stand off

We had a stand off at the house today 

    I let Beth out in the back yard before noticing the 2 Canada geese.

    They were out by my natural garden, but advancing slowly toward the bird feeders.

    Meanwhile, Beth stood vigilant.

    She did not bark  She did not growl.  She stared them down.

    And the geese stared back.

    Neither side moved. 

    This went on for a few minutes until I called Beth in, and the geese wandered off, obviously terrified of our ferocious pup!

    I mowed today.  I really don't get my front yard.  There are huge bare spaces, and not just where Beth goes, but even out of her area.

    I think I will get a soil sample.  Then in the fall have the front aerated and heavily reseeded.

    I am not a big fan of lawns, but we have one and I would like it to be nice.

    I also broke one of my pledges today.

    Last year I pledged never to mow on a Sunday.

    When Julia was in Switzerland, she learned about quiet days.  On Sundays you can't mow, blow, use power tools outside, wash your car, (people play music when they wash their car. I guess) or do anything that makes a lot of noise.

    The result:  You can sit outside and hear the birds.  Outside tine is actually relaxing!

    So last year I pledged not to mow on Sundays.  But the forecast this week is for rain almost every day and my grass was long.  So, I broke my pledge.  

    We had a "what's for supper" moment today.

    Jackie was a little out of sorts, and all the things I suggested were met with a "Meh."

    We decided on grilled cheese with bacon.

    I thawed the bacon, got out the skillet, opened the bread and went, "ewwww" .....  the bread was green.  

    So I improvised.  We had them in soft taco shells.

    It wasn't bad.

    But tomorrow I have to go to the store to buy bread and some other stuff.  Hopefully the bread will not turn green before we use it all.

    Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

oops and thanks

 I am thankful for friends today

    We were going to a celebration of life for a friend's father today.

    All was going well, until it wasn't.

    I transfer Jackie several times a day.  Bed to chair, chair to toilet, chair to shower, chair to chair, chair to car.......at least a dozen times a day.

    Normally it is not an issue.

    Today was not normal.

    Going from the potty to the wheelchair, I hit the edge of the seat on the wheelchair.  She slid off.

    Jackie did not hit the ground hard, but she hit the ground.

    I called Julia and Emily, but they were on their way to the same event and were in Sycamore.

    I could not call Kevin, because it was his father in law's celebration of life.

    I called Curt, who was working.  He offered to bring a couple of guys out in the ambulance but Jackie said no. By the way, that is a service the department does.  We have had them out before.

    Went to call Todd down the road, but discovered I did not have his number for some reason.  (If you are reading this, please PM me your number.)

    I called Sheri, and she was just taking a dish out of the oven and said she would come ASAP.

    I also called Kimberly, because it really takes 3 to get her up ion the bathroom.

    When we all gathered, it took about 2 minutes to get her up and into the chair.  (We put her feet on the bottom of the wall.  2 people lift and the third shoves the chair into position.  Easy Peasy!!

    Curt checked back with me to be sure we got her up.  I should have told him as soon as we did it so he did not have to wonder if I was calling back.

    Sometimes it does take a village.

    I am just grateful we have people in our village willing and able to help.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

school dazed

 The museum hosted a third grade class today

    People were a little worried:  Yesterday's class was "high spirited."

    I joined the volunter force today, and the kids were great!

    Most of them (they are 9 or 10 year olds) were polite and attentive.  They asked questions and even answered questions.

    It reminded me how much fun  that age group can be.

    I missed teaching for about 3, maybe 4, minutes.

    Wasn't it cool watching Artemis land?  I'm glad they made it home safely.  I can't imagine the courage they have. I also can't imagine what the Earth looks like from the moon. What a fantastic adventure that must have been.

    We have a furry, fuzzy cloth rabbit that is part of our Easter decorations.  It has been on the floor for 2 weeks now, but tonight Beth decided it was her toy!  She carried it around and did a little chewing on it before I could get it away.

    I put it on the coffee table and she kept putting her feet on the table, looking at it.  So I moved it to the dining room table.

    When we went downstairs to play tonight, she spent a lot of time sniffing along the edge of the room, even getting up on her hind legs at one point.

    Not sure what that means.  Do we have a mouse?  A rabbit?  A gorilla?  Time will tell.

    I had some forms to drop off with our tax guy in Rockford.  The office is on a four lane road, 2 northbound, 2 southbound, with a wide median that people use when turning left.

    I had just pulled on to the median to turn left when an oncoming red van moved on to the median with their left signal on.  I pulled back into the traffic lane, luckily there were no other cars, and the red van continued before turning RIGHT from the median!  Crazy!!

    I went in the office and gave the forms to the person there.  She checked to make sure we had everything signed.

    Before I left I said to her, "Do I look really pale?"

    She looked at me and didn't say a word.

    Then I said, "If I do it's because between the IRS and gas prices, I am being bled dry!"

    She was still laughing when I left.

    I have the voice text option in the car.  I texted Julia and  Emily to see if they needed anything in Rockford, but the text went to a different Emily. She thanked me for the offer, but she was good.  Julia just sent a rolling eyes emoji, which I saw after I parked.

    I had 1 task to do today, but with the drive to Rockford, the school group, and my general laziness..... I did not get it done.  

    Hopefully tomorrow.

    And I am looking for some hay.....maybe 4 bales.  

    I know!  It's not the hay season.

