Winding Down and Other Random Thoughts

Well, as it has been for most people, we've been busy lately.  Christmas is over. Decorations are down and safely packed away until next year.  Some cleaning has been done.  All is well and we are happy.

I hope you've all had a peaceful holiday.  Golfer and I are not really party people for New Year's Eve,  so we're looking forward to some snacks and some movies.  We got some new DVDs as Christmas presents so we're all set.

Cutie Girl had a good First Christmas.  She kept us laughing during dinner.  And she liked her gifts, but seemed more interested in chewing the paper and playing with the boxes!

Golfer and I watched some of our favorite Christmas movies once the reruns started on TV.  In "Christmas With the Kranks" (Tim Allen) there is a scene with Christmas carolers.  It got me to thinking about caroling many years ago.  It doesn't seem like there are many groups that go caroling any more.  When I was a little girl in small town Ohio caroling was a big deal at Christmas.  There was always caroling planned by various church groups, girl scouts, boy scouts, and other organizations.  The tradition was to bundle up - seemed like we always had knee deep snow about then - and carry your flashlight and music sheet.  We would walk all around town.  The leader had a list, probably of shut-ins or ill folks, and we'd stop in their front yards or on the porch and sing.  Sometimes the people sent cookies out or made a donation, but that certainly was not necessary.  We always ended up at the end of the evening back at the church or the school and had hot chocolate and cookies to warm up.  Good memories.

Some of you know my personal belief about Winter already.  For those of you that don't, I am fine with Winter, cold, and snow up through Christmas.  On December 26th I am ready for warm sunshine!  I very rarely get my wish.

So, time is moving on.  It's the time of year I sort of switch into clean-out mode and want to sort through closets and drawers and clean things out.  That will probably happen this year, but a little slower.  I continue to progress with the PT and am gaining strength in tiny bits.  But I will be the first to tell you, with Golfer ready to second it, that the six months or more of lower back pain and hip pain that the doctor told me to expect after surgery is getting really old really fast.

But life goes on and life is good.

Stay safe and have a Happy New Year!

Early Present!

Bikini surprised us with an early Christmas present.  She made us a new quilted tree skirt.  It's lovely!  Thank you, Bikini!  The furry kids have been jostling each other around to see who gets the prime spots under the tree.  They all want to sit on the new skirt.

Cinder won this round!

Physical therapy is going okay.  So far I've been able to do what they are asking of me.  I feel a little better every day and am able to do a lot more now.  I just have to pace myself and remember Dr. Aldridge's rule of don't do anything for more than ten minutes.

Christmas preparations are coming along.  I need to have a wrapping day soon though!  Golfer appears to have his all done.  He prefers the "bag" wrapping method.

So all in all, life is good.  Stay safe!

Finally!

Hooray!  The sun is out today!  Honestly, I have not been counting how many days were dark, gray, cold, and wet.  It was wearing me out and making me miserable.   But today the sun is out.  It is still cold, but oh, so much better! 

I had an appointment with my surgeon last Friday.  He told me I could stop wearing the back brace.  And said it is now time to start physical therapy.  He's very good about letting me ask questions and talking to me and I told him I am terribly afraid of moving wrong and having something slip or pop loose.  He said not to worry, everything looked good and the bone was growing very well.  He also said I could try to do anything I felt like trying but to not do anything for more than ten minutes.  And obviously, if something hurts, stop.  So I am cautiously trying things.

I had the evaluation appointment with the physical therapist and have the actual first appointment tomorrow.

Christmas preparations are coming along.  I've been getting caught up on some other things.  Life is good.  Golfer and I went to the first movie since my surgery.  Saw "Thor" and we enjoyed it very much.  We also saw some previews for a couple other movies we will want to see.  I did fine sitting there watching, but was pretty stiff when it was over and it was time to stand up and move.  Just something to deal with.

The furry kids are still enjoying the Christmas trees.  I check on the tree skirt in the dining room a few times a day and put it back in place!  Finnigan went through a spell of wanting to take the garland off the living room tree, but after I fussed at him and got the spray water bottle out he's been a little better.

I hope all is well with everyone.  Stay safe!

Elves

Bikini has posted a picture of the elf moving around their house keeping watch on the children.  I thought I would post a picture of our original elves.  We've had these since Bikini and Nurse J were tiny girls.  Our elves are not adventurous,  they stay on the tree.  :)

 

Stay safe!

Horrifying and Appalling!

Golfer and I have GE appliances that we bought a couple years ago from a very nice store in our area - Shawel's.  Good service, good deals.  We recommend them.  Our refrigerator/freezer has the ice and water dispenser in the freezer door.  The water stopped working recently, so I set up a service call.  Turns out the water line that runs up the side of the freezer door was frozen and had to be thawed out.  The very nice man said this happens sometimes.  Nothing needed to be replaced.  It works fine now.

However...this was a multipurpose service call.  For several weeks Golfer and I have noticed an odor in the area around our refrigerator and dish washer.  Sometimes so bad we could smell it down the hall.  Other times just faintly in the area.  We checked and there was nothing spilled and not cleaned up and no other messes in the area or under anything. I think everyone that knows us would say we are clean and neat and orderly.  Our floors are cleaned a couple times a week; more often if needed.  But there was this persistent odor.  I wondered if it might be sewer gas from one of the drains.  

Anyway, I explained to the nice man that I would like him to check the plumbing connections and drains.  He said "no problem!" and started looking.  At first he said he couldn't smell anything.  Then he got a whiff.  He pulled out the refrigerator and got down on the floor behind it.  The smell was stronger there.  He said he had never had any issues with a refrigerator putting out nasty smells but he was checking it all out.  He took part of the back off.  The odor got stronger.  He got down there and started poking around and looking and then there was a gasp and he hollered "I found it! I'm gonna' need some plastic bags!" 

What he found was a frickin' dead mouse!!!!!  In the back of our fridge!!!!!

GROSS!!!!!

A mouse.  In our fridge.  The nice man said he must have crawled next to the condenser to get warm.  He also said there was no other mess.  No mouse "droppings"  Nothing.  And in all our floor cleaning we have never seen any mouse poo or unexplained messes.  And there's no obvious holes where one could get in.  It is a mystery.  Golfer said he must have beamed in like on Star Trek!

So that's all been cleaned up and he sprayed down things with a deodorizer.  It is better this morning in our kitchen, but ICK.  GROSS.

And we have four cats in our family.  Four loveable, happy, indoor only furry kids.   Obviously they are not hunters.

Stay safe!

What Is, Is.

It used to be that I would do all the Christmas decorating, clean up afterwards, and still do all the regular daily chores all in one day.  Those days are gone.  I pace myself.  So what is, is!  The new state of "normal".

Golfer and I have been working on the decorating.  We finished up yesterday.  And even though it took several days to complete, it looks nice.  Golfer did the heavy stuff, moving boxes and containers, setting up the trees, vacuuming, etc. 

Here are some pictures. I was quite excited while decorating the living room tree.  This was the very first year ever that the Star Trek ornaments all worked on the first try at plugging them into the light string!  This is unheard of!  Some years it has taken hours to get them plugged in and working.  A couple years it involved taking a trip to the store to buy a new string of lights.  The new Hallmark ornaments that are battery powered now are soooooo much easier!  I wish Hallmark would reissue the older ornaments and put batteries in them.  We have a couple original ones that have stopped working.  I miss our Borg Cube!

