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

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Comment Moderation

Because Mr. Sin Soleng from Thailand wants to copy someone's else's comment and use as his own and because if you click on the Thai letters under his name, you will be directed to an Erotic website, and if you visited there it wouldn't be good for any of our old minds and hearts, I have had to add Comment Moderation to my blog.

How he got on my blog, I don't know, but I picture him as a little short person that resembles a troll.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Ruff Day

When I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago, the nurse went over all my meds and then asked if I wanted them refilled.  Yes, I sure did.
Two months before that, I had all my meds put on auto-refill with the Walmart Pharmacy.  That way, I didn't have to worry or remember if I was low on meds or when they needed refilling.  I just got a nice phone call from Walmart saying they were ready for pick-up.

Which put me into a real comfortable, complacent, not paying close attention, place.

Last night, as I took my bedtime pills, I wondered where that little pink HBP pill was.  It was not in the bedtime compartment of the pill box.  I looked at the box for today and it wasn't in there either.  Then I could almost remember not seeing it on Tuesday night either.

I jumped on my computer and checked into the Pharmacy to see why they hadn't notified me and lo and behold, there was a message that the med was ready to be filled, but it had no "refill" notice.

So, the doctor's office had apparently never sent over the refill notice AND Walmart got an upgrade on their computer system and none of my meds were on auto-refill.

So--at 1:00am, I left a message on the doc's office phone of the refills I needed, then I went back to the Walmart Pharmacy site and clicked on the 2 meds I needed.  Hoping that all would be coordinated.

Wasn't it a lot easier when you ran out of meds, you just took in the empty bottle and handed it to the Pharmacist who filled it on the spot?  You had refills for 6 months at a time.
==========================
Since Monday, I have had computer issues AND e-mail issues.  My e-mails will not release from the cable company server and come into my Outlook Express.  I talked to one Comcast tech for an hour on Monday and personally?  He didn't have a clue what to do.  2 Hours on Tuesday with 2 different techs, we tried all sorts of things that didn't work and the last tech told me, "It not a Comcast problem.  It Outlook, you haffa call them."  I hung up on him.

I went into my settings and made sure all my incoming and outgoing mail codes were set up correctly and they were.  Still, no transfer of e-mails.

Yesterday, I called again and got a tech that knew what she was talking about--her specialty is server issues.  We had it fixed with 3 clicks and 15 minutes.Come to find out, I have a POP3 account and they have changed to IMAP.  I hit finish and there were all my e-mails in Outlook Express.
Probably none of this makes sense to any of you.
===================
I got up this morning and turned on the computer and it took 15 minutes for the WELCOME sign to come up.  No e-mails in my Outlook Express and my Bitdefender Anti-Virus program that costs me $85.00 a year and is the best investment ever, wasn't working.  This is the best anti-virus I have ever had.  When I click on a link in FB and it's not safe or has Malware installed, Bitdefender will not open it and sends me a message on why.

So I decided to go on FB and play some games.  FB wouldn't load!

I shut the damn darn computer off and went and got dressed.

Came back in and started it up again, there was my Bitdefender Anti-Virus doing its thing--YAY. but still no e-mails.  So I went into my Outlook Express and went through the whole process of ONCE AGAIN modifying my account settings.  Hit Finish and there came my e-mails.  HOWEVER, if I click out of Outlook Express, they are gone back on the Comcast server again.

So--Outlook Express is now running in the background and I am NOT turning this machine off tonight!!!
=======================
This afternoon, after running up to Howell Walmart to get my meds, I came home and called my computer people and talked to Heidi.  

"Remember in April, when we cleaned it up for you, I advised you might need more storage?"

"Yes," said me.

"Well..........................."

"How much would a new computer cost, with more storage and better everything?"

"I can build you one and get you out the door for $375.00 total."

"Hm-mm."

"That would include backing up your hard drive, giving you more storage and installing Windows 10."

"Hm-mm."

I still have Windows Professional 7 and that may be my whole computer problem.  That operating system is so out of date.  I did install it last year, but it kept giving me fits, so I uninstalled it.

Hm-mm.