    I never time things right.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

what a day

 Today was a beautiful day

    My doctor's appointment went well, I had a caramel Frappuccino, museum meeting went fairly quickly and I even got to set a fire!

    I burned off my native garden area.  I wanted to burn that and the field area that I am letting go natural.  But with all the rain, the field greened up and there is very little to burn.

    So I focused on the native plant plot, which is smaller and filled with more fuel for a  fire.

    I sometimes get a little critical of my fellow humans.

    For example, I stopped at WM for a few items.

    As I was leaving a younger (really, at my age everyone seems younger) couple was also leaving.

    They had 1 Walmart bag.  

    I had 2 of my own bags, plus a pack of napkins that did not fit in ta bag.

    I emptied my cart in the store and went out to my car.

    The younger ones wheeled the cart, with their 1 bag, out to their car.  Seriously?  They could not carry a bag of groceries?  

    What is this world coming to.

    While I was checking out a friend said,"Hi, Terry!"

    I was so startled I ended up t tapping  the package of napkins 3 times. 

    An associate came over and said, "I saw your problem.  I took one off so you are only charged for 2."

    I siad I only had one.

    So she took another off.

    I had to get Jackie something from Ulta.  I checked out and t hey asked for a phone number for rewards.  It is Emily's account.  As I struggled with getting the number, the cute young thing behind the counter asked if I wanted her to help.

    I gave her the phone and likely split......she had the number.

    I might go back into the garage tonight to find our rain gauge.  It is supposed to be a drenching rain tonight.  If I can find the gauge, I will put it out.

    Hope you enjoyed today....tomorrow may be a wet one.

    And a wet one would sure be better than the April 9 we had some 11 years ago.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

done yet?

 I planned to clean my den today

    It is now about 9 and I am not yet done.

    Yes, I went to town for 2  errands and a coffee.

    Yes I watched part of the Cubs' game.

    Yes, I played solitaire on the computer.

    Yes, I did 2 loads of laundry.

    But I have worked  in the den too.

    I subscribed to Mother Jones magazine about a year ago.  I have several issues on my desk.  Unread. Pages not even creased.  Plus I have a Travel Illinois magazine.   Unread.

    Not that the desk was a bit of a mess, but it was.

    I opened one of the file drawers to put something away and found Jackie's 2022 calendar. And her 2024 calendar.  and  2021 and 2022 From the Hear calendars.  

    Of course I have to look through them.  You never know,  we might have used a $1,000 bill as a marker.

    Cords!!!  I have 3 cords I have no idea what they are for!

    Good grief.

    I have tossed a lot of papers.  I just hope none of them were important, because they are gone, baby, gone.

    Strangely, I feel at peace with what I have done so far.  Plus the Cubs won.  It was a sunny day.  Supper was ok. 

    And my desk and den are almost clean

    Almost.

    I counting all of this as a win.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

tis fate

 My life just seems to work against me

    I have been trying to get to bed earlier.

    But last night I watched the Michigan win, and that ran too late for me to get to bed early.

    We had an Exit 99 meeting tonight, and I was all set to get to bed by 10:30 when I discovered wifey did not have any clean bras for tomorrow.

    So I put a load in.......at 10:15.  Takes 45 minutes.  I figured I would get to bed at 11, still not too bad.

    I realized I have to dry the load.  35 minutes.

    Now we are talking 11:30 or even later.

    Sigh..

    Our Exit 99 meeting was a lot of fun.  We talk, tell jokes, laugh, and plan out the upcoming show.

    We are an improv group.  So we really don't rehearse, because there is nothing to rehearse.

    I really enjoy hanging around with that group.  They always brighten my day, yet  I am a little sad too.

    I am 18 years older than the next oldest.

    I know!  Age doesn't matter.  It's how you live your life that counts.  I am trying to live younger.

    Sigh.....again

    So many places to go.  So many things to see.  So many things to finish.

    78 is fast approaching.  And yes, I did clean that up a bit.

Peace and Love

        Especially peace

Monday, Monday

Today was not a bad day 

    I am taking a new medication to help me sleep.  I think I said that before.  It helps me sleep, but does not seem to help me get to sleep.

    Once there, I seem to be fine.

    Sure, Beth woke me up at 2:30 to go out.   She sniffed every blade of grass but somehow managed to miss the huge rabbit that came out of my flower patch and scampered across the yard.

    She eventually did something, but I was so tired I do not know what she did.

    Jackie got me up at 7:15.  We have help coming at 8.  

    So I went back to bed, setting my phone alarm for 30 minutes.  I also set the home pod for 30 minutes.

    I don't know what happened, but Rossi woke me at 8:20.  Jackie had called my phone, but I didn't answer.  Both of them said I was snoring loudly.

    Now if I could only fall asleep earlier.

    I had some errands to run and Jackie suggested I take Beth .  The only time I seem to take her anywhere is when we go to the vet or groomer, so a fun ride was a good. thing.

    We went to Julia's and when I stopped the car Beth was shaking.  I think she must have thought we were at a place she did not like.  As soon as she saw Julia, she was happy.

    Kevin, Jen and Sam stopped by for a while and that was a highlight of the day.  I need to come up with more riddles.

    Funny thing, no nap and I felt refreshed all day.

    If only I can keep that trend going.

Peace and Love, 

    Especially Peace

Guess where daddy took me!!!!