Living room tree

Dining room tree.  This looks nice from the street!

The Christmas spirit makes Cecil more sociable. 

Cecil (on the left) and Angus under the tree last evening.

Cinder under the tree

And while Cecil, Cinder and Angus were enjoying rearranging the tree skirts and resting under the glow of the Christmas lights in peace and calm, this is what Finnigan was up to:

Finnigan on top of the shower wall.  This is about six feet high.  He was practicing the balance beam and walking back and forth.  Also tried to sit on the top edge of the bathroom door!  Life is always interesting with our furry kids around.

So.  That is the state of things around here.  Stay safe!

Another Milestone!

I drove this morning for the first time since my surgery!  I took Hiro, our Acura TL.  No way I can get in and out of Duke, the Mustang, right now.  Took a spin just through the neighborhood first to see how it would go.  That was good, so I headed to WalMart.  It was early and there were no crowds of people.

It was a short shopping excursion and then I headed home.  Hiro is now safely parked in the garage.  There was no horn blowing or shouting or hand gestures by anyone so I'm sure I did fine!  Yea!

Stay safe!

Happy Day After Thanksgiving!

So.... I haven't written much lately.  No excuses.  Just nothing I needed to say.  I figured there were only so many times I could say I was recuperating.  :)  Still am.  Slow progress, but it's progress.  I trust my doctors, and I know they told me it could take six months or longer to get back to that "normal" state, whatever that will be, but I still get impatient.  And it's only been a little over a month!  But life goes on!

Thanksgiving was nice.  It was a busy day.  Nurse J brought the turkey and desserts and I managed the side dishes.  Everyone pitched in and helped.  Then we sat around and visited and watched football and played with CutieGirl!  BeyB was a good helper and we all had a nice day.

How could anyone not have a good day looking at this??!!!

So now we're into decorating time.  Might work on some of that this afternoon and this weekend.  Since doing our cards doesn't take a lot of mobility, I have been working on those.

Golfer has put my shower chair back into the attic since I don't need it any more.  And the walker has been moved back into its spot in the back closet.  I can walk inside the house most of the time without my cane, but need it to help getting up after sitting or lying down.  And I use it when I am out of the house.  I have almost worn out one long-handled-grabber. 

It's been a rainy week here.  Today is sunny and bright, but cold.  Golfer texted me from the course and said they had a frost delay.

I hope all is well with all of you.  If you go out to shop, be careful.  I don't think anyone would pay me enough to get me to go out to shop today!

Stay safe!

Cabbage Patch Kids

When the girls were little, Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were on the most wanted lists for a couple years.  And they were hard to find.  We did get them some, but it wasn't easy.  Probably would have been even harder if the dolls were all this cute!

Stay safe!

Good Luck, ITGuy!

NurseJ's husband, who has been known as CableGuy, starts a new job today!  Congratulations!  And from now on he will be referred to as ITGuy!

Stay safe!

Doctors

Each new medical issue or event teaches us something.  When I was a little girl, it was common for doctors to be viewed as though they were gods.  You didn't question anything you were told, you didn't ask any questions about anything.  Until the day she died, Mom was that way.  If we asked her about a medication or what her doctor had told her we would more than likely be told simply, "he gave me a pink pill".

Times change.  I admit I used to be a little like that.  Not any any more, not for many years.  I make lists, I ask questions, I do research.  I have learned that it is okay to take responsibility for our own bodies and our treatments.  I now listen and speak up when they tell me "if it hurts to do something, don't do it".  I have heard this from the leader of the exercise class I had been going to and also from the physical therapist.

When I was little, our small town in rural Ohio had two doctors. Both older men who were always dressed in white shirts and ties.  They carried large black bags and made house calls.  Both had offices above the drug store on the town square.  They covered for each other when needed.  Pills were dispensed in little paper envelopes with your name on it.

Now my doctors are usually dressed in blue scrubs and look to be a little older than BeyB!  They carry computers and listen to questions and answers.  They give information. Sometimes they send emails.   Pills come in bottles you have trouble opening sometimes and are accompanied by reams of paper listing any precautions or warnings.  This is progress.

I've learned several things this surgery.  A couple are a little bit "too much information" and I won't mention here.  But I need to share one with you.  I have been asked about my medication list multiple times.  On one questioning session, the nurse also asked if I took the 81 mg. aspirin at night.  I told her no, we always take them in the morning.  Wrong answer.  She then explained that most heart attacks and problems happen early in the morning or when you first get up.  The aspirin gives you more help if you take it at bedtime.  So change your schedule, people.

There is much more awareness of secondary infections now.  Most things are disposable, even the blood pressure cuffs!  I had some very good nurses while in the hospital.  I had a couple that I believe were nurse assistants that need much more training and help with knowing how to relate to patients.  I really don't think the person you call to help you while you can't do anything by yourself should tell you she doesn't know anything about back braces when you tell her have to put it on to go to the bathroom!  Sort of like in "Gone With the Wind".... "I don't know nothin' bout birthin' no babies!"

So, one day at a time.  I am making slow progress.

Stay safe!  And have a good attitude!

November 1st Already!

I hope everyone had a nice Halloween!

The weather was nice here and while we were discussing our options for dinner last night - it's going to be a while before I am able to do normal things in the kitchen - Golfer suggested using the fire pit and having hot dogs.  NurseJ was coming over for the evening so I called her and we got everything together.  Golfer helped me get baked beans in the oven.  And everyone pitched in and got the deck table cleaned and set, and things carried out.  Golfer and NurseJ were on hot dog grilling duty.  It was CutieGirl's first weenie roast and she loved being outside.  She didn't get to eat any of it, but she did get to play with a raw marshmallow for a bit!   CableGuy moved the high chair out and CutieGirl just sat there and watched everything.  BeyB was busy helping out and we all had a good time.  Dinner was topped off with roasted marshmallows.  mmmmmmmmm!

Then I stayed out of everyone's way while clean-up happened.  CutieGirl was dressed in the Princess Leia costume and pictures were taken.  Bikini had made this costume for Bloomer and she shared it with NurseJ for this first Halloween.  Then after making sure I was okay, everyone else went out for a walk around the neighborhood.  They said CutieGirl was asleep in the stroller after about twenty feet!

All in all, we had a very nice evening!













And now it is November 1st.  Normally by this time of the year, I have almost finished with the Christmas shopping and have things wrapped and ready to ship out.  Not this year.  Have not even started!

One of these days I think I'll get busy with some online shopping.  I do have cards and stamps so I can always work on that.  But it's going to be a while before I can drive or go out to do any shopping.

Speaking of shopping -- Golfer is doing the Commissary shopping today.  What a man!  I love you Golfer!

Stay safe!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Stay safe!

Shoes!

Hooray!  I am wearing shoes!  Of course, Golfer had to help me get them on and tie them for me, but still......

My surgery was a little over a week ago.  We were told everything went well.  I came home from the hospital last Thursday.  Golfer is doing an excellent job of taking care of me.  All of the nurses and rehab people who have been in and out of here say I am doing very well.  In reality, I am frustrated at not being able to do things for myself.  The rules are no bending, no twisting, no lifting anything over five pounds and no raising my arms over my head.  I'm getting pretty good at getting the brace on and off.  I'm still not sleeping well, it's hard to get comfortable.  But basically I am okay and recovering and being well cared for.