I hate the thought of being without a computer for 3-4 days, but I also live in fear of a computer crash.  Even though I have all my genealogies backed-up, I'd hate for a crash.

I also know darn well, if I get a new computer, the next week something on my car will break and I won't have the $$$ for a fix.  That's just the way things go around here!!!

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Tuesday--Midnight

This is the inside of my toilet tank.  The flush handle (left) has been coming disconnected and won't raise the water intake, when I flush.  I tried wire.  I tried a paper clip.  This has been going on for over a month.  I got a bright idea today.

I got a large safety pin, put it through a hole in the flush handle and then through the chain link, closed it and................

VOILA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Working great!

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Home

It took me hours to find all these photos, but I thought some of my new blog buddies might like to see so they know where I came from.
============================
Paternal Genealogy---------
Great Great Grandparents:

Peter and Anne (Relyea) Walts--German and Dutch--lived near Watertown, NY, Jefferson County, Pamelia Township--homesteaded in Michigan 1855.






 Built this small house first.
My great grandfather, grandfather, and Daddy were born here. 

In 1857, they built the large home 

Also where my Great Grand Parents lived
Charles Edward and Sophia Anne (Ulmer) Walts
They had two sons, Roy and Ray

My grand parents lived here at one time also.  As the elders died, the youngers moved from the small house across the drive into the Big House.


How the house looked in 1976 when my Dad and Step-mother moved in

How it looks now.  Sister Susan and Chuck live here.



162 years Actual

  5th generation, same family
=========================================================

My Grand Parents:

Roy Ulmer and Helene Mary (Case) Walts--she was French and English.



They had one child.  My Daddy
August 9, 1916

 Built in 1920.  They raised registered Shropshire sheep
and had a Hatchery (building on left) and Poultry business
Grandpa Roy died February 14, 1942--49 years old.  
Had a stroke and contracted pneumonia while hunting, in the cold rainy weather, 
 for a Coyote that was killing his sheep.
Grandma continued the hatchery/poultry business until 1966,
when she died.



We renovated and moved in, June 14, 1967. 

and raised our kids here.


after divorce in 1984, I moved out in 1988
and gave the house to Pam.
She renovated it also and added a deck.



4th generation--same family
==================================================

My Parents:

Charles John and Dorathy Della (Hudgins) Walts--she English


He was a dairy farmer
Purchased the farm in March 1938.

I was born and brought up here. 
Susan came along 13 years later


Where my son Mark and Cindy now live



3rd generation--same family
=======================================================

My Great Great Grandfather Peter owned 80 acres here at one time.  Later sold it to the school district, where my grandmother Helene taught in 1915, boarded with the nearest family--Walts and thus met & married my Grandpa Roy.




What it looks like now and where I wanted to move 2 years ago

As you see, at one time the Walts' owned all the property around the 4 corners of Beard and Vernon Roads.  I am very fortunate that the 3 farms are still in our family, so.....anytime I get homesick, it is only a 30 minutes drive to get "home".

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


Maternal  ancestor's at a later date.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

As seen on Face Book




Recently ate at a restaurant where a table of girlfriends of a certain age were having a wonderful time, and came home and wrote this. You may recognize somebody, maybe yourself ...
Lunch with girlfriends
By Kathy O’Malley
Elaine’s vertigo has never been worse
Kay can’t recall where she left her purse
Rhonda’s about to replace her knees
Linda’s breathing is tinged with a wheeze
Donna's left boob has a troublesome lump
Diane’s on her third trip to take a dump
Lorraine’s husband can’t remember a thing
Nine years a widow, Marge still wears her ring
Marlene is dealing with another UTI
Sally’s giving a hearing aid another try
Marie has decided she can’t drive at night
Sharon still wears clothes two sizes too tight
They’ve been through divorces and babies and wakes
They do for each other whatever it takes
They’ve already buried Marcia and Kate
And truthfully, Lizzie’s not looking so great
So whenever they can, they get out to eat
Open bottles of wine and forget their sore feet
There’s laughing and crying and letting down guards
And when the bill comes, there’s ten credit cards
So here’s to the waiters who keep orders straight
And to the places that let lunches run three hours late
And here’s to the girlfriends, those near and those far
Here's to the girlfriends, you know who you are

Friday, July 28, 2017

Delightful Day #2

I don't know if I can stand all this delight and happiness.

