Early start, lots accomplished.....

The dogs let me sleep until a little after 8:00 AM.  I was just getting ready to turn on the lights when the phone rang.  Who is the heck????   Well it was Nelson Nafziger, an elder at the church.  He was asking if I would be able to take over the Sunday Bulletins again.  I had done it when Pastor Dave left and then Pastor Randy  took over.  Now that he is leaving, it is coming back to me!!  Not one of my favorite jobs, but if I get it into a routine, it will be OK.  And we are going back to the every other Sunday schedule.  So, it will be OK.

So up and fed the dogs.  By now I am much more awake than usual, so did not go back to bed.  I had things to do today.

Coffee and peanut butter toast.  I have had some sort of toast just about everyday since putting in the new toaster oven.  It is breaking in nicely and making some really excellent toast.  After making the coffee, I started running vinegar and water through the coffee maker.  It is a single cup coffee maker using pods.  When it starts stopping mid-brew before finishing the coffee, I know the elements need to be cleaned.  I wanted to make sure it was done before Deb comes to stay with the dogs.  So off and on all day I was running the vinegar mixture through and then just water.  Seems to be working well now.

Last night I kicked the AC back on.  It was supposed to be warmer today, but last night it was warmer inside than outside and the humidity was building up inside.  It is typical for my little stucco home.  So today, as I was coming and going, it was nice to come back into a cooler home.  Tomorrow it is getting hot and will be in the hot soup by the weekend.

Showered in my nice, clean tub and headed out to the grocery store.  Dutchway was having several sales today and I wanted to get there on Senior Citizens Day to save an additional 5% off the entire order.  Headed home to put away the cold stuff.  Had a bite to eat and then back out to Walmart.  Ran into Jill Scott from the Lions Club.  We chatted briefly.  She told me that Nancy Gauthier will be going on disability by the end of the year and will be having surgery on her knees.  I wish her well in that endeavor.

Picked up a script I will need for my trip.  Added a few other things, including dog food to have enough for when I am gone.  Do not want to have Deb need to go out and get anything for them.  Got a luggage scale so I do not over pack the checked bag.  I also picked up a duffle bag that folds into nothing and will be needed if I get fabric when I see Brian.  Always nice to have a extra bag.  I can check my carry-on suitcase and carry the duffle on the flight from Minneapolis to Philly.

Back home.  Picked more tomatoes.

I could not believe how many were there.  I have some that are just going to rot in the garden.  I just cannot keep up, there are so many.  Next year, only 2 plants.  There is every bit as many more out there getting ready or green!!!

I texted Sheila to see if she wanted any more and to ask the elders, who were meeting at church if they wanted any.  I ended up running down to the church to take about half of these tomatoes there and they were all taken.  Pastor Randy was there, too.  His last official day.  He did not all that excited.  He still has not sold his house... the last deal fell through along with the house he had hoped to buy in Hickory.  So he will be moving with nothing settled either here or in his new city.  Karma!!

So, tomorrow I am back to finishing up the OBX books.  I will also be clearing off the dining room table.  I will not be going to bed until that is all done!!!  It is time to start finishing things and not just moving piles around.

So, off I go.  Put away the leftover pizza and get out some ice cream that I picked up to today at WalMart.  They had more Salted Caramel Ice Cream and I go S'Mores Ice Cream!  Yum!!!

Another Excellent Day....

Two in a row.... wow!

I slept well last night and when I did get up, I felt energized.  The first thing I did was to take down the shower liner.  It is a really nice, heavy clear shower liner.  But after a while, the soap scum streaks on the liner and I take it down and run it through the washer.  This time I added a couple of towels that needed to be washed.  I also decided to use the sanitizing cycle on my washer.

I had never used it before.  But I was adding a good slug of vinegar to the wash to help cut the scum and I thought if I added really hot water, it might get all of the streaks.  (Usually it leaves a few on the liner and with the dog sitter coming soon, I wanted it extra clean.)  The washer took pretty close to an hour and a half for the cycle, but it heats up the water to sanitize the stuff in the washer.  I have to say, that liner looks like it is brand new.  There is nothing left on the liner to indicate that it has been used at all.  I guess I will be doing that again when it needs to be washed.

I also make my vinegar and Dawn mixture to use in the bathroom to clean the walls in the shower and the tub and sink.  It is currently still soaking, but before bed, I will rinse and scrub to remove it.

Also did the little bit of laundry I had.  But I am starting to pack for my trip, so I wanted to get some things clean to get basics in the suitcases.

Worked on the Sunday meeting for the ladies.

Transferred money for the taxes and made a correction in the money that is going into my tax account for next year.

Got the trash out.

It was a busy day and I felt really good.

The Downs and then the Ups...

It was a quiet weekend.  Just absolutely had no desire to get up and do much of anything all weekend long.  It really sucks to feel that way.  The television is on but it only serves as background noise to my thoughts.  The dogs do keep me in the moment as they need to be fed, they need to go outside and they demand to be played with or cuddled.  And they do, from time to time, make me laugh.