NurseJ had a couple days off and Bikini came for a couple days, so Golfer had some help.  It was good to get together.

It is cool here in Virginia.  Golfer went out this afternoon and raked up several bags of leaves.  We're in that time of year here when the new grass is still coming up but is getting covered by leaves falling down. 

The furry kids seem pleased to have me home, although for a couple days they jumped and ran every time they heard the Velcro on my brace. 

So that's about it from me.  Can't do much and not going anywhere.  I just wanted to let you all know I am still here.

Stay safe!

A Big Ol' Bundle of Emotions

Hey, everyone.  I hope things are well with all of you.  It's been busy around our house.  There have been many things I have wanted to get done before having surgery.  Sadly, my strength and energy are not cooperating which leaves me very frustrated.  And frustration brings emotions.  Or as Bikini says, "feels".  And I have had to stop all my regular meds.  So as they are working their way out of my system I am more emotional from that.  Such is life.  I had a good holler about things while I was out driving by myself.  It didn't really fix anything, but I felt better.  Fortunately it was a low traffic area.   :)

On the good side though, we went out to dinner with friends a couple nights ago and because I am off the meds, I was able to have wine!!!  I now know why Merlot is one of Golfer's favorites!  We were all celebrating my glass of wine and figured out it had been at least sixteen years or longer since I had had any.  So, yay!

While we were away, it rained here most of the time.  The yard finally dried enough for Golfer to get it mowed.  The rain washed most of the seed out of the strip that the landscapers had repaired so we still have a bare place.  Golfer put more seed down that our yard guy left for us.

Nurse J and family came over for a pizza night recently.  CutieGirl sat in her new high chair.  She gets very upset now if everyone else is eating and she isn't.  She had special rice baby biscuits and pureed green beans.  I doubt that was as good as the pizza, but we all had a good time.

Bikini has been busy getting Halloween costumes done for Boxer and Bloomer.  They are going as Minecraft characters.  We saw part of the costumes while we were there and they were cute!

Golfer and I have been trying to catch up on our TV viewing.  Our DVR has things we recorded while we were gone.  As the new broadcast season progresses we've been weeding things out of our schedule.  Some shows are too dumb, some too annoying, some have been cancelled already.

I will be posting again when I am able.  I know that after the surgery there will be PT and home visits from the nurse, and I will be wearing a back brace for at least six weeks.  Plus there is the mind-fog of pain medications.  And don't you know that all that brings on more emotions and feels?  Please keep Golfer in your prayers!  He's a great man and I love him.  Remember me, too, please.

Stay safe!

Some Words to Keep in Mind

Golfer and I have XM Radio in Hiro, our Acura TL.  Yes, I name our vehicles.  :)   Just another way I am unique I guess!  Anyway, on our recent travels we heard an old Helen Reddy song.  And that reminded me how much I always enjoyed her music.

So I just got our CD of her greatest hits out and it is playing right now.  One of my favorite songs is "I Am Woman"  You know.... I am woman. Hear me roar. I am strong. I am invincible.  Very appropriate words for me to think about right now.

Stay safe folks!

Art Critique

As I mentioned in my last post, Golfer and I were on a road trip recently to visit Bikini and family.  This picture was in one of our hotel rooms.  It puzzles me.

Sorry this is not super clear, but I think it shows my concern.  Why would a major hotel chain hang pictures of bugs in their rooms?????  Creepy!  And I've seen this same picture in other locations of the same chain.

Stay safe!

Family Time

Golfer and I just returned from visiting Bikini and her family.  She and I had some good quality time in her favorite quilt shop.  She's going to make Golfer and me a new king-size quilt for our bed and she was helping me pick out fabric for her to use.  I know it's going to be beautiful!

We went to Bloomer's class auction and watched the students spend their "quarters" (play ones). Each student gets a certain number to start with and they can earn more for good behavior and work or lose some for bad.  It's all an exercise in math, decision making, and strategy.  Once a month there's an auction to spend their "money" on items donated by the parents.  It was fun to watch.  Bloomer's prize buy was a large Halloween spider in some sticky "goo".  Lovely.

And then we attended the PTA meeting and got to see Boxer's fourth grade chorus perform.  Nice patriotic show.  And the music is tied in to the social studies and history material for the class. 

Sadly, Boxer's football game didn't go so well, and they lost.  We were glad to get to see him play, but I don't think the other team exactly played fair.  Brief says there are going to be some meetings about the other team.  But, all in all, it was a good day.  I will say this though,  football is taken VERY seriously in Georgia!  I should add that this was my first experience with little boys' football.

We also got to meet our new "grandcats", Morelli, Nina and Jett.  All were lovely and well behaved.  Nina is a little shy, not as much as our Cecil, but she did not want us to hold her.  I couldn't get a picture of her that wasn't blurry, but here are Morelli and Jett snuggling on my lap. 

And we met our "grand-dog", Fred.  You all know that Golfer and I are cat people, but I have to say that Fred is okay!  He's a cutie and likes to snuggle.  And he was very good at sitting by my feet under the dinner table and making sad puppy eyes in hopes I might "drop" something.  Golfer and Fred had some quiet time together one afternoon watching football on TV.

So now it's time to get busy.  There is a lot to get done this week.  Stay safe!

A Good Explanation - Think About It

A friend sent us this.  I think it's pretty good and wish the politicians (Obama particularly) would realize this.  So I'm sharing.

Will this be the U.S. in 3, 5 or 10 years?

This makes sense and hopefully this country will see what is happening before it's too late!!!!!!

Is this man a genius??  Very profound........

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan".. All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A.... (substituting grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D!  No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because **when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.* *

Could not be any simpler than that.  These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all applicable to this experiment**:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation. 

Sound familiar?  Stay safe!

I Admit It, I Am Moody

Hey, All,

Yes, I am disgusted, and moody.  Usually I am a happy, optimistic person and smiling.  But my mind won't stop dwelling on some issues lately.

First off, of course, I am sad about Sis passing, but am relieved that she is not suffering.  But also, I am not ready to be the "matron" or oldest.  While we were visiting with family on our trip to Ohio, Golfer looked around at everyone and said that he never thought he'd be the oldest one in the group.  Sometimes maturity is baffling.  We don't feel that old.  Where did the time go?

And I am totally disgusted with politicians.  The government shut-down is causing many problems in our area.  People are being laid off, parks closed, Commissaries closed, Colonial Parkway closed, and on and on.  If I was in charge (and wouldn't that be a hoot!) I would lock all the politicians, including the President,  in a large room and dock them a month's pay for every day they let this go on.  They'd get loaves of white bread, jars of peanut butter and a cold water faucet, nothing else for food until they were done.  I would also demand that all politicians have to abide by all the regulations and laws they impose on the people.   I would also stop illegal immigration, but that is a whole other issue.

Our community has an ARB and Home Owner's Association.  I am disgusted by the residents who don't observe simple rules.  Things like mowing their grass and taking care of their property, not putting their trash out for pick-up on time and letting it sit out for two weeks. My thoughts on home ownership are similar to my thoughts on having children or pets - if you won't or can't take care of them, don't have them.  It's better for everyone that way.