I was getting real homesick for my "people's land" and needed the quietness and checking out the crops, so I headed north up to The Farm(s).

Just north of Howell, a small town to the west of me, I saw acres and acres of Sunflowers.

IF YOU CLICK ON THE PHOTOS THEY WILL BE LARGER AND LOOK BETTER.


The nearer I got to home, I saw acres and acres of Corn and Soybeans.  Out there we are serious farmers and wouldn't waste even a small patch of field for Sunflowers.  Also fields of golden stubble, left from the wheat harvest and the straw put into bales.  We wouldn't plant anything that wasn't going to be a good cash crop!



Soybeans
I was going to stop at Pam's house after my visit with sister, but decided to pull in on my way and see how it looked with her big barn gone.  It was falling apart, so she had someone removed it--for the barn wood.

She has a great view now, south, clear to the woods.


along with the always open view west to the woods 

Just as I was looking around, I saw her pull into the drive.  "Hey!  Who's walking around my land?"

"My land first!" I replied.

"I was coming up the road and wondered who the heck was pulling in my driveway."



Remember me telling you about the long perennial garden I had along the front of my yard.  Can you see where it starts to slope to the road?  From the spot where I am standing, to that dead tree, I had a 4' wide perennial garden.  It was gorgeous.  People would drive in and ask if they could have a "piece" of the many plants.


Here's what the house and barn looked like when we lived there and raised our kids.

I left there and up 1/2 mile to the corner, turned left and 1/8 mile to the Ancestor's Farm, where sis and hubs live.  Gravel roads still exist out in the country.



You can barely see their pond, across the road, by the barns.


My camera was acting up and everything turned out too light.
The big rock has a metal ring on the right side for tethering up a horse. 

Everyone has loads of gravel brought in and dumped to make a perfect driveway.
Last year, Chuck wanted the drive to look like it would have in the old days with grass going up the middle.  So, being an engineer, he measured and then worked up the center of the drive and planted grass.  I love it!!


This is what the house looked like before they moved in.

They had to tear down the little house, across the drive--the original 1st house, to add their new family room.  They took the ice house that shows behind the house and moved it over for a garden shed.




The view of Susan's rose garden, off the deck that Chuck just built.


The horse barn across the road is about the only decent barn left.  So they put a metal roof on to help save it and are painting it.  They got the white fence all done and now, Susie is painting the bottom of the horse barn, Chuck the top.



The other big barn is starting to gradually collapse, so they will probably get someone to come in and take it down, just like Pam did with hers.

Turn left out of their drive and back up to the corner.  This is the farm where I was born and where my son Mark, now lives.


Turned right and back passed Pam's on my way to the cemetery...1 mile east and 2 miles north.



Turn left and drive in a little and........there is all my family

 Moved the Angel Dog over to the other corner.
I hate that the marker gets discolored underneath
where the cement dog is.
Nothing much under the sod--a small trunk with Fred's ashes, 
his dog Tootz ashes
and this photo of them in a zip lock baggie.

Mother and Daddy--mine to the left
The two smaller markers at the top,
Great Grand Parents

 My beloved Grandma and Grandpa.
The two smaller stones at the top,
Great Great Grand Parents


A short distance away--My BFF
Over her name, it shows the location of their cottage on Houghton Lake, MI
Over Dick's name is a picture of their barn on their farm
On the bottom left, a rock that says "Love" with a butterfly, because she 
said she was "coming back" as a butterfy


On the way out, I noticed this dead tree with several Shelf Fungi attached to its left side. 

All of my Daddy's family and so many of my friends, all resting in the same cemetery.  Waiting for that "Day of Reunion".
===============================
When I got home, at nearly 7:30, I found this photo Pam had sent me of Evan, when he stayed overnight with her,  standing beside my Daddy's little rocker.  That would be Evan's great grandpa.


What a blessed day!  The local weatherman predicts we are going to have the "best weekend of this summer".  YAY!