I did start putting together the project books for the OBX retreat.  In sorting stuff, I had gathered some of the planned projects and already had some of the copies made.  But I started in earnest this weekend to get the books put together.  This Sunday, after church, I will be heading to Indian Acres again.  Sharon is opening her home for a meeting.  So several of us are meeting to get the things settled for our October trip.  I want to give those who come, their project book so they can start getting their supplies together.

I think, at this point, I have all but 7 projects ready to go and in their books.

I did not go to the church picnic.  I just did not want to go and sit on benches.  It was humid and then rain came... It matched my mood.  So I slept late on a Sunday, a rare event for me, and never got out of my jammies.

After the picnic finished, Sheila came over to visit me.  She was concerned when I did not come to the picnic and she wanted to check on me.  We chatted for quite a while.  We found out that both of us are having similar emotions about our being alone, having suffered losses and just things in general.  We cried together some and laughed more and chatted.  It is so very nice to have a close friend that I can talk to about things that many of my friends have no way of knowing about.  It really helped to brighten my mood.

Today was a much brighter.  First of all, the temperature was a tad cooler but the humidity has gone way down, so I was able to turn off the AC and open windows.  Fresh air inside the house was delightful.  No musty smells.  It felt WONDERFUL!!!

I showered and headed out to mail my school tax payment.  It is due by the end of the month to get the discount.  Then I came home and pulled the sewing machine and cabinet that Sharon gave me a couple of weeks ago.  The poor thing has been living in the van.  I wrestled it up on the back deck.  I removed the machine from the cabinet and checked everything out.  It works beautifully except for the feed dog drop.  Since I do not need that feature, I will use this machine upstairs while I recover from my knee surgery.  I like Sharon's cabinet better than the one Jane brought over with the other machine.  But Jane's Kenmore will fit in Sharon's cabinet.  So I will use Sharon's machine and get Jane's into a mechanic for a proper tune up.  Then I can swap the machines in and out as repair might be needed.  They each do different things.  Jane's has many built in stitches.  Sharon's has cams for decorative stitching.  They are both made out of solid metal, and not computerized at all, so they will be easy to maintain and should last and last and last!!!

I brought the cabinet inside and put it on those goofy furniture slider things and it is now very easy to move the whole thing around in the living room.  Once I am back on my feet, I will find someone to help me get the cabinet to the basement.  I am going to paint it all white and then, over time, Mod Podge fabric on the legs and body and leave the table a shiny white surface.

So, I do not know if it was the fresh air or just having had a chance to talk to Sheila, but I am feeling much better today!

Looking forward to tomorrow... something I have not done in a while.

Hearing Test and some shopping...

Well, today I took a flying leap and went to a scheduled appointment at the local Miracle Ear store in Downingtown.  I had gotten a mailing with the promise of a free hearing test and an inexpensive hearing aid.

My Dad had some major hearing issues by the time he was my age.  By the time he died, we had refurbished his hearing aids a couple of times because he had the most amplification that was made.  I have tinnitus.  Have had ringing in both ears, constantly, for years and years and years.  Thanks, in part, to growing up with rock and roll, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc.   You had to play that music loud, when you were a teenager.

I found the store and filled out the paperwork.  I met Jeff, the hearing specialist.  We chatted and he explained the test and that we would be then talking about options.  I was placed in a small room with a window and given the standard, basic audio test.  This was to be followed by a verbal test.  But following the beeps and sounds in the headphones, he came and got me.

I think he was more disappointed than I was happy, but my initial test revealed that I am enjoying totally normal hearing levels.  He showed me the graph and all of my low points were still well within the normal range.  Both ears.  He said, with my hearing, I should be hearing through walls and that he would not want to be whispering a secret anywhere near me.

Still have the ringing, but I do not need any type of aid to hear over the ringing and there is nothing that is going to make the ringing stop or fade.  Just have to pay attention and not let my mind wander.

So, I headed to the Shoe Dept store.  I thought I would look for some traveling shoes.  I have white sneakers and black shoes, but sometimes I want something in between.  I found a couple of pairs of gray sneakers.  I like the Shoe Dept as they carry wide sizes, which I need.

I then went to Walmart.  I needed more paper so I could keep printing up the OBX books.  I also found some slacks that were not heavy but might be nice in Alaska where the temps might be on the chilly side when I am there in September.  (Last year Fairbanks had snow in September.)  I also found a very light weight sweater that will pack nicely.  I have actually already gotten some things packed into suitcases.  Trying to take just two suitcases, one checked and one carry-on plus a bag for my IDs and computer.  And this will have to serve me for two weeks!

Home and dinner tonight was stuffed pork chops and freshly picked eggplant, breaded and fried.  It was delicious.  Happy, happy lady tonight!

Taking a breath, enjoying the kitchen and starting the OBX trip prep...

I had a hard time staying asleep last night.  Have no idea why, but I did manage to get in 8 hours of sleep, according to my Fitbit, actually 8 hours and 1 minute.

I got up, took care of the dogs and got chicken chow mein started in the crock pot.  This is one of my favorite meals so I am looking forward to dinner.