I am concerned about my surgery that's scheduled in a couple weeks.  Two of my doctors think it will fix the problems I've been having for over two years.  Problems that were supposed to get better over time after a previous surgery.  I am trying to remain hopeful and optimistic, but it is hard.  I told Golfer I'd like to believe them, but I'm not holding my breath at this point.  In  my heart I know I will be well cared for.  But I realize how frustrated I get when I can't do things for myself!

Add to these things the fact we just discovered a leak at our water heater.  It's not that old and we can't tell where the water is coming from, but there is definitely a leak somewhere.  The plumber comes tomorrow. Sigh.  This water problem comes on top of a different leak in the sprinkler system we just had fixed.  And we just got the bill (!*%$#!!) for that repair.  Sigh again.

There was one good piece of news in today's paper - the first ever local BACON FESTIVAL is going to happen!  This will feature all things bacon!  Our area has all kinds of seafood festivals and peanut festivals, but this is the first one devoted to bacon!  Actually, I think Smithfield foods is looking for some good publicity.

I am sure my mood will get better and also sure the general state of affairs will get better.  For now I am going to go "woogie" a kitty.  That's always good for a smile.

Stay safe.

Driver's Ed

I got to visit with NurseJ recently and we were talking about BeyB's school year.  School just started after Labor Day.  Here in Virginia public schools don't start until after Labor Day because the tourist businesses need the teenagers to work.  So she's been back to school for about a month now.

Anyway, BeyB pretty much likes her classes and teachers and her schedule with the exception of having PE first thing in the morning.  But NurseJ said it would be okay for a while, because they were starting with Driver's Ed.  DRIVER'S ED!!!???  Our first grandchild is starting Driver's Ed!!!!

And this news brought some memories.  My Mom did not own a car until I was old enough to learn to drive.  We lived in a small town.  We walked everywhere.  If we needed to go to the larger towns, there was bus service, or Granpa drove.  Anyway, Mom got a Ford Falcon, stick shift.

The school's car was an automatic, so I learned on both at the same time.  With an instructor who was the football coach.  He was a loud, impatient man, a great football coach, but not so patient and gentle teaching teenagers how to drive.   There was always yelling whenever we were out on the road.  There were usually tears, too.  I don't remember crying, but I remember some of the other girls sobbing in the back seat after they had had their turn at the wheel.  Sometimes the boys didn't fare any better. I liked Scotty and tried hard.  But wow!  The man would be arrested today if he acted like he did then.

So I'd drive the automatic school car.  Then when Mom had time off work, she'd take me out in the Falcon.  You will never know how nerve-racking that could be until you've learned to drive a stick shift on rolling country hills with stop signs at the top of the hill.  I always hoped no one would get too close while I was stopped because I knew I was going to roll back down the hill a ways before I got going forward again.  Fun times.

When NurseJ and Bikini were learning to drive, Golfer would take them to the empty school parking lot whenever there was snow just so they could practice driving in it.  That is a major problem here in Virginia.  Many, many people do not know how to drive on snow and ice.  The mind set is "if I go faster I'll get out of it sooner" just does not work.  We wanted them to be prepared.

So, I wish BeyB good luck and patience for all involved.  I'm sure she will do well.  But how did she grow up so fast?

Stay safe!

Hey

I decided it was time I get a post written.  Golfer and I returned from Ohio last Monday.  My sister's funeral was sad, but we were all in agreement that we were relieved she was no longer suffering.  She will be missed.

The visitation was at 8:30 Saturday morning at the funeral home followed by the funeral mass at her church at 10:00.  Then we went to the cemetery for a short graveside service and then to lunch hosted by my niece and her husband.  The church was lovely with gorgeous stained glass windows and statues. 

I am not real familiar with Catholic orders of worship and Betty took me "under her wing" and told me what to read, when to read, where to sit, etc.  I decided Betty pretty much runs that church.  I noticed at lunch that she had no problem at all telling Father Paul what he should be doing!

Unfortunately it was cool and raining through all this.

Now we are all home.  Things are unpacked, put away and caught up.  Most days this week have been nice and we've had the windows open.  Today is pretty gray and cloudy.

Our man from Spring Green came yesterday and did the Fall aeration and various treatments to the yard.  He says the new seed will sprout in seven to ten days.   I need to get out and do a little clean up in the mulched areas.

I've finished washing the windows.  Did most of them a couple weeks ago and just didn't get the last couple done until today.  There's a pretty good chance now that it will actually rain!

Hiro, our Acura, got a good cleaning.  Just think rain, mud, "dirt", bird poo and bug guts.  It was a long drive home.  We came through West Virginia on the way back to miss the congestion around D.C.  Pretty drive and it will be even more pretty in a couple weeks I'm sure.  There was already some leaf color starting.

Bikini is back home and it sounds like she has things under control there.  We'll be seeing her again soon when we go visit.  Watching Boxer play football is on the agenda!  And watching Bloomer demonstrate her gymnastic skills is also planned!

NurseJ is also back home.  CutieGirl handled the trip very well and entertained everyone by being so cute.  Sadly, a few days after returning home, BeyB developed strep throat.  Then CutieGirl started crying when being fed.  Not strep, but she has her first ear infection.  NurseJ says they are all on the mend now.

I have started stocking up on things when shopping at the Commissary and plan to have the freezer and pantry full when I go for my surgery.  Golfer will shop, but I know it is not one of his favorite things. 

So we're sort of back to "normal" here.  I can hear Sis laughing now.

Stay safe.

Good-bye, Sis

My sister passed away yesterday.  She fought a long battle with cancer and suffered terribly.  We hate to lose her but are glad she is at peace now.

This picture was taken at our Mom's 100th birthday party.  That's Sis, Mom, and me.

Sis and I had a long running private joke.  Whenever we talked we'd ask each other how things were.  We both would answer, "oh, things are just normal".  And then the other would answer, "oh, I am soooo sorry."  And then we would both laugh.  We tried to meet challenges head on and get on with things.

We'll miss you, Sis.

Miscellaneous Updates

Hey, all!

We have not seen the raccoons again since they took off down the top of the sound wall.  They were fun to watch.

Our weather has cooled off and it's breezy today.  I don't have all the windows open but did open a couple to get fresh air in.

There is a leak in a water line and the sprinkler system guys are working on it right now.  Who knows how much water was wasted.  We had called them in to check weeks ago and they couldn't find anything.  The landscaper guys came to fix the yard mess yesterday, and it was all still so wet they couldn't do the work, so instead they tried to find out where the water has been coming from.  We narrowed down the area and now the guys are out there digging a large hole.  Hope it gets fixed today.  This has been aggravating.

We had a swarm (?) of ants in the kitchen yesterday morning, so that took some of my time to spray, eliminate, and clean up.  They were the little itty bitty ones that don't show up very well on our dark tile.   Don't know how they get in.  At least they usually confine themselves to one corner area.  I have some kitty-safe spray and zap them them and the baseboards and that usually takes care of it.  But this is also aggravating.

I had a good workout at exercise class in the pool this morning.  Mary, the instructor, is a nice lady and she makes it fun.

We finally got our cuckoo clock back from the repairman.  All would be great with that if we could just get Angus to leave it alone!  He likes to play with the chains and sometimes rewinds it for us.

