Tree because my back was killing me.  But, I pushed on.  I sat for awhile on the picnic table by the lake--beautiful sight.  I will take pictures tomorrow, so you can see.

Then I started back.  Hips AND back were screaming all the way home and I noticed, my balance isn't all that great!  I sometimes walk like a drunken sailor!!

But, it felt good to be out, with just my thoughts.  No matter how troublesome those thoughts can be, the beauty around me helps.
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I got a nice surprise today.  My electric company sent me an e-mail informing me that my monthly budget payment went down, from $40.00 a month to $30.00.  Now, I have an extra $10.00 to put towards all the dang doctor bills because of that STUPID Obama Care influenced health insurance I signed up for last December.
<sorry, I shouldn't sound so ungrateful.>

Went into Brighton to get my hairs cut.  It sure feels good to have super short hair once again.  I never have been one to "mess" with my hair.  I want to get out of the shower, towel it dry, give it a comb and a fluff and off I go.  I have Wash and Dry hair.

Then, around 5:30 Dar came over.  She walked in with a dress.  I thought perhaps it was her mother's or something.  It looked like an old lady dress for sure--with a jacket with sparklies on it.  Midnight Blue.  Dar has olive skin and dark hair.  Personally, I think she should wear more pastels or jewel tones, but all she wears is dark colors--because she thinks she looks glamorous.

Something else I don't get--probably just me, but...she bought the dress, and of course she told me, "It cost one hundred and twenty dollars," for her cousin's, daughter's, granddaughter's wedding.

Wait.  What?

A cousin three-four times removed?  "Do you even know the girl?"

"No."

"Why are you going to her wedding?"

I have attended my cousin's weddings and sometimes their kids, but I have never attended my cousin's grand kids weddings.  We just don't go that far "down" in the family for our wedding invitations.

We mostly invite close family and friends.  Ya know--people that we know?  Oh well--

Anyway, she said, "I brought it over because I said, 'if Judy doesn't like it then it is going back.' "

Well, I didn't tell her what I thought of it, although I may have said, "At first I thought it was a vintage dress of your Mother's."

She has bright red shoes and purse to go with it and a bright red necklace made of some kind of plastic stone-like beads.  The Midnight Blue jacket already has Midnight Blue sequins and beads on it.  And why wear that color in summer?  Well--I sure am not fashionista, so what do I know?

Then she said, "I have been so busy.  I had to get a clip board, like mine, for Jim because he wanted one.  Rodney is causing all sorts of problems at work....and..."

"Dar, I told you two weeks ago that I'm really not interested in hearing about your work and union problems and people I don't know. I have no idea who Jim or Rodney are.  Tell me news about people we BOTH know.  I'd much rather hear about your brother and Pat.  Have they closed on their house?  When are they moving?"
<I am not in the mood to tolerate her anymore!>

Thankfully, before I could get mad and make a fool of myself and have to apologize later, her phone rang and it was her brother and SIL telling her to come home because supper was ready.
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She left and Pearl walked in about 10 minutes later.

"I want you to look out your bathroom window.  Merle is in the back yard.  Just look at him and tell me what you think."

So I did and came back in the living room.

"He looks really, really sick to me, Pearl.  He is bent over and kind of dragging his feet when he walks--like he can't lift his legs and is shuffling."

"I know!  He is in terrible pain and sleeps all the time. He gets home from work, goes to sleep, eats supper, goes to sleep, I wake him up and he goes to bed.  What is wrong with him?"

"He also looks like he's lost weight."

"Yes...about fifteen pounds."

"Fifteen pounds?  He was skinny to begin with, he can't afford to lose any weight!  I think he should quit working."

"Oh--I forgot to tell you...he did put in his resignation.  He is going to quit at the end of October and not go back to work next spring."

"Why wait that long?"

"Because he wants that unemployment to get through winter."

<I had so many words, but I didn't want to say them. Then, she said them for me>

"Judy, I think he has cancer!"

"I do too.  When does he go for the test on his kidneys?"

"The last week of this month."

"Well, he's going to a urologist and he is going to have an ultra sound and an MRI, right?"

"Yes."

"I think they will probably finally find out what is wrong."

"Well, he's got to work until the end of October, no matter what they find out.  We need that unemployment."

"No you don't!  You won't have it next fall, you can learn this year how to get along without it."

"But...we need it!"

"Well, if they find out something really bad, he won't be going back to work.  He will be in a hospital!"

"I sure didn't expect my life to be like this."

"What?  We are getting old.  What did you expect?"

"He's always been so strong...and now...he's just so weak and not good for anything.  I didn't expect that. He doesn't even help me anymore.  He doesn't even talk to me anymore and he's grouchy all the time!"

"Well...he's seventy eight years old and he's in pain and tired and probably worried about his health."

"I'm the same age he is and I don't act like that!"

"Men age faster then we do."

"I know he has cancer!  I wonder what kind?  Remember, they couldn't find a thing wrong with him last year."