I worked on getting some things put away in the bedroom.  Went over the OBX project book and started making copies for the other participants.  I always give them little sewing projects, big projects and a couple of no sew things.  Gives everyone some ideas for Christmas presents and other projects throughout the year.  We have a meeting scheduled on August 28th to go over our last minute things.  I will be leaving on Sept 3rd and not getting back until Sept 18th.  I will unpack and repack to leave for the OBX on October 1st for our sewing, crafting, quilting retreat.  We have 8 people scheduled and 2 more who may come last minute.

In between copying patterns and ideas for the book, I worked on getting things a bit more cleaned up in the living room.  I am getting close to being ready to have Deb Scott staying in my house for 2 weeks to take care of the dogs and keep my house looking lived in.  She will visit tomorrow for more instruction and getting familiar with the house and the dogs.

Spoke tonight to Kerry Fryberger.  He had worked with Rudy, lives in Parkesburg and checks in with me from time to time.  He had called yesterday about his desktop computer.  He is having problems with it and wanted some advice.  He had spent a year and a half teaching shop in a school but had just learned that he would not be going back.  He had been subbing for a man who was out on medical leave and was planning to come back.  Kerry is a nice guy and always seems to be losing his job.  He is a good ole boy form Kentucky and I love talking to him.  His accent reminds me of my days growing up in Kentucky!

Just a side note... the chicken chow mein was delicious.  I had two big helpings and have two containers in the fridge for lunches or fast dinners.  Yum!

Sweet dreams.  A busy day tomorrow.







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An Exceptional Day.....

I think I slept well.  I have not checked my Fitbit yet today, but I did not dream that I can remember.  I woke up at 2:00 AM.  I felt restless, so I made a cup of decaf coffee and had a clementine.  In short order, I was back asleep.  Dogs wanted fed at 7:30 AM and then my phone rang at 9:30 AM.

It was Marji.  She figured I was already up.  But they knew I might need help installing the new toaster oven.  So they offered to come up after Danny ran an errand or three.  And, sure enough, they arrived around noonish.  Marji sat in the living room, talking to Miles and Winston while coloring her cards.  Danny and I went over where the process was and devised what still needed to be done.

We taped the template to the underside of the cabinet and he drilled the four, new holes.  Now the trial and error began.  The unit came with three sets of screws.  They ranged from shirt to medium to longer.  But their longest screws were not going to have enough of the end in the screw into the shield safely hold the weight of the toaster oven.  So we needed to use the even longer screws from the old unit.  I had saved them, just in case.  But they seemed to be too long.  But we tried them only to have problems securing the toaster oven to the shield.  He added spacers, but in each case, they were just a shade too long and were damaging the finish of the toaster oven.

There were a couple of options.  Go to Home Depot and try to find a similar screw that was bwtween the longest new one and the longer old one.  We could use those loner screws and get a cutting wheel for my Dremel tool and cut them off.  Both would have required a trip to home depot.  The final option was to add a space inside the cabinet which would make it difficult to lay things flat in the cabinet.  I use it for cake pans and other items that would be able to accommodate the screw and spacer standing up in the space, so that is what we opted to do.  Danny, very carefully, took the screws out of their mounts, one at a time, and added the extra spacer on the top side and there was still enough screw into the shield to be safe but the toaster oven snapped into the shield and was held there securely.  Plugged it in and... voila... it was finished.

I truly do not know what I would do without these two people in my life.  While I am positive I could have gotten it myself, I would probably be writing something totally different and finishing the installation tomorrow.  (I would have gone to Home Depot and gotten the cutting wheel, probably,)  But they have been there helping me.  I always try to do things myself and I think they appreciate that.  But they are also there for me when I ask or when they just think I could use a hand.

As they were leaving, Marji asked if I would let them have a tomato.  I handed Danny a small box from Amazon that I had forgotten to put in the trash so he could fill it with tomatoes from my garden.  I have way more than I will ever use.  He filled the box and later in the afternoon, I took my large bowl and filled it, too.  And there are twice as many that are near ripening and green ones waiting in the wings.

Here is the toaster oven in it's new home.  It matched the stove but is smaller than the old one.  Still toasts four pieces of Italian bread which is what I usually do.  Doesn't it look beautiful?

So my job was now, to put the kitchen back together.  I began getting the tools back in their cases and stacking them at the top of the steps to go back down to the work bench.  I did stop and made some peanut butter toast to test the toaster oven.  Then I put bacon in the oven, cut up one of my newly picked tomatoes and toasted my bread to have the most heavenly BLTs I have had in a long, long time.  Crunchy, perfectly toasted bread... on both sides of the slice... made them perfect.

This morning, waiting for Marji and Danny to arrive, I did some vacuuming.  I wanted to get up as much of the Miles hair as I could.  To do that, I had to gather up all of the dog's toys.  There is a small, blue dog bed that Miles has used from time to time... but he is really a tad big for it... and I use it to pile up all of their toys when I want to clean.  The entire time that Marji and Danny were here, the toys remained untouched.  And even for quite a bit of time after they left, the toys remained in a pile in the bed.