Speaking of furry kids..... we've been getting a lot of this lately from Finnigan.  It started a few nights ago when he was napping in the chair and got up and stared at the light there.  We figured he was looking at a little "no-see-um" since the windows had been open that day.  But we couldn't find anything.  Now he sits like this every so often during the day.  Just turns his back on us like he's saying "I'm not talking to you!"

I hope all is well with all of you.  Stay safe!

Wildlife!

I woke up this morning a little before 5:00 a.m.  I couldn't really get back to sleep and just sort of dozed until I heard Golfer turn his alarm off and get up to get ready to leave for the golf course.  At that point I knew I wasn't going back to sleep so I got started on my morning routine and then got dressed.

It was just starting to get light outside and I went to look out the back window.  We had used the fire pit last evening and I wanted to see what I needed to do to it this morning.  I was standing there, calm and peaceful, looking out at our back yard and WTH!  here comes a parade of raccoons!  There was one large one and two smaller ones.  While I was watching them, along came another smaller one.  He must have been lollygagging around.  They crossed our patio and went around the deck.  A couple went up onto the deck.  They all looked clean, had shiny coats, bright eyes, and were moving well.  That time of morning is when raccoons usually are going to bed.

Now, when our deck was rebuilt a few months ago, it was done with boards that went down to the ground.  Presumably to stop critters from going under the deck.  I have to remember to tell Steve that didn't work.  :)  The adult and two of the young ones went under the deck.  The other youngster decided to have a stare down with Finnigan who was watching from the office window.  This was fascinating to watch.  Angus came in to get in on the action.  There were lots of kitty noises and a lot of twitching tails.  

While I sat in the desk chair taking this all in, a small rabbit scooted under the gate, started around the deck and stopped with a "whoa, who are those guys?" look.  Also on the scene were some squirrels and a gorgeous cardinal.  It was a busy morning in our yard.  Eventually, the young raccoon went under the deck with the others.  The kitties went for naps and I got my coffee.

The black "spots" on the wall are the raccoons!

I was sitting there in the living room, frequently looking out the window to see if anything was going on.  And there goes one of the youngsters trotting across the yard, back around our shed. They must have chosen him to be the advance scout. He looked around, then looked toward the deck.  At this point I have to think he was sending a message to the others because the other three all filed out and across the yard.  They got together back by the shed and started climbing the wall!  They all went up and then they went single file across the top of the wall, like on a balance beam, and left the area.  Exciting times around here!

And now that all our visitors are gone, I have opened the windows and everyone is happy.

All pictures were taken from inside the house.  I would have loved to have close-up photos, but I'm not stupid!

Stay safe!

The Week in Review

First of all, my thoughts and prayers go out to friends and family who are in declining health and to their caregivers.

And then thoughts and prayers go to the people in Colorado dealing with deadly flooding.  Golfer and I love Colorado and are familiar with the areas that have been hit with first the fires and now the floods.

And also in my thoughts and prayers is New Jersey.  I've never been to the Boardwalk.  But I can appreciate what the people have been through dealing with storm damage, rebuilding,  and now a horrible destructive fire.

This week was the anniversary of 9-11.  And don't you know, that on that day of remembrance, some idiot called in a bomb threat in our area and shut down traffic at the major bridges and tunnels.  People were stuck in traffic for hours and hours while the authorities stopped and inspected all trucks and large vehicles.  I hope they catch the person who did this.

I think the count is up to 270 for dead dolphins washed up on the beaches around here.  The news reports say it's a virus that's killing them.  And one theory is that this virus is related to one that causes measles.  They say there is no transfer between the dolphins and people.  But it's a sad thing to see those beautiful creatures being killed.

And let's keep Hawaii in our thoughts, too.  Who would think that molasses would kill so many of the beautiful sea creatures there and cause such damage?  Golfer and I stayed in Honolulu and it was gorgeous.  The newspaper said the molasses sinks to the bottom and suffocates the fish and other creatures.  And then their dead bodies attract sharks, so they are warning people to stay out of the water.  Geez.

On a happier note - our DVD of the latest "Star Trek" movie arrived yesterday and we spent last evening watching it.  Wonderful movie!  And speaking of "Star Trek", I hope you all heard that V-ger has passed on out of our universe.  What/who will it find?  And will I live long enough to find out??  :)

Another milestone was reached this week, too.  I received my Medicare card!  Effective January 1st!

Other than all this, it's a calm, routine week around here.  I've gone to exercise classes, kept up with the housework, did some work in the yard, groomed the furry kids.  Oh, and we got new phones!  Golfer and I spent one evening getting them all set up.  I think it still amazes him that I love mine so and use all the features on it, instead of just using it to take phone calls!

On that happy note I'm off to fold laundry!  Stay safe!

Fair Time Back "Home"

It's that time of year again back home, time for the county fairs and the big state fair.  And yes, even after not living in Ohio since we married in 1967, we still think of it as home.  My sister-in-law mentioned they were getting ready to go to the Wooster County Fair.  She later emailed saying they bought fresh made donuts! Yum!

We've been to fairs in other places that we've lived.  Some were better than others.  Some have been glorified carnivals and not at all what we grew up with.  The state fair in Colorado was a good one.  The smells of the food alone were worth the admission price - peppers, onions, good spicy Mexican food!

When I think of a fair, I think of crafts, animals, baking, canning, sewing and ribbons handed out by the judges.  Golfer and I were active in Grange.  First in Juvenile Grange and then with the adults.  Every year there were projects, and contests and judging to decide who would enter their items in the County Fair.  I remember one year the sewing project was making a housecoat.  Another time I baked molasses cookies.  And one funny entry (at least to me) was the year we had to take a Mrs. Butterworth's glass syrup bottle and sew an outfit for it.  I don't remember winning any ribbons, but it was fun.

Golfer played trombone in the marching band and at the county fair all the schools sent their bands to perform.  It was exciting to see all the uniforms and find out what music each school was working on.

I liked seeing all the animals.  The proud owners were washing, brushing and calming them.  The 4-H kids worked hard. Talking about the animals reminds me of another thing... when Golfer and I had only been dating for a while, his Dad took me along to a pig auction with them.  Keep in mind now, I lived in town.  I liked animals, but my experience with them was pretty much limited to our cat, Louie.  So there we were at the auction.  The pigs and hogs were in pens and you walked around and looked at them to decide which you wanted to bid on when the auction started. We were looking, and all of a sudden there was a rush of really big pigs running down the path.  Dad yelled, get up on the fence and get out of the way!  And that's pretty much all I remember about that auction!

Back to the fair - I also liked looking at all the canned goods.  I never got into canning, except for helping Mom and Grama clean fruits and vegetables while they were "putting up" the foods.  Grama had a small room in her basement with shelves lining the walls.  It was cool and dark down there and that's where all the canned goods and jellies were kept until they were needed.

So. Fall.  Memories of hay bales, pumpkins, gourds, and nature.  Happy times.

Stay safe!

Hey!

Golfer and I are home from vacation.  Everything is unpacked, put away, the laundry is done, and cleaning, errands and yard work is done.  Life is good.

Golfer had a good time playing in the World-Am.  Didn't win, but had a good time, played one new course, met some new people, visited with old friends.