"He may have bladder cancer...or kidney cancer.  He didn't have an MRI of those organs.  Those cancers can grow slowly and for a couple of years before they show up with bad symptoms.  Don't jump to any conclusions.  Wait for the tests."

"Well, he has to work until the end of October, no matter what!"
<sigh>
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After Pearl left, I decided I needed a treat, so I ordered myself a pizza delivery.  It gets costly because I order 5 toppings, but I only get one every month or so.  I was delish!!!

Then my sister called and we talked for almost an hour, which is no big deal for us.  She has heard no news from up the road, but did say that 3 neighbors have asked Chuck, so I guess pretty soon, I can talk about it here because soon, everyone will know.

Then Maisey and John were on the porch, so I went out for a porch-chat, until the skeeters became too much of a nuisance.

Now--I will play a couple of games on FB, take my Melatonin and go to bed and have a nice sleep.  

Tomorrow morning--I walk to the lake and back again!!  No matter how much it hurts!  Oh Yes I will--dammit!!!

A Lovely Sunday.

Maisey stopped by for a porch-chat today--Sunday.  She had a lot of things to tell me.  Like Cecil the Lion's brother had also been killed. Not So!  That Hummingbirds catch migration rides down south under the wings of Geese.  What?  Geese and Hummingbirds don't go to the same place for winter.  Not So!  Also Maisey thinks that autumn begins Labor Day. Not So!  It begins on or the day before or after September 21st.

I don't argue with Maisey, she has a lot of myths and things she truly believes.  If it were a matter of life or death, I might correct her, but............................................not worth it.  "Really?" is the best response.

I had a lovely chat with my Wee Sister.  We talked of many things--feelings, ponderings, events.  It is always nice to have someone who understands me so well--and doesn't criticize or condemn my feelings, but will on occasion, if needed, say, "What?  Really?  I don't agree."

It was quite warm today, but with low humidity.  The warm is so different without high humidity.  No need for A/C with the nice westerly breeze coming in ALL windows and front door.  The weather-man says this is the last hot day.  We are turning toward autumn and cooler temps--especially at night.  We have had a lovely summer.

Sunday, I mostly sat inside watching movies or H2 or a baseball game.  Our Detroit Tigers are really PIT-EE-FULL this year, but I watch, if there is nothing more interesting on the tube.  Saw a great movie on H2 about "Revelation--The End Times."  I dig that kind of thing.  I enjoy reading and watching apocalyptic stuff.  I don't watch stuff about Aliens--ancient, past, present, or future.  I just don't believe there is life on other planets.  At least not alien people.

I do get quite a bit of crocheting and cross stitching done while watching TV.  I just can't sit and watch!  I get to fidgety.  I need to have my hands busy.  I once was working on a big Angel cross stitch picture while watching an MSU basketball game.  The next day, I realized I had left out about 10 rows of stitches in the midst of the pattern!  The slowness of watching baseball is much more conducive for cross stitching.
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My minister, Pastor Lewis, from the Howell United Methodist Church, married the Pastor Sherry Parker, from the Brighton United Methodist Church.  He is a widower, she never married.

Do you remember when I told you, 3.5 years ago when he did Fred's funeral, that I thought he was in his late sixties?  Found out later, he is only 56!!

Cute, Huh?

I Shoulda Known!!

Mitzi in Byron Center, please send me an e-mail
jjmiller6213@comcast.net
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Today is Karen's youngest, Madeleine Sophia's, 19th birthday.  I call her, Precious Girl.  The years slip by so quickly!

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When I was a little girl and actually on, until I got overly positive with life, at around 70, I would never make statements about anything really good.  I figured if it was good and if I acknowledged it, it would soon go all wrong.  I didn't know about "fate" back then, nor do I really believe in it now, but in January, when I proclaimed to the world: "I am so glad this is an odd numbered year, because they are always the best for me. "   

 I shoulda known! 
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My daughter Karen stopped in for a visit, on her way to her dental appointment.  I just flat out asked her--told her I had a bad feeling about (her daughter) my second grand daughter and her husband.  I was right. Trouble in Paradise, way out there in Oregon.   

CRAP!

Second question--because I have had a bad feeling about my youngest, Jen and her husband.  "Are they separated?"

"Not yet."

CRAP!

Third question--because I got wind of something and had, not a bad feeling, but a worried one.

"How did Pammie's skin biopsy turn out?"

"Oh.  I didn't know you knew.  It was fine.  She's all right."

THANK YOU GOD!!

Fourth question--she filled me in on the latest.  Worse than I thought.

CRAP!!

Remember me telling you when the girls got together two weeks ago?  I knew darn well something was afoot!!

It is better for me to know what is going on, instead of having these bad, worrisome intuitions.  When I know, I become much more able to cope and become tougher and stronger!
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So--it is as it is!  Life gets hard and sucks a lot of the time.  BUT--life can be good, most of the time.  We just have to get through the sucky times, not make any rash decisions, not go off half-cocked out of emotional feelings.
<keep telling yourself that Jude>

Pray for strength and just keep going--Onward & Upward--Ever Forward!