When I had my sandwiches, the dogs sat and watched me from the floor.  As I finished, Winston headed over to the toy pile and with just a few tugs, he had dumped ALL of them out on the floor and carried the bed to the other side of the room.  It is almost as bed as having toddlers who just grab the toy box and dump it.  I would be angry, but my dogs really do love playing with their toys.

Here is what the floor looks like.....

So, it was a really nice day!!!  More cleaning tomorrow.

An Even Better Tuesday....

Today was not the best day ever, but it was certainly better than the last few weeks.

I had a dream last night with a very vivid piece.  I had drifted back to sleep this morning after feeding and watering the dogs.  Just before waking, wherever my dream had taken me, I was in a kitchen and when I turned around, Rudy was standing there.  In my dream, I knew that he had already died, but he said to me that he knew I had been needing him.  He walked to me and his big, loving arms enveloped me in a big, bear hug that seemed to go on forever.  I looked up at him, smiled and then he was gone.  But I still feel those arms today in my waking time.  And while I have some tears, they are satisfied tears of appreciation and I have been energized for my tasks today.  I will still need lots of earthly hugs to fill the void, but I feel better today.

So, I installed a new item in my house.  I cannot tell you what, yet, but when I can I will explain.  It was frightening as there were wires and drills and screws with levels and goofing it up could have affected a very pricey piece of equipment in my house.  But I took my time, followed directions step by step, asked questions when I was not sure and got everything done and everything worked perfectly!  I know for a fact that I would have been charged $250 or more to have had someone else do it, but part of what I did was do it myself.  So I am quite pleased.  More later.

Then I set about, with my earlier success under my electric drill, to replace the under-counter (Spacemaker) toaster oven in the kitchen.  I had to replace the one that had been in my kitchen since the 1990's.  It was no longer toasting bread into any kind of toasty surface.  I purchased a replacement and had hoped to get it installed today.  I am not super handy as it was usually Rudy putting stuff like that in.  He would have done a lot of grumbling but it would have been installed already.  As I type, it is not finished.

There were two tasks in this project, the removal of the old appliance and the installation of the new one.  The setup of the appliance is there is a heat shield that goes under the cabinet and the toaster oven hangs from it.  The old oven just slid into the slits on the shield.  So that part was easy, peasy.  The removal of the shield, not so much!

The screws, used some 20 years ago, had the standard slots and not Phillips slots, so they are more difficult to turn.  They have been in place for over 20 years,  They are inside the bottom part of the cabinet and the electric drill does not really fit, so it all had to be done by hand.  It took several attempts and different heights of stools and step ladders in order to reach over the stove top and into the cabinet to finally get all of the screws (they are at least 3 inches in length) and the old shield is gone.  I saved the screws as the ones supplied are not as long, and I saved the old spacers just in case.  But the old oven is in a trash bag outside, waiting for the garbage men to pick it up.

I had to take time to gather the garbage and eat a quick sandwich as I had not eaten much all day.  So I decided to tackle the installation tomorrow morning.  I have figured out the template and how the new holes will go, so it will just be execution.  Keep good thoughts for my task.

Heading for bed... perhaps to dream!!!  I could use another good hug as a reward for a job well done!

A Better Monday....

It was a better day, but not perfect.

FedEx did deliver my box that they did not leave on Friday.  So I am pleased about that.  I can now more forward with the product.  Happy camper.

Another box arrived.  Rudy and I had installed an under-counter or Spacemaker Toaster Oven by Black and Decker back when he remodeled the kitchen in the 1990's.  He had picked it up from a friend that he worked with and this family had used it in their kitchen for quite awhile.  Well, the toasting part, which is mostly what I use it for, was beginning to fail to toast the bread.  It is now at a setting that should be producing blackened toast and it is barley cooked.

Black and Decker had discontinued this product for several years and I like having it hanging above the stove and not sitting on the counter.  Luckily, they have started making them again.  So I ordered one through Wayfair and it arrived today.  I will have to pile either boxes or pillows on the stove to act as a second pair of hands when I install it.  I am going to be quite the show on my cameras.

I had a call out of the blue from one of my lady friends at church.  She had heard me say I had a bad week last week and just called to find out what was going on and if there was anything she could do to help.  She is very busy herself and I was truly touched that she would call and offer that.  Wendy is really a very sweet person.

I got a book put together with patterns and ideas for the OBX.  I am happy that it is together.  I am going to let it settled in my mind.  But it is ready for the Sept 28th meeting and I can start putting together the 10 books for the 8 participants and the 2 maybes.

So, a big day tomorrow.  Things are looking up.

There was a bad storm at Indian Acres last night.  Poor Sharon, they had an outdoor canopy that was blown down.  She texted me this evening, after they got back and some limbs fell on my old place there as well.  Another reason I am glad I no longer have a second home.

Knee is really hurting tonight.  October 24th cannot come fast enough!

A Good and Bad Sunday....