I had quality beach and pool time.  I usually go to the indoor heated pool to do my exercises, and every day but one I had the pool all to myself.  Very relaxing and peaceful.

I enjoy early morning beach time and this is the view from my favorite spot.  I get a chair and put it under a palm tree.  You can't really tell by the picture, but it's a wide strip of dune grass, then sand, then the water.

One morning there were dozens and dozens of dragonflies and butterflies all around.  Didn't get pictures of the dragonflies but I managed to get this one of a butterfly.  (the yellow spot on the pink hibiscus flower)

A few years ago when we were there there was a steady flow of butterflies of all kinds flying up the coast.  That was the year after the Butterfly Pavilion had closed.  My theory is that they just opened the place up and let them all out.  Regardless, they were beautiful!

I also saw a couple lizards and many birds and squirrels. No snakes this time! I like watching the pelicans swoop and dive into the water, too.

Stay safe!

One of Those Huh?? WTH! Moments

So our homeowners' association office sends us emails with notices of special happenings, any pertinent crime watch info, and other important "stuff".  It's good to be informed.

We got one recently telling us about a home owner in a neighboring area.  The home owner had a rattlesnake in his yard!  A real "WTH" moment!  And not only that, it was an endangered rattlesnake.  The email included instructions that if we saw a rattlesnake, we were NOT to pick it up and definitely DO NOT KILL IT!  They are on the protected species list.  Call animal control to come and get it.   Lawsuits would be filed if a snake was harmed.

I don't know about you, but my first thought isn't to pick up a snake when I see one.   I freaked my Grama out when I was little.  She and Granpa had taken me to Jungle Larry's Animal park and we were watching the show.  He asked if anyone wanted to pet the snake and I put my hand right up there!  I remember him being smooth.  The snake, not Jungle Larry.  I also remember Grama being pale. 

Now, you probably have figured out by now that I like God's creatures and don't wish any of them any harm.  When we lived in Colorado we learned to be alert and stay away from rattlesnakes.  If I come across a small snake (not a rattler) while working in the yard, I am more inclined to carefully loop him over the end of a rake and toss him to another area away from me.  When we lived in houses with woods behind us, I flung them that way.

However, my dear Golfer is not so inclined.  A dead snake is a good snake.  Plainly put, he does not like snakes.  Maybe there were too many on the farm where he grew up or something.  He's always been this way.  He would never purposely harm a creature.   He would do anything for me or his children and grandchildren.  He has a kind soul.  But snakes are in a whole separate category.

For the sake of these endangered rattlers, I hope they stay out of our yard.  For they are taking their lives into their own whatevers (I was going to say hands and realized that didn't fit!)

Stay safe!  And watch out for snakes!

Some Vacation Observations

We are now all settled in at our usual place to stay.  Was sort of a rough arrival considering the "elevator of doom".  And those of you who were here with us the last visit know what I mean.  The bellman had all of our stuff loaded on his cart and we got into the elevator.  We're on the twelfth floor.  On the way up the thing made a noise and lurched to a stop at least five times.  And each time it would announce it was having technical difficulties.  NO SH**!!  Golfer and I were watching each other and hanging on.  Each time it happened the young bellman muttered swear words real quietly.  And it wasn't like the thing would stop at an actual floor and let us open the door and move to the  other elevator.  No, we were there for the duration.  Finally got to the room and made a call for maintenance.  So each time we need to go up or down we hold our breath a little.

Other than that, things are pretty good.  I've been wondering if there is new management.  Things are a bit cleaner, there's been some other repairs and painting done, security is tighter.  The unit we're in has a larger fridge with an ice maker and even a small dishwasher.
 
The weather is beautiful.  It's around 80 and the sun is out and breeze is blowing.

One thing about our space here.  There is some interesting decorating.  I think Bloomer would call this a "fancy lady chair".  We also have this "fancy lady lamp"!  That's not just fringe around the shade, that's lots of fancy little beads!  Not the usual beach style decor!

As I've mentioned before, I like watching people.  Yesterday I saw a boy, maybe about 14 or 15 I'm guessing, catching some rays by the pool and watching the girls.  He had his shades on and he was being cool.  Then his Mom showed up and made him stand up so she could rub sun lotion all over him.  He did not look happy!

Saw a cute sight this morning.  There was a father out on the beach with a little boy about 3.  The dad had a metal detector.  The boy had a little shovel.  Dad would scan and point and then the digging began!

Stay safe!

Relaxation and Rest

Hey, all!

I hope it's a lovely day where you are!

It's beautiful here!  And this is a picture to prove that . . . . .

I took this picture while sitting on our twelfth floor balcony just a few minutes ago.  We're checking out a new place to stay.  It's pretty nice - Royal Garden Resort, in Garden City Beach, SC.  We spent the morning sitting out and being in the water, enjoying the sun.    Now we're just resting and relaxing.

The trip here was uneventful, except for about an hour and half on the way when I discovered we had both forgotten the hang-up bag in the closet with some of  our clothes!  Golfer looked at me and asked if I thought we were going to go back for it.  I said  "HE** no! We'll make do".  And we just stopped and checked out the sales at Penney's on the way in and bought a couple shirts!  I wasn't worried.  We had the important stuff.  You know, the golf gear and our pills!

I like to watch people.  You see some interesting things sometimes.  I think I inherited this pastime from Mom.  When she would travel, she said she never minded waiting in airports because she could watch the people!

I was looking out from our balcony.  There are a lot of blazing red vacationers down on the beach.  Now I admit, I like to sit out, and the sun makes me feel good.  Plus, it's one of the best ways to soak up some vitamin D.  But I have my limits.  About an hour and a half is the absolute tops for me to be out.  I'm  looking down at the people and they're so red it can be seen from up here.  What are they thinking?  And come on!  A lot of these folks are older than me and should know better.  A bad sunburn doesn't make your vacation better.  Use some sunscreen!  Or put on a shirt!  Come to think of it, a shirt is the best way to go.  That would cover up some of those stretched out, aged tattoos I've observed.  But, to each his own.  Live and let live.  Do no harm.  etc.  Enjoy life.

And stay safe!

Hey!

I promised our niece that I would post a picture of the pergola that we recently had painted.  I've been trying to get that picture taken when the sun has been out and that turned out to be difficult.  I have seen the sun shining and by the time I could get my camera or phone and get to the door, it was cloudy again.  Welcome to Virginia weather this Summer!

So this morning I decided to take it anyway.  We think the pergola looks pretty good.  Sherwin Williams did a great job matching the color of the new decking.

As you can see the hydrangeas aren't blooming a lot.  I don't know what their problem is.  Maybe they don't like the weather??????  But two of the three are bushy and green.  The third one has had some issues but is starting to look better.

The ailing azaleas are history though.  They were out back by our storage shed, one on either side of the ramp.  And when I sit in my recliner and look out the window, that's what I would see - really sad looking azaleas.  So I pulled them up.  The newer one I returned to the garden center and got credit for a future purchase.  We need to do some research and see what might work better back there.  BTW - this was one of the projects on that to-do list I talked about in my last post.

The nibbled on liriope is looking a teeny bit better.  Perhaps the bunnies are dining elsewhere.

Stay safe!