Let us start with the bad.  I mentioned yesterday that I was preparing for my Sunday School Lesson.  And I went in to church feeling pretty good that I had a handle on the lesson.  I started off with what I had planned and someone asked if I had prepared the correct lesson.  Here, silly me, had started with the correct lesson, but somewhere in the getting up and living as I prepared, I went back to the lesson from last week.

Was my face red!!!

But I belong to the greatest church with wonderful folks and once we got started, they took over and talked about the things having to do with the verses we were to have studied.  Thank goodness!!  But that will, hopefully, never happen again.

I went home. briefly, to let the dogs out and get out of my Sunday clothes.  Then I got into the van and headed to Indian Acres.  I was visiting Sharon DeRicco.  Back when I still had a place there and when Rudy was alive, Sharon became a part of our gang of friends.  I started doing a Friday night sewing group to introduce quick and easy items to entice some of my friends into sewing.  Sharon got hooked very quickly as did Debby Patton.  They are now part of the traveling sewing crazies who have traveled the East Coast (Black Mountain, NC., Fancy Gap, VA., and the OBX) renting houses, dragging our sewing machine along and spending time sewing our hearts out.

Sharon and her companion, Steve DiNardo, have just purchased a new place at Indian Acres that is better suited to the larger number of adults that come with them weekly to relax and revive from their working schedules.  I had not been to Indian Acres in a couple of years, so I drove down to visit Sharon.

Part of their move was the disposition of an old Kenmore Sewing Machine in a cabinet.  I love the older machines and had just gotten another one from my friend Jane Hallman.  That machine seems to be in pretty good shape, except it does not sew well through heavy fabric.  I want to try it with a good, new needle before I decide what to do with it.  Sharon's machine appears to be of the same vintage.  I am hoping that one of them will work well enough to not need any adjustment from a professional.  Then I want to have it tucked away up stairs so that after my knee replacement I can use that machine to sew until I can once again do stairs without fear of falling down them.

It was interesting to be in the area of Glen 8.  My old place it there and the new owners have built and nice, large deck on the front.  It also appears as though Fugi and Mary Jansen, who purchased my back two lots when I sold my place there after Rudy died, have cleared the lots and have put them up for sale.  There were many a wonderful party held on those lots.  Sad to see the three house lots not connected to the two back, storage lots.  But change is good... I guess.

I only saw Jack Morrison, who was packing up to leave.  A few others appeared to be in their homes, but it was another stinking, hot day... so I am guessing that they were inside, enjoying their AC.  I know I would have been.

So Sharon and I visited and were joined by Mary Davis.  What was nice were the hugs that I got while I was there.  Human contact is something that I am really beginning to miss... quite a lot.  Rudy may not have been an outwardly affectionate man, in our alone time, there were hugs, and squeezes and cuddling and just touching that I no longer have.  Yes, the dogs will curl up at my feet and Miles will sometimes sleep in bed with me (Winston does not like my vibrating bed).  But I really could use a nice hug, every now and then.  So today I had several hugs from my friends... and I love that.

This evening, I started printing out instructions for the projects that will be proposed as options for our October OBX trip.  I always try to give them ideas for projects that will be presents for Christmas or things they can sell to their friends or at craft fairs.  It is quite the challenge to find new and fresh ideas every year,

So I am getting ready for bed and feeling good about the day, overall!

A Really, Really, Really Hot Day...

And even with all of the heat, it was a better day than yesterday.

Another Breathe Right Strip resulted in another good night's sleep.  I did have some really strange dreams overnight and I work while dreaming and had to kind of shake myself into real reality versus dream reality.  The last one I was trying to drive the truck and it kept traveling in directions over which I had no control, including braking.  I could either drive with no steering or stop just before I hit something.  A very helpless feeling.  Perhaps I need to drive the truck some so my mind does not keep thinking that it does not work right!

My first task was to contact Fed Ex.  A delivery was not made as the driver made a very limited attempt to do so.  Instead I got a 'door tag' stating I could pick up the package in West Chester with no additional delivery scheduled.  I had tried to log onto the web site to list my request for a re-delivery, but to no avail until it told me I had tried too many times and to try again in a few DAYS!!!  So, today I called.  Felt badly for the young man who got me as I was relatively angry, as he was giving me the "standard" response and I did not want that.  He finally rescheduled my package for Monday.  It better get here.  In fact, I just checked online and they have not yet rescheduled even though I have now spoken to two Fed Ex Customer Service gentlemen who have assured me that it will get here on Monday.  I will let you know.  Because if it does not, I will probably take to social media!

It is hot today.  It is almost 10:00 PM and it is still hot here.

I got my eyeglass straps to take on the trip.  Even though my progressive bifocals are fairly new I cannot read with them.  So I got some lovely reading glasses and now have straps for all of them.  This will allow me to keep track of them as I travel in September.

I did finally get to the grocery.  I picked up some of the meats at Dutchway that were on special and in packages for single people.  This is one of the only stores that deals with, not only family packs for those folks feeding kids but also package things in sets of two or three for older couples and people like me who live alone.  I got the basics, milk, eggs and bread.  I also picked up some of their chicken salad.  It is really, really good chicken salad and I see stuffed tomatoes in my future.