Summertime....la, la, la, la, la

It's a different kind of Summer around here.  For one thing we've had a LOT of rain.  Not constant, but often enough that things don't get completely dried out between the rain falls.  And we've had several days when it has only been in the 70's and we could turn the A/C off and open the windows.  That's almost unheard of around here!

One odd note about the weather though... on the TV news they reported that there is a new fungus growing on some vehicles that is "encouraged" by the weather.  This fungus will eat the paint off your car if you don't clean it.  WTH!  Sort of reminded me of the old Sci-Fi movie where the aliens looked like mold and took over!  Ick.

My sister has been moved into a nursing home for around the clock care.  Sadly there is not much any of us can do for her but try to keep her as comfortable as possible.  My niece did as much as she could to keep sis at home but her condition and care needed more.  Please keep them in your prayers.  I'm glad we got there to visit a few weeks ago.

The rest of the family is doing fine.  Boxer was injured at school, but he has recovered.  He and Bloomer like their new teachers and all is going well.  He is playing football and she is enjoying gymnastics.   BeyB won't go back to school until the day after Labor Day.  And little CutieGirl doesn't have to think about that for a few years!

Golfer will be playing in the World-Am Championship in Myrtle Beach next week.  I will be enjoying the pools, the beach, the sun (I hope) and reading some good books.  Several friends will be there, too, so we'll have a good time catching up.

I've sort of been in a "get it done" mode, kind of like the "nesting" that pregnant ladies do.  I keep thinking of things that need to be done, or I want done before I have surgery in October.  I have a list and have been checking things off.  I'll be honest, a lot these things don't matter to anyone but me.  But I'm doing them anyway!

We went to see "Wolverine" yesterday.  Great movie!  If you go, be sure to sit through the credits.  That's all I'm saying.  What I saw made me happy though!

That's about it for now.  Stay safe!

Happy Birthday, Golfer!

I love you!  xo

re: The Previous Post

It just speaks to me, that's why.  Stay safe!

Elvis Presley - A Thing Called Love (Alt. Take)

Geese

As Golfer and I have traveled around, we've had the opportunity to enjoy all types of wildlife, both tame and not so tame.  Lately, we've seen quite a few geese.  While in Ohio there were several flocks flying in their V formation over his brother's house.  There were some around our hotel.  

Geese are beautiful birds.  They mate for life. They seem to be good parents.  

We have a lot of geese in our community.  So many, in fact, that at times they have to be "relocated" because of the close proximity of the airport.  You don't want a goose flying into a plane's engine.  But, nevertheless, we always have geese around.  I love watching them.

But I have to wonder, how do their minds work?  I know they can fly.  But when they want to get from one side of the road to the other, they don't.  The ones around here have parades.  They walk single file across four lanes of divided road.  That's single file, one at a time, slowly, often leading the little ones.  They're adorable to watch.  And woe be to the driver who does not stop, or who sits there and honks his horn!  Our geese are members of the community, do not endanger them!  Take a deep breath and smile!

Stay safe!

Going Home

Golfer and I just returned from a trip home to Ohio.  Although I'm not sure any more that home is what it is.  This was an emotional trip for me.  My sister is in hospice care.  My niece is dealing with the thought of losing her mother.  My sister-in-law is dealing with an ailing father.  Golfer's brother is starting a new job.  Our niece is planning a wedding.  So, all in all, it was a stressful trip.

And for me it didn't feel like home any more.  We still love Ohio.  And we will always support the Browns and Indians, no matter what!   But Golfer's Mom and Dad are gone.  My Mom is gone.  One of our first stops when we get there is the cemetery.  Aunts and Uncles are gone, too. 

We drove by the farm where Golfer grew up and the barn and out buildings have been painted light blue.  WTH, people, that's not a barn color!

I drove by my favorite house when I was young.  Mom and I had lived in several different houses in town.  This house had been a big old house with a long wooden stairway, good for sliding down!  There was a "secret" passage between two of the bedrooms.  It had a huge front porch with a swing.  The yard had many fruit trees, a grape arbor, a hand pump and cistern, a Spring house and a tiny pond.  Now the place is a square box;  no porch.  The trees are all gone, the pond filled in, the whole back yard is asphalt.  Sad.

It's always good to see our family, but now, for me, it doesn't feel like home anymore.  I think that I have always considered my home to be wherever Golfer and I were.  I feel safe and secure with him.

And on a much lighter note, why is it, that when you go back to where you grew up, everyone uses your middle name??  I stopped using mine many years ago and just use my middle initial when signing my name on something.  It seem funny to hear your middle name when people are talking to you!

Keep your memories and stay safe!

Happy Birthday, BeyB!

We love you!

The "Cat Days of Summer"

Hey, all!

Not much going on here right now.  Just doing odds and ends today, but I was looking at some pictures of the furry kids and decided it was time to share!

This is Cecil (in front) and Angus waiting patiently for their kitty treats.

Sometimes when Cinder has had enough of the boys' rowdiness she goes into hiding.  She does an excellent job of it!

Finnigan was watching me read the paper one morning.

So life goes on!  Stay safe!

A Movie Review

There's been an amazing amount of talk recently about "Sharknado".  For a few days, every morning, the Today Show people were talking about it and the subject came up in other places, too.  We didn't watch it when it was originally broadcast.  But when I heard one of the main actresses (this is said with air quotes) being interviewed by Matt Lauer and announcing there would be a sequel, I told Golfer we should probably see it just to say we had!  So the DVR was set.

Now, family movie times with our family always involve analyzing and comments.  Discrepancies are found by Golfer while watching anything with military, especially Air Force and air craft scenes.  NurseJ handles any medical scenes.  Brief handles mechanical and aircraft issues.

I have to say that Golfer and I had a lot of laughs and comments last evening while watching the airborne sharks!  We didn't expect this to be an award winning film.  But good golly!  What horrible editing and acting!  And the very first thing was the hurricane warning!  On the Pacific coast it's a typhoon, not a hurricane.  And if there are monstrous waves out there, the beach and shore are not going to be all calm and sunny.  Another scene had a house with several feet of water on the first floor with a shark swimming around and attacking people.  When they escaped and ran outside, there was the car sitting on dry land.  ????  And spoiler alert here:  if a shark has swallowed a person whole, and then a while later another person is swallowed while holding a chain saw, can he actually saw his way out of the shark, and pull the girl out and they are both fine, although messy????  

As far as writing, let's just say there was much to be desired.  There was some plagiarism and lines taken directly from "Jaws"!

It was funny to see the pop-up "Tweets" on the re-run of the movie.  Over all it was funny just seeing how bad it was.  Like Savannah on the Today Show asked, can sharks really live out of the water?

Stay safe!

It's HOT!

Hey, All!

Well, even if you don't have a calendar around here, you can certainly tell it's Summer in Virginia.  We're in the "Triple H's" around here - hot, hazy, and humid.  Golfer was about cooked when he got home from playing golf yesterday morning.  I had done some work outside and in the garage in the morning, so I had had enough heat, too.

Today it was early yard work for him.  The yard looks pretty good right now!  The new plants are doing okay.  Everything is weeded and tidy.  Of course, it's too hot to sit out on the deck and enjoy it, but still, it looks good!