The rest of the day was getting some more stuff put away, playing with the dogs and preparing to teach Sunday School.

I am fairly new to the teaching thing at church.  So I have to spend more time than most getting my thoughts organized based on the lesson from our Quarterly book.  I only do this once a month, but it seems to come around faster and faster all the time.  I did stop at church before heading to the store.  I had to get the selected hymns for tomorrow entered into the projections system.  This allows the congregation to see the words up on a screen and not have to fumble through the hymnals.  We finally have a nice group of people who work together to make the Sunday Service look well put together and fluid.  Little do they know what has to go into that system to make it look that way!

Tomorrow I will be heading to Indian Acres after church to see a friend.  It has been quite a while since I have been there and she and her companion have just moved into another place that is better suited for their family.  I am looking forward to seeing this place.

I did stop today to take a picture.  As everyone knows, unless you are living under a rock, the
Summer Olympics are happening in Rio de janeiro, Brazil. There are several athletes from around our Philadelphia area, but one was actually from this immediate area. Cierra Runge graduated from Octorara High School and was on the swim team. She swam the qualifying heat that got the women's swim team into the final round. While she did not swim in the final, the team, doing the 4x200m freestyle relay, won the gold medal, so anyone who swam in that competition also won the gold medal.  So, passing the school today, I noticed the sign at the school complex and made sure to stop and take a picture.  Here is our tiny claim to fame:

Just one of those days....

You have them every now and then.  I seem to have more than my share as I get older, but today was just one of those days.

I slept well.  It was not fitful as it can sometimes be.  I slept in large chunks of time.  I used, for the first time in a while, The Breathe Right Nasal strips.  I will try it again tonight and see if it makes a difference.  But my total hours sleeping was close to 9 hours last night.  That usually results in a good day.

Not today!

I got off to a good start.  Gathering some things together and then sat down to pay bills.  This was where the wheels began to come off the wagon.  A couple of bills hit at the same time and I usually get them all paid and find I have some left over.  Not today.  It is going to be very, very tight until my next Social Security deposit hits.  Good thing I have lots of food supplies and the like at home.  I should be fine with just some bread, milk and eggs,

Then, I was expecting a very important delivery.  I heard the Fed Ex truck door slam, then a minute later again and they were gone.  I went out to find no package, just a door tag.  I am guessing that the door bell did not work (sometimes they do not) but the delivery person did not knock very hard, if at all.  I tried logging on to set up better instructions, but have managed to get locked out and will have to hope they will try to deliver again on Monday!  Really took my mood into the really rotten level.

I did get the van unloaded.  I am ready to head to Indian Acres on Sunday to pick up yet another sewing machine in a cabinet.  Not sure what I will do with it.  I would love to have a usable machine to have upstairs so I can sew during my recovery when I have my knee replaced in October.

It was very, very, very, very hot today.  I took a couple of breaks when I unloaded the van.  The dogs did not even want to be out today.  They usually enjoy times out in the yard, romping and watching the birds and stuff in the yard.  Not today.  Out, pee (and sometimes just to the pee pad in the the kitchen) and back into the cool air.

We are all spoiled.

This afternoon, I watched some sappy movies on Hallmark Movie Channel.  Some of them had me in tears... it was that kind of a day!  I was overwhelmed today and could have used someone to rub my back and give me a hug and perhaps even cook dinner for me.  Ended the day with buttered popcorn that I shared with the dogs.  It was a fairly nice end to the day.  But I really needed a hug!

Tomorrow should be hotter and hopefully better!

Busy Day on the Road...

So, the quiet days of the last days was blown out of the water by today.

I actually set an alarm clock last night so I would not sleep late.  Not that Miles would let that happen, but just in case, if I have an earlier morning event, I set my alarm for 7:00 AM.

So up, feed the dogs, shower and dress and out the door for a 9:30 AM Breakfast with Andi Propst.  Andi is a young lady from church who is working in a mission capacity in Colorado with a group called YWAM (Youth With A Mission) who is helping businesses being set up in countries who are poor, in an attempt to stem the tide of human trafficking that provides incomes in these countries.  Andi is home from Colorado and meeting with all of the folks who are supporting her on her mission.

We had breakfast at Dutchway.  We chatted and she shared the things that are happening in her life in Colorado.  They are exciting for her and she is feeling very positive about her experiences that she has had so far.

Following a delightful Eggs Benedict breakfast, I headed to the bank to deposit checks for the OBX trip and then headed to Exton.  I went to Sam's Club to get pee pads for the dogs.  I wanted to get enough so the Deb Scott will have plenty when I am  away and she is taking care of my dogs.  I wandered around and found snacks to take on the plane, some reading glasses to pack and carry along with a box of clear sleeves that I will need for the OBX trip.  Headed back home and got gas in the Elantra before calling it a day.