I spent this morning at the "Y".  I started an arthritis aqua class a couple weeks ago.  It's going pretty well.  It's a nice bunch of people and a  great instructor.  There are probably folks who would look at the class and think it was just moving around in the water.  But I have found there's a lot more to it than that.  Beside the exercises for strength and mobility, she works on balance and memory.  Some of the exercises have a lot of parts and she says what to do and you're supposed to remember it all and do it in the right order!  That's the hardest part!  And be coordinated while doing it and not go under the water!  She had us playing tag today.  But not just tag - it was tag with certain movements for your legs and feet and other movements for your hands and arms WHILE trying to stay away from "IT"!  And remember to keep your posture, breathe right, and smile all at the same time!

NurseJ posted this on Facebook  and I like it so much I asked for permission to post it here.  She said "sure".  So here are CutieGirl at three months and BeyB at one-hundred and eighty months.  

Stay safe!

It's Always Something

I had to go have a "chat" with the person in charge at my pain management doctor's office.  I've been taking a new prescription, but it's going to run out before the end of the month when I see him again.   So I called on Friday and left the detailed message for the nurse requesting a refill.  I didn't hear from them but I checked with the pharmacy a couple times.  On Sunday the pharmacist said they would send the office a message.  Still I heard nothing.  So this afternoon I called the pharmacy again and the pharmacist said he had just gotten a message from them saying I needed to call the office.  So I did.  And a chippy person who had the wrong attitude with me said I had to come pick it up!  So I got in the car and went to the office and told them I wanted to speak with whoever was in charge.  They didn't know what to say, but eventually someone called me up to the window and wanted to talk.  I told her I really did not want to have this conversation with her in front of all the other patients.  So we went in a room.  I told her it was poor patient care and bad management to not respond to my message and let me know.  She said she called but I didn't answer. I said there is voice mail.  She said she called my cell phone.  I said there is voice mail.  She said she doesn't leave medical messages on voice mails.  I asked why she didn't leave a message saying to call the office. She looked puzzled, like this was an unheard of idea.  For the record, neither of the phones show any record of any calls.   It ended with her promising to do better and her explanation (excuses) of office reorganization, staff turnover, controlled drug, etc. etc.  Geez.  I dropped the prescription off and came home and called in a couple other refills and will pick it all up tomorrow.  When the pharmacist saw me walking in he yelled "yay, you got it!"  I asked him why this drug is so controlled and he said it's addictive and some people just so nuts for it.  I replied that honestly, it's not doing all that much for me so I don't think we need to worry about that!  And guess what?!  The prescription was actually written last Friday but no one told me!

Remember when we had the landscapers work on the slope and drainage last Fall at the side of our house?  Well, in the recent work of putting mat and stone down around the generator, the guys made ruts and messed up the slope.  The yard is a mess over there.  We've had a lot of rain lately and it's soggy.  Added to that is the neighbor's HVAC unit running and draining non-stop and it's a swamp!  The landscaping boss came yesterday and looked; then sent a message saying there were no ruts and any repair would wait until Fall.  We had wanted to talk to him but he showed up and left without ever letting us know he was here.  Today when Golfer talked to him, he said he didn't know if anyone was home.  Know how you find out??? YOU RING THE DOORBELL!  DUH!  He's coming again tomorrow to take another look.  We really like the lady that has done the planning and such, but we don't know this guy.  I'll keep you all posted.

As my family and friends have heard me say, "I'm just not going to put up with any crap!"  Those days are over.  I now speak up and tell people what I think.  I try to do it a nice way, but sometimes you just want to knock someone in the head.  Know what I mean??

I think someone should hire me to go around and evaluate customer service at businesses.  What do you think??


 Stay safe!

Happy Birthday, Bikini!

We love you!

A Thought

I fell asleep last evening while we were watching "King and Maxwell".  I replayed it this morning while having breakfast.  King was wondering where time had gone when looking at an old picture of friends.  He said "time flies, where does it go?".  Edgar, a brilliant and talented, but socially challenged man, said "Time does not go anywhere.  It just is".

Something to think about.  Enjoy the moment.

Stay safe.

Updated Curb Appeal

Hey, all!

It's still HOT and muggy here.  The weather forecasts predict scattered storms almost every day.  The last few days, they have passed us by and all we've had is some thunder.  Thank goodness for the sprinkler system!  I still have to take my new bright green shrinking hose and water the new things out front and the wilting hydrangeas in the back, but that's not too bad.  And I love that new little hose.  It is small enough and light enough for me to carry in one hand!

Anyway, here are a couple pictures of our updated "curb appeal"!

Yesterday was full of aqua exercise class, errands and other house "stuff".  Too much stuff.  I'm taking it easy today!

Stay safe!

Happy Anniversary to Sliced Bread!

Yep!  I was listening to NPR again while doing errands.  They are a fount of information.  FYI, if I'm driving Hiro, the Acura, I listen to Elvis radio or Broadway radio. 

Anyway... happy Sunday!  I hope everyone is well.  It's another hot and muggy day here.  Golfer and the guys had early tee times, but he'll be hot and tired when he gets home.  I've done all the usual morning stuff around here and then a few extras.  And went out to do a couple errands.

The garden center was busy.  But it seems like this is not prime time to get geraniums.  They only had a few and they all needed some TLC, but they were on sale!  So I managed to find two the same shade of red and will be going out soon to trim, pot, fertilize and talk nice to them.   Then the sleigh gets another coat of paint!

I got to have CutieGirl yesterday afternoon while the rest of her family went to a movie.  We had a good time once we got past me trimming her fingernails!  She was not happy about that.  I told her that her mommy made me do it.  I eventually got a smile and then she slept for 2 1/2 hours!  But what a sweetie!  BeyB is having a good summer so far.  She's thrilled because one of the books on her Summer reading list is available on audio book.  We all told her she still has to read it.  Her PaPa says it's not a Summer Listening List!  She just smiles.

So I saw a couple amusing bumper stickers while I was out.  I was sitting behind a plumbing company truck and their sticker said "Plumbers on Doody".  That cracked me up.  Then I was was behind someone obviously going to the beach.  It was a Jeep with a cooler and large plastic containers strapped on the back.  The containers were covered with stickers.  One had the logo for hurricane.  You know, the little swirly looking thing?  It said "Hurricane evacuation plan:  1. Grab beer  2. Run like hell"  That was also amusing.

Golfer and I have started watching a new show, "King and Maxwell".  It's really good.  Watch it if you get a chance.  It's on TNT.  

While writing about our trip to Fort Lewis Lodge, I don't think I mentioned "Buz and Ned's".  Ever since we came to Virginia I have said that Pierce's barbecue was the best ever.  I'm sorry Pierce's, I have another favorite now.  (not that they care)  Golfer and I stopped in Richmond on the way to the Lodge.  He had heard about "Buz and Ned's" from a golf buddy I think.  OMG!  It looks like a little "hole in the wall" place, and isn't very big, but they have some outside seating and the food was absolutely wonderful.  We had the barbecue plates and there was a large delicious sandwich, great potato salad, and really good baked beans.  And they have fresh lemonade!  So if you are in Richmond, look them up!

And speaking of the Lodge.  I miss the bullfrog chorus!  Here's a picture of their pond.

I took this from the deck outside the small bar.  To the left and up a hill was our cabin, so we were pretty close to the chorus!

I'd better get to the flowers now.  Stay safe!