The dogs were quite happy to see me.  They went outside, but today and for the weekend, they will not be outside long.  There is an excessive heat advisory in effect, so the humidity and temps are going to be in excess of 100 degrees and, Miles especially with his long and thick fur coat, will get overheated very quickly.  They really seem to enjoy being spoiled pooches, living in the luxury of central air.  Me, too, so we will enjoy it together.

Talked to my brother today.  He called with some questions about days gone by.  We caught up on what we are each doing.  There are days when I wished we lived a bit closer.  I feel like I am missing out by not being able to see him in person, but our lives have just taken different routes and have us on different paths.  But we try to stay in touch by phone.

I will need to get started early tomorrow.  I have to empty the van of stuff I have been lazy about unloading... but Sunday I am heading to Indian Acres and will be bring home yet another older Kenmore sewing machine in a cabinet.  Not sure what I will do with it, but I was not going to let it go to the dump!  I will clean up this machine and see how it runs.  Perhaps better than the one I just cleaned.  I will determine what I will do with them both.  I am hoping that one can stay up in the living room so I can so some sewing as I recover from my knee replacement until I am comfortable going up and down my basement steps.

Tomorrow I need to hit the grocery.  Hopefully it will be early after I get the van empty and then I can stay in and cool for the afternoon.

A quiet week... watching the Olympics...

After the picnic on Sunday and being out in the sun, Monday arrived and I just felt totally lazy.  There are days like that and I totally went with the day.  It is one of those things that is good... and bad.... about being retired.  If I have no appointments, or nothing scheduled, do not have to go shopping and really have no one coming to the house who will give a rat's ass what it look likes, then if I am feeling lazy, then I will stay in my jammies until late afternoon and get dressed only so I can go out to get the mail.

Now, I did strip my bed, washed the sheets and put them back on the bed.  So I was not a total bum on Monday.

Tuesday was not much better.  It is always 'put out the trash day'... Tuesdays!  It is the one day that I grumble and silently (or sometimes out loud) yell at Rudy for having the nerve to die so young and leave me behind.  My job was to gather the stuff, Rudy bagged it and got it into the cans and got them around front.  I hate doing this job.  I really, really hate doing this job.  There are times when I am dragging the can out to the front late into the evening, sometimes the last thing before I go to bed.

So I was sorting and cleaning in areas yesterday.  Tearing down some boxes and just getting rid of stuff.

Today, I had all kinds of plans.  I need to go to the bank to deposit checks.  But I knew another one was coming to finish paying for the upcoming week at the Outer Banks.  So, I started watching the swimming competitions at the Rio Olympics.... done for the day.  What fun to watch.  Very impressive athletes doing things I would never be able to do.

So, tomorrow will be a much busier day as I do stuff scheduled for tomorrow and then catch up on the stuff that I needed to do today.

I love being retired!!!

Help with the harvest...picnics and beans

The last several days were just more of the same.  I am working on getting things organized for the upcoming trip to Alaska and Minnesota.  I am trying to tidy up the house by uncluttering some more as well as beginning to gather things that I would like to take on my trip and see if I can get them all into two suitcases within weight limits for the airlines.

Some days I do better than others, but each day I make progress and that is a good thing.

Today I had another picnic to attend.  One of my BFF's was having a picnic with some of her newer friends that she went on a cruise this spring/summer.  She had invited me to come, too and I had agreed.  When I asked her what I should bring, she asked me to make my baked beans.  So, for the 5th time this summer, I would be making the beans my mother had gotten so good at making.

The picnic was originally scheduled for Saturday, but the forecast had indicated there might be some storms.  So they had decided to move it to Sunday, but by the time they made that decision, the beans were already in cooking mode.  But it was not a big deal.  They just sat and blended in the basement fridge to be heated through today while I was at church.  I have to say, of all of the beans I have made this summer, these turned out the best.  I has soaked a pound and a half of the Navy Beans.  I used the medium roasting pan and about 15 hours of total cooking time.  The people today made quite a dent in them, but I will have some to either eat the rest of the week or freeze.  Honestly, I love these beans, but I am about done eating them for the time being.

Before I headed to Debby's house today, I had put Winston and Miles out for their final pee before I left.  I usually try to give them a good 15 minutes to wander around the yard.  So, I went out and called for them to come in.  Most of the time, Winston comes romping around the left corner of the deck roof from the lilac bush that he has claimed as his den.  He loves to go over there, crawl under the bush and dig some holes where he lies in the cool earth in the summer.  His blue lead was going in that direction, but he was not bounding around the corner.  I moved to where I could see him and he appeared to be playing with a ball... except there are no toys outside.

Last night, when they went out for their final pee, I had found Winston in the corner of the garden with one of my tomato plants.  I yelled at him and he came out of the plant, covered in tomato leaves and smelling like a freshly smooshed tomato leaf... stinky!!

So I am guessing that today he went over there and had retrieved a not quite ripe tomato and had taken it to his lilac den and had been playing around at burying it.  His actions are to bury an item, then dig it up and bury it in a different place and then dig it up again.  I yelled at him and then went over to the corner and pulled on his lead and he came very easily but with the tomato firmly held in his teeth.  I know better than to grab at something that he sees as food, so we just trotted into the back door where he dropped the juicy orb and allowed me to pick it up.

Nothing like a dog who has an affinity for tomatoes and wants to help harvest tomatoes for you!  He does keep my life interesting.

Pictures of the poor tomato that he harvested, please note the mud on the bottom!!

Still sorting... coming to terms....moving forward....

Another day of going through stuff.  I love food magazines and love getting the ones like Simple and Delicious, Country Cook and any of the magazines that are at the checkout line that deal with slow cookers or specific types of foods.  I look through them and then they pile up on my couch.

So, I am going through them and pulling out the recipes that I think I would like to try, sometime.  One of the recipes was one that I had been looking for.  As you know, I have harvested quite a few tomatoes.  I have had bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, grilled burgers with tomatoes and salads.  But the tomato pile did not seem to be going down.  So the recipe I was searching for (I remembered seeing it when I got the magazine) was for fresh tomato soup.

It took just about all of my tomatoes that have ripened.  It was very, very easy to make.  The only thing I did not like was that it called for olive oil to saute the onions and garlic, but I felt it had a lingering back flavor for the soup.  So next time, just Canola oil.

I got my replacement 'Tiles' in the mail today.  I had gotten the "Tiles" when they first came out.  The hook onto key rings, get tucked into wallets and now they even stick to things like phones and computers.  They activate and allow you to keep track of those items, using your cell phone or IPad.  If something gets lost, I can look it up and see if it is in the house or where the last place it was 'seen' by the software.  I had lost the primary key ring to the truck once, after Rudy died.  There were more than just the truck key and I knew I had the keys, but I could not find them.  It was well over a week before I found them, so when these tracking devices came out, I got several.  Since I am traveling with a small computer and suitcases, I got a couple more when I had to replace the old ones (The batteries eventually wear out) so I can tuck them into my suitcases when I travel.  The fun thing will be to see if I can identify them in the belly of the planes I am on!

Tonight I am beginning the baked bean process.  I have, yet another, picnic.  And I have been asked to bring the beans.  So I have beans in the roasting pan and soaking.  Tomorrow is the all day cooking.  I may have to do this one more time before heading out to my September adventure.

Took Miles to the vet, today.  I had to get his nails clipped.  Winston gets his done when he is groomed, but I bathe Miles and he is so wiggly that I cannot clip his nails myself.  So it is a tech visit as we do not need to see the doctor.  He did well, but he must have gotten caught on something outside as they found a nail that was split up the side.  They did weigh Miles and in the last couple of months, he has put on a pound.  I thought he was getting a tad round, so they are going to find their peanut butter treats cut back and their food slimmed a bit, too.  Miles would eat himself into oblivion if I would keep food around all of the time.

After my soup dinner, I headed to Walmart.  I needed onions for the beans, so I picked up most of the things on my list.  I also found some cute sleeved tops that will work well in Alaska in September.

Tomorrow the furnace and air conditioner gets it's yearly service.  Party on either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the rain.  I also have a drop in gathering for the young lady I am supporting on her mission trip in Colorado.  She is home for a couple of weeks and I am looking forward to seeing her.

Busy, busy!!!

Another day of organizing and sorting.....

Feeling back to normal.  Beyond being angry, even irritated.  So I am once again getting back to my tasks at hand.

So not much more than sorting through some of the Living Room and Dining Room piles.

So, not much to report.  It was a good day!!!

Harvest #3

So, I had rain here at home, off and on all weekend.  I did not get out to check my overgrown garden.  I really did not think that where I had decided to put my garden would get enough sun and thus would not grow well.

I was wrong.

Perhaps it was the preparation of the virgin soil.  The only thing that had grown in the area was grass and normal lawn weeds.  It has not been an overly dry summer.  It has rained or sprinkled generally once a week.  The place where the garden is collects the rain water off the garage roof, so I am guessing that it has been getting plenty of moisture at the right times.  I added some enriched soil from Home Depot when I tilled and then added Miracle Grow.

Yep, preparation counts.

I felt I was a little late getting the crops in the ground.... but the garden seems to be making up for lost time.

What have I learned.... I forgot to snip suckers on the tomatoes, so I have vines everywhere.  I must do that next year.  Too many tomato plants for just one person.  Next year one grape tomato plant and two regular tomatoes.  I will stake them up AND cage them.  With the tomatoes growing, the vines get really heavy.

The garden is going to be enlarged.  It will go from the outside garage door all the way to the back of the garage.  The beans are going to be planted with the green peppers.  The tomatoes took over the peppers and, as you may have noticed, I am not getting any of them.  The eggplant will be between the beans and peppers, they will be staked up because when the eggplant begins to form, the plants get top heavy.

I may have a bigger garden, but probably not any more plants, in fact I will have fewer tomatoes.  I will bring the garden farther out from the garage so I have a space at the back of the garden to walk and collect the veggies.  May even have spaces between the 'crops'.

So, tonight I was not sure what I was going to have for dinner, but as you can see.... BLT's are going to be on the menu!  Yummy!!!